The 1970s: The death of Doctor Island / Gene Wolfe -- The day before the revolution / Ursula K. Le Guin -- Jeffty is five / Harlan Ellison -- The persistence of vision / John Varley -- The 1980s: The way of the cross and the dragon / George R.R. Martin -- Souls / Joanna Russ -- Bloodchild / Octavia E. Butler -- The only neat thing to do / James Tiptree Jr. -- Rachel in love / Pat Murphy -- The scalehunter's beautiful daughter / Lucius Shepard -- The 1990s: Bears discover fire / Terry Bison -- Buffalo / John Kessel -- Even the queen / Connie Willis -- Gone / John Crowley -- Maneki Neko / Bruce Sterlin -- The 2000s: Border guard / Greg Egan -- Hell is the absence of God / Ted Chiang -- October in the chair / Neil Gaiman -- Previous winners.