T Collection
A science fiction collection with a largely shared setting. Again, of consistent and equivalent quality to Flowers at 3.32. First : The Way of All Flesh – Scott Nicholson First : Floating Cathedral Song – Scott Nicholson First : Penance – Scott Nicholson First : Reckless Osmosis – Scott Nicholson First : Narrow is the [...]
Highly consistent spooky short story collection at 3.30. Flowers : The Vampire Shortstop – Scott Nicholson Flowers : Thirst – Scott Nicholson Flowers : When You Wear These Shoes – Scott Nicholson Flowers : Invisible Friend – Scott Nicholson Flowers : The Night the Wind Died – Scott Nicholson Flowers : Scarecrow Boy – Scott [...]
Another of the Crouch gun collections. This one has several good stories. SIX IN THE CYLINDER : PERFECT LITTLE TOWN – BLAKE CROUCH SIX IN THE CYLINDER : SERIAL – BLAKE CROUCH SIX IN THE CYLINDER : THE NEWTON BOYS’ LAST PHOTOGRAPH – BLAKE CROUCH SIX IN THE CYLINDER : THE METEOROLOGIST – BLAKE CROUCH [...]
A four story collection, all average – which also explains the Fully Loaded title of another. Four Live Rounds : Remaking – Blake Crouch Four Live Rounds : On The Good Red Road – Blake Crouch Four Live Rounds : Shining Rock – Blake Crouch Four Live Rounds : Four Live Rounds – Blake Crouch [...]
A short collection. Where You Lived : Where You Lived – Todd Goldberg Where You Lived : Welcome To Thousand Palms – Todd Goldberg Where You Lived : Last Night At The Dairy Bar – Todd Goldberg Trying not to eat self. 3 out of 5 A golfer. 3 out of 5 Pelican Bob is [...]
A decent short horror collection with the title story the strongest. Anything Can Be Dangerous : ANYTHING CAN BE DANGEROUS – Matt Hults Anything Can Be Dangerous : FEEDING FRENZY – Matt Hults Anything Can Be Dangerous : THROUGH THE VALLEY OF DEATH – Matt Hults Anything Can Be Dangerous : THE FINGER – Matt [...]
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A decent short collection of crime stories with the first the better of the two. Mystery Stories Vol 1 : Strictly Business – N. C. Hyzy Mystery Stories Vol 1 : Panic – N. C. Hyzy Killing Uncle Fred didn’t go so well, Susan. 3.5 out of 5 Got Carrie. 3 out of 5 3.5 [...]
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A Hand For Each : A Hand For Each – J. Kathleen Cheney A Hand For Each : Masks Of War – J. Kathleen Cheney A Hand For Each : Fleurs Du Mal – J. Kathleen Cheney Heart squeeze for bodies. 3.5 out of 5 Entrenched guilt. 3 out of 5 Fruity body supply. 3.5 [...]
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A good short collection of crime stories. Three Ways To Die : Jack Webb’s Star – Lee Goldberg Three Ways To Die : Bumsickle – Lee Goldberg Three Ways To Die : Remaindered – Lee Goldberg Stealing and shagging and killing for it. 3.5 out of 5 Naked fast food trip murder. 3 out of [...]
At 3.53 a very good collection of stories without any of the very best. Waking Up Screaming : Cool Air – H. P. Lovecraft Waking Up Screaming : The Hound – H. P. Lovecraft Waking Up Screaming : The Lurking Fear – H. P. Lovecraft Waking Up Screaming : The Terrible Old Man – H. [...]
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A short collection. Dragon’s Child : The Dragon’s Child – J. Kathleen Cheney Dragon’s Child : Early Winter Near Jen-Li Village – J. Kathleen Cheney Chosen wizard vessel. 3 out of 5 Two ghosts. 3 out of 5 2 out of 5
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Just an average horror collection at 3.15. Includes an interview. Fully Loaded : *69 – Blake Crouch Fully Loaded : Remaking – Blake Crouch Fully Loaded : On the Good Red Road – Blake Crouch Fully Loaded : Shining Rock – Blake Crouch Fully Loaded : Perfect Little Town – Blake Crouch Fully Loaded : [...]
