kurwaczytaj's review against another edition
3.0
Tato kniha trošku připomíná představení Divadla Járy Cimmrmana. Je zde několik povídek z tohoto žánru a pak také různé odborné osvětové články, přepis diskuzí na internetu či seznam doporučené literatury.
Nádraží Perdido mne hodně oslovilo a tak jsem si říkal, zda i jiní autoři z tohoto žánru / nežánru píší tak dobře. A v této knize jsem na to nenašel odpověď. Některé příběhy byly takové hodně vyprázdněné a formalistické (podobný problém jsem měl i s výběrem povídek z nové vlny steam punku) ale jiné byly opravdu povedené. Nejvíc mne zaujala ta mlynářská povídka. ta měla dobrou atmosféru, uvěřitelná svět a dobře namíchaný poměr akce, úvah a fantastických prvků.
Uvidíme, kam se žánr vyvine. Možnosti tu jsou.
Nádraží Perdido mne hodně oslovilo a tak jsem si říkal, zda i jiní autoři z tohoto žánru / nežánru píší tak dobře. A v této knize jsem na to nenašel odpověď. Některé příběhy byly takové hodně vyprázdněné a formalistické (podobný problém jsem měl i s výběrem povídek z nové vlny steam punku) ale jiné byly opravdu povedené. Nejvíc mne zaujala ta mlynářská povídka. ta měla dobrou atmosféru, uvěřitelná svět a dobře namíchaný poměr akce, úvah a fantastických prvků.
Uvidíme, kam se žánr vyvine. Možnosti tu jsou.
novelinsights's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very interesting examination of the New Weird as a genre movement (or potential movement?) The first two sections of the anthology included a variety of short stories, which of course are the main draw to the book. The stories were hit or miss for me; I liked most of them to some degree, although one of them (unfortunately the first story in the book, which made me hesitant initially) my brain just repeatedly rejected and I eventually had to DNF. That said, a few of these stories I'd have given 5 stars, and the majority fell somewhere in the 3 or 4-star range of enjoyment. I'd imagine that there's something in here for everyone (unless you're really not into the idea of weird fiction, in which case, what are you doing reading this review in the first place, silly?)
The next section included and excerpt from an internet message board conversation that initially sparked the idea for the anthology as well as several non-fiction essays written by a various authors and editors discussing whether or not they believe in the New Weird as a movement in general and, in the case of a series from foreign editors, what their perception is of the New World's presence in their country. This I found interesting from the perspective of a writer, but if I didn't write I probably would have skipped it.
The last section is actually a "round robin"-style story where seven authors got together and took turns adding onto a New World story, telling their own mini-narratives within a world of their shared creation. I did not try to internally rate this section because it was more experimental, but the story was an interesting read, if unique in its structure.
In general, I think this book makes a good introduction to weird fiction (at least as it stood in the 2000's) and could also serve as a text of sorts for a writer interested in expanding their writing in that direction (keeping in mind that part of the argument of the non-fiction part of this book in the first place is that an over-emphasis on labels can be dangerous because writers shouldn't be writing to fill a specific genre but rather to tell a specific story).
The next section included and excerpt from an internet message board conversation that initially sparked the idea for the anthology as well as several non-fiction essays written by a various authors and editors discussing whether or not they believe in the New Weird as a movement in general and, in the case of a series from foreign editors, what their perception is of the New World's presence in their country. This I found interesting from the perspective of a writer, but if I didn't write I probably would have skipped it.
The last section is actually a "round robin"-style story where seven authors got together and took turns adding onto a New World story, telling their own mini-narratives within a world of their shared creation. I did not try to internally rate this section because it was more experimental, but the story was an interesting read, if unique in its structure.
In general, I think this book makes a good introduction to weird fiction (at least as it stood in the 2000's) and could also serve as a text of sorts for a writer interested in expanding their writing in that direction (keeping in mind that part of the argument of the non-fiction part of this book in the first place is that an over-emphasis on labels can be dangerous because writers shouldn't be writing to fill a specific genre but rather to tell a specific story).
giantarms's review against another edition
OOOH LOOK IT IS SOMETHING STRANGE AND NOBODY WILL SAY WHAT IT IS FOR.
If you like Lovecraft, probably you'll like this.
I lose several million nerd points, but I thought Lovecraft was pretty boring.
I lose several million human being points, but I only read about two of each.
If you like Lovecraft, probably you'll like this.
I lose several million nerd points, but I thought Lovecraft was pretty boring.
I lose several million human being points, but I only read about two of each.
hannah_fox's review against another edition
3.0
3 star rating an average of my ratings for each individual story, as follows:
* The Luck in the Head - ⭐️
* In The Hills, The Cities - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* Crossing Into Cambodia - ⭐️ (Why is this even in here? Not weird enough to even be pre-weird if you ask me.)
