knightpanda's review
3.0
The stories of this book vary wildly, some are brilliant, like Reborn by Ken Liu, and Unlocked by John Scalzi, but a bunch are just fine and more than a few pretty bad. I particularly didn’t like The End of the End of Everything, but there are more than one that I read just to have it over. Uneven.
thegothiclibrary's review
4.0
Finally got around to finishing this...it's quite long. The book is a collection of a large number of sci-fi & fantasy stories. Some of the stories are absolutely amazing, and others...less so.
One of my favorite stories was called "A Kiss With Teeth" by Max Gladstone--a really cute story about a vampire trying to be a normal father. I also really enjoyed "Unlocked: And Oral History of Haden's Syndrome" by John Scalzi which basically read like World War Z meets I-Robot.
Others I enjoyed included:
-"The Mothers of Voorhisville" by Mary Rickert
-"In the Site for Akresa" by Ray Wood
-"Daughter of Necessity" by Marie Brennan
Some of the stories were a bit too cerebral or too surreal...or just too out there. "A Cost-Venefit Analysis of the Proposed Trade-Offs for the overhaul of the Barricade" was kind of interesting, but the premise was just far too complex to be properly set up in the limited space of a short story. I spent the first third of it trying to even wrap my head around what was going on before I could get invested. "Where the Trains Turn" by Pasi Ilmari Jaaskeleainen was some weird surreal thing with no real plot about trains that come alive. This one was part of the reason why it took me so long to finish this book, because I put the book down for months while in the middle of it, uninterested in finishing.
My recommendation: If you're finding yourself uninterested in one of the stories, just skip it. There are far too many stories in this book to obsess over finishing each one just for the sake of completion. And you don't need to muddle through the ones you don't like just to get to the gems.
Brief summary for my own benefit and others:
"As Good as New" by Charlie Jane Anders--post-apocalyptic, last woman alive kind of thing, but things take an interesting turn when she finds a genie
"The End of the End of Everything" by Dale Bailey--trippy futuristic world where the social elite are obsessed with suicide and self-mutilation
"Mrs. Sorensen and the Sasquatch" by Kelly Barnhill--love story between a woman and a sasquatch
"Sleep Walking Now and Then" by Richard Bowes--Futuristic director creates interactive theater piece in a hotel
"Daughter of Necessity" by Marie Brennan--A retelling of part of the Odyssey from Penelope's persective
"Brisk Money" by Adam Christopher--A robot who has his memories erased each day begins to question his past actions and secret motivations
"A Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Proposed Trade-Offs for the Overhaul of the Barricade" by John Chu--rather complicated story about architects who build things with their minds
"The Color of Paradox" by A.M. Dellamonica--government agents on time travel mission
"The Litany of the Earth" by Ruthanna Emrys--involves the Cthulhu mythos, about a girl who is part of a persecuted religious/supernatural group that worships the Deep Ones
"A Kiss with Teeth" by Max Gladstone--cute feel good story about a vampire dad
"A Short History of the Twentieth Century..." by Kathleen Ann Goonan--The life story of a girl who grows up obsessed with astronauts and the Tomorrowland ride at Disney
"Cold Wind" by Nicola Griffith--A lesbian woman encounters a succubus-type creature, but she has some supernatural secrets of her own
"The Tallest Doll in New York City" by Maria Dahvana Headley--Buildings come alive and find love. It's weird.
