Like most collections, this one has a range of short stories: some good, some great, some not so good, some terrible. Mostly, these are good stories. And what a huge collection! I must admit I didn't read every single story, I skipped around to authors I knew and then titles that sounded interesting to me, but I'd say I read at least 3/4 of them. This is a book I'd love to have on my shelf or on my coffee table. I bet its beautiful as a physical copy (it has to be huge!). This is my second experience with a "The Big Book of" collection, and I'm not disappointed. I'll definitely have to check out more like this.

The VanderMeers’ anthologies are all pretty much essential, and their editorial argument in this and the previous volume—that there isn’t a clear separation between the history of fantasy and some supposed realistic mainstream—makes sense in itself while also providing for a distinctive approach.

I love fantasy. This collection gave me a lot of new names to look into. I'll definitely be recommending this anthology.