Scan barcode
mxsallybend's review against another edition
4.0
Edited by Jonathan Oliver, Magic: An Anthology of the Esoteric and Arcane brings together a wide (and surprising) variety of authors from across the world, and across the genre shelves. Advertised as a "perfect read for Hallowe’en and the long autumn evenings ahead," it went right to the top of the review pile when I was fortunate enough to snag an early paperback review copy.
This is a very dark, very grim collection of tales. It's also a very efficient collection, with some stories approaching the point of abruptness with their brevity. The Wrong Fairy, by Audrey Niffenegger, open the anthology with a tale of magic and insanity that's interesting, but which never quite manages to set its hooks in the reader. It's If I Die, Kill My Cat, by Sarah Lotz that really kicks the anthology off, succeeding as both a character piece and as a tale of magic. Shuffle, by Will Hill, was a stumbling block for me (likely due to my boredom with card tricks), but Domestic Magic, by Steve Rasnic Tem and Melanie Tem, really uped the ante with its tale of magic-fused (or, perhaps, excused) parental neglect.
Neither Cad Coddeu, by Liz Williams, nor Party Tricks, by Dan Abnett, made much of an impression on me, despite the authors being near the top of my must-read pile. First and Last and Always, by Thana Niveau, however, more than renewed my interest with its fascinating tale of gothic horror, while . The Art of Escapology, by Alison Littlewood, put an interesting twist on reader expectations with its tale of childish obsessions and mature possessions. The Baby, by Christopher Fowler, was perhaps the most disturbing tale of the lot, adding a supernatural edge to an already controversial subject.
Do as Thou Wilt..., by Storm Constantine, was another story that failed to make an impression, despite coming from an author I admire significantly. Bottom Line, by Lou Morgan, and MailerDaemon, by Sophia McDougall, round out a rather soft centre, succeeding to intrigue, but falling short of entertaining. Fortunately, Buttons, by Gail Z. Martin comes along to redeem things with what was, by far, the strongest tale in the anthology for me. Nanny Grey, by Gemma Files, would have been a perfect tale with which to end things, a cruel, dark, and mysterious tale of magical deception that left me all-but cackling with glee. Dumb Lucy, by Robert Shearman, isn't a bad tale, but it suffers from heightened expectations due as much to its place at the end of the collection as its proximity to two of the strongest tales in the collection.
Creative, original, and even inspired (at times), Magic truly is An Anthology of the Esoteric and Arcane. No matter your tastes regarding what magic is, or your expectations as to what magic should be, odds are there's something here that will cast its spell over you and make the hours just . . . disappear.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
This is a very dark, very grim collection of tales. It's also a very efficient collection, with some stories approaching the point of abruptness with their brevity. The Wrong Fairy, by Audrey Niffenegger, open the anthology with a tale of magic and insanity that's interesting, but which never quite manages to set its hooks in the reader. It's If I Die, Kill My Cat, by Sarah Lotz that really kicks the anthology off, succeeding as both a character piece and as a tale of magic. Shuffle, by Will Hill, was a stumbling block for me (likely due to my boredom with card tricks), but Domestic Magic, by Steve Rasnic Tem and Melanie Tem, really uped the ante with its tale of magic-fused (or, perhaps, excused) parental neglect.
Neither Cad Coddeu, by Liz Williams, nor Party Tricks, by Dan Abnett, made much of an impression on me, despite the authors being near the top of my must-read pile. First and Last and Always, by Thana Niveau, however, more than renewed my interest with its fascinating tale of gothic horror, while . The Art of Escapology, by Alison Littlewood, put an interesting twist on reader expectations with its tale of childish obsessions and mature possessions. The Baby, by Christopher Fowler, was perhaps the most disturbing tale of the lot, adding a supernatural edge to an already controversial subject.
