Scan barcode
A review by clairetrellahill
Firebirds Rising: An Anthology of Original Science Fiction and Fantasy by Kara Dalkey, Tamora Pierce, Diana Wynne Jones, Patricia A. McKillip, Charles de Lint, Francesca Lia Block, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Sharon Shinn, Pamela Dean, Tanith Lee, Kelly Link, Alan Dean Foster, Sharyn November, Carol Emshwiller, Alison Goodman, Ellen Klages, Emma Bull
4.0
This short story collection enlarged my imagination and influenced my writing in tangible ways. It's full of wild ideas and magical landscapes on a variety of topics and genres, definitely worth a read.
Standout favorites from the anthology:
"Jack O'Lantern" by Patricia A. McKillip—I fell so in love with this story before I even knew who McKillip was. A story set in a bygone Victorian/Edwardian era featuring will 'o the wisps? Magical. Years later, I read some of her books and wondered why the prose and landscape of her worlds felt so much like coming home. Lo and behold, I was already familiar with her writing style! Absolutely astonishing.
"I"ll Give You My Word" by Diana Wynne Jones— Everything by DWJ is spectacular, and this story does not disappoint. Full of ideas about words and language, Jones's style translates wonderfully to short story form. It's wonderful.
"Hives" by Kara Dalkey—This story stuck with me for YEARS, probably because it's such a tangible concept. In the future, the next step up from texting is the ESP, a headset that projects sound waves right into your head. Girls create "hives" to communicate, and the system is so addictive it can even create withdrawls, a dangerous thing when bullying is still very much a threat. This story was written so well and so vividly that it's one of the first things I remember when I think of this anthology.
Standout favorites from the anthology:
"Jack O'Lantern" by Patricia A. McKillip—I fell so in love with this story before I even knew who McKillip was. A story set in a bygone Victorian/Edwardian era featuring will 'o the wisps? Magical. Years later, I read some of her books and wondered why the prose and landscape of her worlds felt so much like coming home. Lo and behold, I was already familiar with her writing style! Absolutely astonishing.
"I"ll Give You My Word" by Diana Wynne Jones— Everything by DWJ is spectacular, and this story does not disappoint. Full of ideas about words and language, Jones's style translates wonderfully to short story form. It's wonderful.
"Hives" by Kara Dalkey—This story stuck with me for YEARS, probably because it's such a tangible concept. In the future, the next step up from texting is the ESP, a headset that projects sound waves right into your head. Girls create "hives" to communicate, and the system is so addictive it can even create withdrawls, a dangerous thing when bullying is still very much a threat. This story was written so well and so vividly that it's one of the first things I remember when I think of this anthology.