At 3.73 a collection of excellent hardboiled horror and laugh out loud humour. The title story is brilliantly original. Plus monkeys! Hard Bite : Hard Bite – Anonymous-9 Anonymous-9 Hard Bite : Tequila Spike – Anonymous-9 Anonymous-9 Hard Bite : Claw Marks – Anonymous-9 Anonymous-9 Hard Bite : Backseat Driver – Anonymous-9 Anonymous-9 Hard Bite [...]
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Just an average bunch at 3.13. Crime Stories : The Big Guys – J. A. Konrath Crime Stories : A Fistful of Cozy – J. A. Konrath Crime Stories : Cleansing – J. A. Konrath Crime Stories : Lying Eyes – J. A. Konrath Crime Stories : Perfect Plan – J. A. Konrath Crime Stories [...]
These stories are from 1962 to 1969, his second SF period. As he points out, trying to give a little more weight to them than stuff he was knocking out with Randall Garrett over beers to support the lifestyle. From the just about 3.50 average he was highly successfull. To the Dark Star : To [...]
An decent collection at 3.23 that often veers into amusing black comedy which is a bit harder to do that the usual horror story. There are a couple of standouts. Horror Stories : Finicky Eater – J. A. Konrath Horror Stories : The Screaming – J. A. Konrath Horror Stories : Mr. Pull Ups – [...]
These stories are from 1953 to 1958 and all include fun intros from the author. To Be Continued : Gorgon Planet – Robert Silverberg To Be Continued : The Road to Nightfall – Robert Silverberg To Be Continued : The Silent Colony – Robert Silverberg To Be Continued : Absolutely Inflexible – Robert Silverberg To [...]
A collection of powerful horror stories at a very impressive 3.70. Engines of Desire : Horses – Livia Llewellyn Engines of Desire : At the Edge of Ellensburg – Livia Llewellyn Engines of Desire : The Teslated Salishan Evergreen – Livia Llewellyn Engines of Desire : The Engine of Desire – Livia Llewellyn Engines of [...]
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An anthology of Kuttner and Moore both together and apart, with the two very good bookends, Vintage Season and Two-Handed Engine. No Boundaries : Vintage Season – C. L. Moore No Boundaries : The Devil We Know – Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore No Boundaries : Home There’s No Returning No Boundaries : Exit [...]
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This 3.55 collection includes a short intro by Harlan Ellison. Shadows of Death : The Shadow Out of Time – H. P. Lovecraft Shadows of Death : The Festival – H. P. Lovecraft Shadows of Death : Celephaïs – H. P. Lovecraft Shadows of Death : The Tomb – H. P. Lovecraft Shadows of Death [...]
There’s a length introduction to this excellent 3.95 collection of his shorter work. Best of H P Lovecraft : The Rats in the Walls – H. P. Lovecraft Best of H P Lovecraft : The Picture in the House – H. P. Lovecraft Best of H P Lovecraft : The Outsider – H. P. Lovecraft [...]
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At 3.57 a very good science fiction collection with several strong stories. The obvious standout is the finaly entry and title story. Charles Sheffield is generally a joy to read. I have wanted to read this one for some time, so was amazed when Phoenix Pick made it available. Thanks! Check them out and sign [...]
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A solid selection of good Smith stories, including a couple of his best. Return of the Sorcerer : The Return Of The Sorcerer – Clark Ashton Smith Return of the Sorcerer : The City Of Singing Flame – Clark Ashton Smith Return of the Sorcerer : The Vaults Of Yoh-Vombis – Clark Ashton Smith Return [...]
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There are several strong stories in this fifth volume. The Last Hieroglyph : The Dark Age – Clark Ashton Smith The Last Hieroglyph : The Death of Malygris – Clark Ashton Smith The Last Hieroglyph : The Tomb-Spawn – Clark Ashton Smith The Last Hieroglyph : The Witchcraft of Ulua – Clark Ashton Smith The [...]