Do as Thou Wilt..., by Storm Constantine, was another story that failed to make an impression, despite coming from an author I admire significantly. Bottom Line, by Lou Morgan, and MailerDaemon, by Sophia McDougall, round out a rather soft centre, succeeding to intrigue, but falling short of entertaining. Fortunately, Buttons, by Gail Z. Martin comes along to redeem things with what was, by far, the strongest tale in the anthology for me. Nanny Grey, by Gemma Files, would have been a perfect tale with which to end things, a cruel, dark, and mysterious tale of magical deception that left me all-but cackling with glee. Dumb Lucy, by Robert Shearman, isn't a bad tale, but it suffers from heightened expectations due as much to its place at the end of the collection as its proximity to two of the strongest tales in the collection.
Creative, original, and even inspired (at times), Magic truly is An Anthology of the Esoteric and Arcane. No matter your tastes regarding what magic is, or your expectations as to what magic should be, odds are there's something here that will cast its spell over you and make the hours just . . . disappear.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
catladylover94's review against another edition
4.0
good parts, some not so good ones,audrey niffenegger had the wrong fairy, it was good, the cat and houndini was good, so good read all in all
gabyk_lib's review
4.0
A really lovely collection of excellent and creepy shorts that don't take the obvious routes. Well worth looking up
gen_wolfhailstorm's review
4.0
This is going to be a long one, as I'll be reviewing each of the 15 stories, individually and then my generalized thoughts on the book as a whole. *takes a deep breath* well, here we go!
-The wrong fairy~Audrey Niffenegger
2/5*~ So, it seems this was following the artist father of Arthur Conan Doyle (Tess of the Baskervills, Sherlock, etc) who was sen to another asylum for his alcohol abuse. Although I imagine it was supposed to be a haunting and sad, but beautiful, tale I think it was too short to be able to expand on that notion and I didn't understand much of what happened. I found this to be a poor start to this collection.
-If I die, kill my cat~Sarah Lotz
1/5*~ Another disappointing short story as again, I found there just was not enough time to build characters and the world, however, saying that Neil Gaimen's short stories never fail to impress me, so clearly time shouldn't be an issue. I didn't understand a lot of the terminology, the setting or the point in two complete different things being smooshed together. The story didn't go anywhere and it ended abruptly and unsatisfying.
-Shuffle~Steve Hill
3/5*~ This was a strange one, more enjoyable than the first two because I was definitely intrigued by the air of mystery surrounding out protagonist, his tattoos and the strange events of what happened to his friends and how his tattoos increased. I would like to know more about this.
-Domestic Magic~Steve Rasnic Tem and Melanie Tem
3.5/5*~ This was actually quite a sad story surrounding a small family with a seemingly crazed by magic mother. I enjoyed it, even though I sometimes felt a little disorientated and detached. but thought that the story premise was rather unique. The fact that this witchcraft magic takes place in a very poor and dysfunctional family is really interesting and it was sweet that Felix looked after his eight year old sister, Margret, when she was troubled and tried to find the magic, knowing things were not right in their lives and wanting always to escape.
-Cad Codeu~Liz Williams
4/5*~ This was a really enjoyable red and more to the nature of the more traditional, fantastical pieces I prefer, due to the mythical feel to it. It did not have much of a strong plot, however I found myself really enjoying it, the writing style, the mystical creatures of the wood and the initial confusion of our protagonist.
-Party Tricks~Dan Abnett
2/5*~ Although this story was solely about politics and mysterious trickery, something I have no interest in at all, I did find it to be an easier read that I had anticipated. Nevertheless, I did glaze over quite a portion of this short story, again due to it's content just not sparking my interest.
-First and Last and Always~Thana Niveau
5/5*~ This didn't fit in with the more 'subtle' magic in this collection, but it's something I enjoyed all the same because of it's teenage, silly protagonist, being stalkerish... And then it got creepy. Yes, if it wasn't weird enough, wait until the ending. This story took a sinister turn and being longer than some of the other stories, I feel like it had the sufficient time for the plot to go somewhere, have some character building and end properly. For a short story, especially in comparison with the others in this collection, it was really good and I think the little synopsis at the beginning, written by the editor- the guy who compiled these stories together, really summed it up well.
-The art of escapology~Alison Littlewood
4/5*~ This seemed to be more aimed at younger children because of the style of writing used, but enjoyable nevertheless. It was cute seeing how full of belief Tommy was filled with for magic and rather dark and depressing to see it turn into fear, when situations aroused, and slowly turn to a dull and bitter indifference.
