This Is My Funniest 2: Leading Science Fiction Writers Present Their Funniest Stories Ever

Many-time Hugo-winner Resnick provides further demonstration that science fiction, fantasy and horror clichés can be turned into rich comedy with just a teensy, absurd twist. Terry Bisson's “He Loved Lucy” depicts the tragic romance between a man and an underwear-obsessed computerized voice-recognition system. Gene Wolfe and Brian Hopkins's “Rattler” presents a pickup truck possessed by a canine ghost. Ron Goulart's “The Robot Who Came to Dinner” is a hard-boiled detective story, but the detective is a human character's ex-husband downloaded into a robot body. Astrophysicist Gregory Benford explains “How to Write a Scientific Paper” in wickedly sharp detail. Folksinger Janis Ian offers “Conversations with a Breeder” in “revenge” for Resnick dragging her into writing science fiction. The real prize may be the Lovecraftian sendup “A Study in Scarlet Herrings” by M.M. Moamrath (the pseudonym of Joe Pumilia and Bill Wallace). The overall humor quality ranges from mildly amusing to fall-out-of-your-chair, making it a pleasant companion for light reading. (Nov.)