Not as good as the previous two, however The mandrakes is a standout. The Maze of the Enchanter : The Mandrakes – Clark Ashton Smith The Maze of the Enchanter : The Beast of Averoigne – Clark Ashton Smith The Maze of the Enchanter : A Star-Change – Clark Ashton Smith The Maze of the [...]
The volume with the two best stories. The Holiness of Azedarac and The Vaultos of Yoh-Vombis, so a little better again than the second. A Vintage From Atlantis : The Holiness of Azédarac – Clark Ashton Smith A Vintage From Atlantis : The Maker of Gargoyles – Clark Ashton Smith A Vintage From Atlantis : [...]
The second in a series, and better at 3.43. The Door To Saturn : The Door to Saturn – Clark Ashton Smith The Door To Saturn : The Red World of Polaris – Clark Ashton Smith The Door To Saturn : Told in the Desert – Clark Ashton Smith The Door To Saturn : The [...]
The first of a series of collections that includes some appendices and notes about the work. The End of the Story : To the Daemon – Clark Ashton Smith The End of the Story : The Abominations of Yondo – Clark Ashton Smith The End of the Story : Sadastor – Clark Ashton Smith The [...]
With 3.71 average here, Hamilton shows he is a very fine proponent of the short form when not afflicted with the late 20th century auctorial bloatblight. The new Myo story is rather good, too. Manhattan in Reverse : Watching Trees Grow – Peter F. Hamilton Manhattan in Reverse : Footvote – Peter F. Hamilton Manhattan [...]
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I love McAuley’s Quiet War stories. The only problem with this collection is that it doesn’t have all of them! Maybe he’ll do another, and then an omnibus. What is does have is a new story not available anywhere else in Karyl’s War, a novella. And a very good one about what happens to one [...]
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I love McAuley’s Quiet War stories. The only problem with this collection is that it doesn’t have all of them! Maybe he’ll do another, and then an omnibus. What is does have is a new story not available anywhere else in Karyl’s War, a novella. And a very good one about what happens to one [...]
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I’m not that big of fan of historical fiction, but some of these are good and very good – and the Sword Woman stories are better than that. And some of the fragments look like the stories would be very good from those, too. I did find the introduction talking about Howard’s sources and inspiration [...]
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A very good collection at 3.50. McAuley has an effortless advanced competence, or so it seems when you are reading. Also a massive range, being able to produce work from interesting occult detectives to the more low rent lowest common denominator Michael Crichton type science fiction thriller. Luckily for us he chooses to turn his [...]
Five stories including one curiosity, a round robin work by several authors of note of the period in The Challenge From Beyond. Here the work that the title is drawn from, a great Conan story, is to be found in the middle. Beyond The Black River : The Grisly Horror – Robert E. Howard Beyond [...]
Six stories and one poem in this collection, bookended by the great Conan stories Queen of hte Black Coast and A Witch Shall Be Born. Gardens Of Fear : Queen Of The Black Coast – Robert E. Howard Gardens Of Fear : The Haunter Of The Ring – Robert E. Howard Gardens Of Fear : [...]
Another introduction from Mark Finn and with several poems to finish as well as throughout the rest of the book another top-notch collection, including the brilliant Conan story Red Nails. Black Hounds Of Death : Black Canaan – Robert E. Howard Black Hounds Of Death : Red Nails – Robert E. Howard Black Hounds Of [...]
An excellent collection, led by Pigeons From Hell. It also contains several good poems along with the novel Almuric. Thunder Of Trumpets : Pigeons From Hell – Robert E. Howard Thunder Of Trumpets : A Thunder Of Trumpets – Robert E. Howard Thunder Of Trumpets : Almuric – Robert E. Howard Thunder Of Trumpets : [...]
A collection of novellas from the 1950s. Silverberg details discovering Planet Stories magazine and not being quite old enough to write for it before it folded, and then the other magazines he became involved with publishing that type of story. Even as a one man magazine. These are all pretty good with the last three [...]
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A collection of most of his best stories. For some reason Horse of Air is not here, with maybe a couple of others. It also leaves out his weakest other work, substituting a few I hadn’t come across before. Recidivist was interesting. He is not very prolific, basically coming up with around a story a [...]