-The baby~Christopher Fowler
4.5/5*~ At first I thought I was going to be incredibly frightened by this story, but when I began to read how our main character, Sasha, immaturely felt about things and eagerly acted upon them I thought it was going to be a poorly written story, I was so very wrong! As events got darker and more menacing, I found myself gripped to this short story, that although short indeed, the way it was plotted out gave us time to explore the happenings. Although the events were disturbing, it was not near as 'horrifying' as the book's editor, Jonathan Oliver, claims it to be and I found the writing not as adult as I had expected.
-Do as thou wilt~Storm Constantine
4/5*~ This read was another enjoyable one and took more of an eerily revenge plot. I liked the characters in it as, given the subject matter, they all seemed realistic. I found myself confused if some of the terms the characters used had literal meaning or spiritual, metaphorical meaning though.
-Bottom line~Lou Morgan
5/5*~ What a great story! Morgan's writing was just liquid gold and the way this story was told was just splendid. The plot is about our main character having to tread carefully where magic in concerned, but also having to deal with the painful temptation gnawing at his mind- Oh, and the mafia-like-''magicians'' trailing after him. I haven't read anything like this before and found the story behind the magic just great when it was explained. It made for some great character development. I'll have to check out more stories from this author.
-Mailerdaemon~Sofia McDougall
5/5*~ This was a great read. AT first, I didn't really get where it was going and although I still carried this cloud of confusion- especially when programming was mentioned- I ended up loving this story about a young woman plagued by nightmares. I grew rather attached to Grace and Luke and I found the ending was satisfying, yet oddly sad because in a way, Grace is left with this Earthly eternal task and she is sometimes still troubled by her dreams. This stories pace was very regular for the most part, aside from situations (between Grace and Jawad) where I felt things were rushed.
-Buttons~Gail Z. Martin
4/5*~ What another enjoyable read! Despite the writing style not being spectacular the story was story was still endearing. I think I mainly enjoyed the premise surrounding our protagonist's work in an antique shop and how her magic assists her there. The story whittled own to one threatening plot and it was really strong, with an ending that had great closure.
-Nanny Grey~Gemma Files
2/5*~ This could have been really good with the type of theme used, however, I found it extremely nonsensical and ultimately, the direction it headed ended up nowhere.
-Dumb Lucy~Robert Shearman
4/5*~ I'm not really sure I understood this story. I feel as though it had some great depth to it that I just couldn't fathom. In saying this though, I found the writing and story beautifully sad~ It was one of those stories that made my heart ache and I wish I understood it on a larger level. A cool point is the author was the guy who wrote the episode where the Daleks were reintroduced, in Doctor Who.
I ended up quite liking this collection of short stories over all and it has broadened my reading horizons to some new authors I had never read from, before. I liked the pretty chapter headers, but not sure I get the illustrations/cover art- I could hazard a guess that they belong to a particular tale featured, but wouldn't be able to say which ones.
Pick it up, give it a go enjoy!
Gén
-The wrong fairy~Audrey Niffenegger
2/5*~ So, it seems this was following the artist father of Arthur Conan Doyle (Tess of the Baskervills, Sherlock, etc) who was sen to another asylum for his alcohol abuse. Although I imagine it was supposed to be a haunting and sad, but beautiful, tale I think it was too short to be able to expand on that notion and I didn't understand much of what happened. I found this to be a poor start to this collection.
-If I die, kill my cat~Sarah Lotz
1/5*~ Another disappointing short story as again, I found there just was not enough time to build characters and the world, however, saying that Neil Gaimen's short stories never fail to impress me, so clearly time shouldn't be an issue. I didn't understand a lot of the terminology, the setting or the point in two complete different things being smooshed together. The story didn't go anywhere and it ended abruptly and unsatisfying.
-Shuffle~Steve Hill
3/5*~ This was a strange one, more enjoyable than the first two because I was definitely intrigued by the air of mystery surrounding out protagonist, his tattoos and the strange events of what happened to his friends and how his tattoos increased. I would like to know more about this.
