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A review by geckoedit
Some of the Best from Tor.com, 2014 Edition by Ellen Datlow
5.0
This collection of short stories and novellas is one of the best anthologies I've ever read. The fact that it was free made it all the more enticing - who doesn't love free books? This sort of thing is why I love ebooks; a collection like this in hardcopy would be completely unwieldy and intimidating, but as an ebook collection it works perfectly.
Each of the stories merits a review of its own, which I will post individually to benefit their authors. Some of my favorites were the following:
The End of the End of Everything by Dale Bailey
When the end is inevitable, what will the human race do? Cower in fear, or desperately run away in vain hope for a solution?
Hell no. We'll throw an end of the world party.
The Litany of Earth by Ruthanna Emrys
A deeply thoughtful exploration of the Lovecraftian universe, years later.
A Kiss With Teeth by Max Gladstone
So many authors have written vampire romances, but none has been so real, so honest, or so ordinary as this one. I fell in love with it, and that's saying something, as I usually hate the genre.
A Short History of the Twentieth Centuryby Kathleen Ann Goonan
This is a story I will read to my daughter, if I ever have one. I love the framework of the history surrounding the life and dreams of this girl. Bravo.
Where the Trains Turn by Pasi Ilmari Jaaskelainen
This story was eerie and heartbreaking, and spectacular.
The Mothers of Voorhisville by Mary Rickert
I feel like this one can and should be expanded into a full novel. There are a bunch of interesting characters and viewpoints, and I think it would be interesting to explore the story in more depth, as well as the effects of their decision afterwards.
The Devil in Americaby Kai Ashante Wilson
An interesting supernatural/magical setting. I have not read many that use african magic in this way, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Even if it made me horribly sad.
A Cup of Salt Tears by Isabel Yap
Living in Korea, and having visited Japan, the setting of this story was incredibly real to me. I loved how it dealt with multiple difficult themes, and I was both attracted and repelled by the beast. This story had a similar feel to a Miyazaki movie.
Beyond the few I've mentioned here, this collection is absolutely worth downloading (for free!) and it can be read from cover to cover, or dipped into now and then. Since I finished it, I have not stopped recommending it to my friends. Spectacular.
Each of the stories merits a review of its own, which I will post individually to benefit their authors. Some of my favorites were the following:
The End of the End of Everything by Dale Bailey
When the end is inevitable, what will the human race do? Cower in fear, or desperately run away in vain hope for a solution?
Hell no. We'll throw an end of the world party.
The Litany of Earth by Ruthanna Emrys
A deeply thoughtful exploration of the Lovecraftian universe, years later.
A Kiss With Teeth by Max Gladstone
So many authors have written vampire romances, but none has been so real, so honest, or so ordinary as this one. I fell in love with it, and that's saying something, as I usually hate the genre.
A Short History of the Twentieth Centuryby Kathleen Ann Goonan
This is a story I will read to my daughter, if I ever have one. I love the framework of the history surrounding the life and dreams of this girl. Bravo.
Where the Trains Turn by Pasi Ilmari Jaaskelainen
This story was eerie and heartbreaking, and spectacular.
The Mothers of Voorhisville by Mary Rickert
I feel like this one can and should be expanded into a full novel. There are a bunch of interesting characters and viewpoints, and I think it would be interesting to explore the story in more depth, as well as the effects of their decision afterwards.
The Devil in Americaby Kai Ashante Wilson
An interesting supernatural/magical setting. I have not read many that use african magic in this way, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Even if it made me horribly sad.
A Cup of Salt Tears by Isabel Yap
Living in Korea, and having visited Japan, the setting of this story was incredibly real to me. I loved how it dealt with multiple difficult themes, and I was both attracted and repelled by the beast. This story had a similar feel to a Miyazaki movie.
Beyond the few I've mentioned here, this collection is absolutely worth downloading (for free!) and it can be read from cover to cover, or dipped into now and then. Since I finished it, I have not stopped recommending it to my friends. Spectacular.