Elitist Book Reviews

This year's nominations are all very different and good in their own way, but only one really stood out to me and will get my vote (read them yourself and decide which one is worth your vote!). We'll cover the others first:

"The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling" by Ted Chiang (Subterranean, Fall 2013) at first threw me off because it reads like an essay--which is essentially what it is, but it's merely another way to tell the PoV character's story. Technology has made perfect memory available to every human being via a product called Remem that not only records one's life, but you can instantly search for events and replay them. Had an argument with your wife and she swears you're wrong? Simply run a search and find out. In parallel, Chiang tells the story of Jijingi, a young man from a simple village who learns writing from a missionary. Chiang's prose is easy to read, the tone conversational. We follow the thought process as the PoV character works through the issues involved in instant memory and insists that sometimes it's better to forget, otherwise forgiveness is difficult. But then he learns an important lesson about himself as a result of instant memory...and for most readers it's that revelation that made this story nominatable, but to me it felt disingenuous and preachy. I finished it without the satisfaction I usually expect at the end of short works.

"Opera Vita Aeterna" by Vox Day (THE LAST WITCHKING, Marcher Lord Hinterlands) is a fantasy about magician-elf Bessarias who travels to an abbey to discover how men of faith obtain power to perform their miracles. He asks to stay and learn, but the abbot makes him promise not to use his magic while there. An unlikely friendship is formed as they discuss theology and other topics, and Bessarias discovers a love of illuminating sacred texts. But his stay there is interrupted once a year as his demon familiar attempts to convince his elf master to return home. Here the prose isn't as clean as the other authors', Day tends to wander in his story and wording, giving "Opera" a fairy-tale feel. While it was interesting, I didn't find the story as compelling as it could have been, mostly as a result of a lack of attachment to the characters.

"The Waiting Stars" by Aliette de Bodard (THE OTHER HALF OF THE SKY, Candlemark & Gleam) was hard to follow at first, the plot not telegraphed early on--which threw me off since it's a short work. Fortunately, the author is able to say a lot in few words, and the story begins to blossom when we meet Catherine, who is stuck in an institution, the circumstances unclear as to why she's there or why she yearns to travel out into space. At the same time Lan and her cousin Cuc work to rescue their family spaceship from the Outsiders, who've captured the ships and the Minds that power them. De Bodard weaves a compelling story as we attempt to understand the mystery of Catherine's situation and also the interesting culture of Lan and Cuc. I finished the story feeling like there's so much potential in the world-building--the shortness of "The Waiting Stars" was a disappointment because there was still so much to learn about these fascinating people (not necessarily a bad thing!).

"The Exchange Officers" by Brad Torgersen (Analog, Jan-Feb 2013) is about an American space station where the "astronauts" are avatar-like proxies that are controlled by military "Operators" from a safe distance on Earth. The Chinese have decided to try to take over the incomplete space station, and Chopper (Warrant Officer Dan Jaraczuk) and Chesty (Warrant Officer Mavy Stoddard) are the only Operators able to fight back after the initial EMP. Torgersen jumps from action to flashback--where they meet and begin training with the proxies. He has complete control of the story, it never lags, but still gives you the information you need to begin liking these characters and understand the delicacy of their situation. It's a fun story with an unexpected ending--my second favorite of the nominations.

"The Lady Astronaut of Mars" by Mary Robinette Kowal (maryrobinettekowal.com/Tor.com, 09-2013) tells us that humans have been settling Mars since the 1950s, all thanks to the lady astronaut Elma. Now Elma is in her 60s, long past the age for any more space missions, no matter how badly she wants to go. But even if there were to be a mission, her beloved husband Nathanial only has a little while longer to live. Then she's approached by the director of the Bradbury Space Center on Mars for a solo mission from which she might not come back. Now she must make a painful decision: leave Nathanial before his death and feel guilt over it for the rest of her life, or turn down the mission and regret her one last chance to be in space again. Kowal is a beautiful writer, full of emotion, even if it's not the grand epic variety--I think it's the closer-to-home stories that touch us best. Here Kowal moves us to Mars where one would think that life would be different, but then shows us that no matter where we go the human experience remains the same. I teared up because the story so lovely.

So maybe I'm a sap for a sweet love story, even if it's for a couple of geriatric astronauts, but "The Lady Astronaut of Mars" gets my vote for the 2014 Hugo.

I was in the mood for some Horror short fiction the other day. Fortunately, Cemetery Dance sent me over a small collection from one of their regular authors, Brian James Freeman, that seemed like just the ticket.

WEAK AND WOUNDED is the name of the collection, and in it are five horror stories.

The interesting thing about Freeman's brand of Horror, in my limited experience thus far, is a more grounded type of Horror. I had my first reading experience of Freeman's work in TURN DOWN THE LIGHTS with the story, "An Instant Eternity". It was one of the stories I liked the most in that collection, and it really made me anticipate reading WEAK AND WOUNDED. I wanted to see if the style I saw in that story would feed through this collection.

The following is from Cemetery Dance's webpage:

In "Running Rain," a devastated husband and wife try to pretend life can somehow be normal again after their son becomes a victim of a serial killer known as The Riverside Strangler... but the dark secrets they're keeping from each other push their relationship to the brink.

In "Marking the Passage of Time," a couple approaches the end of the world in their own ways as the clock ticks down and they try to figure out where all of the time has gone...

"Where Sunlight Sleeps" is the tale of a grieving father and his young son, both dealing with a shared loss the best they can, who take a trip down a memory lane lined with jagged edges and vicious traps...

On "The Last Beautiful Day," a devoted husband returns to the scene of the worst day of his life by volunteering for a job that is both morbid and profound.

"Walking With the Ghosts of Pier 13" is the story of a young man visiting the beach front amusement park where his brother died during a terrorist attack. He wants to understand why a madman came to this place and blew himself up and killed so many innocent people... but the answer to that question might not be the only thing waiting for the young man when he starts walking with the ghosts.

Of all those stories, my favorite was "Running Rain". Don't get me wrong, all the stories were good. "Running Rain" was great. It's the kind of story that has me looking at my own writing to see how I can improve. I keep trying to pick my second favorite story, and I change my mind every time. Each has merits. What I love about all these stories is the way in which they are all grounded in a version of reality.

What Freeman seems to understand is how to make every situation utterly horrific. These stories are very personal Horror rather than monster-centric. I know many people that would scoff at this brand of Horror, and to each their own I suppose. To me, these stories were far more terrifying because they seemed more...I don't know...close to home. Certainly not all of Freeman's stories will follow this narrative vein, but I love that he can write this type of story so incredibly well.

I would also point out that there is a haunting quality to the way Freeman writes. "Where Sunlight Sleeps" and  "The Last Beautiful Day" really demonstrate this. It's a bit hard to write about in reviews of short stories without spoiling anything, so trust me. These stories are terrifying in their own way, and will haunt you.

If there is an issue with this collection, it is that it is hard to find. It sold out at Cemetery Dance. Hopefully they will make it available as an ebook. It is an extremely quick read due partially to length, but mostly to not wanting to put it down.You can find it on ebay and Amazon, fortunately, but probably not for long.

WEAK AND WOUNDED is a terrific collection, and one of the Horror anthologies that has stayed with me most, and caused me to simply nod my head in appreciation. Freeman is an incredible author, and I cannot wait to read more of his work.

Recommended Age: 16+
Profanity: Only in one story, and it's brief
Violence: I'm not gonna say much here, but it's what Freeman DOESN'T show that stands out
Sex: Nope

WEAK AND WOUNDED

Does this look familiar? It should. I originally posted this review back in 2010. So why am I redirecting you to it now? Well, because this awesome collection can be purchased with ease now, and without murdering your wallet, from Tachyon Publications. This is the collection I recommend to everyone who is new to Joe R. Lansdale, because I loved it so much when I first read it in 2010. So anywho, here is the review for any of you who missed it the first time around.

I like supernatural stuff. I like the Old West. It doesn't take a genius to see that I really like supernatural stuff in the Old West. DEADMAN'S ROAD, by Joe Lansdale, nicely fills that niche. In short, this collection of short stories and a novella make for pure entertainment.

The stories in this collection star Reverend Jebidiah Mercer. He's your typical Old West Reverend...well apart from his alcohol addiction, gunslinger skills, and his penchant for violence. You see, he sees himself as the Lord's Messenger in the Old Testament sense. Wrathful and all that. He is a compelling character that, despite his faults (or perhaps because of them), you love to root for him.

