If you're the type of person to watch any video essay that comes across your YouTube recommended, then you'll love this book. The compilation varies in genre, yet each article/review is so interesting, and it expands your mind and helps you understand different perspectives on the topic of focus. The only thing I will say is there are a few typos.

I thought this was going to be just a collection of stories and was pleasantly surprised to find that it's actually real information and essays about what I consider my culture, which is basically geekdom. I enjoyed the intelligent essays and signed up so I could keep track of what Intestellar Flight Magazine is getting up to next.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

It was wonderful to discover Interstellar Flight Press’s “Best of” series a couple of years ago, and Year Four brings the same highlights—original articles (essays), book and film reviews, and interviews—this time with much writing around the theme of speculative horror, with a few pieces on race and Blackness and other subjects. Horror not being my jam, it was cool to read Lee Murray’s I Don’t Read Horror (& Other Weird Tales); perhaps this essay will bring about a change of mind.

Other interesting things in Year Four: an interview with Nebula Award winner Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, as well as many other interviews with authors about their process (Blue Neustifter—author of the feted Unknown Number, J. Corvine, Randee Dawn, Ren Hutchings, and others). I discovered scifaiku and the work of Christina Sng. I did not know about the 1988 movie Killer Klowns from Outer Space, and now I feel I must find the courage to brave it. Holly Lyn Walrath, a passionate fan of Ghostbusters, writes about it (and particularly about being a female fan). Grant Butler writes persuasively about the Predator and Prey films, and the genre that Predator spawned. There’s a fair bit about Star Wars, but I was more interested in Aaron Emmell’s piece on Apple TV+’s Foundation (I never finished the novels, and I haven’t finished the series either). Netflix’s Resident Evil, Pixar’s Lightyear, Marvel’s Moon Knight, and John Carpenter’s Halloween also get pieces.

There’s a lot more in Best of Year Four, covering happenings in SF books and film in 2022, but, again, this particular anthology will be most appreciated by fans of horror film, and perhaps by new authors who are interested in the writing process of other relatively new authors.

Thank you to Interstellar Flight Press and to Netgalley for access.

A very enjoyable read, and one I intend to read future ones of! Whether from this magazine, or simply these types of essays, reviews, and interviews!

There were a few I skipped, as I'm more interested in the horror genre than I am in sci-fi, but all the ones I read were delightfully written and one I intend to reread to improve my own writing! I also ended up finding the interviews a lot more interesting than I had expected, especially since we're given insight and understanding to not only the authors' works, but also their writing and creative process which I really enjoyed and appreciated.

The reviews and essays were my favorite sections to read, and it's given me an understanding to an approach in writing which I'm excited to practice and work on!

Highly recommend if you're looking for a collection of reviews, essays, and interviews - particularly within the speculative genre, mainly horror and sci-fi within this magazine!

This collection has some sharp ups and downs. Essays like Cat Horror, which had almost nothing to say, and The Dark Fantasies of Suspiria and Beyond, which require at least having seen the films it references for it to make any sense at all, had me skimming through the pages in search of the next header. Then I’d get to an essay that spoke to me and I’d be totally engrossed. In the nature of collections, there was everything in between as well. I’ll nod to some of the standout pieces that were 5⭐️ for me:

“The Greatest Conspiracy of All…” is a review of Timeless, a show which I have never seen but which is adequately summarized so that I could follow the thesis. Both in structure and content, this was a gem. I love this format, and while the essay centers around Blackness, not queerness, the framing reminded me of my favorite review/memoirs from the collection “It Came From the Closet.” Great essay. Loved the structure especially.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, THE ICE PIRATES” is pretty much just a summary of the titular, terrible film. I don’t know how I would have felt about this one if I hadn’t seen the movie, but this is a hilarious and accurate review/summary. It reads like a fever dream, if only because it is so accurate to the bonkers movie. I was cackling the whole time.

The last quarter of the book is dedicated to interviews, many of which are quite interesting and almost all of which made me want to track down the works of the subjects. I was especially pleased to be introduced to some indie authors!

Other notables include a short essay about the logistical concerns of Black superheroes; a pair of essay/reviews about additions to the Star Wars franchise; a thoughtful analysis of the various Ghostbusters films; and a review of The Last House on Needless Street that convinced me to add it to my TBR.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed some of these essays even when I wasn’t familiar with their subject matter. Overall, 4⭐️ for me as an average across the whole collection.

I read this book as an ARC; thank you to Interstellar Flight Press and NetGalley.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this but it was a nice little look at alternatives, what if’s and there was information on things, things I didn’t want to know but somehow felt better for knowing it by the end. A peculiar experience because although I had no idea what to expect I didn’t think it would result in what I ended up reading, sounds back to front, I know!

