pepperedfox's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Good resource for finding new authors. Leans heavily on the side of surrealist and absurdist short stories, especially towards the end. Otherwise variable and good selection of short stories.
melgonvyn's review
4.0
As always, I find it very difficult to review a collection of stories, as they all differ in quality; and in this case they are also from a large variety of authors from the 20th century. However, I will say that as a whole, it is an amazing selection of authors and short-stories. The VanderMeers have obviously put a lot of thought in which authors to choose, by handpicking writers from diverse backgrounds and countries. I absolutely loved the small biographies at the start of each new chapter, introducing the author of the following tale. It was very educational and gave context to some of the stories, which might have been read a little differently without it.
For the short-stories themselves, some are great, some not so much (in my opinion and according to my personal taste). Admittedly, I skipped to the end of some narratives to make my way onto the next one. The editors did a great job at selecting stories that are very distinct and cover a large mix of themes, concepts and plot-lines, presenting all the facets of the fantasy genre.
My personal favourites from this collection are (in order of appearance):
The Anything Box by Zenna Henderson, The Drowned Giant by J.G. Ballard, The Origin of the Birds by Italo Calvino, Linnaeus Forgets by Fred Chappell, Troll Bridge by Terry Pratchett, Tan-Tan and Dry Bone by Nalo Hopkinson, The Wordeaters by Rochita Loenen-Ruiz and, last but not least, The Jinn Darazgosh by Musharraf Ali Farooqi.
For the short-stories themselves, some are great, some not so much (in my opinion and according to my personal taste). Admittedly, I skipped to the end of some narratives to make my way onto the next one. The editors did a great job at selecting stories that are very distinct and cover a large mix of themes, concepts and plot-lines, presenting all the facets of the fantasy genre.
My personal favourites from this collection are (in order of appearance):
The Anything Box by Zenna Henderson, The Drowned Giant by J.G. Ballard, The Origin of the Birds by Italo Calvino, Linnaeus Forgets by Fred Chappell, Troll Bridge by Terry Pratchett, Tan-Tan and Dry Bone by Nalo Hopkinson, The Wordeaters by Rochita Loenen-Ruiz and, last but not least, The Jinn Darazgosh by Musharraf Ali Farooqi.
annarella's review
4.0
It was a fascinating and engrossing read.
I loved the stories and I discovered some new to me author.
It's an excellent read that I strongly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I loved the stories and I discovered some new to me author.
It's an excellent read that I strongly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine
projectmayhem7's review
4.0
3.5 stars. Like most collections, this one has a range of stories: some good, some great, some not so good, some terrible. Mostly, these are good stories. And what a huge collection!
I must admit I didn't read every single story, I skipped around to authors I knew and then titles that sounded interesting to me, but I'd say I read at least 3/4 of them. This is a book I'd love to have on my shelf or on my coffee table. I bet its beautiful as a physical copy (it has to be huge!). This is my second experience with a "The Big Book of" collection, and I'm not disappointed. I'll definitely have to check out more like this.
I must admit I didn't read every single story, I skipped around to authors I knew and then titles that sounded interesting to me, but I'd say I read at least 3/4 of them. This is a book I'd love to have on my shelf or on my coffee table. I bet its beautiful as a physical copy (it has to be huge!). This is my second experience with a "The Big Book of" collection, and I'm not disappointed. I'll definitely have to check out more like this.
pvn's review
4.0
Not surprisingly, this is quite good. The editors are well established and do a great job providing a wide variety of stories. "Big" is certainly apt. You're guaranteed not to like every tale, but most are worthwhile in some way, and of course some are great. Recommended for fantasy fans.
I really appreciate the ARC for review!!
I really appreciate the ARC for review!!
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