"Where the Trains Turn" by Pasi Ilmari Jaaskelainen--surreal thing about sentient trains that come of the tracks and the strained relationship between a train-obsessed boy and his straight-laced mother
"Combustion Hour" by Yoon Ha Lee--Another surreal thing about the characters who live inside a tapestry
"Reborn" by Ken Liu--about the complex political and interspersonal relationships between humans and the dominating alien race
"Midway Relics and Dying Breeds" by Seanan McGuire--A travelling circus set in the future
"Anyway: Angie" by Daniel Jose Older--a chauffeur discovers something terrible has been happening to the sex workers she transports
"The Mothers of Voorhisville" by Mary Rickert--One summer, almost all of the women in this small town get pregnant at once by a mysterious stranger
"Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden's Syndrome" by John Scalzi--A disease spreads that leaves many trapped in their own bodies, which leads to the creation of robot surrogates
"Among the Thorns" by Veronica Shanoes--A Jewish girl takes revenge on the man who killed her father and the town that let it happen
"The Insects of Love" by Genevieve Valentine--A girl's love of butterflies and search for her missing sister
"Sleeper" Jo Walton--A biographer discovers (or recreates?) the fact that one of her heroes was a secret Communist agent
"The Devil in America" by Kai Ashante Wilson--A young black girl struggles to resist her families nature magic and the alluring promises of the Devil
"In the Sight of Akresa" by Ray Wood--set in an exotic past, a royal woman falls in love with a tongue-less former slave
"A Cup of Salt Tears" by Isabel Yap--the relationship between a grieving woman and a kappa who haunts the hot springs
One of my favorite stories was called "A Kiss With Teeth" by Max Gladstone--a really cute story about a vampire trying to be a normal father. I also really enjoyed "Unlocked: And Oral History of Haden's Syndrome" by John Scalzi which basically read like World War Z meets I-Robot.
Others I enjoyed included:
-"The Mothers of Voorhisville" by Mary Rickert
-"In the Site for Akresa" by Ray Wood
-"Daughter of Necessity" by Marie Brennan
Some of the stories were a bit too cerebral or too surreal...or just too out there. "A Cost-Venefit Analysis of the Proposed Trade-Offs for the overhaul of the Barricade" was kind of interesting, but the premise was just far too complex to be properly set up in the limited space of a short story. I spent the first third of it trying to even wrap my head around what was going on before I could get invested. "Where the Trains Turn" by Pasi Ilmari Jaaskeleainen was some weird surreal thing with no real plot about trains that come alive. This one was part of the reason why it took me so long to finish this book, because I put the book down for months while in the middle of it, uninterested in finishing.
My recommendation: If you're finding yourself uninterested in one of the stories, just skip it. There are far too many stories in this book to obsess over finishing each one just for the sake of completion. And you don't need to muddle through the ones you don't like just to get to the gems.
Brief summary for my own benefit and others:
"As Good as New" by Charlie Jane Anders--post-apocalyptic, last woman alive kind of thing, but things take an interesting turn when she finds a genie
"The End of the End of Everything" by Dale Bailey--trippy futuristic world where the social elite are obsessed with suicide and self-mutilation
"Mrs. Sorensen and the Sasquatch" by Kelly Barnhill--love story between a woman and a sasquatch
"Sleep Walking Now and Then" by Richard Bowes--Futuristic director creates interactive theater piece in a hotel
"Daughter of Necessity" by Marie Brennan--A retelling of part of the Odyssey from Penelope's persective
"Brisk Money" by Adam Christopher--A robot who has his memories erased each day begins to question his past actions and secret motivations
"A Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Proposed Trade-Offs for the Overhaul of the Barricade" by John Chu--rather complicated story about architects who build things with their minds
"The Color of Paradox" by A.M. Dellamonica--government agents on time travel mission
"The Litany of the Earth" by Ruthanna Emrys--involves the Cthulhu mythos, about a girl who is part of a persecuted religious/supernatural group that worships the Deep Ones
"A Kiss with Teeth" by Max Gladstone--cute feel good story about a vampire dad
"A Short History of the Twentieth Century..." by Kathleen Ann Goonan--The life story of a girl who grows up obsessed with astronauts and the Tomorrowland ride at Disney
"Cold Wind" by Nicola Griffith--A lesbian woman encounters a succubus-type creature, but she has some supernatural secrets of her own
"The Tallest Doll in New York City" by Maria Dahvana Headley--Buildings come alive and find love. It's weird.