-Domestic Magic~Steve Rasnic Tem and Melanie Tem
3.5/5*~ This was actually quite a sad story surrounding a small family with a seemingly crazed by magic mother. I enjoyed it, even though I sometimes felt a little disorientated and detached. but thought that the story premise was rather unique. The fact that this witchcraft magic takes place in a very poor and dysfunctional family is really interesting and it was sweet that Felix looked after his eight year old sister, Margret, when she was troubled and tried to find the magic, knowing things were not right in their lives and wanting always to escape.
-Cad Codeu~Liz Williams
4/5*~ This was a really enjoyable red and more to the nature of the more traditional, fantastical pieces I prefer, due to the mythical feel to it. It did not have much of a strong plot, however I found myself really enjoying it, the writing style, the mystical creatures of the wood and the initial confusion of our protagonist.
-Party Tricks~Dan Abnett
2/5*~ Although this story was solely about politics and mysterious trickery, something I have no interest in at all, I did find it to be an easier read that I had anticipated. Nevertheless, I did glaze over quite a portion of this short story, again due to it's content just not sparking my interest.
-First and Last and Always~Thana Niveau
5/5*~ This didn't fit in with the more 'subtle' magic in this collection, but it's something I enjoyed all the same because of it's teenage, silly protagonist, being stalkerish... And then it got creepy. Yes, if it wasn't weird enough, wait until the ending. This story took a sinister turn and being longer than some of the other stories, I feel like it had the sufficient time for the plot to go somewhere, have some character building and end properly. For a short story, especially in comparison with the others in this collection, it was really good and I think the little synopsis at the beginning, written by the editor- the guy who compiled these stories together, really summed it up well.
-The art of escapology~Alison Littlewood
4/5*~ This seemed to be more aimed at younger children because of the style of writing used, but enjoyable nevertheless. It was cute seeing how full of belief Tommy was filled with for magic and rather dark and depressing to see it turn into fear, when situations aroused, and slowly turn to a dull and bitter indifference.
-The baby~Christopher Fowler
4.5/5*~ At first I thought I was going to be incredibly frightened by this story, but when I began to read how our main character, Sasha, immaturely felt about things and eagerly acted upon them I thought it was going to be a poorly written story, I was so very wrong! As events got darker and more menacing, I found myself gripped to this short story, that although short indeed, the way it was plotted out gave us time to explore the happenings. Although the events were disturbing, it was not near as 'horrifying' as the book's editor, Jonathan Oliver, claims it to be and I found the writing not as adult as I had expected.
-Do as thou wilt~Storm Constantine
4/5*~ This read was another enjoyable one and took more of an eerily revenge plot. I liked the characters in it as, given the subject matter, they all seemed realistic. I found myself confused if some of the terms the characters used had literal meaning or spiritual, metaphorical meaning though.
-Bottom line~Lou Morgan
5/5*~ What a great story! Morgan's writing was just liquid gold and the way this story was told was just splendid. The plot is about our main character having to tread carefully where magic in concerned, but also having to deal with the painful temptation gnawing at his mind- Oh, and the mafia-like-''magicians'' trailing after him. I haven't read anything like this before and found the story behind the magic just great when it was explained. It made for some great character development. I'll have to check out more stories from this author.
-Mailerdaemon~Sofia McDougall
5/5*~ This was a great read. AT first, I didn't really get where it was going and although I still carried this cloud of confusion- especially when programming was mentioned- I ended up loving this story about a young woman plagued by nightmares. I grew rather attached to Grace and Luke and I found the ending was satisfying, yet oddly sad because in a way, Grace is left with this Earthly eternal task and she is sometimes still troubled by her dreams. This stories pace was very regular for the most part, aside from situations (between Grace and Jawad) where I felt things were rushed.
-Buttons~Gail Z. Martin
4/5*~ What another enjoyable read! Despite the writing style not being spectacular the story was story was still endearing. I think I mainly enjoyed the premise surrounding our protagonist's work in an antique shop and how her magic assists her there. The story whittled own to one threatening plot and it was really strong, with an ending that had great closure.
-Nanny Grey~Gemma Files
2/5*~ This could have been really good with the type of theme used, however, I found it extremely nonsensical and ultimately, the direction it headed ended up nowhere.
