sallytwibbles's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.0
Excellent collection of short stories with a few duds in the mix (happens to the best of collections). My favorites were Broken, Episode 22, and Hugs To Die For. Here's my quick takes for each story:
Chance Encounter by Paul Kupperberg: 3 Stars--quite forgettable spoiler: handheld xeno egg?
Reaper by Dan Abnett: 4 Stars--Corporate grain farming gone wrong.
Broken by Rachel Caine: 5 Stars--Bishop's early career.
Reclamation by Yvonne Navarro: 5 Stars--Hicks's early career.
Blowback by Christopher Golden: 3 Stars--most of the Aliens movie marines on a forgettable early mission.
Exterminators by Matt Forbeck: 5 Stars--Dietrick and Frost (Aliens movie marines) picked the wrong bar.
No Good Deed by Ray Garton: 5 Stars--Bounty hunters chasing escapees arrive on LV-426 at just the wrong time.
Zero to Hero by Weston Ochse: 5 Stars--Trigger Warning: Spit!
Dark Mother by David Farland: 5 Stars--What happened to that dick Carter Burke (very satisfying read).
Episode 22 by Larry Correia: 5 Stars--So well written it feels like I watched a documentary on the M41A pulse rifle.
Deep Background by Keith R. A. DeCandido: 5 Stars--A reporter is embedded with the marines.
Empty Nest by Brian Keene: 5 Stars--if I say anything it will ruin it. Creepy!
Darkness Falls by Heather Graham: 4 Stars--Good read but the ending didn't feel right for the Alien Universe.
Hugs to Die For by Mike Resnick and Marina J. Lostetter: 5 Stars--Excellent pacing in a clever situation (loved this one!)
Deep Black by Jonathan Maberry: 3 Stars--I didn't really know what was going on and characters where just thrown at me left and right.
Distressed by James A. Moore: 2 Stars--Skip this one (I will next time I read this collection). It was so forgettable I can't remember a single thing.
Dangerous Prey by Scott Sigler: 5 Stars--From the xenomorphs's points of view. Great idea well executed!
Spite by Tim Lebbon: 3 Stars--I think Mr. Lebbon's writing is not for me. Forced relationships that meant nothing by the end of the story and a quick villain reveal only to have them dispatched within mere paragraphs.
Chance Encounter by Paul Kupperberg: 3 Stars--quite forgettable spoiler: handheld xeno egg?
Reaper by Dan Abnett: 4 Stars--Corporate grain farming gone wrong.
Broken by Rachel Caine: 5 Stars--Bishop's early career.
Reclamation by Yvonne Navarro: 5 Stars--Hicks's early career.
Blowback by Christopher Golden: 3 Stars--most of the Aliens movie marines on a forgettable early mission.
Exterminators by Matt Forbeck: 5 Stars--Dietrick and Frost (Aliens movie marines) picked the wrong bar.
No Good Deed by Ray Garton: 5 Stars--Bounty hunters chasing escapees arrive on LV-426 at just the wrong time.
Zero to Hero by Weston Ochse: 5 Stars--Trigger Warning: Spit!
Dark Mother by David Farland: 5 Stars--What happened to that dick Carter Burke (very satisfying read).
Episode 22 by Larry Correia: 5 Stars--So well written it feels like I watched a documentary on the M41A pulse rifle.
Deep Background by Keith R. A. DeCandido: 5 Stars--A reporter is embedded with the marines.
Empty Nest by Brian Keene: 5 Stars--if I say anything it will ruin it. Creepy!
Darkness Falls by Heather Graham: 4 Stars--Good read but the ending didn't feel right for the Alien Universe.
Hugs to Die For by Mike Resnick and Marina J. Lostetter: 5 Stars--Excellent pacing in a clever situation (loved this one!)
Deep Black by Jonathan Maberry: 3 Stars--I didn't really know what was going on and characters where just thrown at me left and right.
Distressed by James A. Moore: 2 Stars--Skip this one (I will next time I read this collection). It was so forgettable I can't remember a single thing.
