mishafreya's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars. I LOVED this. Each story was totally creative and different, and many had clever twists that I totally didn't expect. Some were funny, and others were very dark. The "prompt" - humans have developed a way to predict how everyone will die, but not when, and without specifics - is interpreted very differently by each author. Some stories were better than others, but all were innovative and fun to read.
literarystrawberry's review against another edition
I honestly love the concept behind this, and I loved how unique all the stories were and how they took that concept in so many different directions. Starting off, I was totally planning on giving it four stars, but later on there were some stories that I... Don't feel comfortable recommending. xD But yeah! There were a lot of super cool stories in here and I really enjoyed reading them.
ampersandread22's review against another edition
5.0
Read this and other reviews at Ampersand Read.
I need to start reading more anthologies, if most of them are as interesting and all-around excellent as this one!
In all 31 stories, there were only a couple I felt indifferent about. Pretty good track record! I loved the different genres and different takes on the "Machine of Death." And most authors incorporated a twist, a different interpretation of the Machine's prediction that changed the character's perspective and/or how they lived their life and dealt with their prediction. I loved getting to experience twist after twist, seeing how people and characters interpreted this concept.
In fact, there are so many interesting, well-written gems in this collection, if I reviewed every one, this goodreads post would be a mile long. So I shall address only a few, but trust me: all of them are worth reading!
"Zephyr" by George Page III explores the impact of this machine on the military and soldiers going into battle, knowing the very second they are most likely to die. They are separated into two units: the Ephemerals (those whose death time is imminent) and the Invincibles (those whose death is still far off). The action was compelling and well-written, and the twist was chilling as well as interesting, opening up doors for the author as well as the reader.
"Conflagration" by D.L.E Roger tells the story of a faltering marriage, where both halves are involved in Machine of Death predictions. One horrible realization shifts the story, and the complex relationships between characters, developed even within a short story, really deepens the impact of this machine in a modern world.
"Your Choice" by Richard Salter is a CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE STORY! I mean, how cool is that?!
"Not Applicable" by Kyle Schoenfeld is the first published piece by this author, and I hope this guy writes a book because I love his writing style (another perk to anthologies - you discover so many new authors to explore and enjoy!). What happens when people start getting predictions that say "Not Applicable"? What happens when you discover the horrible truth behind those predictions, and need to say goodbye to everything you know? (Sorry, but it's hard to summarize this story without spoiling anything!)
And there are still so many other great stories! "Screaming, Crying, Alone, and Afraid" (Daliso Chaponda) is what would happen if the TV show Criminal Minds had access to a Machine of Death. "Apitoxin" (John Takis) is a period perfect Sherlock Holmes mystery...you know, if Sherlock found out this machine existed. "Toxoplasmosis of the Brain..." (Gord Sellar) explores the machine's impact on the AIDS epidemic. And I'm holding back from adding more.
If you enjoy Sci-Fi/Fantasy short stories at all, if this concept sounds at all interesting, go out and get this and read it and love it. I know you will!
I need to start reading more anthologies, if most of them are as interesting and all-around excellent as this one!
In all 31 stories, there were only a couple I felt indifferent about. Pretty good track record! I loved the different genres and different takes on the "Machine of Death." And most authors incorporated a twist, a different interpretation of the Machine's prediction that changed the character's perspective and/or how they lived their life and dealt with their prediction. I loved getting to experience twist after twist, seeing how people and characters interpreted this concept.
In fact, there are so many interesting, well-written gems in this collection, if I reviewed every one, this goodreads post would be a mile long. So I shall address only a few, but trust me: all of them are worth reading!
"Zephyr" by George Page III explores the impact of this machine on the military and soldiers going into battle, knowing the very second they are most likely to die. They are separated into two units: the Ephemerals (those whose death time is imminent) and the Invincibles (those whose death is still far off). The action was compelling and well-written, and the twist was chilling as well as interesting, opening up doors for the author as well as the reader.
"Conflagration" by D.L.E Roger tells the story of a faltering marriage, where both halves are involved in Machine of Death predictions. One horrible realization shifts the story, and the complex relationships between characters, developed even within a short story, really deepens the impact of this machine in a modern world.
