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msoul13's review
5.0
NOTE: I won a free eBook copy of this book in EPUB format from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers (February 2020).
I began reading this collection not knowing what to expect, as I was unfamiliar with speculative fiction. I ended up enjoying it thoroughly and found it an inspiration for my own writing. As this is such a diverse collection in terms of subject matter, style, and tone, I recorded my reactions to each short story individually:
(1) "The Book of Regrets:" A cautionary tale about undoing one's mistakes. The obvious solution presented at the story's end comes unexpectedly.
(2) "Five Star Review:”
Sometimes, the unknown is worth the risk.
(3) "Two Villains, a Notebook, and a Lump of Coal:”
This one felt like it could have been spun into a novel. Where are the villains going to go and what are they going to do now that they’ve met their goals?
(4) "Snapped Dry, Scraped Clean:
A confrontation between the familiar and the supernatural. I felt that this actually took place in our own world, though the exact location was obscure due to the fantastical elements.
(5) "The Lightkeeper’s Wife:”
What’s bad for one Selkie is good for another.
(6) "The Soul Farmer’s Daughters:” Oh, the struggles of raising our children as the centuries pass . . .
(7) "The Bear Wife:” I started by reading this as a metaphor for postpartum depression, which created an interesting reading experience. . . .
(8) "Mean Streak:” Who are the real witches, really?
(9) "Pleasing the Giants:” I felt the final punchline coming halfway through the story. . . .
(10) "Absurd of a Feather:” Puberty gone wrong."
(11) "The Noise Inside:” Ok, I didn’t really get this one. Kind of vague and abstract when it didn’t need to be.
(12) "L’Appel du Vide:” Great for anyone facing an existential crisis.
(13) "The Color of My Home is Red Like an Apple:” Were the Americans and the Russians behind this?
(14) "A Yellow Landscape:” We know where we belong, even if others don’t.
(15) "Forever and a Life:” Call them heroes, call them villains; either way, the agenda is never what you’d expect.
(16) "With Eyes Half Open:” For me, very relevant and timely. A great cautionary tale about perspective.
(17) "A Sacrifice for the Queen:” Caught a faint whiff of “The Handmaid’s Tale” in the vat of alien/machine rule. But maybe my sense of smell is off.
(18) "Somewhere To Be Going:” For children and parents everywhere.
(19) "One For The Wounded:” A bit long, but the lesson this teaches is a great one.
(20) "In the Beating of a Wing:” Another great story about perspective.
(21) "The Memory Dresser:” The grass is always greener on the other side and through the looking glass.
(22) "Unmasked:” Loved the moral gray areas in this one.
(23) "Country Whispers:” The only thing worse than a vicious cycle is knowing you enabled it.
(24) "The Thousand Revolutions of Kronstadt:” Historical fiction-like, with elements that reminded me of “Run Lola Run.”
(25) "Las Vegas Museum of Space Exploration:” Loved the style of this one. So creative!
(26) "The Girls Who Come Back Are Made Of Metal And Glass:” I don’t have a succinct summary or reflection for this one, but it made me think about how different people approach the prospect of death.
(27) "One Day In Space Too Many:” “Groundhog Day” on steroids.
(28) "A Layer As Thin As Breath:” Delightfully quirky and sad.
(29) "Communication Breakdown:” I was kind of surprised by the relative brevity of this one. I felt like the story had room to expand.
(30) "The Offshore:” An interesting take on an aspect of how the top 1% choose to operate.
(31) "Never Fade Away:” Old ladies to the rescue?
(32) "A Bear, or a Spider, or an Elephant:” Didn’t really get this one.
(33) "The Last Duty:” When the loser doesn’t want to be remembered as the villain.
(34) "The Propagator:” If “The Handmaid’s Tale” was set in Houston, this might be how it could have turned out for the Econo-People. Loved it!
(35) "There Is A City, He Told Me:” Storytelling transcends generations.
(36) "Some Sun and Delilah:” A contemporary Adam & Eve tale, perhaps.
(37) "Favorites from Here and Abroad:” This one left me with more questions than answers.
(38) "A Final Resting Place:” There is a way out.
(39) "The Guardian of Werifest Park:” Decent concept; found the execution a little lacking.
(40) "Darling:” Not sure that I really got this one.
(41) "Misalignment:” A new perspective on mental illness and perfectionism.
(42) "The Season of Withering:” This felt like a chapter from a longer saga.
(43) "Super:” Strength comes from unexpected places.
(44) "Rooks on Sundays:” A vignette about the winter of life and of relationships.
(45) "Via Dolorosa:” Nice blend of female validation with mysticism.
(46) "A Time For Understanding:” A must-read for animal lovers.
(47) "Fur and Feathers:” We can fight change, or accept it.
(48) "The Lonely King:” When you’ve been made redundant, you get creative.
(49) "The Martian In the Greenhouse:” Really freaky, but engrossing.
(50) "What Lies In Light:” Walk into the light of love.
(51) "The Dybbuk:” A folksy tale of atonement.
(52) "Notes from the Laocoön Program:” This quote:
“I have made a ruin of my life and for nothing at all, for a feeling that I am unloved and must stay that way forever. Perhaps the measure of life is how kind we are.