Continue reading about When the Great Days Come – Gardner Dozois
An omnicollection of the end of Flandry’s career when he is an Admiral and some other Technic history stories. Flandry’s Legacy : A STONE IN HEAVEN – Poul Anderson Flandry’s Legacy : THE GAME OF EMPIRE – Poul Anderson Flandry’s Legacy : A TRAGEDY OF ERRORS – Poul Anderson Flandry’s Legacy : THE NIGHT FACE [...]
This omnicollection deals with an experienced Flandry, with the first story highly excellent and the rest only so-so. Sir Dominic Flandry The Last Knight of Terra : THE PLAGUE OF MASTERS – Poul Anderson Sir Dominic Flandry The Last Knight of Terra : HUNTERS OF THE SKY CAVE – Poul Anderson Sir Dominic Flandry The [...]
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The final Elric collection in this series contains a new story, a novel, a screenplay, an article, a couple of intros and a reader’s guide to Elric at the end. Which is an odd place to put it – they want you to get all of these books first before you find out where you [...]
In this collection you get a later novel, a short story, some esoterica and a homage, along with some artwork from various previous sources. In the Dream Realms : THE FORTRESS OF THE PEARL – Michael Moorcock In the Dream Realms : ELRIC: THE MAKING OF A SORCERER – Michael Moorcock In the Dream Realms [...]
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A collection of Wellman’s stories about the Stone Age leader Hok, including some additions set in the same time period and a fragment. The stories display a great deal of consistency in quality. Battle In the Dawn : Battle in the Dawn – Manly Wade Wellman Battle In the Dawn : Hok Goes to Atlantis [...]
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An omnicollection containing these books :- To the Galactic Rim : The Road to the Rim – A. Bertram Chandler To the Galactic Rim : To Prime the Pump – A. Bertram Chandler To the Galactic Rim : The Hard Way Up – A. Bertram Chandler To the Galactic Rim : The Broken Cycle – [...]
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A good collection of western stories with the best work at the start. Later there are recurring characters in a couple – The Sonora Kid, and the big knife-wielding Grizzly Elkins. Much lead is flying in these corrupt Western towns. Except in the case of Yellow Donory, who can’t get himself shot when he wants [...]
A solid collection of science fiction and fantasy at 3.43. There are several very good stories here. Tides from the New World : The Fish Merchant – Tobias S. Buckell Tides from the New World : In the Heart of Kalikuata – Tobias S. Buckell Tides from the New World : Io Robot – Tobias [...]
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A mini-collection of decent fantasy. Cracks and Other Deaths : Cracks – Trent Jamieson Cracks and Other Deaths : Looking Back – Trent Jamieson Cracks and Other Deaths : Small Change – Trent Jamieson Hungry huskling grave. 3 out of 5 Death Hell bargain basement deal. 3.5 out of 5 Charon’s cash, of course it [...]
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A high quality collection at 3.71, as is usual for Doctorow’s short work. This one is chock full of near future speculation. With A Little Help : The Things That Make Me Weak and Strange Get Engineered Away – Cory Doctorow With A Little Help : The Right Book – Cory Doctorow With A Little [...]
Two novellas about a very long-lived artificial man with superhuman capabilities thanks to his technology policing species diversity on a future Earth. With brings him into conflict with others like him, and with the corporate enclaves that remains. Africa Zero : Africa Zero – Neal Asher Africa Zero : The Army of God and the [...]
A collection of stories of the swords, guns and Khans variety. Amoral adventurers, spies, and Americans pretending to not be. The appendix has an in depth discussion of the characters, which is very interesting. El Borak and Other Desert Adventures : Swords of the Hills – Robert E. Howard El Borak and Other Desert Adventures [...]
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A collection of Howard tales, featuring his sword and sorcery work in the main, but with some horror examples, and, oddly, a Western. Vultures would seem to be out of place, here. Almost the 4.0 average, so you really can’t get much better than that unless you pick them yourself. There’s an introduction by John [...]
