Contents (view Concise Listing)

• ix • Introduction: What's Going On Out There? • essay by Neil Clarke
• 1 • Winning Peace • [Jackaroo] • (2007) • novelette by Paul J. McAuley
• 24 • Night's Slow Poison • [Imperial Radch] • (2012) • short story by Ann Leckie
• 39 • All the Painted Stars • (2012) • short story by Gwendolyn Clare
• 55 • Firstborn • (2005) • novelette by Brandon Sanderson
• 92 • Riding the Crocodile • (2005) • novella by Greg Egan
• 137 • The Lost Princess Man • (2009) • novelette by John Barnes
• 161 • The Waiting Stars • [Universe of Xuya] • (2013) • novelette by Aliette de Bodard
• 185 • Alien Archeology • [Polity Universe] • (2007) • novella by Neal Asher (variant of Alien Archaeology)
• 236 • The Muse of Empires Lost • (2006) • novelette by Paul M. Berger [as by Paul Berger]
• 262 • Ghostweight • (2011) • novelette by Yoon Ha Lee
• 283 • A Cold Heart • (2014) • short story by Tobias S. Buckell
• 300 • The Colonel Returns to the Stars • (2004) • novella by Robert Silverberg
• 359 • The Impossibles • [Retrieval Artist] • (2011) • novelette by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
• 391 • Utriusque Cosmi • (2009) • novelette by Robert Charles Wilson
• 413 • Section Seven • (2003) • short story by Jack Campbell [as by John G. Hemry]
• 426 • Invisible Empire of Ascending Light • (2008) • short story by Ken Scholes
• 438 • The Man with the Golden Balloon • [The Great Ship Universe] • (2008) • novella by Robert Reed
• 491 • Looking Through Lace • [Looking Through Lace • 1] • (2003) • novella by Ruth Nestvold
• 541 • A Letter from the Emperor • (2010) • short story by Steve Rasnic Tem
• 554 • The Wayfarer's Advice • [The Imperials Saga] • (2010) • novelette by Melinda M. Snodgrass [as by Melinda Snodgrass]
• 579 • Seven Years from Home • (2010) • novelette by Naomi Novik
• 608 • Verthandi's Ring • (2007) • short story by Ian McDonald