Gardner Dozois, at the time an author of note since the early 1970s and associate editor of Asimov's Science Fiction (before becoming full editor in 1986), took over Dutton's line of hardcover Best of the Year anthologies from Lester del Rey, who'd edited the first five volumes, with the 1977 volume. The Dutton anthologies were slender, little more than 200 pages each, yet included Dozois' introductory summations (an additional 20-30 pages) and extensive lists of honorable mentions. Dozois produced five volumes for Dutton before the line was discontinued, after which Dozois published much larger anthologies under the title The Year's Best Science Fiction, at first for Bluejay and then for St. Martin's, a series that continued for 35 volumes.

Most reprinted authors: Michael Bishop, George R.R. Martin, and Howard Waldrop (4 each), then Edward Bryant and John Varley (3 each).

Most frequent sources: Analog (10), F&SF (8), and Omni (6). Anthologies provided 20 of the 50 stories, including 5 from New Dimensions, 3 from Orbit, and 4 from Universe.