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An interesting choice of stories, putting the other two with the Stark novella. Maybe they will do ‘Queen’ and ‘Enchantress’ volumes as well. It is a seriously great idea to do a book that features the fabulous Anderson Black Amazon Planet Stories cover, though. I think I have lost count of how many different copies [...]
Continue reading about Black Amazon of Mars and Other Tales From the Pulps – Leigh Brackett
A bunch of very good stories and a bunch of average stories. Or what you’d expect from a random collection from a decent author – a stock standard 3.41 average. If you have all the well-known ones already, no need to get this unless you are a fan, apart from the fact it is a [...]
Continue reading about The Best of Kim Stanley Robinson – Kim Stanley Robinson
The Dune Encyclopedia – Frank HerbertAn overview of the places, people and technology in the Dune universe. This explains a lot of the detail of things that Herbert just mentions in passing, such as the scientists that invented shields, or space travel, or things like that. It is very useful to gain a better understanding [...]
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If you are wondering about the early Alastair Reynolds stories that you haven’t seen, and if they are any good, then worry no longer, they are. So this is worth getting. It is just a shame that NESFA have no digital publishing program, because this would sell as many copies probably in a week or [...]
As the title suggests, a collection of work related to the title character, including herself, Phineas Trout, McGlade, and others. So they range from straight shooting, to hardboiled hits, to perverted black comedy. As far as his short stories go, this is the best stuff, and two of these tales are extremely strong. Jack Daniels [...]
An eclectic collection of fantasy stories with a little science fiction at 3.56, the best of which are in the middle, with Ill Met in Lankhmar and Gonna Roll the Bones. There are multiple Lankhmar stories to be found here, which is good. Fritz Leiber-Selected Stories : SMOKE GHOST – Fritz Leiber Fritz Leiber-Selected Stories [...]
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An excellent collection of stories at 3.83, headlined by the brilliant title story ‘The Green Leopard Plague.’ Of the others I would have included Dinosaurs and Video Star or one of his Wild Cards stories ahead of weaker stuff like Send Them Flowers, but pretty much agree with the rest. A great value collection that [...]
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This is a collection of some of the public domain horror stories of Robert E. Howard, in general. There are several very good stories here. This book can be had by Australians from the Book Depository for less than the price of mailing it from one state to another locally, as such. Skull-Face is one [...]
Continue reading about The Haunter of the Ring and Other Tales – Robert E. Howard
I believed that Laird Barron was the greatest new horror writer around after reading his first batch, so it was slightly nervously that I approached Occultation. I had already read two of the stories – The Forest, which is an extremely good science fictional mad scientist not-quite horror depending on how you look at it [...]
A decent collection at 3.38, but far from her best. Warm Worlds and Otherwise : All the Kinds of Yes – James Tiptree Jr. Warm Worlds and Otherwise : The Milk of Paradise – James Tiptree Jr. Warm Worlds and Otherwise : And I Have Come Upon This Place by Lost Ways – James Tiptree [...]
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An omicollection if you like, a la Baen about a group of ordinary-seeming but rather resourceful dodgy soldiers in the Warhammer fantasy setting. Blackhearts Omnibus : Hetzau’s Follies – Nathan LongBlackhearts Omnibus : Valnir’s Bane – Nathan LongBlackhearts Omnibus : Rotten Fruit – Nathan LongBlackhearts Omnibus : The Broken Lance – Nathan LongBlackhearts Omnibus : [...]
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This collection contains stories that are 2000 or earlier. In the introduction Stross talks about the future catching up and getting to the stage of making a couple of them obsolete. That being a problem with writing that sort of SF in general, too. Also an amusing mini-section about what would happen if you time [...]
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An extremely fine collection of stories. My favorites not included here are: “How the Wind Spoke at Madaket”, “Human History”, “Aymara”, “Vacancy”, “Barnacle Bill the Spacer” and “Black Coral”. With those, a 5 star book without even thinking about it for an attosecond. This compilation gets just about 4.75, and also includes an award winning [...]
