Voyagers is classic Science Fiction at its best and Silverberg is the master. I have read most of the author’s novels but few of his large collection of short stories. Therefore, I was excited to get my hands on this book for review. It totally cemented my love and respect for Silverberg as one of my favorites in the genre.
This collection of short stories, twelve in total, showcases his prowess at writing short fiction. All the stories have been published in the past, mainly in magazines. Silverberg has written a short introduction to each that I found insightful. Not only does he explain a bit about how the story came about, he gives us a small look into his world and thought processes as a writer.
All the stories in the collection center on the theme of travel. Some stories, such as the first, In Another Country, involve time travel. Other stories involve travel in other forms. An example of this is Looking For the Fountain which involves an alternate universe. My favorite of the group, and the longest in this collection, is We Are For the Dark which involves traveling vast distances across space.
Regardless of how you like your travel, these stories are a fabulous curation. I highly recommend this anthology to lovers of classic Science Fiction. This is a book anyone would be proud to have in their collection. I received a free copy from the publisher, via Library Thing’s Early Reviewer program, in exchange for my honest review.
The Karma of Cats is a collection of short stories/essays
by various people on and about their cat(s) and how they have helped them be
better people or overcome a difficult time. It is a journey into the connect
and bond we have with these furry feline friends.
It has long been known that animals are good for our mental
health. They inspire and uplift us and are our most loyal friends, much more so
than humans ever will be. These stories try to capture that fuzzy feeling in
words. There is something magical that cats bring into our lives. They can be
so many things from the jaunty ruler of the palace home to the cute snuggly
reading partner. Whatever they are to you, you will can find something of that
in these stories.
It is difficult to critique the writing because of the
multiple authors and thus writing styles. I can say, I found some of the
stories to be inspiring, some uplifting and some sad. In fact, I recommend you have
a box of tissue nearby. I liked some stories better than others, but that is
normal for a collection. Yet even the stories that were not among my favorites,
I still found something to like. I think Not Braveheart was my favorite story
because it reminded me so much of a cat I once owned.
If you love animals, especially cats, and are interested in
the connection humans have with them this just might be the book for you. I recommend that you read it slowly and savor
what each story has to depart because these are very personal stories shared by
people who adore their feline companions.
I received a free copy at Book Expo in exchange for my honest review.
Writers of the Future Vol. 35, edited by David
Farland, is an anthology of Sci-Fi and Fantasy short stories by up-and-coming
new authors. In total there are twelve stories chosen from an international
writing contest conducted on a quarterly schedule. Therefore, the top 3 stories
from each quarter is what appears in the volume. In addition, this volume contains short
stories from established, well-known writers and advice for new writers and
illustrators.
The book also contains illustrations for each short story.
The illustrations are chosen in the same way as the short stories and I felt
were a nice bonus to the book. I also liked that each story was prefaced by a short
introduction to both the writer and illustrator. I enjoyed learning about these
debut authors and illustrators in the industry.
In an effort at brevity I am going to touch on only two of
my favorite stories in this collection. The first story I want to talk about is
Release From Service by Rustin Lovewell, illustrated by Emerson Rabbitt.
In this Fantasy story, a young man must choose between what he has been trained
for most of his life and what he knows is right even though the choice will cost
him his life.
What I liked about the story was the character development. I
prefer character driven stories over plot driven and this story is a perfect
example of how a good author does not need a hundred plus pages to give the
reader a character that is relatable. It also helped that the plot was spot on.
This story I would rate as five stars.
The next story I want to talk about is a Sci-Fi story, Super-Duper Moon Girl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler written by Wulf Moon and illustrated by Alice Wang. This story actually made me cry. It is about a young girl living on the moon with her parents. She is the sole surviving student of a school bombing that left her unable to breathe on her own. She has an AI unit in the shape of a dog who breathes for her and is her protector. Yet, some times protectors are too good at what they do. This is also a five-star story. Same as the previous story, I loved the character and felt a real connection.
There are other stories that I feel rated five stars or
close and some I would give a four too. There was only one I was not crazy
about and that was Yellow Submarine. I felt the plot was not very inventive. Yet,
the prose was good. I would rate that one as three stars.
As a whole, I was surprised at the quality of the writing and illustrations. There was a big variety in this collection and the stories were, for the most part, first-rate. Therefore, it made me want to read the next story and the next, until the end, which came a bit too quickly for me. I am left with the quandary of how to rate the book overall. As a whole, I would rate this collection as 4 stars, maybe even pushing 4.5.
I highly recommend this anthology to lovers of Sci-Fi and Fantasy. There is something to love in every story and the illustrations were fabulous. I am excited to see what the future holders for these new authors and illustrators and once you read this collection I suspect you will be too.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
