The Dark, edited by Ellen Datlow (Tor Books, 2003)

I’ve had this book since it first came out, reading it in small doses both to savor the contents, and to avoid from overloading my brain with too many ghost stories all at once. For that’s the theme here. Ellen … Continue reading

Space Stations, edited by Martin H. Greenberg and John Helfers (DAW, 2004)

Partially in honor of the International Space Station to be completed in 2006, and in memory of those orbiting habitats which have come and gone such as Skylab and Mir, Space Stations is an anthology of original stories which all … Continue reading

Path of the Just, edited by James Lowder (Guardians of Order, 2003)

When I received this, I was hoping it would be along the lines of the excellent anthology, Superheroes, edited by John Varley and Alicia Mainhardt (Ace, 1995). Based on the roleplaying game Silver Age Sentinels, Path of the Just contains … Continue reading

Microcosms, edited by Gregory Benford (DAW, 2004)

In this anthology, noted author Gregory Benford collects a baker’s dozen of stories that all explore the concept of limited spaces, or microcosms. As usual, the stories range the spectrum from good to excellent as the authors take the concept … Continue reading

Haunting the Dead, edited by Philippe Boulle (White Wolf Publishing, 2003)

This macabre quartet of short stories is based on White Wolf’s Orpheus line of games. Like the name suggests, the stories all touch upon the delicate, occasionally breached barriers between life and death, and the traumas that ensue. The dead … Continue reading

Future Crimes, edited by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois, (Ace, 2003)

In contrast to the original anthologies I’ve been looking at, Future Crimes is a collection of reprints, bringing together eight stories of, well, crime in the future. I’m sure some of the selections will be familiar to any fan of … Continue reading

Faerie Tales, edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Russell Davis (DAW, 2004)

There are days when I’m frankly amazed at the continuing ability of writers to wring new and interesting material from the oft-mined theme of “fairy tales.” After all, we’ve been telling and retelling them for centuries, updating the settings to … Continue reading

Conqueror Fantastic, edited by Pamela Sargent (DAW, 2004)

I so wish I’d come up with the “Fantastic” line of anthologies. It’s like a franchise in some ways, especially considering the vast array of collections we’ve seen over the years. Conqueror Fantastic actually hearkens back to the ones Mike … Continue reading