"Where the Trains Turn" by Pasi Ilmari Jaaskelainen--surreal thing about sentient trains that come of the tracks and the strained relationship between a train-obsessed boy and his straight-laced mother
"Combustion Hour" by Yoon Ha Lee--Another surreal thing about the characters who live inside a tapestry
"Reborn" by Ken Liu--about the complex political and interspersonal relationships between humans and the dominating alien race
"Midway Relics and Dying Breeds" by Seanan McGuire--A travelling circus set in the future
"Anyway: Angie" by Daniel Jose Older--a chauffeur discovers something terrible has been happening to the sex workers she transports
"The Mothers of Voorhisville" by Mary Rickert--One summer, almost all of the women in this small town get pregnant at once by a mysterious stranger
"Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden's Syndrome" by John Scalzi--A disease spreads that leaves many trapped in their own bodies, which leads to the creation of robot surrogates
"Among the Thorns" by Veronica Shanoes--A Jewish girl takes revenge on the man who killed her father and the town that let it happen
"The Insects of Love" by Genevieve Valentine--A girl's love of butterflies and search for her missing sister
"Sleeper" Jo Walton--A biographer discovers (or recreates?) the fact that one of her heroes was a secret Communist agent
"The Devil in America" by Kai Ashante Wilson--A young black girl struggles to resist her families nature magic and the alluring promises of the Devil
"In the Sight of Akresa" by Ray Wood--set in an exotic past, a royal woman falls in love with a tongue-less former slave
"A Cup of Salt Tears" by Isabel Yap--the relationship between a grieving woman and a kappa who haunts the hot springs
geckoedit's review
5.0
This collection of short stories and novellas is one of the best anthologies I've ever read. The fact that it was free made it all the more enticing - who doesn't love free books? This sort of thing is why I love ebooks; a collection like this in hardcopy would be completely unwieldy and intimidating, but as an ebook collection it works perfectly.
Each of the stories merits a review of its own, which I will post individually to benefit their authors. Some of my favorites were the following:
The End of the End of Everything by Dale Bailey
When the end is inevitable, what will the human race do? Cower in fear, or desperately run away in vain hope for a solution?
Hell no. We'll throw an end of the world party.
The Litany of Earth by Ruthanna Emrys
A deeply thoughtful exploration of the Lovecraftian universe, years later.
A Kiss With Teeth by Max Gladstone
So many authors have written vampire romances, but none has been so real, so honest, or so ordinary as this one. I fell in love with it, and that's saying something, as I usually hate the genre.
A Short History of the Twentieth Centuryby Kathleen Ann Goonan
This is a story I will read to my daughter, if I ever have one. I love the framework of the history surrounding the life and dreams of this girl. Bravo.
Where the Trains Turn by Pasi Ilmari Jaaskelainen
This story was eerie and heartbreaking, and spectacular.
The Mothers of Voorhisville by Mary Rickert
I feel like this one can and should be expanded into a full novel. There are a bunch of interesting characters and viewpoints, and I think it would be interesting to explore the story in more depth, as well as the effects of their decision afterwards.
The Devil in Americaby Kai Ashante Wilson
An interesting supernatural/magical setting. I have not read many that use african magic in this way, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Even if it made me horribly sad.
A Cup of Salt Tears by Isabel Yap
Living in Korea, and having visited Japan, the setting of this story was incredibly real to me. I loved how it dealt with multiple difficult themes, and I was both attracted and repelled by the beast. This story had a similar feel to a Miyazaki movie.
Beyond the few I've mentioned here, this collection is absolutely worth downloading (for free!) and it can be read from cover to cover, or dipped into now and then. Since I finished it, I have not stopped recommending it to my friends. Spectacular.
Each of the stories merits a review of its own, which I will post individually to benefit their authors. Some of my favorites were the following:
The End of the End of Everything by Dale Bailey
When the end is inevitable, what will the human race do? Cower in fear, or desperately run away in vain hope for a solution?