DEADMAN'S ROAD contains the following stories: "Dead in the West", "Deadman's Road", "The Gentleman's Hotel", "The Crawling Sky", and "The Dark Down There".

"Dead in the West" is the novella that introduced the world to the good Reverend. It all has to do with an Indian Curse that leads to a zombie infestation. This story takes up over half of the collection, and it is easily the strongest of all the Reverend's adventures. It is in this story that we see the most character development, and the best story and plot progression. Really, the collection is defined by this story, and it manages to have that pulp quality while still managing to give a light (but distinct, in my opinion) literary flavor.

The remaining tales are all short stories, ridiculously fun, and pack serious punch. "Deadman's Road" deals with a ghoul of sorts. "The Gentleman's Hotel" has ghosts and werewolves. "The Crawling Sky" deals with some bizarre creature thing that wants to kill the Reverend. Lastly, "The Dark Down There" is about a pack of kobolds killing miners with the Reverend teaming up with a 300-pound woman named Flower. While all the stories are awesome, none of them match the strength of the novella "Dead in the West", which has me begging for a TV series and more stories from the Reverend. That being said, "Deadman's Road" and "The Gentleman's Hotel" were my favorites of the shorts.

The overall positive this collection brings is Lansdale's pure ability to give the readers an uncompromisable, visceral description of the horrors the Reverend is facing. He describes the grotesque in a way rarely ever seen. Amidst all the horror and supernatural, Lansdale never loses sight of the western flavor of the stories. The Reverend is put into intense, horrific situations that grab you by the head and force your eye-lids open so you get every gut-wrenching detail. It is this near perfect blend of western horror that makes this collection one that should be read by every horror-lover out there.

What an amazing collection...

Recommended Age: 18 and up.
Language: All sorts.
Violence: This is a seriously grim and grisly collection. Awesome right?
Sex: Mentioned quite a bit.

Here's your link! Quit screwing around and buy this book! DEADMAN'S ROAD

Note 3-5-2014: This collection was my first exposure to Joe Lansdale, and not only has he quickly become one of my favorite authors, but he has changed how I read and write Horror. I had the opportunity just over a month ago to sit down for lunch with Mr. Lansdale, his lovely wife, daughter Kasey, and son Keith. Quite simply, they are one of the nicest, most genuine families I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.

This anthology has attached to it one of those feel-good kind of stories that just makes you want to buy the thing. The editor, Shawn Speakman, contracted Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2011, accrued a bundle of debt because he didn't have health insurance at the time, and these stories were put together as a means by which to alleviate some of that debt. Each of the stories contained in the anthology were ones that the authors contributed freely to Mr. Speakman's cause and showed them to rally round the flag, so to speak, of a fellow author that was in need. It was a reminder to me that even big-name authors are real people with real problems too. Sometimes it can be easy to forget that. So regardless of what I thought of this anthology (it was good, people – don't let my little misdirections fool you) my hat goes off to each of the authors that contributed to the anthology. Bravo, my friends. Bravo.

UNFETTERED is an anthology of 23 stories written by 22 different authors (Terry Brooks, had two) that had essentially no direction given to them at all. This was a “make an offering” kind of anthology. Some were new, some were old. Some were great. Some not so much. There was fantasy, and sci-fi, and a few that were more like “what?”. My breakdown of the stories into our typical rating categories landed thus:

Loved: 7
Liked: 7
Mediocre: 5
Didn't Like: 2
Hated: 2

So, for an anthology, that's pretty dang good, people. There was a ton of great stuff here. A few of of the authors were new to me. Several of their stories made me want to find more of their core writing. That's one of the really cool things about anthologies, in my opinion. Gives you a good idea of an author's writing and story-telling ability without having to give over too much of financial or temporal commitment. I've outlined a few of my favorites (so hard to choose...)

Martyr of the Roses by Jacqueline Carey -- Started slow but ended grrrrreat. This is a previously-unpublished story that sparked the religion in her Kushiel series. Two nobles, one from a foreign country, speak about the current state of affairs and some of the religion of the local country. A man accused of murder is chased by the local guardsmen past these two men. They observe the ensuing events and are forever changed by them.

Mudboy by Peter V. Brett -- This story was going to be an introduction for a new character in his third book, but it was ultimately cut. Very young boy, living with his family in the demon-infested lands of Brett's world makes a mistake that he'll never forget. Really well-done. Made me want to read more of Brett's stuff.

Heaven in a Wild Flower by Blake Charlton -- Post-apocalyptic USA where some kind of atomic bomb has resulted in a large amount of people being reincarnated over and over again. There are still some natural-borns, but they are dying off. When a natural-born finds a floating, reincarnated baby, if they pick it up, there are some kind of nanobots that connect the two such that if the child dies, then the parent also dies. This was one of the stories that had the most direct connection to cancer. Really well done.

Select Mode by Mark Lawrence -- Main character is a teenage version of the main character from his Thorns trilogy. Kid is being taken to be judged by an "arch" along with another man. He is expecting to be killed. Very well-written. Feels kind of old-school medievalish but there are obvious sci-fi elements that are part of the surroundings. This is exactly the kind of stuff I expected from Richard Morgan's fantasy books, but didn't get.

There were lots of others that I really liked (Daniel Abraham's, for example), and a few that I could have done without. And because everyone is going to ask about it, the Wheel of Time story was okay. In all, I'm glad that it was cut out of the book. It totally didn't fit with the rest of the story in AMoL. So, cheers all around for that.

This is a great anthology, for those that like what they have to offer. Yes, it's pretty stacked with great authors, so my overall enjoyment of it wasn't all that surprising. Actually, after I had read the introduction (written by Mr. Patrick Rothfuss) I was convinced that even if all the stories in the anthology absolutely sucked, the cost of the book was worth the introduction. He did a bang up job of it.

All around, a great offering from the publishing world, and well-worth my purchase.

Recommended Age: 15+
Violence: There's definitely some violence (did you see Mark Lawrence's name in the author list?), and it occasionally got gory
Profanity: A light sprinkling of the entire range, but nothing egregious
Sex: Nothing memorable

Your link: Unfettered

When I first read Robert McCammon's THE WOLF'S HOUR, I was blown away. It was a Horror novel mixed with a Spy Thriller, and all I wanted was to read more about McCammon's signature character, Michael Gallatin. In THE WOLF'S HOUR, we learned about his mission into Germany during the height of WWII, while at the same time learning how Gallatin became a werewolf. It was all fascinating stuff, but I knew there had to be more. It wasn't unlike reading THE BOURNE IDENTITY and knowing that there were countless stories untold.

Imagine my delight when Subterranean Press announced that they would be releasing a collection of short fiction from Robert McCammon featuring Michael Gallatin. Titled THE HUNTER FROM THE WOODS, the collection contained six short stories and novellas covering Gallatin's time before and after the events of THE WOLF'S HOUR.

The first story, "The Great White Way", is extremely short and probably the weakest of all the stories. It feels a bit like a deleted scene from THE WOLF'S HOUR. It involves a young, pre-spy Gallatin who has taken refuge with a gypsy circus. It's not that the story is bad in any way, it just doesn't hold up to the other stories at all. What it does having going for it is the reintroduction of the character, and filling in a bit of his history.

"The Man from London" is very similar to the first story in feeling like a piece of THE WOLF'S HOUR that was cut. It has to do with how Gallatin was recruited while he was living outside of a small Russian village while providing them with the food they needed in return for anonymity. It is very cool to see how he was recruited, but I was left feeling the whole bit could have been expanded a bit more. That said, I enjoyed it a lot. Again, filling in Gallatin's history is the main point of the story, and it succeeds in that sense.

Things really start picking up with "Sea Chase". For Gallatin, this is a character builder story with Gallatin watching over a Nazi weapons designer who is seeking to defect. The writing here is true McCammon. A lot of internalization from Gallatin as we get to know the various personalities on a fishing boat and the ensuing chase at sea. We see how good a person Gallatin is, and why he becomes the man we see in THE WOLF'S HOUR. Love it.

