My Goodreads review: The 2024 Rhysling Anthology

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The 2024 Rhysling Anthology by Brian U. Garrison

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This first juried edition of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association's annual Rhysling votimg anthology is leaner than recent past ones (only 133 pp.!), but it still serves as a fine survey of some of the best new writing in this field.

With 50 short-form poems & 25 long-form poems on offer, there's plenty of variety -- though, as usual, formal verse is sparsely represented. The narrative tradition remains strong, particularly in the long form poems. This year's anthology seemed (to this reviewer) to skew a bit darker than some in the past, with a respectable amount of out & out horror verse. Fairy tale themes may be making a comeback, & traditional space opera is still popular.

As might be expected from such a diverse anthology, not every poem here will be to the taste of every reader. Still, the Rhysling anthologies remain an invaluable annual sampling of current speculative poetry in (mostly) the English-speaking press.

Truth-in-reviewing disclaimer: I have a poem in this anthology.




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