"Your Choice" by Richard Salter is a CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE STORY! I mean, how cool is that?!
"Not Applicable" by Kyle Schoenfeld is the first published piece by this author, and I hope this guy writes a book because I love his writing style (another perk to anthologies - you discover so many new authors to explore and enjoy!). What happens when people start getting predictions that say "Not Applicable"? What happens when you discover the horrible truth behind those predictions, and need to say goodbye to everything you know? (Sorry, but it's hard to summarize this story without spoiling anything!)
And there are still so many other great stories! "Screaming, Crying, Alone, and Afraid" (Daliso Chaponda) is what would happen if the TV show Criminal Minds had access to a Machine of Death. "Apitoxin" (John Takis) is a period perfect Sherlock Holmes mystery...you know, if Sherlock found out this machine existed. "Toxoplasmosis of the Brain..." (Gord Sellar) explores the machine's impact on the AIDS epidemic. And I'm holding back from adding more.
If you enjoy Sci-Fi/Fantasy short stories at all, if this concept sounds at all interesting, go out and get this and read it and love it. I know you will!
thomcat's review against another edition
4.0
The original premise and collection of stories were quite good, leading the editors to seek submissions for a sequel. All tolled, 1958 new stories (and 151 art folios) were submitted. This new volume represents the best of those, and is also very good.
Authors branched a little further from the original theme - a machine which can tell you how (but not when) you are going to die. My favorites were “ZEPHYR” by George Page III (Space marines form into fighting units coordinated by the times of their impending deaths) and “CANCER” by editor Ryan North (A terminal patient discovers that her prediction may not be as straightforward as it seems at first). Perhaps one of the most clever stories was “TWO ONE SIX” by Marleigh Norton (A woman struggles to unravel the relevance of her numerical prediction).
My favorite from the first collection was also authored by [a:Ryan North|45763|Ryan North|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1281073709p2/45763.jpg] - I will have to seek out more of his stories to read - including Dinosaur Comics, which I confess I have never read.
Authors branched a little further from the original theme - a machine which can tell you how (but not when) you are going to die. My favorites were “ZEPHYR” by George Page III (Space marines form into fighting units coordinated by the times of their impending deaths) and “CANCER” by editor Ryan North (A terminal patient discovers that her prediction may not be as straightforward as it seems at first). Perhaps one of the most clever stories was “TWO ONE SIX” by Marleigh Norton (A woman struggles to unravel the relevance of her numerical prediction).
My favorite from the first collection was also authored by [a:Ryan North|45763|Ryan North|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1281073709p2/45763.jpg] - I will have to seek out more of his stories to read - including Dinosaur Comics, which I confess I have never read.
cheryl6of8's review against another edition
4.0
I won this book as a Goodreads giveaway, which I entered because it sounded like a quirky read. It was much different from what I was expecting.
First off, I have to say that I am still not sure if I would want to know how and/or when I am going to die, even if the prediction includes a play on words, as some do. Quite a few of the stories discuss that question in terms of whether it will allow you to be at peace and get on with doing what you want/need to do or whether it will be a burden that changes your fate.
Second, this book is a marvelous study aid if you are an aspiring or even published writer. Who would have thought there could be so many ways of writing a story based on the idea of a machine that tells how you will die? To that end, the first story in the book is a lovely way to begin (though, this being an anthology, you can skip around and read them in any order that works for you), because it is a simple story about love and family and choices -- no sci-fi/fantasy, futuristic, doomsday, or technical aspects at all. Other selections include a story featuring Sherlock Holmes, a choose-your-own-path story, a great comic take on the ironies of death featuring a self-proclaimed henchman, a story involving zombies, one that covers the French Revolution, one that is really reminiscent of Bradbury's Dandelion Wine, one addressing the AIDS crisis in Africa, and one that pays homage to Henrietta Lacks.