"The Wolf and the Eagle" was easily my favorite story of the collection. It involves Gallatin and a Nazi fighter pilot in the desert. I've often told people how much I love McCammon's characterization. This story is a showcase of McCammon's ability to take a character that other authors would automatically make a cliched villain, and turn him into a fascinating study. I would have loved for this to have been expanded even more, but it works extremely well as it is right now. New authors take note: this is how you write a sympathetic antagonist.

"The Room at the Bottom of the Stairs" feels like a natural extension of THE WOLF'S HOUR. Honestly, it feels like the seed of a follow-up idea for a full-on sequel to THE WOLF'S HOUR. Gallatin is to go to Germany as kill a female spy. This was such a great story that would have served as an amazing beginning to an actual sequel novel. What struck me about this novel in the same way certain scenes in McCammon's classic SWAN SONG did was how vivid certain scenes are. You can just imagine them painted on canvas.

"Death of a Hunter"...this story answered the one question I had after finishing THE WOLF'S HOUR. I won't spoil it in any way, because it's great. This story serves as a wrap up to Michael Gallatin. He's older. More tired. He spends his time warming himself at the hearth of his home. Which is when his past catches up with him. The interesting part about the story (apart from the twist at the end) is where Gallatin reflects on all of his missions from his younger days. A majority of them are things that weren't in any novel, and it made me want to read about them soooooo bad. This story serves as a good send-off for the character, and ends the collection well.

THE WOLF'S HOUR is one of my favorite werewolf novels of all time, and THE HUNTER FROM THE WOODS is a terrific companion collection to the classic. While I would love to see another collection of short stories chronicling Gallatin's adventures, THE HUNTER FROM THE WOODS has given me the closure I needed on the character.

As a parting observation, I "read" this collection like it THE WOLF'S HOUR, via GraphicAudio. They do an incredible job with the novels they adapt.

Recommended Age: 17+
Profanity: On par with THE WOLF'S HOUR. Strong in some places, absent in others
Violence: Oh yeah. It is a werewolf novel after all.
Sex: Quite a bit. If you get the GraphicAudio version, be aware the scenes are fully acted out.

The physical novel is sadly out of print. But you can still pick up the Kindle edition:

THE WOLF'S HOUR
THE HUNTER FROM THE WOODS

I love Horror novels. I absolutely love them. I love when an author can terrify me with things that prey on the most basic fears we feel as humans. A great story teller can spin a tale in which I'm scared to look at the next page, and yet I'm equally thrilled to do just that. I also love the unexplained, and it is in short fiction that the unexplained aspect of Horror really shines. If you want great Horror short fiction, the place to look right now, in my opinion, is either with Subterranean Press or with Tachyon Publications. For this review, I want to draw the attention of every reader to IMPOSSIBLE MONSTERS, which is edited by Kasey Lansdale.

I bought IMPOSSIBLE MONSTERS knowing nothing about it other than it was a Horror anthology published through Subterranean Press, and that there were stories in the collection by Joe Lansdale and Neil Gaiman. What else is needed? I really knew nothing about the editor, Kasey Lansdale, other than who she was related to. It didn't really matter. I just wanted good stories, and I figured I would learn a bit about Kasey's skill as an editor by reading the stories.

Let's just say I'm more than impressed.

IMPOSSIBLE MONSTERS is an anthology about--wait for it--monsters! Impossible ones! Crazy ones! Different ones! Like every anthology, has its ups and downs. In every case these are due to personal taste. The variety of stories in the collection is so wide that there is something here for literally everyone who reads Horror. It isn't very often that I read an anthology and feel proud after finishing. I'm truly blown away by the quality of authors Kasey Lansdale was able to get, and even more proud of how well the stories are paced, how solid their quality is, and by how many different emotions are induced by reading this collection. In a collection like this, a reader isn't meant to love every single story. It just isn't going to happen. But it should also be easy to see whether or not other people could potentially love the stories others dislike. I'll keep the spoilers to a minimum, because you just can't have these stories ruined at all.

Let's start with the first story, Blue Amber, by David J. Schow. This was the perfect lead story. It starts with the discovery of a complete piece of skin from a person hanging on a fence. And by that I mean like a person having shed their entire outer layer of skin. The story is creepy, paced perfectly, and has a great, Horror-story ending. Loved it. One of my favorite stories in the collection.

Click-Clack the Rattlebag is an extremely short Neil Gaiman story, and in it Gaiman again shows how awesome he is. That's really all I can say about this one.

Monster, by Anne Perry, was a surprisingly good story. I haven't read much by her in the past, but this had a very distinct British Horror feel to it. The story was a bit predictable, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it at all.

Selina Rosen's, Nathan, was the hardest to read. The unreliable narrator (maybe) is executed effortlessly in this story, but a few sections in the story were truly horrific in an uncomfortable way. This could have been a terrible story, and yet I liked it in large part due to quality of writing. It was pulled off extremely well. Keep in mind though...geez...it was a bit much in places.

The Case of the Angry Traveler, by Joe Lansdale, is exactly what I've come to expect from him. Witty, with an odd blend of literary charm mixed with pulpish action and horror. I love Lansdale's stuff so much. For those of you that read a lot of Lansdale, this is a Dana Roberts story, so you know what to expect...kinda. This one kept me guessing. It was also my second favorite story of the collection.

Yeah.

The best story? For me it was Al Sarrantonio's Orange Lake. A Horror story within a Horror story, and it made me embarrassed that I'd never read anything by him before. I vow to remedy this. This wasn't just the best story fo the collection for me, it was one of the best pieces of Horror short-fiction that I've ever read. Sarrantonio manages to squeeze in so much character into his main PoV, that I hardly realized this was already an established character from a series he wrote. Orange Lake is a story I'd love to see win a Stoker Award.

The rest? Well, Blood Moccasins by Bradley Denton was so bizarre and different, yet I really enjoyed it. Charlaine Harris provides a story that her fans will like, but it didn't work for me (rough transitions that could have used scene breaks). Detritus, by Chet Williamson had a lot of winks and nudges to Joe Lansdale, and it was a fun read.

No matter who you are, if you like Horror, this is a collection for you. After reading most of the stories, I had an opportunity to talk with Kasey Lansdale at WorldCon, and I was so impressed by how friendly she was, and by how genuinely she just wanted people to read and enjoy these stories. She put a lot of work into them, and it shows. IMPOSSIBLE MONSTERS is a fantastic collection of Horror stories that every reader of Horror should read, and every author who aspires to write Horror should study.

The best compliment I can give? Because of how awesome IMPOSSIBLE MONSTERS is, I'll read any anthology she edits in the future without a moment of hesitation.

Recommended Age: 17+
Profanity: Yup. Pretty strong and frequent depending on the author.
Violence: All sorts. It varies based on the monster, but it can get pretty wild and graphic. Nathan has the most disturbing violence.
Sex: Nathan has some really messed up stuff in it. Bloaters has a bit too.

Want to buy the anthology? Good. You should. Right-freaking-now. Here's your link:


IMPOSSIBLE MONSTERS

An anthology of vampires and other dark creatures that go bump in the night, BLOOD AND OTHER CRAVINGS attempts to explore the unexplained. While the concept is interesting, the selected stories are a mish-mash of clever, creepy, predictable, and just plain weird.
 
The majority of them were so-so for me, mostly because they were confusing and unexplainable--the style not unlike the stories you heard around a late-night campfire as a kid. If you like dark fantasy for the sake of the mysterious and creepy atmosphere, you'll probably like BLOOD AND OTHER CRAVINGS for the ambiance alone. But for me, I guess I like my stories a little more tidy and explainable, less vagueness. Maybe I'm too demanding (yes I was the spoil-sport who rolled my eyes at the campfire stories).

A few of the stories did stand out, however:

"Needles" by Elizabeth Bear - A vampire and a lamashtu walk into a tattoo parlor...that kind of makes it sound like the start of a really lame joke, but in reality they are two immortals who help each other to fulfill their nefarious needs. Great dialogue and fluid movement, with an engaging story and the display of folklore in action that turns deliciously twisty. If you pick up this book and read one story while standing in the bookstore, this one is worth your time.
 
"Mulberry Boys" by Margo Lanagan - George is chosen from the village boys to help Phillips (the man from the towns) who gathers the silk for trading. When George learns the true horrors of Phillips' work, he takes matters into his own hands. All at the same time horrific, sad, and satisfying, Lanagan mixes up sociological with an everyday concept.
 
