Year's Best SF 17 (2012)

Neil Gaiman's "And Weep Like Alexander" is a science fiction bar story. We meet Obediah Polkinghorn, an uninventor by profession. He has saved the world from countless innovations that just weren't good for us. He thinks he is finished, but jobs must still be undone.

In Gwyneth Jones' "The Ki-anna" a fraternal twin investigates his sister's death on a war-torn planet. Is it an accident or a murder or the self-sacrifice of a seasoned anthropologist?

Genevieve Valentine's "The Nearest Thing" introduces Mason, who designs lifelike "memorial dolls" that ease the loss of a loved one. While working on the next generation he meets Paul from marketing and Nadia who is with Paul. Nobody likes being taken for granted.