Galactic Empires by Neil Clarke

Over all this anthology is mostly hits, remarkably few misses. Highly recommended.-N.K. Jemisin, New York Times Book Review

Neil Clarke, publisher of the award-winning Clarkesworld magazine, presents a collection of thought-provoking and galaxy-spanning array of galactic short science fiction.

From E. E. Doc Smith's Lensman, to George Lucas' Star Wars, the politics and process of Empire have been a major subject of science fiction's galaxy-spanning fictions. The idiom of the Galactic Empire allows science fiction writers to ask (and answer) questions that are shorn of contemporary political ideologies and allegiances. This simple narrative slight of hand allows readers and writers to see questions and answers from new and different perspectives.

The stories in this book do just that. What social, political, and economic issues do the organizing structure of empire address? Often the size, shape, and fates of empires are determined not only by individuals, but by geography, natural forces, and technology. As the speed of travel and rates of effective communication increase, so too does the size and reach of an Imperial bureaucracy. Sic itur ad astra Thus one journeys to the stars.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, writers such as Kipling and Twain were at the forefront of these kinds of narrative observations, but as the century drew to a close, it was writers like Iain M. Banks who helped make science fiction relevant. That tradition continues today, with award-winning writers like Ann Leckie, whose 2013 debut novel Ancillary Justice hinges upon questions of imperialism and empire.

Here then is a diverse collection of stories that asks the questions that science fiction asks best. Empire: How? Why? And to what effect?

Table of Contents:
- Winning Peace by Paul J. McAuley
- Night's Slow Poison by Ann Leckie
- All the Painted Stars by Gwendolyn Clare
- Firstborn by Brandon Sanderson
- Riding the Crocodile by Greg Egan
- The Lost Princess Man by John Barnes
- The Waiting Stars by Aliette de Bodard
- Alien Archeology by Neal Asher
- The Muse of Empires Lost by Paul Berger
- Ghostweight by Yoon Ha Lee
- A Cold Heart by Tobias S. Buckell
- The Colonel Returns to the Stars by Robert Silverberg
- The Impossibles by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
- Utriusque Cosmi by Robert Charles Wilson
- Section Seven by John G. Hemry
- The Invisible Empire of Ascending Light by Ken Scholes
- The Man with the Golden Balloon by Robert Reed
- Looking Through Lace by Ruth Nestvold
- A Letter from the Emperor by Steve Rasnic Tem
- The Wayfarer's Advice by Melinda M. Snodgrass
- Seven Years from Home by Naomi Novik
- Verthandi's Ring by Ian McDonald

Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.

Over all this anthology is mostly hits, remarkably few misses. Highly recommended.-N.K. Jemisin, New York Times Book Review

Ambitious and impressive . . . I can honestly say that it's been a while since I've read a science fiction anthology that is as good and diverse as this one. . . . one of the best and most captivating science fiction anthologies of the year. Highly recommended!-Risingshadow

This hefty anthology of imperial SF covers great space battles, small dramas within an empire, hopeless bureaucracy, and even living space stations, zooming in and out to capture every nuance . . . The diverse array of stories ensures that there's plenty of interest for any fan of large-scale SF.
Publishers Weekly

Masterful editor Neil Clarke has assembled an exotic, bountiful treasure chest of reprint tales dedicated to that mode of SF that can arguably be said to constitute the very core of the field, the space opera. -Asimov's

Clarke has assembled a wide range of authors from old masters like Robert Silverberg to more recent talents such as Aliette De Bodard each offering a different take on the central premise. . . There isn't a bad piece amongst them . . . the Galaxy really is there for the taking.
Starburst, reviewed by Alister Davison

As editor Clarke points out in his introduction, when most people hear the term galactic empire, they immediately picture Darth Vader and Star Wars. But there is a long history of star-faring empires in the genre, with stories that imagine our human tendencies to explore and conquer among the stars. . . . The stories gathered here, all of which have appeared elsewhere, show the huge range of possibilities of the chosen theme.
Library Journal

