anthology – The Spine View

Worlds of Light & Darkness edited by Angela Yuriko Smith and Scot Noel

Worlds of Light and Darkness is a collection (Volume One) of short stories curated from DreamForge and SpaceTime. As with most anthologies of this type, it is a mixed bag of stuff. There are twenty stories in all, way too many to list individually. They run the gambit in the Fantasy and Sci-Fi genres. If you love both genres this is a collection you need to own.

One of the things I loved about the collection is the variety of stories. There were light hearted and quirky stories, such as The Feline, The Witch and the Universe about a feline familiar that goes missing. Smudge is the consummate cat personality and the reason I liked this story so much. In my mind, I can just see his smug little cat face.

A more speculative story, is The Spiral Ranch, in which cattle rustling is not a thing of the past but still very much alive in this version of the future. I liked the author’s vision of the future. Realistic and the plot was believable. Concise but well written short.

I enjoyed all of the stories. If I had to pick my favorite it would be Hands of a Toolmaker. It reminded me of a Twilight Zone episode. The MC, Silas, must decide if he wants to get “Tooled”. All children must make this decision when they turn fifteen years old. Tooling modifies the brain in order for it to be receptive to be programed for a specific job at a later date. To Silas, tooled individuals tended to talk like they are part of a “hive mind” and it makes him angry that it seems expected that he will get Tooled. He does not want this, instead he “wants to shake things up”. Liked that about this character.

This is a notable collection of short stories. They are thought provoking and highly entertaining. I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys Fantasy and/or Science Fiction.

I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Voyagers: Twelve Journeys Through Space and Time by Robert Silverberg

Voyagers is classic Science Fiction at its best and Silverberg is the master. I have read most of the author’s novels but few of his large collection of short stories. Therefore, I was excited to get my hands on this book for review. It totally cemented my love and respect for Silverberg as one of my favorites in the genre.

This collection of short stories, twelve in total, showcases his prowess at writing short fiction. All the stories have been published in the past, mainly in magazines. Silverberg has written a short introduction to each that I found insightful. Not only does he explain a bit about how the story came about, he gives us a small look into his world and thought processes as a writer.

All the stories in the collection center on the theme of travel. Some stories, such as the first, In Another Country, involve time travel. Other stories involve travel in other forms. An example of this is Looking For the Fountain which involves an alternate universe. My favorite of the group, and the longest in this collection, is We Are For the Dark which involves traveling vast distances across space.

Regardless of how you like your travel, these stories are a fabulous curation. I highly recommend this anthology to lovers of classic Science Fiction. This is a book anyone would be proud to have in their collection. I received a free copy from the publisher, via Library Thing’s Early Reviewer program, in exchange for my honest review.

The Karma of Cats: Spiritual Wisdom from Our Feline Friends by Various Authors

The Karma of Cats is a collection of short stories/essays by various people on and about their cat(s) and how they have helped them be better people or overcome a difficult time. It is a journey into the connect and bond we have with these furry feline friends.

It has long been known that animals are good for our mental health. They inspire and uplift us and are our most loyal friends, much more so than humans ever will be. These stories try to capture that fuzzy feeling in words. There is something magical that cats bring into our lives. They can be so many things from the jaunty ruler of the palace home to the cute snuggly reading partner. Whatever they are to you, you will can find something of that in these stories.

It is difficult to critique the writing because of the multiple authors and thus writing styles. I can say, I found some of the stories to be inspiring, some uplifting and some sad. In fact, I recommend you have a box of tissue nearby. I liked some stories better than others, but that is normal for a collection. Yet even the stories that were not among my favorites, I still found something to like. I think Not Braveheart was my favorite story because it reminded me so much of a cat I once owned.

If you love animals, especially cats, and are interested in the connection humans have with them this just might be the book for you. I recommend that you read it slowly and savor what each story has to depart because these are very personal stories shared by people who adore their feline companions.

I received a free copy at Book Expo in exchange for my honest review.

Writers of the Future Vol. 35 edited by David Farland

Writers of the Future Vol. 35, edited by David Farland, is an anthology of Sci-Fi and Fantasy short stories by up-and-coming new authors. In total there are twelve stories chosen from an international writing contest conducted on a quarterly schedule. Therefore, the top 3 stories from each quarter is what appears in the volume. In addition, this volume contains short stories from established, well-known writers and advice for new writers and illustrators.

