josephvanburen's review against another edition
5.0
This is an awesome collection of cosmic horror, weird fiction, and neo-noir, and every story in this anthology is amazing in its own way. I am not sure I've ever said that before. I love anthologies, but there is usually a dud or three. Not in this one. While I did enjoy some more than others, every story is well-written. 22 twisted tales from some authors I already liked and a bunch I'd never read before. If you like weird and/or creepy short stories with a side of poetic prose, this is a must-read!
starship's review
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
brucemri's review
5.0
What a marvelous anthology this is! I can't recall when I last read a horror anthology so immensely strong from start to finish, and casting a wide net through what's good in horror fiction at the moment. Here are stories of cosmic horror (Lucy Snyder's "The Kind Detective" is, I think, my personal favorite of the volume) and of intimate personal strangeness; stories in which what's wrong with the characters' world is spelled out in intense clarity and stories in which their transgressions and the violations of their world are evoked or approached indirectly; stories set in the present, past, and future; stories in which clear direct prose conveys horrific feeling and stories in which tangled, disjointed prose is part of the experience of escalating wrongness. The old cliche about "There's something here for everyone!" is truer of Ashes and Entropy than just about anything I've read in a long time - whatever readers may like in quality horror, it's likely in here somewhere. Wow. I am delighted and satisfied, and give this my highest recommendation.
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