My Goodreads review: The 2014 Rhysling Anthology

The 2014 Rhysling Anthology edited by Elizabeth R. McClellan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Originally meant as a voting tool for the Science Fiction Poetry Association's annual Rhysling Awards, this year’s Rhysling Anthology is once again an attractively produced, perfect-bound reader's guide to the previous year in speculative poetry. All poems were nominated by the members of SFPA.

This year’s anthology offers 103 pages -- in my voting copy, anyhow -- of short and long-form verse, in a wide variety of styles. (Formal verse, however, is not extensively represented.) Many of the field’s most familiar names appear, along with a promising slate of newcomers.

I noticed somewhat less emphasis on fairy tale & myth this year, and a few more “slipstream” poems which seemed only marginally speculative. SF, fantasy, and straight-up dark verse continue to receive their share of attention. The quality of the poetry itself is high, though the wide spectrum of topics and approaches makes it unlikely that any one reader will appreciate every offering. I’d recommend taking it as a multidimensional box of cosmic chocolates, selecting a few at a time for maximum enjoyment.

A full listing of this year’s poets and poems appears here: http://www.sfpoetry.com/ra/rhyscand.html




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