The Annual World's Best SF

It was a continuation of the earlier anthology series World's Best Science Fiction, edited by Wollheim and Terry Carr, published from 1965 to 1971 by Ace Books (Carr also issued his own separate continuation, The Best Science Fiction of the Year, from 1972 to 1987.)

The first nine volumes were subsequently reprinted under the title Wollheim's World's Best SF, distinguished from each other numerically, without the year designation.

The third through seventh volumes were also reprinted in hardcover in the United Kingdom, the third and fourth as The World's Best SF Short Stories, nos.

Each annual volume reprinted what in the opinion of the editors were the best science fiction short stories appearing in the previous year.

It featured both occasionally recurring authors, and writers new to the science fiction genre.