… is to be reprinted in Rich Horton’s Science Fiction: The Best of the Year, 2009 Edition, due to be published by Wildside Press in the new year. The Tear appeared originally in Galatic Empires, an anthology of original stories edited by Gardner Dozois for the Science Fiction Book Club and was roundly applauded by the reviewing community and blogger alike, with one commentator on the Asimov’s discussion forum stating “Ian McDonald’s THE TEAR (in Galactic Empires) is astonishing. Bewildering. The first pure sunsawunda story I’ve read this year. Pure Space Opera. Pure SF. Enough ideas for a whole tetralogy. I feel dizzy. Not because I drank a tear of two of pure malt. Because I drank a tear of McDonald.”

Look out for The Tear on genre awards shortlists over the next few months!