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twerkingtobeethoven's review
5.0
Here it is: http://www.heroicfantasyquarterly.com/?p=1257
This is what grimdark is all about:
That said, Joe Abercrombie happens to be my all-time favourite fantasy author. I remember reading the first pages of [b:The Blade Itself|944073|The Blade Itself (The First Law #1)|Joe Abercrombie|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1284167912s/944073.jpg|929009] and thinking to myself "Oh come on, it can't be this damn good..."
Well, apparently there's a bloke in Canada who is just as good. I'm amazed.
Merged review:
Good stuff.
Here: http://www.heroicfantasyquarterly.com/?p=1004
Merged review:
It was roughly four years ago, I remember I was going through a bunch of GR reviews of [b:Beyond Redemption|23287202|Beyond Redemption (Manifest Delusions, #1)|Michael R. Fletcher|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1422215578l/23287202._SY75_.jpg|42803230] and, judging by what the peeps had to say about it, I knew I had to get hold of that shit asap. And, of course, I did.
image sharing
And it turned out to be one of the most amazing books ever. I mean, blood, guts, crazy bastards, loony bin material aplenty and the right amount of the blackest humour. Good shite!
What happened next? The book didn't sell too well and the cu- er...blokes at Harper-Voyager gave Fletcher the sack. Which absolutely baffles me. I have my own theory about it - which of course is bullcrap - and that being: it was the cover. Don't get me wrong, I love the cover-art of Beyond Redemption but it doesn't have a fantasy flavor to it. That drawing looks like something you'd expect to see on the cover of a Larry McMurtry's novel. So I guess a lot of peeps went "I see no dragons, fuck this."
Whatever, after BR, I got the whole shebang and loved every single line.
image sharing
Fletcher DELIVERS!
So, of course, when I heard about this collection, I knew I'd have to get my hands on it. And here we are.
Intellectual Property - 24 carat cyberpunk. Flawlessly written, very tight first-person narration. Won't tell anything else otherwise I'll end up spoiling the whole thing. Good stuff.
The Broken Dead - Some sort of sick love story between two fucked up characters, one of them being a self-proclaimed poet. This is typical Fletcher with just about every nuance of fubar. Again, good stuff.
Death at the Pass - This tale is about what happens when demons and wizards kick each other's arse.
A Second Chance - Fletcher's juvenilia. Not as bad as he thinks it is. I actually read worse short stories by Stephen King himself ("Here There Be Tygers").
The Summer of '79 - Beautiful, even though it's written in present tense which is a huge pet peeve of mine. Needs to be said that everything reminding me of or remotely resembling Robert McCammon's [b:Boy's Life|36505403|Boy's Life|Robert R. McCammon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1509393911l/36505403._SY75_.jpg|16685995] is a winner in my book.
Death and Dignity - One of the best stories of the lot, I think. Can't wait to get my dirty hands on the new book based on the same characters.
The Commuter - Fletcher's take on your typical Philip K. Dick theme, memory plugs. Funny, I haven't read a single line by PKD yet. Anyways, flawless execution.
Less Than 20/20 - This is basically about the issues and dangers dealing with winning a big bunch of dough by er...cheating.
At the Walls of Sinlos - A story set in the "Manifest Delusions" world featuring a different...flavor of Gehirn. Ah, I'm not saying more than this for (not so) obvious reasons.
Personality Pirate - Yet another cyberpunk tale, this time it's about someone's personality being modified through pirated plugs. Oh "Hanoi Montana"...fucking hell, Fletcher...
Characters is What You Are - More cyberpunk and a love story.
The Message - I don't really know what to say about this. Probably the weakest "story" of them all.
Just like the Rain - This was totally but pleasantly unexpected. And heartbreaking. "This is just something that happened."
Artificial Stupidiy - A sentient computer refusing to answer questions. It reminded me of one of the best stories off Stanislaw Lem's [b:The Cyberiad|18194|The Cyberiad|Stanisław Lem|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1166889908l/18194._SY75_.jpg|2371216] where a gigantic and stubborn computer does pretty much the same and, oh well, it doesn't end too well for those trying to make it come to terms.