"Sweet Sorrow" by Barbara Roden - Brian's friend from school, Melissa, disappears one day never to be seen again, leaving an unfilled hole in his heart. Until one day Brian begins to see a pattern in the disappearances of other little girls. Straightforward and predictable, but still effectively written.
 
"Toujours" by Kathe Koja - From the PoV of a man who watches his protégé make a terrible mistake but is powerless to stop it. A little garbled at first, Koja makes up for it with the manipulating evilness of the antagonist.
 
Other notables:
 
If you like mental illness stories then check out the interesting "Keeping Corkey" by Melanie Tem and "X for Demetrious" by Steve Duffy.
 
If you like vague creepiness then read "All You Can Do Is Breathe" by Kaaron Warren, "Blood Yesterday, Blood Tomorrow" by Richard Bowes, "Shelf-Life" by Lisa Tuttle, and "Miri" by Steve Rasnic Tem.
 
Recommended Age: 16+ for general creepiness but watch out for the sex scenes (noted below)
Language: Maybe ten instances in the whole book
Violence: Some, including deaths, but nothing particularly gory other than references to blood
Sex: Referenced in some of them; "Mrs. Jones" wins the award for the weirdest sex I've ever read with "The Third Always Beside You" being the second weirdest

Find this anthology here:

BLOOD AND OTHER CRAVINGS

Aaaaand here's another round of Crimson Pact stories for the reading masses. I know most of you by now have probably read over my full disclosure of each of the previous volumes (I, II, III) of this series. So you already know that our boss here at EBR, Steve Diamond, figures prominently in them. And you know that I've promised to stay impartial, like I always try to do, with my reviews. And you know also know that in light of these two facts, I have no qualms whatsoever about reviewing these anthologies. So, I guess I won't have to give you my normal spiel about the ethics of posting a book review that is so closely connected to our own blog, or anything like that, and-- Dang. I guess I did just that, didn't I? Oh well. So much for being succinct this time around...

THE CRIMSON PACT:VOLUME 4 is, quite obviously, the fourth antholgy in the short story anthology-series of the same name, and (perhaps not so obviously) edited by Paul Genesse. Each of the stories contained in these anthologies revolves around the idea that multitudes of demons have been spun out into the multi-verse through some kind of interdimensional portal and the Crimson Pact (a group of powerful knights) have gone chasing after them.

The anthologies thus far have contained a wide array of stories, varying considerably in genre, perspective, and length. Overall, I've been fairly impressed with the offerings found in these anthologies and have to tip my hat to Mr. Genesse for the genesis of the original story and the work that he's put into this project thus far. Granted, not every story has tickled my fancy, but when has that ever happened in this kind of setting?

Not often I will tell you. Not often.

This fourth volume was one that worked well for me. My ratings were spread on the high range of the scale (vs. number of stories):

Loved: 5
Liked: 3
Mediocre: 6
Didn't Like: 3

I was happy to see this be the case, especially with my impression of Volume 3, and this time I have five stories to highlight:

“Family Reunion” by Kelly Swails – Girl takes her boyfriend home to meet the family as her great-grandmother is approaching death.  Obviously, demon-induced mayhem ensues.  This story is a perfect example of what I think continuing stories in anthologies like this should be (well, it is still lacking the element-connections that I'd love to see between unrelated stories, but...). All the stories are connected (in this case, through family ties), but each of them are separate, distinct, and most of all complete.

“Wild Card” by Sarah Kanning – Lady that's been chosen by an "angel" to do certain things learns more about her curse and starts to rebel.  Moved me from one idea to the next.  Kept me guessing.  Surprised me.  Made me laugh.  Loved it.  Although, people that use the f-word typically don't use the word "crap".  At least not in my universe. Her bio says that she's working on a YA urban fantasy novel.  She can count on my buying that one when it's done.

“Tendril” by Patrick Tracy – Demon in retirement is finally caught by the "good guys".  Introspective and humorous. Good fun.

“The Best Lies” by Steven Diamond – This time around Tombs finds out more about himself.  Silent and brooding and riding the edge of keeping his humanity, we see lots of just what else is coming down the pipes.  If I have to say I missed something in this one, it was more Diego Santos, but seriously great stuff here.

“Dogtribe” by Suzzanne Myers – Guy at a listening station in space reviews the 50-year-delayed video feeds originating from two people's lives on a far-away planet.  Very well-told with good writing.  Great way to end the anthology: with a message. "There are more demons coming."

As if we didn't already know that though. :)

Another good entry into this series, imnsho (don't forget the “not-so” in the imho!) Just as excited, if not more so this time around, to read the next round in Volume 5. From what I've heard, it should be out later this year.

Age Recommendation: 18+  
Language: Across the board: some are profanity heavy, others not so much  
Violence: A few of the stories get kinda gory, and one of the stories includes violence against children (honestly, a tough one for me to finish reading)  
Sex: Not much that I remember


Want em? Get em:  Volume 1 -- Volume 2 -- Volume 3 -- Volume 4

The title of the book says it all: HOME IMPROVEMENT: UNDEAD EDITION is an anthology of stories with home improvement themes and the undead. All of them are smart, well-written, and unique. Enjoy!

"If I Had a Hammer" by Charlaine Harris is a Sookie Stackhouse story where Tara and JD have bought their first house. During demolition of a wall they find a hammer with old blood on it and discover they've released a malevolent spirit in the process. It's a fun short in the usual Sookie style.

"Wizard Home Security" by Victor Gischler is about a wizard named Broahm who was recently robbed of the expensive supplies of his trade. Convinced by the excellent salesman from Wizard Home Security that he needs an expensive security system, Broahm still finds himself unprepared for a burglary repeat. While clever, it wasn't my favorite of the bunch.

"Gray" by Patricia Briggs is about vampire Elyna, turned in the 1920s during prohibition Chicago, and has spent the last 90 year biding her time until she can leave her seethe and move back to the condo she once owned with her husband--who now seems to be haunting the place. I love Briggs' novel-length work, and this new character was complicated and interesting.

"Squatters' Rights" by Rochelle Krich is about newlywed Joe and Eve who bought a fixer-upper in expensive LA, unable to afford something better with their modest incomes. But the first night they're there Eve hears scratching in the walls, and the result is a deterioration of her sanity. It weaves in Jewish mythology with a woman's insecurities. Dark and disturbing.

"Blood on the Wall" by Heather Graham is about detective DeFeo Montville who is on the case of gruesome killings blamed on a local Satanic cult. This story goes in twisted directions and ends a little goofy, but is otherwise engaging.

"The Mansion of Imperatives" by James Grady is another dark one about a sentient house trying to find a new caretaker. I'm not really clear on the purpose of the sequence of events, but it was properly terrifying.

"The Strength Inside" by Melissa Marr is about Bori (feral shape-shifters) sisters Chastity and Alison are trying to create a sanctuary for others like them who need to learn to integrate into human society. But in order to make their home a haven, their remodeling plans require the approval of an uptight homeowner's association president. Despite trying to appear human, they aren't above using traditional problem-solving methods.

"Woolsley's Kitchen Nightmare" by E.E. Knight is one of the most original stories of the book, taking Urban Fantasy in an unlikely direction with PoV character the noted chef for the undead, Woolsley. After years of running restaurants, he takes his show on the road as a consultant, and the current job takes him to rural Wisconsin with, of all things, a human owner. Unfortunately said owner doesn't quite get what it means to feed the undead--with disastrous results. At the same time funny and macabre, this short was very entertaining.

"Through This House" by Seanen McGuire (aka Mira Grant) is about changeling (half human/half elf) October Daye's unexpected inheritance of an Elven knowe (aka faerie hill). First she has to figure out how to get inside, then she can deal with the mess left behind. Assuming the house will let her stay. This short is part of a longer series and it feels like it, jumping in with both feet with developed characters and relationships. The solution felt a little obvious, but it was still a decent story.

"The Path" by S.J. Rozan is a more sideways take on the anthology's topic, with the ghost of a hermit monk unable to reincarnate in order to protect the Buddha statue and guardians of the cave. The most sedate story of the bunch it was a nice departure from the others with a smooth narration. While interesting, the ending felt contrived.

"Rick the Brave" by Stacia Kane is about down on his luck Rick, who takes a construction job without knowing the details beforehand. Unfortunately it turns out to be dangerous, but somehow the Rick finds a courage he didn't know he had. It was a safely middle-of-the-road kind of story with a few quirks, but otherwise safe UF territory.

