Heiresses of Russ 2012: The Year%E2%80%99s Best Lesbian Speculative Fiction

The second installment of this annual series is high on adventure and lyrical storytelling, and low on identity angst and feminist politics. A few of the stories focus on romance, like Desirina Boskovich%E2%80%99s gentle %E2%80%9CThirteen Incantations%E2%80%9D and Amal El-Mohtar%E2%80%99s gorgeous fable %E2%80%9CTo Follow the Waves.%E2%80%9D Lindy Cameron%E2%80%99s %E2%80%9CFeedback%E2%80%9D uses female attraction as a minor point in a tale of sleuthing in a dystopic virtual reality. Sunny Moraine%E2%80%99s %E2%80%9CThe Thick Night%E2%80%9D is much more about the humanity of artificial life than its gender. Several of the fantasy selections use the witch as a classic symbol of female mystery and power, but the stories have a good breadth of setting, and each has a distinctive voice. Showcasing a mix of authors, from superstars like Nalo Hopkinson to promising newcomers like S.L. Knapp, this solid, well-chosen collection will be enjoyed by genre fans of all genders and orientations. (Oct.)