The Best American series is the premier annual showcase for the country's finest short fiction and nonfiction.  This special edition contains selections from the following 2016 editions: The Best American Essays edited by Jonathan Franzen The Best American Mystery Stories edited by Elizabeth George The Best American Science and Nature Writing edited by Amy Stewart The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy edited by Karen Joy Fowler The Best American Short Stories edited by Junot Diaz The Best American Travel Writing edited by Bill Bryson The Best American Sports Writing edited by Rick Telander The Best American Nonrequired Reading edited by Rachel Kushner  Each volume's series editor selects notable works from hundreds of magazines, journals, and websites. The special guest editor then chooses the best twenty or so pieces to publish.  This unique system has made the Best American series the most respected - and most popular - of its kind.