-Dumb Lucy~Robert Shearman
4/5*~ I'm not really sure I understood this story. I feel as though it had some great depth to it that I just couldn't fathom. In saying this though, I found the writing and story beautifully sad~ It was one of those stories that made my heart ache and I wish I understood it on a larger level. A cool point is the author was the guy who wrote the episode where the Daleks were reintroduced, in Doctor Who.
I ended up quite liking this collection of short stories over all and it has broadened my reading horizons to some new authors I had never read from, before. I liked the pretty chapter headers, but not sure I get the illustrations/cover art- I could hazard a guess that they belong to a particular tale featured, but wouldn't be able to say which ones.
Pick it up, give it a go enjoy!
Gén
mackle13's review against another edition
2.0
I'm not really sure how to rate this book. I think I'd say 2.5 overall, but not sure if I should round up or down.
Like any short story collection, it's a mixed bag. None of them were really bad, but a lot of them just didn't leave that much of an impression on me. I did like the general idea - the different ways that magic was used and portrayed, from classical, to UF-ish, to horror. But I can't say that there are any which make me want to run out and get more by the author.
That said, one of my favorites of the lot was 'Buttons' by Gail Z. Martin. I'm not sure whether I'm predisposed towards it a bit, since she's the only author I'm already familiar with and enjoy. But I have read a few other reviews which thought this was one of the better stories, so I'm going to say it's not entirely a bias thing.
Hers was also one of the more "teaser" stories. What I mean is there seem to be two types of short stories - those which are self-contained, and those which feel like little glimpses, or prologues, into bigger worlds/stories. I would like to keep going in the world Martin created - even though it's standard-ish UF, I liked the characters.
The other story that left the biggest impression was 'The Baby'by Christopher Fowler, but that was more from how disturbing it was than anything. (It could also be a bit triggery... so... )
Aside from those, I guess here's the general breakdown:
3-stars:
First and Last and Always
Do as Thou Wilt
MailerDaemon
2.5:
If I Die, Kill My Cat
Shuffle
Party Tricks
The Art of Escapology
Nancy Grey
Dumb Lucy
2 stars:
The Wrong Fairy (I barely remember this one, to be honest)
Domestic Magic
Cad Coddeu
Bottom Line
I think I might go 2, more for the sheer forgetability factor. I mean, even some of the stories I think were ok I had to flip through to remind myself what they were about, just a mere day later.
But I will say part of it is a "it's not you, it's me". I keep picking up these types of anthologies with high hopes, but I think, maybe, it's just not the right format for me. Meh.
Like any short story collection, it's a mixed bag. None of them were really bad, but a lot of them just didn't leave that much of an impression on me. I did like the general idea - the different ways that magic was used and portrayed, from classical, to UF-ish, to horror. But I can't say that there are any which make me want to run out and get more by the author.
That said, one of my favorites of the lot was 'Buttons' by Gail Z. Martin. I'm not sure whether I'm predisposed towards it a bit, since she's the only author I'm already familiar with and enjoy. But I have read a few other reviews which thought this was one of the better stories, so I'm going to say it's not entirely a bias thing.
Hers was also one of the more "teaser" stories. What I mean is there seem to be two types of short stories - those which are self-contained, and those which feel like little glimpses, or prologues, into bigger worlds/stories. I would like to keep going in the world Martin created - even though it's standard-ish UF, I liked the characters.
The other story that left the biggest impression was 'The Baby'by Christopher Fowler, but that was more from how disturbing it was than anything. (It could also be a bit triggery... so... )
Aside from those, I guess here's the general breakdown:
3-stars:
First and Last and Always
Do as Thou Wilt
MailerDaemon
2.5:
If I Die, Kill My Cat
Shuffle
Party Tricks
The Art of Escapology
Nancy Grey
Dumb Lucy
2 stars:
The Wrong Fairy (I barely remember this one, to be honest)
Domestic Magic
Cad Coddeu
Bottom Line
I think I might go 2, more for the sheer forgetability factor. I mean, even some of the stories I think were ok I had to flip through to remind myself what they were about, just a mere day later.