Hell no. We'll throw an end of the world party.
The Litany of Earth by Ruthanna Emrys
A deeply thoughtful exploration of the Lovecraftian universe, years later.
A Kiss With Teeth by Max Gladstone
So many authors have written vampire romances, but none has been so real, so honest, or so ordinary as this one. I fell in love with it, and that's saying something, as I usually hate the genre.
A Short History of the Twentieth Centuryby Kathleen Ann Goonan
This is a story I will read to my daughter, if I ever have one. I love the framework of the history surrounding the life and dreams of this girl. Bravo.
Where the Trains Turn by Pasi Ilmari Jaaskelainen
This story was eerie and heartbreaking, and spectacular.
The Mothers of Voorhisville by Mary Rickert
I feel like this one can and should be expanded into a full novel. There are a bunch of interesting characters and viewpoints, and I think it would be interesting to explore the story in more depth, as well as the effects of their decision afterwards.
The Devil in Americaby Kai Ashante Wilson
An interesting supernatural/magical setting. I have not read many that use african magic in this way, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Even if it made me horribly sad.
A Cup of Salt Tears by Isabel Yap
Living in Korea, and having visited Japan, the setting of this story was incredibly real to me. I loved how it dealt with multiple difficult themes, and I was both attracted and repelled by the beast. This story had a similar feel to a Miyazaki movie.
Beyond the few I've mentioned here, this collection is absolutely worth downloading (for free!) and it can be read from cover to cover, or dipped into now and then. Since I finished it, I have not stopped recommending it to my friends. Spectacular.
cjdavey's review
3.0
A mixed bag - some lovely writing, some less good. Not bad for a freebie, overall.
bruc79's review
3.0
Alvo inconstante em qualidade desde muito
Bom a muito aborrecido. Descobri John Scalzi e fiquei fã
Bom a muito aborrecido. Descobri John Scalzi e fiquei fã
porsane's review
4.0
Great collection of diverse, mainly SF stories. Good gender diversity, the future of SF is in good hands.
bluebec's review
5.0
There were quite a few horror stories in this bunch, and the collection started out slowly, but the stories themselves were very well written, covered a diverse range of lives and people, and some I didn't want to end.
kamaria's review
4.0
Gut rating, i.e. the rating I feel it should get: 4 stars
Average rating for the stories: 3.15 stars
This anthology, as any other short story collection out there, is a mixed bag. A 3-star rating would be just, since it includes stories I hated or disliked and stories I enjoyed and loved. However, there is a discrepancy between what would be the average rating and what I feel this collection deserves. I really, really liked this. It honestly felt like a 4-star book, which I guess means the good stories outweigh the bad ones: there is great fantasy and sci-fi here. It's diverse, imaginative, and represents a wide range of women and men and everything in between. And it has been terrible for the state of my TBR pile, which is always a good sign!
If I had to choose a top three, I'd include:
- [b:Among the Thorns|21893683|Among the Thorns|Veronica Schanoes|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397436000s/21893683.jpg|41184281] (Veronica Schanoes)
- [b:Where the Trains Turn|23127731|Where the Trains Turn|Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1409517195s/23127731.jpg|42675908] (Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen)
- [b:Reborn|20653250|Reborn (The Anderson Project, #1)|Ken Liu|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1391033952s/20653250.jpg|39948796] (Ken Liu)
Some of the stories that I enjoyed because they packed a big emotional punch were:
- [b:In the Sight of Akresa|22886631|In the Sight of Akresa|Ray Wood|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407524603s/22886631.jpg|42246795] (Ray Wood)
- [b:The Insects of Love|22313578|The Insects of Love|Genevieve Valentine|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400991022s/22313578.jpg|41705902] (Genevieve Valentine), though I had to read it twice to fully get it!
