A review by tyler_j
Off Limits: Tales of Alien Sex by Ellen Datlow
2.75
1. The Reality Trip by Robert Silverberg- 4 stars
I really don't know why, but I liked it. Loneliness, crab aliens, a creepy woman who writes bad poetry. And as always Lena, that picture, is perfect. I was imagining her as that meme lol.
2. The Tattooist by Susan Wade- 3 stars
Loved the concept and tattooing process, but found the story lacking over-all. Not sure what I was supposed to get out of it.
3. Dolly Sodom by John Kaiine- 2 stars
I don't get it. A needy man chases a coin operated sex doll down some stairs and falls. That's all.
4. The Lucifer of Blue by Sherry Coldsmith- 3 stars
Truthfully I didn't understand everything, but I liked what I got out of it.
5. The Queen of the Apocalypse by Scott Bradfield- 1.5 stars
tw: fire, self-harm. I was loving it initially. Felt personal and hit close to home in the beginning with the self-harm and depression. But then it felt like it just derailed. I could have done without the talk of her figure and then the pregnancy stuff and all that at the end...if it was supposed to mean something good I completely missed it and just got annoyed at it.
6. Oral by Richard Christian Matheson- 2.5 stars
Without that note at the end though I think i'd have just been confused.
7. Grand Prix by Simon Ings- 2 stars
Because I mostly was just confused and not sure what it was trying to say.
8. The House of Mourning by Brian Stableford- 4 stars
STD's of the future seemed to be caused by forced synthetic highs that go very wrong with a nice spoonful of hypocrisy. Kept my interest.
9. Fetish by Martha Soukup- 3.5 stars
Interesting. I liked it. I would totally rock a beard if I could.
10. Red Sonja and Lessingham in Dreamland by Gwyneth Jones- 2 stars
Found it very boring and didn't care for it at all. I do get that people tend to want to "opt for McDonald's" as she put it, rather than handle actual real life human interaction and all that, but I still didn't like the story. It just got under my skin and irritated me and I can't really explain well why.
11. The Future of Birds by Mike O’Driscoll- 3.5 stars
Horrifying, and seems all too real. I could totally see them just letting women die too.
12. Captain China by Bruce McAllister- 4 stars
So sad, but hopeful ending.
13. Background: The Dream by Lisa Tuttle- 2 stars
The heck was that?
14. Aye, and Gomorrah ... by Samuel R. Delany- 1.5 stars
I am so confused. I don't understand a word of this.
15. Ursus Triad, Later by Kathe Koja and Barry N. Malzberg- 1.5 stars
Uhm...I mostly just got beastiality out of that story.
16. Sextraterrestrials by Joe Haldeman and Jane Yolen- 4 stars
Well that was fun!
17. The Dream-Catcher by Joyce Carol Oates- 3.5 stars
Disturbing nightmare but made me think, creeped me out, and has a way with words.
18. His Angel by Roberta Lannes- 1.5 stars
I'm sorry but it's so Christian based and I know the author's note said he gets his just rewards but...it just seemed to me that he got saved? That he was killed after he was saved so he could go to heaven before it was too late for him again (reading as a sick serial killer redemption story just made me so angry) is how I read it before I read the authors note and saw I must have got it all wrong. I wanted to punch the sicko. As much as I can see I read the ending wrong the extreme Christian tones just soured it for me. It just wasn't for me.
19. Eaten (Scenes from a moving picture) by Neil Gaiman- 2.5 stars
Weird, gross, disturbing. Slightly interesting. Liked the author notes.
20. In the Month of Athyr by Elizabeth Hand- 2 stars
Very confusing. Made me think at points and then I thought I knew where it was going, but I didn't and the ending just left me very confused. Didn't hate it but didn't really like it over-all either.
I read this as a group read and those were what I wrote about each story. Not that it says a whole lot but...yeah. Also, side note, I had to make sure I didn't miss 2 stories because the cover says there is 22 stories but there are only 20.