Continue reading about The Best Of Lucius Shepard – Lucius Shepard
This book is the second volume of Brackett science fiction stories that Haffner has done, and it would appear that they are approaching the work chronologically, as this follows Martian Quest: the Early Brackett. So the stories start where those finished, and go up until 1950. The title is apt, as there are several stories [...]
Continue reading about Lorelei Of the Red Mist Planetary Romances – Leigh Brackett
I was going to write about this at some length by story, but there is no usable ebook version and I haven’t had time to scan it yet. I also wanted to get a rating of it in for this year, given I read it quite some time ago and am rapidly running out of [...]
The third collection by Alastair Reynolds, and this later version of the book has more stories than the earlier Night Shade edition, so nice work publishers, editors and author in that respect. Each story, or related group in the case of the Merlin tales is followed by a bit from the author of the whys [...]
Continue reading about Zima Blue and Other Stories – Alastair Reynolds
This collection includes an introduction by Hank Davis, and also the chronology of the Technic Civilisation. Also included are Earth Book of Stormgate style introductions to some of the pieces as if they were being researched via history some time later. David Falkayn Star Trader : Territory – Poul Anderson David Falkayn Star Trader : [...]
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A collection of short stories each in a future city setting, none of which are any good. Sunfall : THE ONLY DEATH IN THE CITY (Paris) – C. J. CherryhSunfall : THE HAUNTED TOWER (London) – C. J. CherryhSunfall : ICE (Moscow) – C. J. CherryhSunfall : NIGHTGAME (Rome) – C. J. CherryhSunfall : HIGHLINER [...]
A multi-genre collection, but just a 3.13 average. Sturgeon Is Alive and Well : To Here and the Easel – Theodore SturgeonSturgeon Is Alive and Well : Slow Sculpture – Theodore SturgeonSturgeon Is Alive and Well : It’s You! – Theodore SturgeonSturgeon Is Alive and Well : Take Care of Joey – Theodore SturgeonSturgeon Is [...]
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A collection of short shorts about Halloween night. Tricks and Treats : Tricks – Steven Rasnick TemTricks and Treats : The Invisible Boy – Steven Rasnick TemTricks and Treats : Painted Faces – Steven Rasnick TemTricks and Treats : Sack Lunch – Steven Rasnick TemTricks and Treats : Sweet and Sour – Steven Rasnick TemTricks [...]
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This collection you could say is esoteric – it includes the great episodic novel/collection The Sailor On the Seas of Fate, and one very good short story, but the rest is motley. There is a comic strip, the odd essay, some artwork, etc. Those particularly interested will like that, others can happily skip it to [...]
Very bad is the word for this at 2.74. You know how some author introductions can be interesting? Well, these are anti-interesting. In fact, tosser would the description for the author of such I believe. It was something less polite I believe when I read this when it came out. Skip those, definitely – I [...]
Russell was capable of producing some quality stuff – but also piles of dreck. Junk aplenty here, with one good one. Six Worlds Yonder : The Waitabits – Eric Frank RussellSix Worlds Yonder : Tieline – Eric Frank RussellSix Worlds Yonder : Top Secret – Eric Frank RussellSix Worlds Yonder : Nothing New – Eric [...]
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One finding Pern story, and others of the more usual variety, of which the last is the best. Chronicles Of Pern First Fall : The Survey: P.E.R.N.c – Anne McCaffreyChronicles Of Pern First Fall : The Dolphins’ Bell – Anne McCaffreyChronicles Of Pern First Fall : The Ford of Red Hanrahan – Anne McCaffreyChronicles Of [...]
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Apart from the longer opening Pern tale and one other, these are routinely mediocre to poor stories at 2.83. Girl Who Heard Dragons : The Girl Who Heard Dragons – Anne McCaffreyGirl Who Heard Dragons : Velvet Fields – Anne McCaffreyGirl Who Heard Dragons : Euterpe on a Fling – Anne McCaffreyGirl Who Heard Dragons [...]
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Not that interesting, this collection, apart from one very funny fantasy story. A lot of the rest is way too old fashioned American for me. Average about 3.15. Mother Aegypt and Other Stories : Leaving His Cares Behind – Kage BakerMother Aegypt and Other Stories : The Briscian Saint – Kage BakerMother Aegypt and Other [...]