"Full-Scale Demolition" by Suzanne McLeod is about Genny, whose business rounds up stray pixies in the London area--they can be destructive when left to roam free. A recently married heiress needs Genny to solve a pixie problem at her house, but neglects to tell her the whole story. I liked the twists, as well as Genny's backup, the kelpie Tavish and their interaction.

"It's All in the Rendering" by Simon R. Green is told with Green's typical tongue-in-cheek style and campy humor. Peter and Jubilee are blissful newlyweds who are in charge of the House, a refuge for human and fae alike in need, for any reason, a haven to get away from what ails them. One day, unexpectedly, inspectors from the human and the elf sides appear to tell them that their caring for the house is substandard, which causes all sorts of panic. The solution is a little flat, but it's still funny enough.

"The Brightest Day" by Toni L.P. Kelner is about Dodie Kilburn. She's a houngan and she raises the dead for a living. Yes, she uses voudou magic to make zombies. When Gottfried dies without finishing his last architectural masterpiece, his associates pay for Dodie to raise him from the dead to finish the job. Things, of course, keep going wrong. I enjoyed this mystery that seems to baffle Dodie, as well as the side-issue of the houngan elders who question her business practices.

Recommended Age: I'd say adults would be most interested in this, although the intrepid teen might like it, but beware of "The Mansion of Imperatives" for sexual content.
Language: Hardly any throughout.
Violence: Some blood and gore, but mostly with "Woolsely's" and "Blood on the Wall."
Sex: "The Mansion of Imperatives" has a scene, while various others reference only.

Find this anthology here:

HOME IMPROVEMENT: UNDEAD EDITION

If you don't know by now, let me be clear: I love Subterranean Press. Simply put, the quality of the books they put out are nothing short of amazing. From the art to the actual materials used to make the book, the production quality never fails to impress. Additionally, Subterranean Press is the publisher for all of Robert McCammon's novels these days. Every McCammon story I have read thus far has been terrific, and he has easily become one of my favorite authors. So when Subterranean Press announced new novella from McCammon, I begged and pleaded for an ARC of it.

I TRAVEL BY NIGHT is a vampire story. I'm tired of vampires. They don't hold much interest for me these days. I blame it on the over-saturation of the market with the sexy, glittery variety. But if there is one author I trust with the classic Horror monster archetypes, it is Robert McCammon.

The short version is that I TRAVEL BY NIGHT is classic McCammon, and absolutely incredible.

The story begins with an introduction to the character Trevor Lawson. He was given the curse of vampirism on a battlefield during the Civil War, and ever since has been trying to track down the vampire queen that turned him. If he can find her, he may be able to reverse his affliction and become mortal again. Until then, Lawson takes whatever jobs he can to help the less fortunate.

The first thing I noticed was how the beginning of the novel has a rambling cadence to the narrative. It felt like I was lounging comfortably in front of a blazing fireplace while McCammon sat across from me relating the story. That narration style continues until Lawson accepts a job that could potentially put him back on the trail of the vampire that turned him. Then the story is a pure Horror and Adventure thrill-ride.

Since this novella is on the short side, I hesitate to describe the other characters Lawson encounters in I TRAVEL BY NIGHT. You would be better served discovering them without any preconceived impressions acquired from me. I will say that each side character has a brief back-story that, while quick and direct, made me instantly like them. Lawson himself is a sympathetic character that is the classic good-guy holding back the monster within himself. If you have read any of McCammon's other works, you know how effortlessly he writers those types of characters, and Trevor Lawson is no exception.

Very quickly into the story, McCammon shows us how vampires should be. They are monsters, plain and simple. The older they are, the more monstrous they become. This is why I know I can always trust McCammon to write any kind of monster. He just gets it.

The best part of I TRAVEL BY NIGHT, for me, was the ending. This is Horror, and as such should have some hopelessness to end the story. There is a small measure of success, but it is mixed with an equal share of failure and worry for the future. The instant I finished the novel, I immediately contacted McCammon begging for more.

I TRAVEL BY NIGHT is short. For some, too short. It is the type of story that you will want to read in one sitting. So the question is, should you spend Hardcover money on a story that spans 150 pages? I did. In fact, I bought a regular Hardcover of the novel than also purchased a signed and numbered edition as well. Why? Because I loved I TRAVEL BY NIGHT. Because I hope that if we all support this novella, McCammon will either turn this into a huge novel or write more novellas featuring the vampire Trevor Lawson.

I TRAVEL BY NIGHT showcases Robert McCammon's skill at bringing Historical Horror to life. It is an effortless read crafted with an expert storyteller's touch. If you are a fan of McCammon's work specifically, or just a fan of Horror, you should buy a copy of I TRAVEL BY NIGHT.

Recommended Age: 16+
Profanity: You know, I don't recall any. I'm sure there was some, because there always is in McCammon's work. We'll say it is on the same level as his Matthew Corbett series.
Violence: It's a vampire hunting vampires. Though the length of the story somewhat prohibits the number of violent scenes that could be included, it still gets pretty awesomely bloody.
Sex: Nope.

Here are your links to buy the novel from either Amazon or Subterranean Press - I personally advocate buying directly from Subterranean Press as their shipping methods are some of the best anywhere, and I just think they are a group of awesome people:

Amazon: I TRAVEL BY NIGHT
Subterranean Press: I TRAVEL BY NIGHT

Also, now is a great time to get McCammon's latest Matthew Corbett novel, THE PROVIDENCE RIDER. It is absolutely terrific, and an amazing price:

Amazon: THE PROVIDENCE RIDER
Subterranean Press: THE PROVIDENCE RIDER

I've mentioned this before, but I absolutely love to see established authors tackle short fiction. Take an Epic Fantasy writer; can that person actually focus and write a self-contained short story, novelette or novella? You'd be surprised at how often they can't. I'd suggest that writing a novel is a completely different skill-set than that of writing short fiction. So when I come across an author that can do BOTH well, I get pretty excited.

Brandon Sanderson is an established author. Love him or hate him (I think that on the whole, he is terrific) he's a household name for those that read Fantasy. One of my biggest complaints about Sanderson's work has been his wordiness. Lot's of people standing around, doing nothing terribly important to the story. A while back I was at a signing for a different author and ran into Brandon. I asked if he had anything new coming out that I should be on the lookout for, and he told me he'd email me LEGION and THE EMPEROR'S SOUL the next day. I read LEGION, and found it quite entertaining. But it didn't feel complete. It felt like a pilot to a TV series as opposed to a full story.

THE EMPEROR'S SOUL, however, is a complete story that reminded me of why I became such a big fan of his in the first place in reading ELANTRIS. Ironically, this novella takes place in the same world as ELANTRIS, though you wouldn't know that with a casual read.

SOUL follows Shai, a Forger who was caught in the act of trying to replace the Moon Scepter with a near identical creation of her own. That's what Forgers do; replace real goods with fake, or turn inferior goods into ones that match those of higher quality. Shai is due to be executed for her crime when she is given an opportunity she can't refuse.

Make a forgery of Emperor Ashravan's soul.

Emperor Ashravan was injured in an attempted assassination, and his empire's enemies will use this to their advantage if they find out. Shai has one-hundred days to pull it off.

In my opinion, THE EMPEROR'S SOUL is one of Brandon Sanderson's best pieces of fiction. Period. The story is tight and focused without an ounce of fat. The dialog is crisp, and doesn't meander as Brandon has been known to allow. Not only that, but completely absent is the overwrought wit that suffocated ALLOY OF LAW and WARBREAKER. This is a serious story, and that seriousness lends itself into every facet of the narrative.

In a story about forging, the biggest question that is presented seems to be "What is art?" Shai's only ally in this story is Gaotona, the Emperor's chancellor. Gaotona is frequently confused as to why Shai would spend so much effort on creating a forgery as opposed to creating something new. The beauty of this novella is how Shai's and Gaotona's views on art (amongst other things) intersect and merge as the story progresses, causing each character to grow in ways they never could have individually. It was natural. It was perfect.

I am a firm believer that we as humans only truly grow and progress when faced by seemingly impossible tasks. I've witnessed this in my own life and in the lives of those closest to me. The moment when the average person overcomes that impossibility is perhaps a work of art itself. I think that this is where THE EMPEROR'S SOUL shines, in letting the readers experience the very real changes that Shai and  Gaotona go through.