The Invisible Assassin - More Fletcher's juvenilia. The author says it's a bit cringey. Honestly, I don't know why. It's all right.
Fire and Flash - Another story set in the "Manifest Delusion" universe. Only this particular one has a bit of a tropical feel to it, so to say.
The Undying Lands - Give me "The Obsidian Path" NOW. Oh wow, this was so damn amazing. Even better than "Death and Dignity".
Aye, Flecther, here's your five stars. All well deserved.
This is what grimdark is all about:
Jheng’s eyes widened. “Only fair? Only fucking fair?” She laughed. “Fair would be — ” The knife Timurelang drove up through the soft underbelly of her chin and into her brain cut the thought short.
That said, Joe Abercrombie happens to be my all-time favourite fantasy author. I remember reading the first pages of [b:The Blade Itself|944073|The Blade Itself (The First Law #1)|Joe Abercrombie|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1284167912s/944073.jpg|929009] and thinking to myself "Oh come on, it can't be this damn good..."
Well, apparently there's a bloke in Canada who is just as good. I'm amazed.
Merged review:
Good stuff.
Here: http://www.heroicfantasyquarterly.com/?p=1004
Merged review:
It was roughly four years ago, I remember I was going through a bunch of GR reviews of [b:Beyond Redemption|23287202|Beyond Redemption (Manifest Delusions, #1)|Michael R. Fletcher|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1422215578l/23287202._SY75_.jpg|42803230] and, judging by what the peeps had to say about it, I knew I had to get hold of that shit asap. And, of course, I did.
image sharing
And it turned out to be one of the most amazing books ever. I mean, blood, guts, crazy bastards, loony bin material aplenty and the right amount of the blackest humour. Good shite!
What happened next? The book didn't sell too well and the cu- er...blokes at Harper-Voyager gave Fletcher the sack. Which absolutely baffles me. I have my own theory about it - which of course is bullcrap - and that being: it was the cover. Don't get me wrong, I love the cover-art of Beyond Redemption but it doesn't have a fantasy flavor to it. That drawing looks like something you'd expect to see on the cover of a Larry McMurtry's novel. So I guess a lot of peeps went "I see no dragons, fuck this."
Whatever, after BR, I got the whole shebang and loved every single line.
image sharing
Fletcher DELIVERS!
So, of course, when I heard about this collection, I knew I'd have to get my hands on it. And here we are.
Intellectual Property - 24 carat cyberpunk. Flawlessly written, very tight first-person narration. Won't tell anything else otherwise I'll end up spoiling the whole thing. Good stuff.
The Broken Dead - Some sort of sick love story between two fucked up characters, one of them being a self-proclaimed poet. This is typical Fletcher with just about every nuance of fubar. Again, good stuff.
Death at the Pass - This tale is about what happens when demons and wizards kick each other's arse.
A Second Chance - Fletcher's juvenilia. Not as bad as he thinks it is. I actually read worse short stories by Stephen King himself ("Here There Be Tygers").
The Summer of '79 - Beautiful, even though it's written in present tense which is a huge pet peeve of mine. Needs to be said that everything reminding me of or remotely resembling Robert McCammon's [b:Boy's Life|36505403|Boy's Life|Robert R. McCammon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1509393911l/36505403._SY75_.jpg|16685995] is a winner in my book.
Death and Dignity - One of the best stories of the lot, I think. Can't wait to get my dirty hands on the new book based on the same characters.
The Commuter - Fletcher's take on your typical Philip K. Dick theme, memory plugs. Funny, I haven't read a single line by PKD yet. Anyways, flawless execution.
Less Than 20/20 - This is basically about the issues and dangers dealing with winning a big bunch of dough by er...cheating.
At the Walls of Sinlos - A story set in the "Manifest Delusions" world featuring a different...flavor of Gehirn. Ah, I'm not saying more than this for (not so) obvious reasons.
Personality Pirate - Yet another cyberpunk tale, this time it's about someone's personality being modified through pirated plugs. Oh "Hanoi Montana"...fucking hell, Fletcher...
