This post combines a shelf shot and a Friday Forgotten books. It’s the contents that are forgotten, if a few years qualifies as such, certainly in one of these books, though the books themselves maybe don’t. Let’s take a look.
Starting on the left, a book I’ve been eyeing but finally just got,
The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books by Martin Edwards, Poisoned Pen Press 2017 hardcover, first US edition. Non-fiction.
This book tells the story of crime fiction published in the first half of the 2oth Century. Edwards is a well-known figure from his writing and editorial work with the British Library Crime Classics series. I’m looking forward to reading this one!
Next we have the first three volumes of Neil Clarke’s The Best Science Fiction of the Year anthologies. They cover the years 2015, 2016 and 2017. The fourth volume is available, and the fifth will be published by Night (as are the Shade Books at the end of October.
I like Clarkesworld, the virtual science fiction magazine Clarke edits, and have read several of the anthologies from it. I think he’s one of the top editors around. So I decided to start buying these Best of anthologies, and it’s nice to be able to start with number one. These are all still in print and available.
Note that what they contain is science fiction and only science fiction; no fantasy or weird. Which is what I wanted. Honestly, I’ve read exactly one story, from the first one, “Today I Am Paul” by Martin L. Shoemaker. I liked it.
Tip the Wink 
I enjoyed reading The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books. Some books I had never heard of, and some that were very familiar.
I bet those Best Science Fiction annuals have a lot of good stories, based on the stories from Clarkesworld I have read in the book you sent me.
Tracy, Clarke is a good editor. There are so many Year’s Best anthologies, it’s hard to pick one to buy. I used to buy the one Gardner Dozois edited, but that stopped when he passed away. I’m looking forward to reading the Edwards book.
I own all those books and enjoyed them. You have excellent taste in books!
Thank you, 6. So do you.
You will love the Edwards book. I got a few more suggestions of things to read from it. He is always interesting and informative.
By the way, since the discussion last time, I have picked up (at about $5 each!) the following:
Gary Warren Niebuhr, A Reader’s Guide to the Private Eye Novel
Marvin Lachman, A Reader’s Guide to the American Novel of Detection
Lachman, The American Regional Mystery
Yes, Edwards is good. I started reading his anthologies with Northern Blood and Northern Blood II. I’m getting into the British Library Crime Classics, many of which are edited by him.
Good job picking up those reference books!