Dangerous Prey by Scott Sigler: 5 Stars--From the xenomorphs's points of view. Great idea well executed!
Spite by Tim Lebbon: 3 Stars--I think Mr. Lebbon's writing is not for me. Forced relationships that meant nothing by the end of the story and a quick villain reveal only to have them dispatched within mere paragraphs.
z523's review against another edition
2.0
Some of the stories were okay. The rest were awful.
The worst was one where a bunch of marines read a report about xenomorphs, went to an abandoned ship, heard screams and xenomorph shrieks inside, said nope and left. The end.
The worst was one where a bunch of marines read a report about xenomorphs, went to an abandoned ship, heard screams and xenomorph shrieks inside, said nope and left. The end.
stewie's review against another edition
4.0
Since the coronavirus started last year, my reading has drastically reduced. I used to read at least an hour or two a day because of my commute on public transport, and that dropped to an hour a day if I was lucky. It's slowly getting back to normal, but I've been downloading audiobooks as a way to still feed my hungry brain words.
However, I'd been having trouble really getting into audiobooks, which is odd because I really like podcasts. This all changed with Aliens: Bug Hunt.
First, Aliens: Bug Hunt has a great variety of stories. Editor [a:Jonathan Maberry|72451|Jonathan Maberry|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1512594942p2/72451.jpg] has put together a varied collection of tales from full-on battles to one-on-one action. Points of view range from androids to soldiers to scientists to even Aliens themselves. It's a great mix
It's tough to choose a favorite, but [a:Rachel Caine|15292|Rachel Caine|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1373144795p2/15292.jpg]'s "Broken" is definitely a standout. It centers on Bishop (the android from Aliens) in one of his earlier missions. It's a pretty cool look inside his head.
On the flipside, [a:Scott Sigler|114504|Scott Sigler|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1434042056p2/114504.jpg]'s "Dangerous Prey" takes on the point of view of an Alien and it's engrossing as hell.
Lastly, I should mention why things changed on my ability to listen to an audiobook: the narrators. My god, the narrators in this are exceptional. There's a different reader for each story, and all are fantastic. This was a one-two punch; great stories read by great readers.
There are tons of great authors in this mix and the narrators do an admirable job of bring their stories to life. If you dig Aliens, or just like a good sci-fi/horror story, this will do you well.
However, I'd been having trouble really getting into audiobooks, which is odd because I really like podcasts. This all changed with Aliens: Bug Hunt.
First, Aliens: Bug Hunt has a great variety of stories. Editor [a:Jonathan Maberry|72451|Jonathan Maberry|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1512594942p2/72451.jpg] has put together a varied collection of tales from full-on battles to one-on-one action. Points of view range from androids to soldiers to scientists to even Aliens themselves. It's a great mix
It's tough to choose a favorite, but [a:Rachel Caine|15292|Rachel Caine|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1373144795p2/15292.jpg]'s "Broken" is definitely a standout. It centers on Bishop (the android from Aliens) in one of his earlier missions. It's a pretty cool look inside his head.
On the flipside, [a:Scott Sigler|114504|Scott Sigler|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1434042056p2/114504.jpg]'s "Dangerous Prey" takes on the point of view of an Alien and it's engrossing as hell.
Lastly, I should mention why things changed on my ability to listen to an audiobook: the narrators. My god, the narrators in this are exceptional. There's a different reader for each story, and all are fantastic. This was a one-two punch; great stories read by great readers.
There are tons of great authors in this mix and the narrators do an admirable job of bring their stories to life. If you dig Aliens, or just like a good sci-fi/horror story, this will do you well.
shortstackkat's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
mpettebone's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This is a great collection of short stories.
ghostmuppet's review against another edition
3.0
Typical short story collection - some good, some bad. Some just throw the alien lore out the window, others add to it.
contrabandit's review against another edition
4.0
Like many books that include multiple authors, it's hit or miss with stories. Most of these were very engaging, frightening. I loved the different perspectives. My favorite had to be the perspective of the Xenomorph. Great read.
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