Characters is What You Are - More cyberpunk and a love story.
The Message - I don't really know what to say about this. Probably the weakest "story" of them all.
Just like the Rain - This was totally but pleasantly unexpected. And heartbreaking. "This is just something that happened."
Artificial Stupidiy - A sentient computer refusing to answer questions. It reminded me of one of the best stories off Stanislaw Lem's [b:The Cyberiad|18194|The Cyberiad|Stanisław Lem|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1166889908l/18194._SY75_.jpg|2371216] where a gigantic and stubborn computer does pretty much the same and, oh well, it doesn't end too well for those trying to make it come to terms.
The Invisible Assassin - More Fletcher's juvenilia. The author says it's a bit cringey. Honestly, I don't know why. It's all right.
Fire and Flash - Another story set in the "Manifest Delusion" universe. Only this particular one has a bit of a tropical feel to it, so to say.
The Undying Lands - Give me "The Obsidian Path" NOW. Oh wow, this was so damn amazing. Even better than "Death and Dignity".
Aye, Flecther, here's your five stars. All well deserved.
ajokli's review
5.0
I really liked this collection of short stories. It’s fascinating to see the inception of the concepts and characters that later become the stories that you know and love. Every story was interesting, and I enjoyed them. Thanks for sharing Mike!
nathan01's review
4.0
This collection of stories from one of my favorite authors ranges from fantasy, to scifi, and even has a story that isn't speculative. I enjoyed reading all of this and seeing the array of ideas Fletcher has had over the decades. My lack of boredom despite the varying levels of quality and editing here is a testament to how much I love Fletcher's writing. The foreword from Anna Smith Spark is also greatly appreciated and touching.
My favorite stories here were: The Broken Dead, Death at the Pass, The Undying Lands, Fire and Flesh, Death and Dignity, The Commuter, Character is What You Are, and A Second Chance
My favorite stories here were: The Broken Dead, Death at the Pass, The Undying Lands, Fire and Flesh, Death and Dignity, The Commuter, Character is What You Are, and A Second Chance
alexkhlopenko's review
5.0
Full review at THREE CROWS MAGAZINE
I struggle with writing. Each review, even the one I’m writing right now, is a chore and pain in the ass, no matter how much I enjoyed the book or wanted to review it. For a content producer, it is important to be honest about these things, to show that life’s a struggle, and a creative one even more so. For honesty’s sake – I’ve been putting this review off for two months, despite devouring A Collection of Obsessions in a couple goes. Now I’m typing it up like a madman.
Another mad man is Michael R. Fletcher, who likes to indulge in batshittery and outright insanity and that’s why his grimdark niche loves him. Rightfully so they do – Beyond Redemption and Swarm and Steel are probably the darkest, most sickeningly violent tales of the last decade, where everyone is literally beyond redemption. His A Collection of Obsessions is simultaneously a showcase of how Fletcher developed this outlook and style, and how it was cultivated behind the scenes.
More than two dozen stories offer something for everyone. Phildickian cyberpunk and corporate espionage? Here you go. Hard SciFi? He’s got some of those. D&D inspired stories, stories from the universe of Manifest Delusions, love stories, even twilight-zone-ish mindfuckery – it’s all here: come and get it.
I struggle with writing. Each review, even the one I’m writing right now, is a chore and pain in the ass, no matter how much I enjoyed the book or wanted to review it. For a content producer, it is important to be honest about these things, to show that life’s a struggle, and a creative one even more so. For honesty’s sake – I’ve been putting this review off for two months, despite devouring A Collection of Obsessions in a couple goes. Now I’m typing it up like a madman.
Another mad man is Michael R. Fletcher, who likes to indulge in batshittery and outright insanity and that’s why his grimdark niche loves him. Rightfully so they do – Beyond Redemption and Swarm and Steel are probably the darkest, most sickeningly violent tales of the last decade, where everyone is literally beyond redemption. His A Collection of Obsessions is simultaneously a showcase of how Fletcher developed this outlook and style, and how it was cultivated behind the scenes.