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A decent collection of longer mystery stories. Murder In the Mews : Murder in the Mews – Agatha ChristieMurder In the Mews : The Incredible Theft – Agatha ChristieMurder In the Mews : Dead Man’s Mirror – Agatha ChristieMurder In the Mews : Triangle at Rhodes – Agatha Christie Guy Fawkes shooting. 3.5 out of [...]
A decent collection of longer mystery stories. Murder In the Mews : Murder in the Mews – Agatha ChristieMurder In the Mews : The Incredible Theft – Agatha ChristieMurder In the Mews : Dead Man’s Mirror – Agatha ChristieMurder In the Mews : Triangle at Rhodes – Agatha Christie Guy Fawkes shooting. 3.5 out of [...]
A fine collection of planetary romance style stories in the main. Brackett fans should like these, for sure. Not quite half the book is taken up by the lead short novel. Two of the stories are set in the same future history explicity, referencing ‘Thresholders’ – humans that are altered to fit different environments in [...]
A 3.66 collection, so this is very good. In fact, down to Legions In Time it is extremely good, with every story a 4 or better. After that, it weakens. It is Swanwick, so it isn’t bad or anything, just not up to the standard of the rest A few of these are also vignette [...]
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A good collection with many strong stories at 3.67. A couple of weaker efforts prevent it from getting top marks, though. The first and last stories are the highlights. Place So Foreign : Craphound – Cory DoctorowPlace So Foreign : A Place So Foreign – Cory DoctorowPlace So Foreign : All Day Sucker – Cory [...]
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An excellent collection, with lots of his best stories. In fact, the few weaker works are clustered in the middle, so you could read the start and the end first if you didn’t have so much time. At a 3.82 though you won’t go to far wrong with this group of science fiction and fantasy [...]
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A trio of tales of a planet of small furry aliens that are highly prone to going the whole hog for a craze. Hokas Pokas : Full Pack – Poul Anderson and Gordon R. DicksonHokas Pokas : The Napoleon Crime – Poul Anderson and Gordon R. DicksonHokas Pokas : Star Prince Charlie – Poul Anderson [...]
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A triple of light supernatural stories of greater length, of which the last is the best. Witching Hour : The Reluctant Witch – James GunnWitching Hour : The Beautiful Brew – James GunnWitching Hour : The Magicians – James Gunn Machines might cause problems – but so does the supernatural stuff. 2.5 out of 5 [...]
A couple of longer stories in this collection. Worlds Without End : Worlds Without End – Clifford D. SimakWorlds Without End : The Spaceman’s Van Gogh – Clifford D. SimakWorlds Without End : Full Cycle – Clifford D. Simak Take some dreaming, and maybe a century. 3 out of 5 Unimportant planet eating. 3 out [...]
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A pretty decent collection at 3.36. Quite a few stories with the old Martian/Mercury type settings. Civilisation Game and Other Stories : Horrible Example – Clifford D. SimakCivilisation Game and Other Stories : The Civilisation Game – Clifford D. SimakCivilisation Game and Other Stories : Hermit of Mars – Clifford D. SimakCivilisation Game and Other [...]
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A little over 3.00 only, this collection. Strangers in the Universe : The Answers [And the Truth Shall Make You Free] – Clifford D. SimakStrangers in the Universe : The Fence – Clifford D. SimakStrangers in the Universe : Target Generation [Spacebred Generations] – Clifford D. SimakStrangers in the Universe : Beachhead [You’ll Never Go [...]
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A poor collection at 2.94. Creator and Other Stories : The Creator – Clifford D. SimakCreator and Other Stories : Shotgun Cure – Clifford D. SimakCreator and Other Stories : All the Traps of Earth – Clifford D. SimakCreator and Other Stories : Death Scene – Clifford D. SimakCreator and Other Stories : Reunion on [...]
