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michaeldrakich's review
2.0
After reading this collection I am left one of three possible conclusions. Either A) there weren't any top fantasy shorts in 1986 (unlikely), B) the editor has terrible taste when selecting what was to be in the collection (possible) or the publisher didn't want to pay any royalties to the authors to attract quality shorts (also possible). Considering neither the Hugo or Nebula winner for that year made the list and only one nominee for those awards is here (THE BOY WHO PLAITED MANES) It is highly doubtful this collection represents the year's best fantasy stories. Below is a quick review of each story with an average rating by me of 2.4. Simply abysmal. Rounding to the nearest digit, that gives this book a rating of 2, but because there isn't, in my mind, a single 5 star, and way too many at 2 stars or less. I am hard pressed to even give this book a 2 star rating. Let's say it's given with some reservations.
An important thing to note is the work of the editor. It is to be STRICTLY AVOIDED. The editor has taken to writing an intro to every story with a paragraph in italics at the start of each. Whatever you do - do not read this intro. The penchant of the editor to give far too many details and spoil the story is rampant. More than once it ruined the read as I could foretell the ending because of the intro.
BEAUTY IS THE BEAST by Tanith Lee. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and this story takes that trope to the extreme. A beautiful woman sets out to destroy an ultimate evil. Filled with cliche sword and sorcery fantasy this starter of the collection was a meh. 3 stars
SOMETHING IN THE BLOOD by Richard L. Purtill. A straight up vampire tale. For me, vampire stuff is either urban fantasy or supernatural and doesn't fit the mold of main stream fantasy. Just saying. How does love bridge a vampire a a woman? Infection, of course. Not exactly an auspicious start to this collection. Less than meh. 2 stars
PIECE DE RESISTANCE by Judith Tarr. A somewhat supernatural (another offshoot of fantasy that doesn't meet my personal criteria) piece where a demon, in the guise of a chef, looks to aid a man overthrow his brother as king. An awful lot of story spent describing food and not developing the story. 2 stars
LONG, LONG AGO by R. Chetwynd-Hayes, A ghost story, pure and simple. With each short I read in this collection it strays farther and farther from main stream fantasy. A man wakes to find himself on an endless road where he meets a woman. Starts interesting then fades into tedium. 2 stars
THE OLD MAN AND THE CHERRY TREE by Kevin J. Anderson. In a short story, there is no time to introduce subplots and this one fails as the subplot of the main character's family history is a waste. A man tends a cherry tree his whole life and when the tree dies he takes drastic magical action. 2 stars
PHONE REPAIRS by Nancy Kress, The deeper I go into this collection, the further it gets from what I consider fantasy. here's a story where a man talks on the phone to a family from the near future. Twilight Zone, maybe, fantasy, I don't think so. 1 star
THE TALE AND ITS MASTER BY Michael Rutherford. At 48 pages, the longest in the book. An interesting spin on storytellers. At first I was a meh 3 stars, but realized what spoiled it for me was the editor's opening note which essentially gave the story away. 4 stars
SANCTUARY by Kim Antieau. The Twilight Zone strikes again. How do these stories rate as fantasy? A woman cannot leave her house for reasons unknown. 2 stars
THE UNCORKING OF UNCLE FINN by Jane Yolen. Folklore masquerading as fantasy. The only variation is Uncle Finn is labelled an elf when in all reality he's a leprechaun. High score on the boring meter. 1 star
A PLACE TO STAY FOR A LITTLE WHILE by Jim Aikin. A house where misfits with strange and unique skills are drawn to reside. Conflict arises with the newest tenant. I found it entertaining and unique, but the ending had an unfinished business feel to it. 4 stars
THE BOY WHO PLAITED MANES by Nancy Springer. A boy with a magical talent enters an estate and plaits horse hair, then the duchesses hair and things lead one to another. Although unique, not a lot of excitement. A meh. 3 stars
An important thing to note is the work of the editor. It is to be STRICTLY AVOIDED. The editor has taken to writing an intro to every story with a paragraph in italics at the start of each. Whatever you do - do not read this intro. The penchant of the editor to give far too many details and spoil the story is rampant. More than once it ruined the read as I could foretell the ending because of the intro.
BEAUTY IS THE BEAST by Tanith Lee. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and this story takes that trope to the extreme. A beautiful woman sets out to destroy an ultimate evil. Filled with cliche sword and sorcery fantasy this starter of the collection was a meh. 3 stars
SOMETHING IN THE BLOOD by Richard L. Purtill. A straight up vampire tale. For me, vampire stuff is either urban fantasy or supernatural and doesn't fit the mold of main stream fantasy. Just saying. How does love bridge a vampire a a woman? Infection, of course. Not exactly an auspicious start to this collection. Less than meh. 2 stars
PIECE DE RESISTANCE by Judith Tarr. A somewhat supernatural (another offshoot of fantasy that doesn't meet my personal criteria) piece where a demon, in the guise of a chef, looks to aid a man overthrow his brother as king. An awful lot of story spent describing food and not developing the story. 2 stars
LONG, LONG AGO by R. Chetwynd-Hayes, A ghost story, pure and simple. With each short I read in this collection it strays farther and farther from main stream fantasy. A man wakes to find himself on an endless road where he meets a woman. Starts interesting then fades into tedium. 2 stars
THE OLD MAN AND THE CHERRY TREE by Kevin J. Anderson. In a short story, there is no time to introduce subplots and this one fails as the subplot of the main character's family history is a waste. A man tends a cherry tree his whole life and when the tree dies he takes drastic magical action. 2 stars
PHONE REPAIRS by Nancy Kress, The deeper I go into this collection, the further it gets from what I consider fantasy. here's a story where a man talks on the phone to a family from the near future. Twilight Zone, maybe, fantasy, I don't think so. 1 star
THE TALE AND ITS MASTER BY Michael Rutherford. At 48 pages, the longest in the book. An interesting spin on storytellers. At first I was a meh 3 stars, but realized what spoiled it for me was the editor's opening note which essentially gave the story away. 4 stars
SANCTUARY by Kim Antieau. The Twilight Zone strikes again. How do these stories rate as fantasy? A woman cannot leave her house for reasons unknown. 2 stars
THE UNCORKING OF UNCLE FINN by Jane Yolen. Folklore masquerading as fantasy. The only variation is Uncle Finn is labelled an elf when in all reality he's a leprechaun. High score on the boring meter. 1 star
A PLACE TO STAY FOR A LITTLE WHILE by Jim Aikin. A house where misfits with strange and unique skills are drawn to reside. Conflict arises with the newest tenant. I found it entertaining and unique, but the ending had an unfinished business feel to it. 4 stars
THE BOY WHO PLAITED MANES by Nancy Springer. A boy with a magical talent enters an estate and plaits horse hair, then the duchesses hair and things lead one to another. Although unique, not a lot of excitement. A meh. 3 stars
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