Scan barcode
crimsoncor's review against another edition
5.0
The stories punch you in the face twice and then deliver a swift kick to the gut and you're only on story 3. I never make enough time to read short fiction and I always regret that when I actually get around to it. Also, [a:Elizabeth Bear|108173|Elizabeth Bear|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1422586829p2/108173.jpg] is just the best.
qalminator's review
Will add gradual updates as I get through each story, then final thoughts after finishing.
Introduction - (2012) - essay by Scott Lynch - An introduction that actually held my attention, and had some fine wordcrafting of its own.
Tideline - (2007) [5 stars, 2 tentacles] - Beautifully poignant and tragic and optimistic and... this is what a short story should be. The only remotely Lovecraftian bit is the other-ness of the POV character.
Sonny Liston Takes the Fall - (2008) [3 stars, 2.5 tentacles] - Well written, but a bit hard to follow. Maybe if I knew more about boxing? And Muhammad Ali's non-boxing accomplishments? Attempts to tie him to a sacrificial king tradition, presided over by ... the living embodiment of Las Vegas? I think?
Sounding - (2006) - [4 stars, 3 tentacles] - Following a whale and her calf to the motherlode of all tuna swarms. Suggested that they may not be on the earth as we know it, but not in a creepy way. Captain decides he'd rather stay. Written differently, this would have a very strong Lovecraftian feel. As is, this feels almost ... wistful, or nostalgic, which is not a complaint.
The Something-Dreaming Game - (2007) [3.5 stars, 3.5 tentacles] - Very odd one, where a child repeatedly auto-asphyxiates herself to communicate with an alien (or possibly is insane, but I think the literal interpretation is more likely). Interesting, but also tragic.
The Cold Blacksmith - (2006) [4 stars, 1 tentacle] - Somewhere between a myth and a fairy tale, with a blacksmith, a witch, and someone who needs a heart "reforged".
In the House of Aryaman, a Lonely Signal Burns - (2012) [3 stars, 2 tentacles] - Odd, long-ish mystery tale, featuring talking cats, a VR-addicted mother, and really impressive cosmetic surgery. Parts of it I liked, but it dragged on a bit.
Orm the Beautiful - (2007) [3 stars, 2 tentacles] - Haunting story of self-sacrifice and a sort of "first contact", but I found it more odd than engaging.
The Inevitable Heat Death of the Universe - (2006) [3 stars, 3 tentacles] - Odd pastiche about a shark at the end of the universe (and, hence, the beginning). I'd read this one before, somewhere, probably before I was familiar with Bear as an author.
Love Among the Talus - [The Eternal Sky] - (2006) - [4 stars, 1.5 tentacles] - Very odd anti-fairy tale, where the would-be bride is rather more practical about things than most.
Cryptic Coloration - (2007)
The Ladies - (2012)
Shoggoths in Bloom - (2008)
The Girl Who Sang Rose Madder - (2008)
Dolly - (2011)
Gods of the Forge - (2011)
Annie Webber - (2008)
The Horrid Glory of Its Wings - (2009)
Confessor - (2010)
The Leavings of the Wolf - (2011)
The Death of Terrestrial Radio - (2012)
Introduction - (2012) - essay by Scott Lynch - An introduction that actually held my attention, and had some fine wordcrafting of its own.
Tideline - (2007) [5 stars, 2 tentacles] - Beautifully poignant and tragic and optimistic and... this is what a short story should be. The only remotely Lovecraftian bit is the other-ness of the POV character.
Sonny Liston Takes the Fall - (2008) [3 stars, 2.5 tentacles] - Well written, but a bit hard to follow. Maybe if I knew more about boxing? And Muhammad Ali's non-boxing accomplishments? Attempts to tie him to a sacrificial king tradition, presided over by ... the living embodiment of Las Vegas? I think?
Sounding - (2006) - [4 stars, 3 tentacles] - Following a whale and her calf to the motherlode of all tuna swarms. Suggested that they may not be on the earth as we know it, but not in a creepy way. Captain decides he'd rather stay. Written differently, this would have a very strong Lovecraftian feel. As is, this feels almost ... wistful, or nostalgic, which is not a complaint.
The Something-Dreaming Game - (2007) [3.5 stars, 3.5 tentacles] - Very odd one, where a child repeatedly auto-asphyxiates herself to communicate with an alien (or possibly is insane, but I think the literal interpretation is more likely). Interesting, but also tragic.