More than two dozen stories offer something for everyone. Phildickian cyberpunk and corporate espionage? Here you go. Hard SciFi? He’s got some of those. D&D inspired stories, stories from the universe of Manifest Delusions, love stories, even twilight-zone-ish mindfuckery – it’s all here: come and get it.
jroberts3456's review
5.0
Actual star rating: 4.5
Original review on Nightmarish Conjurings:
http://www.nightmarishconjurings.com/2019/06/13/book-review-a-collection-of-obsessions/
TLDR: Fletcher is a madman of the highest order, as anyone who’s read his novels can attest. This collection of shorts from both across his career and before it is yet another check mark against his sanity, in the best possible way. While not exactly a great place to start your Fletcher experience, A Collection of Obsessions is a wonderful companion to his fantastic psychosis and offers a glimpse of the path one must take to become a writer with his talents.
Original review on Nightmarish Conjurings:
http://www.nightmarishconjurings.com/2019/06/13/book-review-a-collection-of-obsessions/
TLDR: Fletcher is a madman of the highest order, as anyone who’s read his novels can attest. This collection of shorts from both across his career and before it is yet another check mark against his sanity, in the best possible way. While not exactly a great place to start your Fletcher experience, A Collection of Obsessions is a wonderful companion to his fantastic psychosis and offers a glimpse of the path one must take to become a writer with his talents.
swiff's review
4.0
Reviewing a collection of stories, especially one that spans a writer's career, is difficult to rate. In "A Collection of Obesessions," Michael Fletcher shares some insight at the beginning of every entry explaining how far along his writing career he was at the time. Some of the earlier stuff was admittedly a bit raw, but he decided to include them anyway. I'm glad he did. I can't imagine many other writers who would want to share some of their earliest, never-before-published, never-since-been-edited stories. There's a lot of really cool themes that reappear throughout the anthology and I'd be interested in seeing more of them.
So, 4 stars, as it contains some fantastic, previously published short stories in the Manifest Delusions universe, and a healthy mix of previously unreleased sci fi and fantasy stories revolving around either a memory chip or an undead protagonist. Anna Smith Spark wrote a solid introduction, touching on how the book's stories are so varied -- she's absolutely right, as the setting and tone and emotions of these stories have a wide berth.
Hard science fiction, love stories, fantasy based off a role-playing game campaign, near-future corporate espionage, Twilight Zone-adjacent twists... and yes, a Manifest Delusions short story or two. It took me two days to read cover to cover.
If you're new to Fletcher's work, this probably isn't the book you want to start with. Go read Beyond Redemption or Swarm and Steel first. For those who are familiar with Fletcher's work, this feels like a bonus paycheck, and a chance to look under the hood and see how the engine runs. I'll read anything Fletcher writes, as he's earned Day 1 Purchase status. This collection of short stories continues that trend.
So, 4 stars, as it contains some fantastic, previously published short stories in the Manifest Delusions universe, and a healthy mix of previously unreleased sci fi and fantasy stories revolving around either a memory chip or an undead protagonist. Anna Smith Spark wrote a solid introduction, touching on how the book's stories are so varied -- she's absolutely right, as the setting and tone and emotions of these stories have a wide berth.
Hard science fiction, love stories, fantasy based off a role-playing game campaign, near-future corporate espionage, Twilight Zone-adjacent twists... and yes, a Manifest Delusions short story or two. It took me two days to read cover to cover.
If you're new to Fletcher's work, this probably isn't the book you want to start with. Go read Beyond Redemption or Swarm and Steel first. For those who are familiar with Fletcher's work, this feels like a bonus paycheck, and a chance to look under the hood and see how the engine runs. I'll read anything Fletcher writes, as he's earned Day 1 Purchase status. This collection of short stories continues that trend.
michaelrfletcher's review
Ebook pre-orders are live on Amazon, and paperback copies are, I believe, shipping!
The collection just received its first review: https://www.grimdarkmagazine.com/review-a-collection-of-obsessions-by-michael-r-fletcher/
The collection just received its first review: https://www.grimdarkmagazine.com/review-a-collection-of-obsessions-by-michael-r-fletcher/
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