* The Braining of Mother Lamprey - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
* The Neglected Garden - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* A Soft Voice Whispering Nothing - ⭐️⭐️
* Jack - ⭐️⭐️
* Immolation - ⭐️
* The Lizard of Ooze - ⭐️⭐️
* Watson’s Boy - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* The Art of Dying - ⭐️⭐️
* At Reparata - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* Letters from Tainaron - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* The Ride of the Gabbleratchet - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* The Gutter Sees The Light That Never Shines - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* Symposium - Skipped, here for stories not literary criticism/theory.
* Festival Lives - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Immensely irritated that I can’t access the internet-only conclusion, since the page on Tachyon’s site is gone! I was enjoying this round robin until the ending where nothing was wrapped up. Sometimes that’s ok in weird fiction, but this one has too many loose ends for me. Maybe could’ve gotten more stars if I’d been able to read the conclusion!
* The Luck in the Head - ⭐️
* In The Hills, The Cities - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* Crossing Into Cambodia - ⭐️ (Why is this even in here? Not weird enough to even be pre-weird if you ask me.)
* The Braining of Mother Lamprey - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
* The Neglected Garden - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* A Soft Voice Whispering Nothing - ⭐️⭐️
* Jack - ⭐️⭐️
* Immolation - ⭐️
* The Lizard of Ooze - ⭐️⭐️
* Watson’s Boy - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* The Art of Dying - ⭐️⭐️
* At Reparata - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* Letters from Tainaron - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* The Ride of the Gabbleratchet - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* The Gutter Sees The Light That Never Shines - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* Symposium - Skipped, here for stories not literary criticism/theory.
* Festival Lives - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Immensely irritated that I can’t access the internet-only conclusion, since the page on Tachyon’s site is gone! I was enjoying this round robin until the ending where nothing was wrapped up. Sometimes that’s ok in weird fiction, but this one has too many loose ends for me. Maybe could’ve gotten more stars if I’d been able to read the conclusion!
magneticcrow's review
4.0
Anthologies are always mixed bags, but this one contained a surprisingly large quantity of my favorite authors performing well. M. John Harrison, Sarah Monette, Cat Rambo, Jeffrey Ford, Hal Duncan, and Clive Barker? Wow.
Several of the stories disappointed me *hard*, as in I'm angry at the authors for writing such even this long afterwards. But overall, great collection. Definitely worth a once-over, at least.
Several of the stories disappointed me *hard*, as in I'm angry at the authors for writing such even this long afterwards. But overall, great collection. Definitely worth a once-over, at least.
countdeworde's review
4.0
3,5 - 4*
Jsou to povídky, tak některé jsou lepší a některé jsou podle mě horší, i když vyloženě slabé kousky tu nejsou. Na druhou stranu mě ale ani nic nechytlo tak, abych tomu dala 5*.
New weird je divný žánr. Slepenec toho zvláštního z žánrů jako jsou sci-fi, fantasy (urban i jiné podžánry), krimi a v jedné z povídek je dokonce něco jako steampunk říznutý magickým realismem. Ovšem bizarnosti, absurdnosti a podobné fantasknosti jsou tu opentleny vysokým stylem. Pár povídek vybízí svou divností k zamyšlení. Co je člověk? Jak se má člověk chovat ke klonům? A podobně.
Antologie je vhodná pro seznámení se s žánrem. 1) Je plná příběhů od různých spisovatelů, takže po přečtení jedné knihy od jednoho autora nejste kontaminováni jen jednostranným pohledem na věc, když je jich možných hodně. 2) Antologie obsahuje i diskuzi, které se zúčastnily přední osobnosti tohoto hnutí a věcí okolo žánrové literatury a také slovo redaktorů z několika zemí. Pro zajímavost, je tam i názor českého redaktora.
Jsou to povídky, tak některé jsou lepší a některé jsou podle mě horší, i když vyloženě slabé kousky tu nejsou. Na druhou stranu mě ale ani nic nechytlo tak, abych tomu dala 5*.
New weird je divný žánr. Slepenec toho zvláštního z žánrů jako jsou sci-fi, fantasy (urban i jiné podžánry), krimi a v jedné z povídek je dokonce něco jako steampunk říznutý magickým realismem. Ovšem bizarnosti, absurdnosti a podobné fantasknosti jsou tu opentleny vysokým stylem. Pár povídek vybízí svou divností k zamyšlení. Co je člověk? Jak se má člověk chovat ke klonům? A podobně.
Antologie je vhodná pro seznámení se s žánrem. 1) Je plná příběhů od různých spisovatelů, takže po přečtení jedné knihy od jednoho autora nejste kontaminováni jen jednostranným pohledem na věc, když je jich možných hodně. 2) Antologie obsahuje i diskuzi, které se zúčastnily přední osobnosti tohoto hnutí a věcí okolo žánrové literatury a také slovo redaktorů z několika zemí. Pro zajímavost, je tam i názor českého redaktora.
michellehogmire's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
francomega's review
2.0
Caught my attention by focusing on the titular SF literary movement. A lot of good writers in the collection: China Mieville, Clive Barker, Michael Moorcock, etc. However, typical anthology disclaimer: stories can be hit or miss.
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