The Cold Blacksmith - (2006) [4 stars, 1 tentacle] - Somewhere between a myth and a fairy tale, with a blacksmith, a witch, and someone who needs a heart "reforged".
In the House of Aryaman, a Lonely Signal Burns - (2012) [3 stars, 2 tentacles] - Odd, long-ish mystery tale, featuring talking cats, a VR-addicted mother, and really impressive cosmetic surgery. Parts of it I liked, but it dragged on a bit.
Orm the Beautiful - (2007) [3 stars, 2 tentacles] - Haunting story of self-sacrifice and a sort of "first contact", but I found it more odd than engaging.
The Inevitable Heat Death of the Universe - (2006) [3 stars, 3 tentacles] - Odd pastiche about a shark at the end of the universe (and, hence, the beginning). I'd read this one before, somewhere, probably before I was familiar with Bear as an author.
Love Among the Talus - [The Eternal Sky] - (2006) - [4 stars, 1.5 tentacles] - Very odd anti-fairy tale, where the would-be bride is rather more practical about things than most.
Cryptic Coloration - (2007)
The Ladies - (2012)
Shoggoths in Bloom - (2008)
The Girl Who Sang Rose Madder - (2008)
Dolly - (2011)
Gods of the Forge - (2011)
Annie Webber - (2008)
The Horrid Glory of Its Wings - (2009)
Confessor - (2010)
The Leavings of the Wolf - (2011)
The Death of Terrestrial Radio - (2012)
jefffrane's review against another edition
4.0
I only stumbled upon Elizabeth Bear recently and thank god I did. I'm very pleased to know that she's a prolific writer because that means there is a wealth of reading waiting for me. Shoggoths in Bloom would be a great starting point for anyone checking her out, because it is an excellent collection, one that reads almost like an anthology of 20 different writers, all of them really creative and gifted. I'm having a difficult time remembering another sf/fantasy author who could write in such variety of mode and mood. I didn't love every story but there isn't a clinker in the bunch. They're all thoughtful, witty and most of all, interesting. Highly recommended.
katybug25's review against another edition
5.0
Initially, I thought this book was going to be about Lovecraftian creatures. Instead, I got a variety of short stories in the genres of fantasy and science fiction. The setting of each story was wonderfully made. I found the stories interesting, and odd (my favorite combination). My favorites were: “Tideline”, “In the House of Aryaman a Lonely Signal Burns”, “Orm the Beautiful”, “Shoggoths in Bloom”, “Gods of the Forge”, “Leavings of the Wolf”, and “The Death of Terrestrial Radio”. Elizabeth Bear is a good writer and I think this collection show cases her talent.
tylawrencium's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
fairiesnest's review against another edition
5.0
An amazing group of short stories, every single one creates a world that I hated to leave.
thecanary's review against another edition
5.0
Elizabeth Bear has been on my radar for a while, so seeing Shoggoth's in Bloom up for grab, I went for it (complimentary copy courtesy of the publisher, thank you!).
This short story collection brings together 19 short stories by Elizabeth Bear, including two Hugo winners, "Tideline" and "Shoggoths in Bloom," plus one never-before-published piece original to the collection, "The Death of Terrestrial Radio." With one exception, the stories average around a few-to-twenty pages and cover a truly mind-boggling range of genres and styles.
We get an urban fantasy with a ritual gone wrong, historic fiction written through letters between John Adams' wife and Thomas Jefferson about running for office during a time of suffrage, a lovely elegy in prose about a dragons and a museum curator, a folktale about a blacksmith's commission, and a story about the slow death of the fishing industry. Each story is powerful, heart-rending, and memorable in its own way.
The collection is exciting (policing in a high-world of genetic engineering, homicide and androids, a dragon landing by the Washington Monument...), brutally, tenderly human (cancer, divorce, overcoming phobia, personal sacrifice...) and intriguingly speculative (What if you can do plastic surgery on your personality? What are the limits of living in a virtual world? What lines would you cross for peace?). The longest piece... (Read full review here.)
Copy provided by publisher.
This short story collection brings together 19 short stories by Elizabeth Bear, including two Hugo winners, "Tideline" and "Shoggoths in Bloom," plus one never-before-published piece original to the collection, "The Death of Terrestrial Radio." With one exception, the stories average around a few-to-twenty pages and cover a truly mind-boggling range of genres and styles.
