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danfielding's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
I originally picked this book up because I saw Ursula K. Le Guin had a story in it. I'm sorry to say hers is one of the only truly good stories in this book, and even hers feels unfinished. Most of the stories I didn't finish, but I did greatly enjoy North of Diddy-Wah-Diddy by Michael Swanwick. It has strong character voice and an interesting story about a conductor on the train to hell. Most of the other stories are dull, with flat characters leading boring lives (or boring deaths) who are drawn together because one is male and one is female, and therefore the heterosexual fallout from that basis is natural.
nightxade's review
3.0
As with any short story collection, there will be stories to love and stories to dislike, and this will differ for each reader. It was no less so for me with some tales touching me deeply, some making my smile, and some boring me to bits. One thing to note is that the subtitle, "erotic tales of unearthly love," is a little misleading. The term "erotic" implies sexual content, and while some of the stories are more mature than others, I much prefer the description beneath, which reads, "a hauntingly seductive collection..." This speaks more accurately to the mesmerizing power of these stories. Sex is not their focus, and some aren't even about love. But they all have their own seductive quality and I'm sure any reader could find at least one tale in this collection that could lure you in to their supernatural worlds.
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