THE BEST OF OMNI SCIENCE FICTION NO.6, 1983

The Best Of Omni Science Fiction No. 6, 1983. Painting by Michael Parkes.

"With six volumes now published in this very successful series, we are committed to the above title, even though it consists not only of reprints but of never-before-published stories as well. This has been straightforwardly stated on the covers of volumes two through five. Nevertheless, we still occasionally come upon a surprised, albeit pleased, reader who exclaims, "Original stories? Really!" Yes. Absolutely. Here, along with ten reprints from Omni and two classic stories, are five originals, all so good that they, too, can be categorized among the best - although some science fiction purists will no doubt that one or two of these originals strain the boundaries of the genre. Perhaps. But science fiction has long been in a state of flux; stirring it up some more can only be for the good. And another thing, just what is science fiction? Harlan Ellison, for example, vehemently contends that he's not a science-fiction writer, yet he enthusiastically contributed one of the original stories in this book and two of the reprints are his. All this seems just and proper: a title that is indefinite, some stories that may be considered as more fantasy than science fiction, an author of science fiction who says he isn't. Ambiguity is a common condition in the world of imaginative literature. Happily, it is so - for our reading pleasure."

Contains A Sepulcher Of Songs by Orson Scott Card, Johnny Mnemonic by William Gibson, a pictorial on the artist Paul Wunderlich, a Harlan Ellison celebration, including Chained To The Fast Lane In The Red Queen's Race, When Auld's Acquaintance Is Forgot, On The Slab, an appreciation by Robert Silverberg, A Blossom In Ares by Jack Massa, a pictorial of Rowena Morrill's paintings, A Brief Dance To The Music Of The Spheres by Michael Kurland, The Holy Father by Michael Cassutt, Intermezzo by Melisa Michaels, Kyrie by Poul Anderson, The Hero As Werwolf by Gene Wolfe, Angel At The Gate by Russell M. Griffin, Standing Woman by Tsutsui Tasutaka, A Cage For Death by Ian Watson, The Macrobiotic Revolution by Ian Stewart, Last Waltz by Warren Brown, Spider Robinson's God Is An Iron and a pictorial on photographer Pete Turner.

Painting by Paul Wunderlich, from a pictorial of the artist's work.

Painting by Michel Henricot that accompanied Michael Kurland's
A Brief Dance To The Music Of The Spheres.

Painting by Marshall Arisman that accompanied A Cage For Death by Ian Watson.