Did I like all of the stories? Actually, 95% of them at least. One left me rather puzzled, in part due to the style and in part due to the internal world being a little lacking in background (esp since I am not a huge fantasy/sci-fi reader), but even then it was good. The illustrations are really well done in that graphic novel style that works so well with the subject matter. All in all, a truly impressive compilation. I will keep a lookout for the original collection of stories, The Machine of Death, because I am curious what other ways the concept can be interpreted.
First off, I have to say that I am still not sure if I would want to know how and/or when I am going to die, even if the prediction includes a play on words, as some do. Quite a few of the stories discuss that question in terms of whether it will allow you to be at peace and get on with doing what you want/need to do or whether it will be a burden that changes your fate.
Second, this book is a marvelous study aid if you are an aspiring or even published writer. Who would have thought there could be so many ways of writing a story based on the idea of a machine that tells how you will die? To that end, the first story in the book is a lovely way to begin (though, this being an anthology, you can skip around and read them in any order that works for you), because it is a simple story about love and family and choices -- no sci-fi/fantasy, futuristic, doomsday, or technical aspects at all. Other selections include a story featuring Sherlock Holmes, a choose-your-own-path story, a great comic take on the ironies of death featuring a self-proclaimed henchman, a story involving zombies, one that covers the French Revolution, one that is really reminiscent of Bradbury's Dandelion Wine, one addressing the AIDS crisis in Africa, and one that pays homage to Henrietta Lacks.
Did I like all of the stories? Actually, 95% of them at least. One left me rather puzzled, in part due to the style and in part due to the internal world being a little lacking in background (esp since I am not a huge fantasy/sci-fi reader), but even then it was good. The illustrations are really well done in that graphic novel style that works so well with the subject matter. All in all, a truly impressive compilation. I will keep a lookout for the original collection of stories, The Machine of Death, because I am curious what other ways the concept can be interpreted.
l1brarygirl's review against another edition
4.0
Pop Sugar’s 2015 Reading Challenge - A book set in the future
travelgirlut's review against another edition
4.0
I love the Machine of Death. I read the first collection of stories a few years ago and find myself thinking about it more than I would expect. When I found out there was a second book, I was so excited!
The stories in this collection are much more diverse than the first. I really enjoyed the variety. It's amazing to me how many different directions a single topic can be taken. My only complaint is I wish there were more!
The stories in this collection are much more diverse than the first. I really enjoyed the variety. It's amazing to me how many different directions a single topic can be taken. My only complaint is I wish there were more!
dblume's review against another edition
5.0
My favorite anthology in recent memory. Many very creative takes on one simple basis. It's better than I thought it'd be.
choirqueer's review against another edition
3.0
I made it through this one, though it definitely took a while, and not just because it was long. It was basically the same thing as Machine of Death, more stories themed around the concept of the existence of a machine that can accurately predict how people will die. Any anthology will have some stories that are better than others, but I felt like the first book had more stories that were better, and this one just...had more stories that were substantially less compelling? but it's also possible that I had just gotten bored with the concept by the middle of this book, whereas it was still novel and intriguing to me when I read the first book not long before.
dolorsitamet's review against another edition
4.0
When I first saw the title, I brushed it off as somewhat clickbait-y. So much for not judging books by their covers. Once I heard the premise, though, I thought it was pretty cute, and decided to give it a read.
Basically, the prompt is that there exists an infallible machine that tells people how they will die - not when, and not in unambiguous (but always correct) terms. From there, different writers tell stories that come to their mind.
What results are a couple dozen shorts, variations on the theme. It's fun to compare the similarities and differences, and see which way each author takes it. There's murder-mystery, science-fiction, fantasy, satire, "standard lit" - a little something for everyone. I was worried it would be overly morbid or scary, but it ended up not being a problem.
Basically, the prompt is that there exists an infallible machine that tells people how they will die - not when, and not in unambiguous (but always correct) terms. From there, different writers tell stories that come to their mind.
What results are a couple dozen shorts, variations on the theme. It's fun to compare the similarities and differences, and see which way each author takes it. There's murder-mystery, science-fiction, fantasy, satire, "standard lit" - a little something for everyone. I was worried it would be overly morbid or scary, but it ended up not being a problem.