The book also contains illustrations for each short story. The illustrations are chosen in the same way as the short stories and I felt were a nice bonus to the book. I also liked that each story was prefaced by a short introduction to both the writer and illustrator. I enjoyed learning about these debut authors and illustrators in the industry.

In an effort at brevity I am going to touch on only two of my favorite stories in this collection. The first story I want to talk about is Release From Service by Rustin Lovewell, illustrated by Emerson Rabbitt. In this Fantasy story, a young man must choose between what he has been trained for most of his life and what he knows is right even though the choice will cost him his life.

What I liked about the story was the character development. I prefer character driven stories over plot driven and this story is a perfect example of how a good author does not need a hundred plus pages to give the reader a character that is relatable. It also helped that the plot was spot on. This story I would rate as five stars.

The next story I want to talk about is a Sci-Fi story, Super-Duper Moon Girl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler written by Wulf Moon and illustrated by Alice Wang. This story actually made me cry. It is about a young girl living on the moon with her parents. She is the sole surviving student of a school bombing that left her unable to breathe on her own. She has an AI unit in the shape of a dog who breathes for her and is her protector. Yet, some times protectors are too good at what they do. This is also a five-star story. Same as the previous story, I loved the character and felt a real connection.

There are other stories that I feel rated five stars or close and some I would give a four too. There was only one I was not crazy about and that was Yellow Submarine. I felt the plot was not very inventive. Yet, the prose was good. I would rate that one as three stars.

As a whole, I was surprised at the quality of the writing and illustrations. There was a big variety in this collection and the stories were, for the most part, first-rate. Therefore, it made me want to read the next story and the next, until the end, which came a bit too quickly for me. I am left with the quandary of how to rate the book overall. As a whole, I would rate this collection as 4 stars, maybe even pushing 4.5.

I highly recommend this anthology to lovers of Sci-Fi and Fantasy. There is something to love in every story and the illustrations were fabulous. I am excited to see what the future holders for these new authors and illustrators and once you read this collection I suspect you will be too.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Time and Time Again by Robert Silverberg

Title: Time and Time Again
Author: Robert Silverberg
Pub. Date: 6-Nov-2018
Rating: 5 Stars

Robert Silverberg is one of the first Science Fiction authors I remember reading as a young adult. His stories always seemed to contain that special quality… that euphoria I get when a story sweeps you away. No doubt that is why he is considered among the masters in the field of Science Fiction.

In this anthology of time travel stories, Silverberg explores various problems and contradictions that time travel could cause. Despite being a collection of sixteen stories, each story is unique in some way. I think that is one of the reasons I have always loved his works, he has never failed to impress with his unending imagination. This collection served to further reinforce my feelings.

It is not feasible to write a synopsis of each story. However, I will tell you that Silverberg has written a short introduction to each story that explains how he came to write the story and where and when it appeared. I actually liked this addition information and it did shed light on his thought processes. Therefore, I am glad the publisher had the foresight to include the introductions.

In addition to the story introductions, there is a lengthy introduction to the collection that I found interesting. Silverberg, among other things, talked about those that influenced him in his career. Because I have not read much about Silverberg himself, I found it intriguing.

My favorite story of the batch was Gianni. I was intrigued just from the introduction where Silverberg explained about his desire to be published in Playboy and how the editor at the time insisted that he change the story. In the story a musical genius that died at a young age from TB is brought forward in time from the 18^th century where now he is cured but suffers from, shall we say, excesses. At the heart, the story is suggesting that karma follows a person even in time travel.

I highly recommend Time and Time Again to all lovers of Science Fiction. This is a fantastic assembly of time travel stories from one of the best writers of our time.

I received an ARC from the publisher via LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program. For more of my reviews, and author interviews, see my blog at www.thespineview.com.

The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2017 edited by John Joseph Adams and Charles Yu

Title: The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2017
Author: John Joseph Adams
Pub. Date: 3-Oct-2017
Rating: 4 Stars

The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2017 edited by John Joseph Adams and Charles Yu is an anthology of short stories that embraces all varieties of Sci-Fi and Fantasy. It is an interesting and diverse compilation.

It opens with Head, Scales, Tongue and Tail by Leigh Bardugo a story about a young girl who falls in love with a boy that is not really human. It was probably my favorite and set my expectations high for this anthology. Another favorite of mine was Everyone from Themis Sends Letters Home by Genevieve Valentine a story about the repercussions of a world in which everyone is plugged in and what are the rights of people in that type of world. Continue reading “The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2017 edited by John Joseph Adams and Charles Yu”