On a more meta level, I can't help but feel that maybe Brandon felt a little like Shai when he began completing The Wheel of Time. This novella felt very personal, and was made all the better for it.

One of the many criticisms I have of short fiction (including my own) is how they rarely seem to have a solid ending. They just kind of...stop. SOUL has a powerful ending that is uplifting and as near to perfect as you can get. I'm not going to spoil it (obviously), but I don't think it could have ended any differently and retained the emotional impact that it had.

Brandon Sanderson's THE EMPEROR'S SOUL is one of the best pieces of short fiction I have ever read. It will be on my Hugo Ballot, and it should be on yours as well. Go buy this novella. You will never regret it.

Recommended Age: 14+
Profanity: Nope
Violence: At the end we get some deliciously shocking violence that reminds us all that Sanderson knows how to writing action in a Fantasy setting.
Sex: Nope

Here is your link. Go buy it. Now.

THE EMPEROR'S SOUL

Short stories are not my cup of tea but at the behest of a close friend I decided to check out Will Ludwigsen's short story collection IN SEARCH OF AND OTHERS. This friend assured me that Will was a talented author and suspected that I would appreciate his fiendish wit. And so once again I took a step outside my comfortable bubble of security and exclusion to try something different. It's becoming apparent that I should clear my mind of preconceived notions because IN SEARCH OF AND OTHERS struck a strong emotional cord.

"Reality leaks," he told us at the first meeting. "The consciousness that imagines us into existence doesn't always remember all the details. It gets distracted. It lets things slip. It can't keep up the illusion in all places and all times, and it's our job to find those places and times, to peel back the edges." (page 59, "We Were Wonder Scouts")

This collection includes fifteen short stories, offering glimpses into the mysteries of the universe. It's a powerful anthology that moved me in more ways than one. Ludwigsen asks a lot of deep questions and provides answers that are deep and weird and eerie and whimsical. I didn't skip over a single story (a first, even regarding collections I enjoy) and I didn't skim either. If anyone ever decides to revive The Twilight Zone I dearly hope that they contract Ludwigsen to pen the scripts. It's a position he may have been born to fulfill. Here are some of the highlights from IN SEARCH OF AND OTHERS...

"In Search Of" - Of course the flagship title of the collection would number amongst the best stories. It compresses a lifetime's worth of questions into a few pages worth of answers. It properly sets the tone for the stories to follow, suggesting that you can ask questions but there aren't always answers - and when there are answers they may be stranger than you could have ever expected.

"The Speed of Dreams" - A cute and clever 8th grade Science Fair experiment involving time dilation in dreams. As someone that endures more than his fair share of dreams I found this piece particularly thought provoking. I like the format (it's written as a paper draft of the experiment) and the ending was...unexpected.

"Whit Carlton's Trespasser" - I found myself chuckling my way through this story - until the end that is.

"We Were Wonder Scouts" - I feel like this would have also made a good headliner for the collection. It's a story that encapsulates the theme of yearning, and searching, for wonder.

"A Chamber to be Haunted" - A favorite of mine! I love the idea of a real estate agent that specializes in stigmatized property (i.e. death houses/kill houses/haunted houses). The agent explains the process of selling such a house and I could easily see Ludwigsen crafting a whole novel on this premise. Who would have thought real estate could be gripping?

"Prudenter to Dream" - Another story that could be worked into a full-length novel. This story is somewhat like Inception, but without all the Hollywood special effects and overly-complex plotting.

"The Ghost Factory" - This one hit a little too close to home, but that does not make it a bad story. In fact, it's a very good story for all the sadness that comes with reading it. If there is one piece from IN SEARCH OF AND OTHERS that is bound to stick with me it would be this.

"Universicule" - And here we have reached my favorite story of all. The most compelling mystery of this book is the mystery of a book. This too is a terribly sad examination of relationships and the pursuit of the wondrous. It is a perfect note to end on and it continues the enigma of Thuria, which is touched upon in several other tales.

IN SEARCH OF AND OTHERS is a moving collection. It made me nostalgic for a time when I believed in the Bermuda Triangle and other supernatural phenomena. It was a time right before the Internet became so commonplace and there was a bit less transparency in the world. Ludwigsen puts it far better than I ever could in the Foreword, but it tugs the intended heart strings. IN SEARCH OF left me with a mixed bag of emotion and a satisfying feeling that there are mysteries out there and it's up to us to "peel back the edges."

Recommended Age: 14+
Language: I really can't remember there being any.
Violence: Talk of violence, no direct violence.
Sex: Talk of sex, no direct sex.

Need some mystery in your life? Get it here.

Most anthologies contain a collection of unrelated stories from various authors. That's just the way it goes. Unless the anthology is done by Baen Books and is set in one of their authors' worlds, the stories are rarely even set in the same universe. Heck, even the anthologies I've written for (THE CRIMSON PACT: Vol 2, 3 & 4) have had very few links to connect anyone's work.

And then I read V WARS. V WARS is a vampire (mostly) anthology edited by Jonathan Maberry. That name alone should be enough to grab your interest. Maberry puts out quality work 1000% of the time. This anthology is about a global outbreak of a virus that converts the "junk DNA" in some people. Depending on their heritage, those affected by the virus turn into vampires and werewolves (which in folklore are traditionally related).

And the best part is every story is set in the same world under the same calamity.

You have no idea how refreshing this was to me. Maberry tells a series of short tales following the so-called "patient zero" and his transformation. Maberry's stories serve as a continual frame and big-picture narrative to the entire anthology. The execution across the board is fantastic, and the story feels equally cohesive from the shared story element, to fittingly diverse since it is written by a variety of authors. Obviously, Maberry's portions were stellar, but in many cases they were just vignettes to move the overall narrative forward.

I had some personal favorites in this collection, but I feel a bit crappy about pointing out specific stories. Due to the nature of this anthology, and the connected nature of every story, it would almost be as if I were picking certain chapters in a novel that I didn't like. So instead--and thus avoiding a ton of spoilers--I'm just going to talk about some of the ideas here and what made the entire collection strong.

The ideas in this anthology are what carry it. We get a werewolf themed political thriller, a vampire pyramid scheme, biker gangs, tales from the Mexican-US border, and even a tale from the Antarctic. Even the variety in vampires is pure awesome. How many anthologies play it safe these days? V WARS takes a risk here by having such a crazy variety of stories. I don't know whether or not Maberry planned this whole thing out, or if he just edited it all together, but it all flows so well considering the multitude of authors involved in this project.

I do have a few issues. Firstly, the title of the collection is V WARS...and yet this anthology is really about the spread of the virus and how the world reacts to it. The anthology ends right when we are about to get into some actual wars. So this begs the question: is there going to be a follow-up anthology? If so, great! If not, the title of this collection makes promises it can't (and doesn't) keep. There were a few cases where the segments just didn't work, and were inconsistent with the overall narrative. Also, one story delves into the cliche on a bad level.

Here is what I hope: that this becomes a trend. I want more projects like V WARS. Lots more. A bajillion more. Why? Because readers get to have some great short-fiction while at the same time experiencing a big narrative. This seems like such a win-win for authors and readers alike.

V WARS isn't perfect, but it is dang good. I've been begging Maberry through email to do a sequel anthology, and I'm just praying he gets his group together and does it. You should read V WARS, and so should your friends.

Recommended Age: 18+
Profanity: All sorts.
Violence: Holy crap, yes!
Sex: Actually, there is a really explicit scene in one of the stories. To me, it wasn't needed.

Buy it here:

V WARS

One of the anthologies that renewed my faith in short fiction was THE NEW DEAD, edited by Christopher Golden. There were just so many fantastic stories that after I closed the cover, I just sat back and said, "Wow!" Since then I've been more than happy to tackle any collection of short fiction, and I've read a lot of absolutely stellar work. With all that said, it shouldn't be too difficult a stretch of the imagination to say that my expectations of 21ST CENTURY DEAD were extremely high. Unfairly so, even.

21ST CENTURY DEAD is edited by Christopher Golden, and should appeal directly to the shambling masses that loved Golden's first collection. It contains stories from Jonathan Maberry, Orson Scott Card, Simon R. Green, Brian Keene, and tons more. While THE NEW DEAD was solid pretty much from start to finish, 21ST CENTURY DEAD is far more uneven.

