There is a need, I feel, for an anthology of SF poetry (I use this term to mean speculative, science fiction, horror, and/or fantasy poetry) that looks at the field historically. The anthologies that have appeared thus far, including the more prominent ones like Poly and Burning With A Vision, have been collections, primarily, of poems that are contemporary with the publication date. The editors have not made an effort to represent the entire field across its history. Depending on how one defines the field, the length of this history would vary, of course. The Science Fiction Poetry Association has now entered its 25th year; its history could perhaps be used to define a "modern" period of SF poetry. On the other hand, SF poems began appearing in magazines and anthologies back in the 1940s and 1950s, so their publication might provide a better bench mark. Mark Rich suggests that the start of speculative poetry begins with Poe. Taking a much longer view, one could make a case for the Odyssey and other poems based on mythology belonging to the field of SF poetry. However one might define the field, no anthology to date has tried to represent it as a whole.
I make the above comments because Keith Allen Daniels himself calls the 2001 anthology a "landmark" as well as "state-of-the-art" and hopes that the anthology will be taught in schools. These representations seem premature. A landmark will be defined by its influence on the field over time, and, unfortunately, it seems unlikely anyone teaching a course that includes SF poetry would select this volume, because academics tend to want historical overviews of a field.
The pool from which the poems in this volume were drawn raises additional problems for the "landmark" claim. The book is made up of poems submitted to a contest with a reading fee. This pool leaves out a large number of poets who don't believe in reading fees or contests or who miss the deadline. It also seems odd that the book does not mention the contest, nor does it list the winners.
But one should review an anthology for what it is, not what is not. In spite of the contest restriction Daniels has pulled together a very nice anthology that includes some of the biggest fish in our small pond of SF poetry. He also includes some names which are new to me, which suggests that a benefit of basing an anthology on contest submissions may be the opportunity to find fresh voices.
At over 125 poems and 243 pages, this is a large anthology. Nearly half of the poems are copyrighted 2001. Most of the rest are from the year 2000 and the 1990s; a few go back as far as 1979. Over half are original to this volume. There are poems from established SF poets: Bruce Boston, Adam Cornford, Robert Frazier, G. O. Clark, David Memmott, Andrew Joron, David Lunde, Wendy Rathbone, Steve Sneyd, William John Watkins, and the editor himself.
As might be expected, there are themes that run through the volume: astronomy, DNA/gene research, and theological or mystical speculation. Some of the strongest poems based on astronomy are Tony D'Arpino's "History of the Sky," Gary Every's "Archaeoastronomy Etude," Misha Feigin's "the last word of astronomy," and Florence Fogelin's "Al Museo della Storia di Scienza." Theological poems by Adam Cornford ("Gravity's Angels") and Philip Fried ("Old Man Among Old Men" and "Quantum Genesis") struck my fancy.
Other favorites include Richard Hague's "Mr. M. & Mr. H. Talk Over Lunch" about the "residual noise/caused by the presence of physics" over which "poetry has to raise its voice." Brian Gilliand's simple and brief "En Déshabillé," about conquerors in turn conquered by a new planet, handles an old trope nicely. David Baker's "Red Shift" (which won first prize in the contest) and Gary Hanna's "Not Ready" and "Starcrossed" were also enjoyable reads.
Sandra Kasturi's reflection on fairy tales and our journey through life reveals that our "way through the forest/is always bargained for." And Deborah Kolodji's "Designer Baby" points out that science may also give us something more than what we bargained for in our desire for a perfect child.
Male poets outnumber female about two to one. Although there are poems by Mary Turzillo, Wendy Rathbone, and Lorraine Schein, among others, missing are Denise Dumars, Charlee Jacob, Sandra Lindow, Terry A. Garey, Terry McGarry, Ann K Schwader, Laurel Winter, and numerous others. Women are making a real claim in the SF poetry field, just as they have done in the prose area of SF. Relying on the whims of contest submission has made 2001 less representative with respect to gender, I feel, than a landmark anthology should be.
Although the volume includes some horror and fantasy, the vast majority of the poems are science-related. Daniels's introduction makes the case for the need for literature and science to be "brought together in a kind of 'grand unification'" to "help buttress the bridge between C. P. Snow's 'two cultures.'" His emphasis on poems that take on the extrapolation of contemporary science and social issues into the future reflects his wish for a convergence of literature and science.
While this anthology may not live up to Daniels's claim that it is a landmark, anyone in the field should have it in their collection. People unfamiliar with the field would find it a good place to start exploring.
Keith Allen Daniels died in December, 2001, at the age of 45. He was a devoted promoter of SF poetry; he founded Anamnesis Press to put his money where his mouth was. The press published numerous volumes of genre poetry. His work in both poetry and publishing/editing has left a mark on our field. The fate of the press was unknown at the time of writing this review. The address of the press is Anamnesis Press, PO Box 95, Ridgecrest, CA, 93556, USA.
Roger Dutcher is the editor of The Magazine of Speculative Poetry and a SF poet himself. His poetry has appeared in Asimov's, Star*Line, Talebones, and Dreams & Nightmares, among others. He is also a Poetry Editor for Strange Horizons. When not reading or writing he enjoys riding his bicycle and travel. He hopes one day to live in Paris.