But I will say part of it is a "it's not you, it's me". I keep picking up these types of anthologies with high hopes, but I think, maybe, it's just not the right format for me. Meh.
lushbug's review against another edition
3.0
Decided that I don't like stories stories. Always so cryptic and blunt and odd!
Some of these stories were pretty cool but at the end of each one I was a bit like 'what the......'!
Winner of Gross out story-evil foetus baby!
balancinghistorybooks's review
3.0
Review written in 2012.
Magic: An Anthology of the Esoteric and Arcane presents ‘fifteen new stories of the sorcerous arts’ from a series of different fantasy authors. Among the contributors are Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveller’s Wife, award winning comic book writer Dan Abnett, Sarah Lotz, a screenwriter with ‘a fondness for the macabre’, and Doctor Who writer Robert Shearman.
The volume has been edited by Jonathan Oliver, who states in his introduction that ‘you will find much about the magical arts that may not be familiar to you within these pages’. His aim is ‘not to fulfil your expectations but exceed and confound them’. A whole host of elements have been woven into the bare bones of the stories, from fairies to sibling rivalry, and from gambling to murder. They are told from the first person perspective and the third. They are modern and old fashioned in their form and style. Some feel realistic and some do not. Some of the stories jump out and grab you, and others merely make you jump. They are thought provoking, inventive, creative and often creepy.
The stories begin with ‘The Wrong Fairy’ by Audrey Niffenegger, who ‘takes the father of a very famous writer’, in this case Arthur Conan Doyle’s, ‘and explores the nature of his “illness”’. The said father, an alcoholic, is being looked after at the Montrose Royal Lunatic Asylum. Whilst the author’s prose is relatively simplistic at first, it becomes an incredibly useful mechanism to describe his ‘horrors’: ‘He was infested by insects that marched across the underside of his skin like directionless armies. He could feel each tiny foot as it touched each nerve… People stood by his bed and whispered. Someone said, “… seizures”. They put something cold and hard in his mouth’. Niffenegger builds up the terror of the situation incredibly well, and the world which shifts around the protagonist is clearly one which has been built by his own imagination. It is clever and creative with echoes rather reminiscent of the more bizarre twists and turns in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and provides a great way to start such a short story collection.
Will Hill’s story, ‘Shuffle’, is told in a series of short, separate paragraphs and revolves around the life of an unnamed casino worker. We as readers are drip fed information, some of it startling. A sleight of hand card trick is presented alongside an horrific event: ‘“I can’t remember anything”... No one who came up out of the cellar is talking. Erin and Adam are catatonic, Chris is on life support somewhere in the hospital, and Johnny and Alice are dead. My word is gospel’. The story is told out of sequence, so we are aware of the outcome of the situation before we learn what has happened to lead the characters to such an ending. Hill’s story is cleverly written and well plotted.
In their tale ‘Domestic Magic’, Melanie Tem and Steve Rasnic Tem create a story based around a young boy named Felix, who is irked by the very existence of his troublesome young sister, and by the world around him: ‘Felix didn’t believe in evil spirits but he did believe in germs’. The children’s mother – ‘too crazy for the crazies’ - is a witchlike being, the narrator tells us: ‘She preferred [to be called] “seer” or “person of powers”, so he [Felix] made a point of thinking “witch” in case she could maybe read his mind’. The characters in this story and the relationships between them have been so well drawn, and the negative effects of having no fixed abode and having to cope with very little money are discussed in surprisingly great detail for such a short piece of fiction.
As with such a collection, some of the stories are inevitably stronger than others, but the volume itself works well as a whole. The tales themselves have been well ordered.
Magic: An Anthology of the Esoteric and Arcane presents ‘fifteen new stories of the sorcerous arts’ from a series of different fantasy authors. Among the contributors are Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveller’s Wife, award winning comic book writer Dan Abnett, Sarah Lotz, a screenwriter with ‘a fondness for the macabre’, and Doctor Who writer Robert Shearman.