Average 2.68. Over-all I didn't like the anthology but there were a few I liked.
I really don't know why, but I liked it. Loneliness, crab aliens, a creepy woman who writes bad poetry. And as always Lena, that picture, is perfect. I was imagining her as that meme lol.
2. The Tattooist by Susan Wade- 3 stars
Loved the concept and tattooing process, but found the story lacking over-all. Not sure what I was supposed to get out of it.
3. Dolly Sodom by John Kaiine- 2 stars
I don't get it. A needy man chases a coin operated sex doll down some stairs and falls. That's all.
4. The Lucifer of Blue by Sherry Coldsmith- 3 stars
Truthfully I didn't understand everything, but I liked what I got out of it.
5. The Queen of the Apocalypse by Scott Bradfield- 1.5 stars
tw: fire, self-harm. I was loving it initially. Felt personal and hit close to home in the beginning with the self-harm and depression. But then it felt like it just derailed. I could have done without the talk of her figure and then the pregnancy stuff and all that at the end...if it was supposed to mean something good I completely missed it and just got annoyed at it.
6. Oral by Richard Christian Matheson- 2.5 stars
Without that note at the end though I think i'd have just been confused.
7. Grand Prix by Simon Ings- 2 stars
Because I mostly was just confused and not sure what it was trying to say.
8. The House of Mourning by Brian Stableford- 4 stars
STD's of the future seemed to be caused by forced synthetic highs that go very wrong with a nice spoonful of hypocrisy. Kept my interest.
9. Fetish by Martha Soukup- 3.5 stars
Interesting. I liked it. I would totally rock a beard if I could.
10. Red Sonja and Lessingham in Dreamland by Gwyneth Jones- 2 stars
Found it very boring and didn't care for it at all. I do get that people tend to want to "opt for McDonald's" as she put it, rather than handle actual real life human interaction and all that, but I still didn't like the story. It just got under my skin and irritated me and I can't really explain well why.
11. The Future of Birds by Mike O’Driscoll- 3.5 stars
Horrifying, and seems all too real. I could totally see them just letting women die too.
12. Captain China by Bruce McAllister- 4 stars
So sad, but hopeful ending.
13. Background: The Dream by Lisa Tuttle- 2 stars
The heck was that?
14. Aye, and Gomorrah ... by Samuel R. Delany- 1.5 stars
I am so confused. I don't understand a word of this.
15. Ursus Triad, Later by Kathe Koja and Barry N. Malzberg- 1.5 stars
Uhm...I mostly just got beastiality out of that story.
16. Sextraterrestrials by Joe Haldeman and Jane Yolen- 4 stars
Well that was fun!
17. The Dream-Catcher by Joyce Carol Oates- 3.5 stars
Disturbing nightmare but made me think, creeped me out, and has a way with words.
18. His Angel by Roberta Lannes- 1.5 stars
I'm sorry but it's so Christian based and I know the author's note said he gets his just rewards but...it just seemed to me that he got saved? That he was killed after he was saved so he could go to heaven before it was too late for him again (reading as a sick serial killer redemption story just made me so angry) is how I read it before I read the authors note and saw I must have got it all wrong. I wanted to punch the sicko. As much as I can see I read the ending wrong the extreme Christian tones just soured it for me. It just wasn't for me.
19. Eaten (Scenes from a moving picture) by Neil Gaiman- 2.5 stars
Weird, gross, disturbing. Slightly interesting. Liked the author notes.
20. In the Month of Athyr by Elizabeth Hand- 2 stars
Very confusing. Made me think at points and then I thought I knew where it was going, but I didn't and the ending just left me very confused. Didn't hate it but didn't really like it over-all either.
I read this as a group read and those were what I wrote about each story. Not that it says a whole lot but...yeah. Also, side note, I had to make sure I didn't miss 2 stories because the cover says there is 22 stories but there are only 20.
Average 2.68. Over-all I didn't like the anthology but there were a few I liked.