Are we alone? From War of the Worlds to Invasion of the Body Snatchers, ET to Close Encounters, creators of science fiction have always eagerly speculated on just how the story of alien contact would play out. Editor Marty Halpern has gathered together some of the best stories of the last 30 years, by today's most exciting genre writers, weaving a tapestry that covers a broad range of scenarios: from the insidious, to the violent, to the transcendent.

2012-05

Introduction: Beginnings /Marty Halpern -- The thought war / Paul McAuley -- How to talk to girls at parties / Neil Gaiman -- Face value / Karen Joy Fowler -- The road not taken / Harry Turtledove -- The aliens who knew, I mean, everything / George Alec Effinger -- I am the doorway / Stephen King -- Recycling strategies for the inner city / Pat Murphy -- The 43 antarean dynasties / Mike Resnick -- The gold bug / Orson Scott Card -- Kin / Bruce McAllister -- Guerrilla mural of a siren's song / Ernest Hogan -- Angel / Pat Cadigan -- The first contact with the gorgonids / Ursula K. Le Guin -- Sunday night yams at Minnie and Earl's / Adam-Troy Castro -- A midwinter's tale / Michael Swanwick -- Texture of other ways / Mark W. Tiedemann -- To go boldly / Cory Doctorow -- If nudity offends you / Elizabeth Moon -- Laws of survival / Nancy Kress -- What you are about to see / Jack Skillingstead -- Amanda and the alien / Robert Silverberg -- Exo-skeleton town / Jeffrey Ford -- Lambing season / Molly Gloss -- Swarm / Bruce Sterling -- MAXO signals / Charles Stross -- Last contact / Stephen Baxter.