The volume has been edited by Jonathan Oliver, who states in his introduction that ‘you will find much about the magical arts that may not be familiar to you within these pages’. His aim is ‘not to fulfil your expectations but exceed and confound them’. A whole host of elements have been woven into the bare bones of the stories, from fairies to sibling rivalry, and from gambling to murder. They are told from the first person perspective and the third. They are modern and old fashioned in their form and style. Some feel realistic and some do not. Some of the stories jump out and grab you, and others merely make you jump. They are thought provoking, inventive, creative and often creepy.
The stories begin with ‘The Wrong Fairy’ by Audrey Niffenegger, who ‘takes the father of a very famous writer’, in this case Arthur Conan Doyle’s, ‘and explores the nature of his “illness”’. The said father, an alcoholic, is being looked after at the Montrose Royal Lunatic Asylum. Whilst the author’s prose is relatively simplistic at first, it becomes an incredibly useful mechanism to describe his ‘horrors’: ‘He was infested by insects that marched across the underside of his skin like directionless armies. He could feel each tiny foot as it touched each nerve… People stood by his bed and whispered. Someone said, “… seizures”. They put something cold and hard in his mouth’. Niffenegger builds up the terror of the situation incredibly well, and the world which shifts around the protagonist is clearly one which has been built by his own imagination. It is clever and creative with echoes rather reminiscent of the more bizarre twists and turns in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and provides a great way to start such a short story collection.
Will Hill’s story, ‘Shuffle’, is told in a series of short, separate paragraphs and revolves around the life of an unnamed casino worker. We as readers are drip fed information, some of it startling. A sleight of hand card trick is presented alongside an horrific event: ‘“I can’t remember anything”... No one who came up out of the cellar is talking. Erin and Adam are catatonic, Chris is on life support somewhere in the hospital, and Johnny and Alice are dead. My word is gospel’. The story is told out of sequence, so we are aware of the outcome of the situation before we learn what has happened to lead the characters to such an ending. Hill’s story is cleverly written and well plotted.
In their tale ‘Domestic Magic’, Melanie Tem and Steve Rasnic Tem create a story based around a young boy named Felix, who is irked by the very existence of his troublesome young sister, and by the world around him: ‘Felix didn’t believe in evil spirits but he did believe in germs’. The children’s mother – ‘too crazy for the crazies’ - is a witchlike being, the narrator tells us: ‘She preferred [to be called] “seer” or “person of powers”, so he [Felix] made a point of thinking “witch” in case she could maybe read his mind’. The characters in this story and the relationships between them have been so well drawn, and the negative effects of having no fixed abode and having to cope with very little money are discussed in surprisingly great detail for such a short piece of fiction.
As with such a collection, some of the stories are inevitably stronger than others, but the volume itself works well as a whole. The tales themselves have been well ordered.
davidallkins's review
3.0
The premise of this anthology is fairly wide, but it does result in a entertaining read, with the scope meaning that you're sure to find something that you like. It may not be one of the major fantasy short story collections but there was enough to keep me interested. Multi-author collections are always a gamble and you won't be pleased by everything, but with the talent involved there will be something.
My personal favourites:
If I Die, Kill my Cat by Sarah Lotz
Domestic Magic by Steve Rasnic and Melanie Tem
Party Tricks by Dan Abnett
The Art of Escapology by Alison Littlewood
MailerDaemon by Sophia McDougall
Dumb Lucy by Robert Shearman
My personal favourites:
If I Die, Kill my Cat by Sarah Lotz
Domestic Magic by Steve Rasnic and Melanie Tem
Party Tricks by Dan Abnett
The Art of Escapology by Alison Littlewood
MailerDaemon by Sophia McDougall
Dumb Lucy by Robert Shearman
pers's review
3.0
I mainly read this for the story by the always-brilliant Robert Shearman - which really was very good.
geoffreyg's review
5.0
An excellent collection, ranging from the bizarre to the downright threatening. Inevitably, within an anthology, some stories stick in the mind more than others. I particularly liked 'The Wrong Fairy' by Audrey Niffenegger (author of The Time Traveller's Wife), and 'Mailer Daemon' by Sophia McDougall, both of which were very well crafted and required minimal suspension of disbelief. Don't be put off by the ghoulish cover; there's quality writing inside.
More...