- [b:The Mothers of Voorhisville|22026013|The Mothers of Voorhisville|M. Rickert|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1398867475s/22026013.jpg|41344449] (Mary Rickert)
- [b:The Color of Paradox|22439895|The Color of Paradox|A.M. Dellamonica|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402171216s/22439895.jpg|41864948] (A.M. Dellamonica)
And some others that I enjoyed and wanted to highlight just because they're very good:
- [b:Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden's Syndrome|21805681|Unlocked An Oral History of Haden's Syndrome|John Scalzi|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397572655s/21805681.jpg|41068587] (John Scalzi)
- [b:Brisk Money|22539556|Brisk Money|Adam Christopher|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403419943s/22539556.jpg|41991169] (Adam Christopher)
- [b:Midway Relics and Dying Breeds|22892288|Midway Relics and Dying Breeds|Seanan McGuire|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407772733s/22892288.jpg|42462229] (Seanan McGuire)
- [b:Daughter of Necessity|22823261|Daughter of Necessity|Marie Brennan|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1406484057s/22823261.jpg|42376194] (Marie Brennan)
And the best thing is that all of them are free on tor.com!
Average rating for the stories: 3.15 stars
This anthology, as any other short story collection out there, is a mixed bag. A 3-star rating would be just, since it includes stories I hated or disliked and stories I enjoyed and loved. However, there is a discrepancy between what would be the average rating and what I feel this collection deserves. I really, really liked this. It honestly felt like a 4-star book, which I guess means the good stories outweigh the bad ones: there is great fantasy and sci-fi here. It's diverse, imaginative, and represents a wide range of women and men and everything in between. And it has been terrible for the state of my TBR pile, which is always a good sign!
If I had to choose a top three, I'd include:
- [b:Among the Thorns|21893683|Among the Thorns|Veronica Schanoes|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397436000s/21893683.jpg|41184281] (Veronica Schanoes)
- [b:Where the Trains Turn|23127731|Where the Trains Turn|Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1409517195s/23127731.jpg|42675908] (Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen)
- [b:Reborn|20653250|Reborn (The Anderson Project, #1)|Ken Liu|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1391033952s/20653250.jpg|39948796] (Ken Liu)
Some of the stories that I enjoyed because they packed a big emotional punch were:
- [b:In the Sight of Akresa|22886631|In the Sight of Akresa|Ray Wood|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407524603s/22886631.jpg|42246795] (Ray Wood)
- [b:The Insects of Love|22313578|The Insects of Love|Genevieve Valentine|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400991022s/22313578.jpg|41705902] (Genevieve Valentine), though I had to read it twice to fully get it!
- [b:The Mothers of Voorhisville|22026013|The Mothers of Voorhisville|M. Rickert|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1398867475s/22026013.jpg|41344449] (Mary Rickert)
- [b:The Color of Paradox|22439895|The Color of Paradox|A.M. Dellamonica|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402171216s/22439895.jpg|41864948] (A.M. Dellamonica)
And some others that I enjoyed and wanted to highlight just because they're very good:
- [b:Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden's Syndrome|21805681|Unlocked An Oral History of Haden's Syndrome|John Scalzi|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397572655s/21805681.jpg|41068587] (John Scalzi)
- [b:Brisk Money|22539556|Brisk Money|Adam Christopher|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403419943s/22539556.jpg|41991169] (Adam Christopher)
- [b:Midway Relics and Dying Breeds|22892288|Midway Relics and Dying Breeds|Seanan McGuire|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407772733s/22892288.jpg|42462229] (Seanan McGuire)
- [b:Daughter of Necessity|22823261|Daughter of Necessity|Marie Brennan|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1406484057s/22823261.jpg|42376194] (Marie Brennan)
And the best thing is that all of them are free on tor.com!
tundragirl's review
4.0
This thing clocks in at a whopping 700+ pages so I'm glad I got it on my kindle. Not a dud in the bunch.
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