Well, it worked. I saw Le Guin's name and thought, a collection of essays and reviews from great science fiction authors. But turns out Le Guin's essay's aren't included in this compilation. So from there on I was disappointed.

There are a range of essays, reviews and dinterviews, but nothing which interested me.

There was one about more representation for cats in films. Which i say is a good thing, but although I like cats, it was a bit too much for me.

A fantastic collection of thoughts and reviews by film geeks for film geeks. I picked this up predominantly for the horror articles and found some great ones in the mix.
I really enjoyed "John Carpenter's Halloween (1987): Watching Horror Unfold" by Gretchen Rockwell as I think Rockwell did a great job nailing down why we consider this movie a classic and how groundbreaking it was. I also related a great deal to Todd Sullivan in his article "The Gift of Horror: The 1980s Horror Flick TerrorVIsion Inspires a Career in Horror." It really got into why so many of us love and are inspired by horror - even those who you don't feel fall into the bottom of the genre barrel type.
Other articles could have used some content editing but were ok overall.
A great find for movie lovers.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Interstellar Flight Press for an advance copy of this best of collection featuring articles from Interstellar Flight Magazine.

Back before the Internet killed a lot of fun things I used to love going to independent record, book stores, head shops, groovy places and look for Zines. Zines were fan magazines all self published some looking slick, some barely stapled correctly, if at all. Ofttimes brilliant zines were the best way hear about new music, read about cinema and movies that never came close, find authors and publishers not carried in Waldenbooks, and even find information, and new ways to process what was going on. I loved zines and still have a pretty good collection, enough to make most fire inspectors flee my house in terror of the inferno that could be. That people loved, or felt strongly enough about something to write it down, lay it out, print, fold, and think of names for their works, I had so much respect for it. Reading this collection I had flashbacks to zines, learning alot about subjects I had no idea existed, reviews for the familiar, and the new to me, and interviews with writers I have to find out more about. Interstellar Flight Magazine Best of Year 4 features some of the best articles from the magazine, edited by Holly Lyn Walrath and is a fascinating look at science fiction, horror, and fantasy, and the need for more cats in scary movies.

The book is broken into sections, essays, reviews and finally interviews. There is a nice essay by Lee Murray about the fact that many people say they don't like horror, and yet in many ways horror is pretty much all around them in literature. My favorite piece and makes me even now stop and think is an essay on the Marvel Comics character Black Panther by Todd Sullivan, that I don't want to ruin, but makes one question the idea of super heroes and their actions in a very big way. Christina Sng has two articles about cats in horror, speculative haikus, and is also an interview subject. The reviews cover different views of Star Trek, the Foundation television show, the Predator sequel Prey, along with other smaller movies books and television shows. The interviews cover authors and their works, or themes that are prevalent in genre fiction.

A very diverse collection of essays and other works that really reminded me how much I used to love finding small, passionate works by people who viewed art outside of the mainstream. Not everything here is for everyone, and that is great. Sometimes an article might not seem to be for you, until it is. Or maybe one just has had enough of Star Wars, something I never thought I would say, and for that I blame the mouse. The writing is very good, with a lot of interesting points, and new ways of looking at things. The different voices help and more than a few made me go, hmm I never thought of that. And of course I now have more things, to read, watch and investigate further.

A really good collection, one that I wasn't sure what to expect, and one the blew me away. Perfect to read straight through, or spaced out over a week. Finding great writing, with a fresh way of looking at things is always a great thrill.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me access to read this collection. Based off of the description and the cover, I was ver excited to give this a try.
Sadly, there was only 2 essays that were interesting to read. I gave many of the essays a try but they weren’t my thing.

[Blurb goes here]

When I stumbled upon Interstellar Flight Magazine's Best of Year 4, I initially skimmed through the blurb, expecting to find flash fiction or short stories set in the vastness of space or on gravity-bound new worlds. To my surprise, these were not stories but essays, as the blurb had suggested. 'Let's give it a try,' I thought, even though I had to conceal my initial disappointment.

As I delved into the book, I was taken aback by the masterful writing within its pages. Some of these essays proved to be truly intriguing, with 'I don't read horror' standing out as a personal favorite. Each essay is a short yet thought-provoking piece, and despite their brevity, they offer a unique glimpse into the minds of individuals with diverse opinions on various subjects.

Interstellar Flight Magazine's Best of Year 4 is not a lengthy read, but it certainly provides a captivating exploration of different perspectives. If you have a penchant for book reviews or enjoy delving into the thoughts and opinions of others, this book will undoubtedly be an eye-opener and a rewarding experience.

Thank you for the advanced copy!