And I have not been kind.”"
I began reading this collection not knowing what to expect, as I was unfamiliar with speculative fiction. I ended up enjoying it thoroughly and found it an inspiration for my own writing. As this is such a diverse collection in terms of subject matter, style, and tone, I recorded my reactions to each short story individually:
(1) "The Book of Regrets:" A cautionary tale about undoing one's mistakes. The obvious solution presented at the story's end comes unexpectedly.
(2) "Five Star Review:”
Sometimes, the unknown is worth the risk.
(3) "Two Villains, a Notebook, and a Lump of Coal:”
This one felt like it could have been spun into a novel. Where are the villains going to go and what are they going to do now that they’ve met their goals?
(4) "Snapped Dry, Scraped Clean:
A confrontation between the familiar and the supernatural. I felt that this actually took place in our own world, though the exact location was obscure due to the fantastical elements.
(5) "The Lightkeeper’s Wife:”
What’s bad for one Selkie is good for another.
(6) "The Soul Farmer’s Daughters:” Oh, the struggles of raising our children as the centuries pass . . .
(7) "The Bear Wife:” I started by reading this as a metaphor for postpartum depression, which created an interesting reading experience. . . .
(8) "Mean Streak:” Who are the real witches, really?
(9) "Pleasing the Giants:” I felt the final punchline coming halfway through the story. . . .
(10) "Absurd of a Feather:” Puberty gone wrong."
(11) "The Noise Inside:” Ok, I didn’t really get this one. Kind of vague and abstract when it didn’t need to be.
(12) "L’Appel du Vide:” Great for anyone facing an existential crisis.
(13) "The Color of My Home is Red Like an Apple:” Were the Americans and the Russians behind this?
(14) "A Yellow Landscape:” We know where we belong, even if others don’t.
(15) "Forever and a Life:” Call them heroes, call them villains; either way, the agenda is never what you’d expect.
(16) "With Eyes Half Open:” For me, very relevant and timely. A great cautionary tale about perspective.
(17) "A Sacrifice for the Queen:” Caught a faint whiff of “The Handmaid’s Tale” in the vat of alien/machine rule. But maybe my sense of smell is off.
(18) "Somewhere To Be Going:” For children and parents everywhere.
(19) "One For The Wounded:” A bit long, but the lesson this teaches is a great one.
(20) "In the Beating of a Wing:” Another great story about perspective.
(21) "The Memory Dresser:” The grass is always greener on the other side and through the looking glass.
(22) "Unmasked:” Loved the moral gray areas in this one.
(23) "Country Whispers:” The only thing worse than a vicious cycle is knowing you enabled it.
(24) "The Thousand Revolutions of Kronstadt:” Historical fiction-like, with elements that reminded me of “Run Lola Run.”
(25) "Las Vegas Museum of Space Exploration:” Loved the style of this one. So creative!
(26) "The Girls Who Come Back Are Made Of Metal And Glass:” I don’t have a succinct summary or reflection for this one, but it made me think about how different people approach the prospect of death.
(27) "One Day In Space Too Many:” “Groundhog Day” on steroids.
(28) "A Layer As Thin As Breath:” Delightfully quirky and sad.
(29) "Communication Breakdown:” I was kind of surprised by the relative brevity of this one. I felt like the story had room to expand.
(30) "The Offshore:” An interesting take on an aspect of how the top 1% choose to operate.
(31) "Never Fade Away:” Old ladies to the rescue?
(32) "A Bear, or a Spider, or an Elephant:” Didn’t really get this one.
(33) "The Last Duty:” When the loser doesn’t want to be remembered as the villain.
(34) "The Propagator:” If “The Handmaid’s Tale” was set in Houston, this might be how it could have turned out for the Econo-People. Loved it!
(35) "There Is A City, He Told Me:” Storytelling transcends generations.
(36) "Some Sun and Delilah:” A contemporary Adam & Eve tale, perhaps.
(37) "Favorites from Here and Abroad:” This one left me with more questions than answers.
(38) "A Final Resting Place:” There is a way out.
(39) "The Guardian of Werifest Park:” Decent concept; found the execution a little lacking.
(40) "Darling:” Not sure that I really got this one.
(41) "Misalignment:” A new perspective on mental illness and perfectionism.
(42) "The Season of Withering:” This felt like a chapter from a longer saga.
(43) "Super:” Strength comes from unexpected places.
(44) "Rooks on Sundays:” A vignette about the winter of life and of relationships.
(45) "Via Dolorosa:” Nice blend of female validation with mysticism.
(46) "A Time For Understanding:” A must-read for animal lovers.
(47) "Fur and Feathers:” We can fight change, or accept it.
(48) "The Lonely King:” When you’ve been made redundant, you get creative.
(49) "The Martian In the Greenhouse:” Really freaky, but engrossing.
(50) "What Lies In Light:” Walk into the light of love.
(51) "The Dybbuk:” A folksy tale of atonement.
(52) "Notes from the Laocoön Program:” This quote:
“I have made a ruin of my life and for nothing at all, for a feeling that I am unloved and must stay that way forever. Perhaps the measure of life is how kind we are.
And I have not been kind.”"
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