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A reasonable mixed genre collection with a domesticctouch. Cupful Of Space : FIRST LESSON – Mildred ClingermanCupful Of Space : STICKENEY AND THE CRITIC – Mildred ClingermanCupful Of Space : STAIR TRICK – Mildred ClingermanCupful Of Space : MINISTER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO – Mildred ClingermanCupful Of Space : BIRDS CAN’T COUNT – Mildred ClingermanCupful Of Space [...]
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A decent collection of stories at 3.31. They tend towards the oddball. Conflagration Artist : In the Fullness of Time – Bradley DentonConflagration Artist : Top of the Charts – Bradley DentonConflagration Artist : Killing Weeds – Bradley DentonConflagration Artist : The Music of the Spheres – Bradley DentonConflagration Artist : The Summer We Saw [...]
Continue reading about A Conflagration Artist – Bradley Denton
Just an ordinary collection at 3.21, with one strong story in Green Magic. Narrow Land : Green Magic – Jack Vance Narrow Land : The Masquerade on Dicantropus – Jack Vance Narrow Land : The Narrow Land – Jack Vance Narrow Land : Where Hesperus Falls – Jack Vance Narrow Land : The World-Thinker – [...]
Collection of stories from around 1950 of a professional get into and out of trouble type. Only a 3.17. Many Worlds Of Magnus Ridolph : THE KOKOD WARRIORS – Jack VanceMany Worlds Of Magnus Ridolph : THE UNSPEAKABLE McINCH – Jack VanceMany Worlds Of Magnus Ridolph : THE HOWLING BOUNDERS – Jack VanceMany Worlds Of [...]
Continue reading about The Many Worlds Of Magnus Ridolph – Jack Vance
Three novellas of black humour and sorcery from Steven Erikson’s Malazan setting. Bauchelain and Korbal Broach : Blood Follows – Steven EriksonBauchelain and Korbal Broach : The Healthy Dead – Steven EriksonBauchelain and Korbal Broach : The Lees of Laughter’s End – Steven Erikson Battleaxe perhaps better than necromancy. When a man, whom we discover [...]
Continue reading about Bauchelain and Korbal Broach – Steven Erikson
An okish mostly horror collection of definitely short stories. 3.18 for this lot. Are You Loathsome Tonight : Arise – Poppy Z. BriteAre You Loathsome Tonight : Saved – Poppy Z. Brite and Christa FaustAre You Loathsome Tonight : King of the Cats – Poppy Z. Brite and David FergusonAre You Loathsome Tonight : Self-Made [...]
Continue reading about Are You Loathsome Tonight – Poppy Z. Brite
A towards ok collection at 3.14, sort of your 2.75 book. A mixed genre collection of sf, fantasy with some tending towards horror. Crawling Between Heaven and Earth : Elvis Died for Your Sins – Sarah A. HoytCrawling Between Heaven and Earth : Like Dreams of Waking – Sarah A. HoytCrawling Between Heaven and Earth [...]
Continue reading about Crawling Between Heaven and Earth – Sarah A. Hoyt
An ok collection ok Company stories, with a couple of the stronger tales towards the end. Only a 3.13 overall though, so you’d have to be keen on them. Black Projects White Knights : Introduction: The Hounds of Zeus – Kage BakerBlack Projects White Knights : Noble Mold – Kage BakerBlack Projects White Knights : [...]
Continue reading about Black Projects White Knights – Kage Baker
And there there were three. Egan, Chiang, and now Bacigalupi. He’s that good. Two books, one a novel, and this earlier collection, both five stars. Like Chiang, he doesn’t produce a lot, unfortunately. When it is all this quality, however, a rather forgiveable flaw. He is also the most dystopian of the three. A couple [...]
Continue reading about Pump Six and Other Stories – Paolo Bacigalupi
A selection of stories from many and varied genres. As the editor says “He is most famous, of course, for Conan of Cimmeria, who has taken on a life of his own as “Conan the Barbarian,” far removed from Howard’s brilliantly original conception; herein you will find other great characters, like Kull of Atlantis, king [...]
Continue reading about The Best Of Robert E. Howard Volume 1 Crimson Shadows – Robert E. Howard