The first must-read anthology of the year, no question, is Neil Clarke's Galactic Empires, an ambitious (read: huge) collection of SF tales featuring far-flung confederations in the stars. The TOC is a who's-who of virtually everyone doing important work at short length in science fiction.
John O'Neil, Black Gate

Neil Clarke is the editor for Clarkesworld Magazine, one of the absolute best short-fiction magazines on the internet, which makes this particular volume a must buy. The other reason to pick this up? The heavy-hitters on the table of contents.
The Verge, 16 science fiction and fantasy novels you don't want to miss in January

A superb collection of 22 . . . remarkable stories.
BestScienceFictionBooks.com, 12 Great New SF Titles to Start 2017

The meat of any anthology is, of course, the stories selected. Here, Clarke shows that one can have one's cake and eat it too . . . this is a strong set of stories, showing the anthologist's sure hand, and a marker to readers of what Galactic Empires in the 21st century are like in science fiction.-The Skiffy and Fanty Show

Brings together some of the best voices writing in the genre today. . . . a stunning collection of short fiction.-WorldsInInk

If you like space operas in small bite sized chunks, then you can't go wrong with Galactic Empires.-Amazing Stories

An engaging anthology with a wide variety of themes and approaches, and that should appeal to science fiction readers of all generations.-The Future Fire

A smorgasborg of stories exploring different variations on interstellar empires.-BookRiot, 50 Must-Read Books Set in Space
Over all this anthology is mostly hits, remarkably few misses. Highly recommended.-N.K. Jemisin, New York Times Book Review

Ambitious and impressive . . . I can honestly say that it's been a while since I've read a science fiction anthology that is as good and diverse as this one. . . . one of the best and most captivating science fiction anthologies of the year. Highly recommended!-Risingshadow

This hefty anthology of imperial SF covers great space battles, small dramas within an empire, hopeless bureaucracy, and even living space stations, zooming in and out to capture every nuance . . . The diverse array of stories ensures that there's plenty of interest for any fan of large-scale SF.
Publishers Weekly

Masterful editor Neil Clarke has assembled an exotic, bountiful treasure chest of reprint tales dedicated to that mode of SF that can arguably be said to constitute the very core of the field, the space opera. -Asimov's

Clarke has assembled a wide range of authors from old masters like Robert Silverberg to more recent talents such as Aliette De Bodard each offering a different take on the central premise. . . There isn't a bad piece amongst them . . . the Galaxy really is there for the taking.
Starburst, reviewed by Alister Davison

As editor Clarke points out in his introduction, when most people hear the term galactic empire, they immediately picture Darth Vader and Star Wars. But there is a long history of star-faring empires in the genre, with stories that imagine our human tendencies to explore and conquer among the stars. . . . The stories gathered here, all of which have appeared elsewhere, show the huge range of possibilities of the chosen theme.
Library Journal

The first must-read anthology of the year, no question, is Neil Clarke's Galactic Empires, an ambitious (read: huge) collection of SF tales featuring far-flung confederations in the stars. The TOC is a who's-who of virtually everyone doing important work at short length in science fiction.
John O'Neil, Black Gate

Neil Clarke is the editor for Clarkesworld Magazine, one of the absolute best short-fiction magazines on the internet, which makes this particular volume a must buy. The other reason to pick this up? The heavy-hitters on the table of contents.
The Verge, 16 science fiction and fantasy novels you don't want to miss in January

A superb collection of 22 . . . remarkable stories.
BestScienceFictionBooks.com, 12 Great New SF Titles to Start 2017

The meat of any anthology is, of course, the stories selected. Here, Clarke shows that one can have one's cake and eat it too . . . this is a strong set of stories, showing the anthologist's sure hand, and a marker to readers of what Galactic Empires in the 21st century are like in science fiction.-The Skiffy and Fanty Show

Brings together some of the best voices writing in the genre today. . . . a stunning collection of short fiction.-WorldsInInk

If you like space operas in small bite sized chunks, then you can't go wrong with Galactic Empires.-Amazing Stories

An engaging anthology with a wide variety of themes and approaches, and that should appeal to science fiction readers of all generations.-The Future Fire

A smorgasborg of stories exploring different variations on interstellar empires.-BookRiot, 50 Must-Read Books Set in Space

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