We get an urban fantasy with a ritual gone wrong, historic fiction written through letters between John Adams' wife and Thomas Jefferson about running for office during a time of suffrage, a lovely elegy in prose about a dragons and a museum curator, a folktale about a blacksmith's commission, and a story about the slow death of the fishing industry. Each story is powerful, heart-rending, and memorable in its own way.
The collection is exciting (policing in a high-world of genetic engineering, homicide and androids, a dragon landing by the Washington Monument...), brutally, tenderly human (cancer, divorce, overcoming phobia, personal sacrifice...) and intriguingly speculative (What if you can do plastic surgery on your personality? What are the limits of living in a virtual world? What lines would you cross for peace?). The longest piece... (Read full review here.)
Copy provided by publisher.
codalion's review against another edition
4.0
"Shoggoths in Bloom" and "Sonny Liston Takes the Fall" are the standouts, and maybe "Tideline." Everything else is interesting, at least. That's higher praise than it sounds.
bahnree's review against another edition
5.0
"Tideline": Loooooooved it. I love it when Bear gives souls to soulless things, eg robots. Plus the new importance of oral storytelling in post-apocalyptic world so yeah FEELINGS. 5/5
"Sonny Liston Takes the Fall": This one is very understated and at first I was like "ehhh that was ehhhh" but it stuck in my brain and percolated for a while and it's really quite lovely. 5/5
"Sounding": Whales, man, they'll kill ya??? I didn't really get this one. 2/5
"The Something-Dreaming Game": heebie-jeebies, auto-erotic asphyxiation style. I liked the ambiguousness of whether what is happening is actually happening. 4/5
"The Cold Blacksmith": Shenanigans with Weyland Smith (from Promethean novels). Some things are harder to fix than others so it kinda sucks when you have a "fix-it-all" geas, DOESN'T IT. 4/5
"In the House of Aryaman, a Lonely Signal Burns": Parrot-cats and side-notes on astronomy and a really fabulous little murder mystery. LOVED IT. 5/5 PS I would like more in this universe.
"Orm the Beautiful": There are a LOT of stories in this collection about how the person who pays isn't necessarily the person who benefits. This is one of them. Dragons and miners museums and I loved it. 5/5
"The Inevitable Heat Death of the Universe": Well there's a shark and it...well it eats everything. 3/5
"Love Among the Talus": I started reading it and wondered how Bear would invert princess-in-the-tower, and then she did it and it was horrible and beautiful and ugh. 5/5
"Cryptic Coloration": The constant POV-switches really annoyed me and messed up my feeling of suspense. Despite that, there's nothing really WRONG with this monster-hunt feat. freshmen college girls. 4/5
"The Girl Who Sang Rose Madder": I loved the ending, but at the same time I didn't quite believe the character's journey to making that choice. 3/5
*rest of review to come*
"Sonny Liston Takes the Fall": This one is very understated and at first I was like "ehhh that was ehhhh" but it stuck in my brain and percolated for a while and it's really quite lovely. 5/5
"Sounding": Whales, man, they'll kill ya??? I didn't really get this one. 2/5
"The Something-Dreaming Game": heebie-jeebies, auto-erotic asphyxiation style. I liked the ambiguousness of whether what is happening is actually happening. 4/5
"The Cold Blacksmith": Shenanigans with Weyland Smith (from Promethean novels). Some things are harder to fix than others so it kinda sucks when you have a "fix-it-all" geas, DOESN'T IT. 4/5
"In the House of Aryaman, a Lonely Signal Burns": Parrot-cats and side-notes on astronomy and a really fabulous little murder mystery. LOVED IT. 5/5 PS I would like more in this universe.
"Orm the Beautiful": There are a LOT of stories in this collection about how the person who pays isn't necessarily the person who benefits. This is one of them. Dragons and miners museums and I loved it. 5/5
"The Inevitable Heat Death of the Universe": Well there's a shark and it...well it eats everything. 3/5
"Love Among the Talus": I started reading it and wondered how Bear would invert princess-in-the-tower, and then she did it and it was horrible and beautiful and ugh. 5/5
"Cryptic Coloration": The constant POV-switches really annoyed me and messed up my feeling of suspense. Despite that, there's nothing really WRONG with this monster-hunt feat. freshmen college girls. 4/5
"The Girl Who Sang Rose Madder": I loved the ending, but at the same time I didn't quite believe the character's journey to making that choice. 3/5
*rest of review to come*