[iansales]

There seem to be several anthologies being published now, more so than in the 1990s. Solaris have just announced a new one, Extraordinary Engines: The Definitive Steampunk Anthology. Other recent anthologies include The Next New Space Opera, The Space Opera Renaissance, The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, The Solaris Book of New Fantasy, Millennium 3001, Forbidden Planets, Infinity Plus One, Text: Ur, Twenty Epics... And I forget how many Best of the Year anthologies there are now.

Not all of these anthologies are the size of domestic pets - the Dozois Best of certainly is, as is The Space Opera Renaissance. But some of the small press anthologies are quite slim volumes - although perhaps not as slim as Ian's two anthologies.

While the print sf magazine market may be contracting, I think the short story market remains strong - chiefly because of the emergence of on-line magazines. Five years ago, perhaps one or two of the 15 or so stories in a best of year anthology might have been first published by a web magazine. I suspect the ratio is much higher now, perhaps even near parity.