I'll start with the good:

"Jack and Jill" by Jonathan Maberry
This story actually takes place concurrently with his novel DEAD OF NIGHT. It follows a brother and sister (Jack & Jill) and their family as a massive superstorm hits their town. Everything about this story is fantastic, and it serves as a perfect alternate PoV from the novel. It also follows perfectly the hopeless theme of the novel, with I completely loved. For me, this was the best story in the anthology.

"Ghost Dog & Pup: Stay" by Thomas E. Sniegoiski
A radically different story, and one that I didn't think would work at the onset. See, part of the story is told from the PoV of a phantom dog. Yeah. In all, it is a very cool story about the faithfulness of a dog even after death has separated it from the boy it wants to protect. This was the most surprisingly good story in the collection.

"Biters" by Mark Morris
This is the lead story of the collection, and gets it off to a mostly good start. It starts off shocking and crazy, just the way a zombie anthology should. Without getting too much into it and spoiling it for you, I'll just say that part of the tale revolves around kids who are charged with taking care of zom-babies. There was some mild disappointment when one part of the horror just gets glossed over, but this story actually has a "happy" ending. Pretty good overall.

"Tender as Teeth" by Stephanie Crawford and Duane Swierczynski
Such a different story. It's about a girl that has an infamous moment as a zombie, then gets "better".  I'm not gonna say much about this one other than it was one of my favorites.

"Antiparallelogram" by Amber Benson
This story had, bar none, the best ideas. People can take vials of fluid that turn them into whatever they want. Addiction factors into it all, and then there is a vial that can turn you permanently into, say, a zombie. This story could have done with being a bit longer to flesh out the world more, but I really, REALLY liked that Benson didn't play it safe.

"Couch Potato" by Brian Keene
Keene's story was short, sweet, and complete. No fluff. It was equal parts sad and funny the way Jerry Springer is. For me, this was the guilty pleasure story of the collection. It did exactly what it was supposed to do, and I just loved it.

As for the rest? Many of the stories had good parts in them, specifically good beginnings...and then they just fell apart. The prime example of this was Orson Scott Card's story. It had such an awesome beginning. Such stellar ideas. But then the ending was terrible. It's a story that went on too far, too long, and just unraveled. Ken Bruen's "The Dead of Dromore" and Kurt Sutter's "Tic Boom: A Slice of Love" had weird formatting styles that did not work for me at all. They became a chore to read.

Here is my main issue: very few of the stories satisfied me completely. So many of the stories were stunningly mediocre. Were my expectations too high? Maybe. I loved the prior anthology, and I just expected that every story in 21ST CENTURY DEAD would be killer. There were enough stories here that saved the entire collection from becoming mediocre, but so many "meh" ones to keep it from being great.

Should you read it? I think it's worth a try, especially if you feel the need for a short-fiction fix.

Recommended Age: 18+.
Profanity: TONS.
Violence: Quite a bit, seeing as this is a zombie anthology.
Sex: Talk about it, but nothing super explicit.

Want it? Here is your link, plus a link to THE NEW DEAD:


THE NEW DEAD
21ST CENTURY DEAD

I love reading short fiction by my favorite novelists. There is a nice sense of focus in these works, and they serve as a refreshing change of pace and scope while usually maintaining the integrity of that author's writing ability. See, I really like Brandon Sanderson's work. But sometimes I just don't want to read a 1000 page Stormlight Archive novel.

LEGION is a novella by Brandon Sanderson, published by the fantastic Subterranean Press. This novella follows Stephen Leeds--or Mr Legion as he is sometimes called--a man with a unique condition. Leeds has multiple personalities, but this just isn't a normal case of a man who hallucinates. His hallucinations live with him in his massive mansion. Each of these aspects help Leeds by offering their own specialized skill sets, and Leeds uses these skills as a consultant of sorts.

You see, Leeds is a genius, and those aspects help him channel it.

Well, this assumes you believe Leeds at all. He says he isn't crazy. But really, should we trust him?

This is part of the fun of a story like this one. A majority of the story left me wondering if this wasn't all some elaborate fantasy. Right off the bat, we are introduced to various aspects of Leeds' personality. The gun-crazy Navy SEAL, J.C.; Ivy, the shrink; Tobias the...well, guy who seems full of every history and political science fact ever; and even a guy who thinks he is a dethroned King. All in all, this is a terrific intro into a story. The hook is set right from the very beginning. Every time a new character was introduced, I wondered if this was the moment we find out this is all in his Leeds' head.

The story follows Leeds as he is asked to consult on a case about a missing man with a missing camera. But not just any ordinary camera. This one can take pictures of the past. George Washington shaving. Famous landmarks before film existed. The potential for a device like this is staggering. I'm not going to get much more into it, since that would ruin the fun of the story for you.

Brandon's wit is a bit more under control here, in my opinion. This prevents the pacing from halting and keeps the reader immersed in the story. We get some very Science Fiction concepts, and some huge hints that this novella was just a test piece for something much, much bigger. I desperately want to read more of this character. This felt like a delicious appetizer that hints at an amazing main course.

In LEGION, we get the epic feeling that Brandon Sanderson is known for, but in a condensed and focused format.

If you are a fan of Sanderson's work, purchasing this is a no-brainer. It's worth every penny.

Note to Brandon: If there is one thing that bothers me about this, it is the gun terminology. Please talk to our mutual buddy, Mr. Correia to get this all fixed. It would have made the story even better. Neither the main PoV or his hallucinations would have made the mistakes that they were making in the story. Especially since Leeds is a freaking genius.

Recommended Age: 14+ Language: Barely any, and extremely mild Violence: Some, but none of it is described in wonderful, gory detail Sex: Nope Get it here:

LEGION

Carrie Vaughn's first love was the short story, having published more than 50 in various Science Fiction and Fantasy publications over the years. Today she's best known for her Kitty Norville series, but KITTY'S GREATEST HITS represents Vaughn's considerable talents with shorter fiction. This is a compilation of mostly previously published works, and a few new pieces.

The majority of the stories are Urban Fantasy, but three, "A Princess of Spain," "The Book of Daniel," and  "Conquistador de la Noche" all feel like historical fiction. "Princess" asks the question about Catharine of Aragon's marriage to the crown prince of England--the one who was sickly and died to pass the throne to his brother Henry--and his real cause of death. "Daniel" is an entertaining retelling of the traditional biblical story. If you're familiar with Rick from the Kitty Norville series, then "Conquistador" gives us a history of this mysterious vampire.

The rest of the shorts all take place in the Kitty Norville universe, but only four of them with Kitty as the PoV. "Il est Né" takes place on a lonely Christmas Eve while Kitty is at a diner and comes across a lone wolf who's been recently turned. As usual Kitty takes it upon herself to help out those in need, at no little danger to herself. "Kitty and the Mosh Pit of the Damned" is a fluffy piece, almost feeling like it was written just for the flair of using the title. Still, it's entertaining in its own Kitty way. "Kitty's Zombie New Year" has much the same flavor, with Vaughn adding her own narrative to the current zombie fervor. "Winnowing the Herd" is a brief and amusing viewpoint of Kitty, taking place before KITTY AND THE MIDNIGHT HOUR.

Non-Kitty stories include "Wild Ride," T.J.'s origin story, where Vaughn addresses metaphors regarding lycanthropy as disease and HIV and lycanthropy as identity. Then there are the erotic "The Temptation of Robin Green" and "Life is the Teacher" where human-paranormal romance burns pretty hot...but don't necessarily end well. "You're on the Air" feels like an amusing anecdote that being a vampire doesn't mean you completely escape the vagaries of the human existence.

The stories here that interested me most, however, are the ones about the fascinating Cormac, Kitty's hunter friend from the series. Since the series is from Kitty's PoV it is a rare treat to see things from another character's viewpoint. It includes the origin story "Looking After Family" where Cormac comes to live with his aunt and uncle, and cousin Ben (yes, that Ben). "God's Creatures" where we follow Cormac on a job with a twisty ending. But the pièce de résistance is "Long Time Waiting" where we finally learn about what happened to Cormac while he was in jail and where Amelia comes from.

