Scan barcode
A review by calebstephensauthor
What Remains When The Stars Burn Out by P.L. McMillan
5.0
Having discovered P.L. McMillan's work during my time as the Assistant Editor for Hinnom Magazine, I was quite intrigued to hear she was putting out her own collection, including a story Hinnom published - "The Space Between" - which left me disoriented in the best way possible upon reading. Needless to say, I got my fingers on this anthology as fast as I could. I was not disappointed.
The entire collection is fantastic, steeped in heavy doses of cosmic and sci-fi horror. That alone would be enough to win me over, but McMillan's unique plots and fresh twists provided the cherry on top. It's great, you can't tell where any of the stories will wind up. All you can do is buckle in and enjoy the ride. And enjoy it I did. Very much.
That said, my top three favorites (without giving spoilers) were:
That Which The Ocean Gives and Takes Away - A bittersweet tale full of melancholy and a fascinating encounter with a largely misunderstood creature.
Buzzkill - The absolute bizarre nature of this one, coupled with the themes of love and loss in a strange new world, left me shaken and wanting more. This story was like a high-quality shot of 100% bourbon: a welcome punch to the face.
Planet of the Hungry - A post-apocalyptic journey across a scorched landscape with an other-worldly visitor and a deformed donkey. Oh, and nanotech. What more can you ask for?
One should also take note of the art included before every story, illustrated by none other than McMillan herself. The drawings are stunning and provide additional texture. Loved them.
In summary, you can tell this collection was crafted with a lot of love. Pick up a copy for yourself and dive in! You won't regret it.
The entire collection is fantastic, steeped in heavy doses of cosmic and sci-fi horror. That alone would be enough to win me over, but McMillan's unique plots and fresh twists provided the cherry on top. It's great, you can't tell where any of the stories will wind up. All you can do is buckle in and enjoy the ride. And enjoy it I did. Very much.
That said, my top three favorites (without giving spoilers) were:
That Which The Ocean Gives and Takes Away - A bittersweet tale full of melancholy and a fascinating encounter with a largely misunderstood creature.
Buzzkill - The absolute bizarre nature of this one, coupled with the themes of love and loss in a strange new world, left me shaken and wanting more. This story was like a high-quality shot of 100% bourbon: a welcome punch to the face.
Planet of the Hungry - A post-apocalyptic journey across a scorched landscape with an other-worldly visitor and a deformed donkey. Oh, and nanotech. What more can you ask for?
One should also take note of the art included before every story, illustrated by none other than McMillan herself. The drawings are stunning and provide additional texture. Loved them.
In summary, you can tell this collection was crafted with a lot of love. Pick up a copy for yourself and dive in! You won't regret it.