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donfoolery's review against another edition
5.0
5 out of 5, with the caveat that I cannot be objective about this collection. Howard Waldrop is one of the few writers whose work I'll buy the day it comes out, unseen and unreviewed.
If all Waldrop does is cleverly hide all sorts of historic/pop culture Easter eggs into most of his stories with barely any telegraphing, it would be a feat. Indeed, it's a point of pride for me when I catch them. I immediately recognized bits of the Bird Man of Alcatraz in the story of the "Wolf-Man" of the same. But, here's Waldrop's trick: as always, there are moments I fail to spot the references, and it doesn't affect my enjoyment of the stories one bit!
More importantly (to me at least), Waldrop's characters almost always convey some sort of bittersweet piece of truth or wisdom that can only be gained from going around the proverbial block a time or two.
I did let a sliver of objectivity creep into my reading, but I won't mention it here (you can find it in my story-by-story comments on the actual goodreads review page). It's more of a technical quibble, anyway. Whatever.
Also, "Coca Cola comic book orgy" is now my favorite Waldrop line. If I had a band, I'd ask his permission to use it as a name.
If all Waldrop does is cleverly hide all sorts of historic/pop culture Easter eggs into most of his stories with barely any telegraphing, it would be a feat. Indeed, it's a point of pride for me when I catch them. I immediately recognized bits of the Bird Man of Alcatraz in the story of the "Wolf-Man" of the same. But, here's Waldrop's trick: as always, there are moments I fail to spot the references, and it doesn't affect my enjoyment of the stories one bit!
More importantly (to me at least), Waldrop's characters almost always convey some sort of bittersweet piece of truth or wisdom that can only be gained from going around the proverbial block a time or two.
I did let a sliver of objectivity creep into my reading, but I won't mention it here (you can find it in my story-by-story comments on the actual goodreads review page). It's more of a technical quibble, anyway. Whatever.
Also, "Coca Cola comic book orgy" is now my favorite Waldrop line. If I had a band, I'd ask his permission to use it as a name.
b1llz1lla's review
3.0
As with most anthologies, this was a mixed bag. Howard Waldrop's creativity is still one of his strongest qualities, and in that this anthology surely does not disappoint.
My favorite stories here included The Wolf-Man of Alcatraz", "The Horse of a Different Color", and "Thin, On the Ground.
My favorite stories here included The Wolf-Man of Alcatraz", "The Horse of a Different Color", and "Thin, On the Ground.
survivalisinsufficient's review
2.0
I see that people really like this one, and compare Howard Waldrop to a bunch of authors I like, but these did not engage me at all.
tigerb99's review
4.0
Good God, this man can WRITE.
I almost don't care what he's writing half the time, whether it's the meandering love-of-vaudeville "The Horse of a Different Color" or the mainly SF "The King of Where-You-Go." Waldrop makes every story's narrator a real person, not a cardboard one; somebody with something to say and a way of saying it.
Go read more Howard Waldrop.
I almost don't care what he's writing half the time, whether it's the meandering love-of-vaudeville "The Horse of a Different Color" or the mainly SF "The King of Where-You-Go." Waldrop makes every story's narrator a real person, not a cardboard one; somebody with something to say and a way of saying it.
Go read more Howard Waldrop.
nigellicus's review
5.0
Getting a new Howard Waldrop collection is always a little bittersweet because it's been about seven years since the last one and it'll probably be another seven years or so until the next. I usually avoid reading Howard Waldrop stories until they're collected, just so I can have the whole fresh experience. This collection has the added poignancy of Waldrop's description of his rather serious and horrible medical misadventures from which I wish him a full and speedy recovery.
So, Howard Waldrop stories: they're not really like anything else out there. We have the waning days of an obscure B-movie actor, we have a, well, there's no point in paraphrasing it, a wolfman in Alacatraz, we have a secret history of vaudeville complete with a quest for the Holy Grail, a poignant tale of a boy whose sister catches polio, an account of the career of the actress from King Kong - no, not the actress who played the actress, the actress, Bob Howard and his best pal take a trip down south, pirates and pirates and other nautical legends, a Vancian tale set on the Vancian Dying Earth, and a trip to No Man's Land in any language. Each is a unique and subtle set of tastes and flavours for the mind, each is distinctly Waldropian.
So, Howard Waldrop stories: they're not really like anything else out there. We have the waning days of an obscure B-movie actor, we have a, well, there's no point in paraphrasing it, a wolfman in Alacatraz, we have a secret history of vaudeville complete with a quest for the Holy Grail, a poignant tale of a boy whose sister catches polio, an account of the career of the actress from King Kong - no, not the actress who played the actress, the actress, Bob Howard and his best pal take a trip down south, pirates and pirates and other nautical legends, a Vancian tale set on the Vancian Dying Earth, and a trip to No Man's Land in any language. Each is a unique and subtle set of tastes and flavours for the mind, each is distinctly Waldropian.
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