A strong anthology for some people...not for me so much
Written: May 11 '08
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Some great stories....
Cons: Too many that didn't really appeal to me
The Bottom Line: A first edition that will make me buy the next one, but not as strong as it could be
|
|
|
| hist's Full Review: Jonathan Strahan - Eclipse 1: New Science Fiction ... |
Eclipse One is the first in what will probably be an annual anthology of short stories edited by Jonathan Strahan. Already known for some of his “Best of” anthologies, Strahan decided he wanted to put out an annual anthology book of short stories in the same vein as the old Universe anthologies edited by Terry Carr back in the 70s and 80s. Strahan has assembled a varied collection of fantasy and science fiction short stories that defy any attempt at a theme. They’re just a collection of supposedly great stories that Strahan had submitted to him. I say “supposedly” above because, unfortunately, I found the collection rather underwhelming. It will take another edition or two before I discover whether it’s the difference between my taste and Strahan’s, or whether the first edition is just an aberration. They were good enough that I’m definitely going to give the next edition a try as well.
Strangely enough, I was mostly let down by the authors I was familiar with and pleasantly surprised by many who I wasn’t. None of the stories are “bad,” as this is a group of talented authors that Strahan has collected. Even as I’m finding I don’t care for a story, I can recognize the skill of the author as the story unfolds. However, too often the story just didn’t move me or make me want to care about the characters. Some of the stories are humorous and some are touching, and I’m glad I read all of them. But for me, this was rather a weak collection.
My favorite story would have to be “The Transformation of Targ” by Paul Brandon & Jack Dann. This is a hilarious story about a being of pure evil whose heart just isn’t in it anymore. He controls a vast, fantastical empire, but he’s starting to feel…sympathetic to his people. Instead of ruthlessly destroying a village, he moves the villagers to a better parcel of land so that they have the money to pay their taxes next year. So when you can’t be evil anymore, you go to an evil shrink, right? One who will get to the root of your problem and make you evil again. Unfortunately, that doesn’t quite work for the evil overlord Brian. I loved this story, and it’s a shame that it comes so late in the volume, so it took me a while to get to it. Brandon and Dann’s tongues are firmly in their cheeks, and the tone is set perfectly at the start as Brian and his sadistic Captain of the Guard are forced to cool their heels in the waiting room and fill out forms. The ending twist is inspired, capping off a wonderful story.
Another favorite was “Up the Fire Road” by Eileen Gunn, though for reasons that others might not find amusing. This story is about an adventurous couple who get stranded in the wilds of Washington during a rainstorm, and who find themselves rescued by…something. At first they think it’s a Sasquatch, but then they realize it’s not. Andrea sees it as a man and Christy (a male) sees it as a woman. They stay out there six weeks, both having affairs with it, and then things get really strange. This story has that extra element that really makes me love it: it uses the Maury Povitch show in a wonderful way at the end of the story. The wife and I are fans of the show, so to see that just made me laugh even harder. Gunn uses it well, but even the first part of the story is interesting, as her characterization skills are very good. It’s an enjoyable story, with a little extra for me.
I can’t really point to any “weak” stories in the book, as all of them had at least something to draw me in even if I didn’t necessarily care for them at the end. Some of the stories have a lesser tie to either SF or Fantasy than I would like, but generally that’s not an issue. Lucius Shepard’s “Larissa Miusov” has only a hint of fantasy or SF in it, but it’s good enough that I didn’t mind.
Strahan has managed to obtain stories from some of the current greats. Any collection with Peter S. Beagle, Bruce Sterling, Shepard, and Jeffrey Ford has to be considered a good one. However, Eclipse One has also introduced me to some new authors who I really enjoyed in this volume. They may not be new authors, but they’re new to me. Eileen Gunn, Maureen McHugh, Kathleen Ann Goonan, Paul Brandon & Jack Dann, they’re all authors who I will now look for, as their stories in this anthology were especially good.
Eclipse One is a strong first edition, but I hope that subsequent volumes are more to my taste. It’s definitely worth checking out, and here’s hoping it lasts at least 17 years, to match the longevity of Strahan’s inspiration.
Originally published on Curled Up With a Good Book at www.curledup.com. © David Roy, 2008
Stories in this volume
“Unique Chicken Goes in Reverse” by Andy Duncan
“Bad Luck, Trouble, Death, and Vampire Sex” by Garth Nix
“The Last and Only” or “Mr. Moscowitz Becomes French” by Peter S. Beagle
“The Lost Boy: A Reporter at Large” by Maureen McHugh
“The Drowned Life” by Jeffrey Ford
“Toother” by Terry Dowling
“Up the Fire Road” by Eileen Gunn
“In the Forest of the Queen” by Gwyneth Jones
“Quartermaster Returns” by Ysabeau S. Wilce
“Electric Rains” by Kathleen Ann Goonan
“She-creatures” by Margo Lanagan
“The Transformation of Targ” by Paul Brandon & Jack Dann
“Mrs. Zeno’s Paradox” by Ellen Klages
“The Lustration” by Bruce Sterling
“Larissa Miusov” by Lucius Shepard
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
hist
|
 in Books |
 in Movies, Books |
|
Member: David Roy
Location: Vancouver, BC
Reviews written: 651
Trusted by: 213 members
About Me:Thinking of taking Greyhound? Be careful:
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2008 Shopping.com, Inc.