All the shorts are told with Vaughn's straightforward storytelling, and despite their brevity she draws her characters with charm and individuality. This compilation will particularly interest Kitty Norville fans, but newcomers will still enjoy the stories and characters.

Recommended Age: 14+ (except for the two stories with sexual content, which would be 17+)
Language: A couple handfuls of the harsher stuff
Violence: Werewolves, vampires, and hunters means death and blood and gore, but it isn't gruesome
Sex: "The Temptation of Robin Green" and "Life is the Teacher" both have detailed scenes; the others have a mild reference or two

Get it here:
KITTY'S GREATEST HITS

I have an awesome boss.  Well, all of us are pretty cool here at EBR, but Mr. Steve is a class act.  He's smart, he's debonaire, he's...what's that? Why all the sycophantic flattery?  It doesn't even sound like I'm talking to you? Dang. Well, here's the thing.  You might have noticed the title of this book review already, and maybe even more than that you might remember the fact that Mr. Steve was going to have another short story in this anthology. Yeah. Well, his story rocked, but...um...wow, I better just get into it.

THE CRIMSON PACT, VOL. 3, edited by Paul Genesse, is the third anthology of short stories that are all based off of the ideas developed by the Crimson Pact mythos introduced in his own story from the first anthology.  Generally speaking, a horde of demons has broken through some kind of inter-dimensional portal and been scattered across the veritable multi-verse and a brotherhood of knights and volunteers, the Crimson Pact, pursues them out into the eternities through a plethora of fantasy, sci-fi, steampunk, horror, urban fantasy, and just about any other story genre that is possible (well, I don't know if I've seen a romance yet...).  In general, it's been a fairly fun ride so far, with a bit of everything thrown into the mix.

I had several favorites this time around.

"That Which We Fear" by Larry Correia and Steve Diamond: More Diego Santos and Lazarus Tombs. Nothing could have made me happier than to see this one as the first in the group. We get some great progression of the storyline surrounding not only Tombs and his missing kid but on Santos and his deadline on life as well. I loved this one. If anything, it was too short and might have felt a bit rushed, but it was just packed with goodness. This series totally deserves to be followed.

"The Ronin's Mark" by Donald Darling: This one totally surprised me and made me really excited to get into the anthology. The kicker? A connection to another story in the anthology, which is exactly what I asked for in my review of Volume 2. Ha! The fairly unsympathetic main character, whom I don't believe is ever named, is the demon-equivalent of a contract killer that fights with the inner struggle of becoming complacent in the human world while wading through combat and contracted operations that are just fun to read. The ending, I thought, was especially good.

"Monsters on the Trail" by Patrick Tomlinson: This is the third entry in Tomlinson's continuing story and was a definite step up from Volume 2. Izzy and her pet demon, Melicarius, play into the main plot a bit more this time, and help her de facto Aunt and boyfriend Jaws (both cops) find the killer of a priest, who turns out to be...you guessed it. A demon. Really enjoyable.

"A Contract Between Thieves" by Stephanie Lorée: This was easily my second favorite of the anthology. Feni agrees to help Raf, a long-time acquaintance, complete a contract after a game of cards. The result is a romp through an alchemist's laboratory that neither of them will forget and one of them may not survive. Though it started a bit slow, there was a great sense of character and place and adventure in this one that was missing from so many of the other stories in the anthology. This story, placed near the end of the anthology, totally saved the day for me. Stephanie: You rock. I want more.

On the whole, I was less impressed with this volume than prior entries for two reasons. The first is that it's so much shorter than the others.  This happened, from what I understand, because the volume was getting too big from the sheer number of stories that had to be contained within it, and instead of making the thing just massive, Genesse decided to split volume three into two volumes.  He pulled a Martin, so to speak--keeping some stories (characters) in this volume and saving other stories (characters) for the next volume. The second reason was the shift of the stories toward, in my opinion, the unfortunate. There's always going to be a split in the stories that readers like in anthologies. Just the way it is. I just wish there had been more fun, more substance, and more interconnectivity. But I am being kind of picky.

I am totally looking forward to the fourth anthology, if for no other reasons than that I might be getting another Santos/Tombs story from the story-titans Correia and Diamond, and I am also expecting another Evil Library story from Sarah Kanning (woo-hoo!).

Recommended Age: 16+
Language: Not a lot, but pretty much the entire gamut
Violence: A decent variety of bloody and
Sex: A few references, but not too much detail

Want em? Get em:
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3

If you know me then you know I absolutely hate short stories. If you don’t know me: Hello, nice to meet you, I hate short stories. I hate all short fiction really, novellas and poems and such. I took a fiction writing course and it was all about writing short fiction. I hated that too. But! If there was ever an anthology I was ever going to enjoy it had to be ARMORED, edited by John Joseph Adams and published by Baen. A whole collection of stories solely based around my favorite science fiction concept - power armor. With a foreword by Orson Scott Card and an unbeatable roster of authors from Dan Abnett to Brandon Sanderson to Tobias Buckell, ARMORED could be the military SF Promised Land. So how did it fare? Read on.

The anthology opens up with a foreword by Orson Scott Card that really sets the stage for the stories to come. This is followed by an introduction by John Joseph Adams that also amps readers up and gets the gears going. Rather than review each of the stories (there are 23 in all) I will just dip into the highlights, and man are those highlights difficult to choose from. This anthology is just that good.

"The Johnson Maneuver" by Ian Douglas starts the book with a bang. Douglas knows his Marine Corps history and aptly develops the image of future soldiers in a satisfying fashion. The power armor featured is cool (and this is just ceremonial armor!) and the aliens are really interesting. The most important part of the story as the opening act of a whole collection about power armor is the reminder that it is never about the armor, it's about the man inside.

"Jungle Walkers" by David Klecha and Tobias S. Buckell is a near future tale that pits an unarmored weapons platoon in South America against some very heavy metal. I think what I liked most about this story was that the heroes aren't the guys wielding the devastating weapons of the future. The story also goes a little into the politics of the conflict which are at once familiar and yet different.

"Death Reported of Last Surviving Veteran of Great War" by Dan Abnett is a great example of why I love Dan Abnett and hate short fiction. The story is told in a very vague, testimonial style that teases the imagination. I would love to learn more about the protagonist and the world he inhabits but I realize the lack of detail and brief length hold the most punch and successfully encapsulate the nature of short-story telling.

"Find Heaven and Hell in the Smallest Things" by Simon R. Green is very cool and creepy. Green shows us a world that hates and desperately wants to kill any intruders. The world itself is hostile to human life and the very flora strives to eradicate the unwelcome. A great distinction of this story is that the power armor is actually a prison to the occupant, a life saving death sentence.

"The Last Days of the Kelly Gang" by David D. Levine is probably one of my favorite stories of the collection. This story features some rough riding Australian desperadoes and a suit of steampunk power armor. This is a very unique story that just oozes awesome and I'm not even that big of a steampunk fan.

"Field Test" by Michael A. Stackpole is another of my favorites. The story actually takes place during the revolution in Libya. The armor of this story is cool while being believable. The action is great and, again, believable. I can totally imagine a mech like the one in the story, running around performing black ops missions in destabilized countries.

"Heuristic Algorithm and Reasoning Response Engine" by Ethan Skarstedt and Brandon Sanderson is perhaps the story I am most iffy about. On one hand there are some extremely cool concepts to be found in the story, from the mechs to the self replicating machines. Then on the other hand the dialogue is offensively artificial and more than a little Anime-style melodramatic. Oh and the mech's artificial intelligence, HARRE, is probably the most annoying AI that I have ever encountered. I'm pretty love/hate about this story as well.

"The Green" by Lauren Beukes is probably my absolute favorite story of the collection. I had heard of Beukes before but never read her fiction. This story has just won me over. It is ironic because the story features no action, a shallow but ever present desire of my reading habits. Instead Beukes displays some superb world building capabilities, creating an environment that is even more haunting and subtle than Simon R. Green's short.

All in all, ARMORED is a fantastic anthology. I loved most all of the stories, and 23 stories by some of the best authors in science fiction and fantasy for paperback price is just a steal. If you're like me, and just the words "power armor" get your blood pumping then go grab a copy and let the metal fly.

Recommended Age: 14+
Language: Some but never offensively blatant
Violence: Tons, but none of it is excessively gory
Sex: Implied once or twice, nothing extensive

This collection is well worth your money. Here is your link to pick it up:

ARMORED