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jbleyle63's review against another edition
4.0
First foray for me into the Wild Cards universe curated by a collective of authors led most prominently by George R.R. Martin whose Prologue and Interludes provide a post WWII alternative history context to the collected stories. Even more entertaining are the GRRM written pieces purported to be penned by Studs Terkel, Tom Wolfe, and Hunter S. Thompson whose styles Martin mimics well. Looking forward to more reading of this series!
mousie_books's review against another edition
3.0
I won a copy of this from Goodreads First Reads.
I liked a number of the stories. It was in between a set of standalone stories and cohesive serial, but as a result, much of it felt like it was introducing the characters.
Minutes over Broadway by Howard Waldrop (2/5) - introduces Jetboy, a fighter pilot war hero, and the wild card virus. It was filled with WWII references that went over my head, and I had a hard time getting into the story.
The Sleeper by Roger Zelazny (3/5) - has one of the cooler wild cards. He is boy who changes into a new ace or joker every time he falls asleep. It's a good, absorbing story.
Witness by Walter Jon Williams (3/5) - introduces the Four Aces, a group of traditional super heroes, and marks the beginning of the McCarthy era. I liked this one.
Captain Cathode and the Secret Ace by Michael Cassutt - is a television show with a chronically late actor and a producer with fokus (a.k.a. super vision). I liked the story, but the ending was hokey.
Powers by David D. Levine (4/5) - A secret jet disappears over the Soviet Union, and an ace that can stop time tries to prevent a international incident. The story is simple, but the plot/action is exciting.
Shell Games by GRRM (4/5) - features Tachyon and the telekinetic turtle. It was really good and hard to put down.
Degredation Rites by Melinda M. Snodgrass (3/5) - is a sweet and sad story about Tachyon and Blythe.
The Long, Dark Night of Fortunato by Lewis Shiner (2/5) - An ace pimp hunts down a murderer targeting hookers. I didn't feel like this fit in with the rest of the stories. The power was gross, and the story reminds me of Illuminatus! (which I didn't like).
Transfigurations by Victor Milan (2/5) - features the Vietnam protests. I didn't really get the point, and felt that the aces/jokers were superfluous.
Down Deep by Edward Bryant and Leanne C. Harper (2/5) - features alligator and animal telepath aces who get in trouble with the mob. I thought the story was random.
Strings by Stephen Leigh (3/5) - Puppetman and the riotous jokers. It had an interesting twist.
Ghost Girl Takes Manhattan by Carrie Vaughn (4/5) - A night out in the Bowery goes awry with ghost girl and the sleeper. The story was funny and exciting.
Comes a Hunter by John J. Miller (3/5) - A nat takes on an ace. The story was interesting, and I'm curious to find out how it 'ends'.
I liked a number of the stories. It was in between a set of standalone stories and cohesive serial, but as a result, much of it felt like it was introducing the characters.
Minutes over Broadway by Howard Waldrop (2/5) - introduces Jetboy, a fighter pilot war hero, and the wild card virus. It was filled with WWII references that went over my head, and I had a hard time getting into the story.
The Sleeper by Roger Zelazny (3/5) - has one of the cooler wild cards. He is boy who changes into a new ace or joker every time he falls asleep. It's a good, absorbing story.
Witness by Walter Jon Williams (3/5) - introduces the Four Aces, a group of traditional super heroes, and marks the beginning of the McCarthy era. I liked this one.
Captain Cathode and the Secret Ace by Michael Cassutt - is a television show with a chronically late actor and a producer with fokus (a.k.a. super vision). I liked the story, but the ending was hokey.
Powers by David D. Levine (4/5) - A secret jet disappears over the Soviet Union, and an ace that can stop time tries to prevent a international incident. The story is simple, but the plot/action is exciting.
Shell Games by GRRM (4/5) - features Tachyon and the telekinetic turtle. It was really good and hard to put down.
Degredation Rites by Melinda M. Snodgrass (3/5) - is a sweet and sad story about Tachyon and Blythe.
The Long, Dark Night of Fortunato by Lewis Shiner (2/5) - An ace pimp hunts down a murderer targeting hookers. I didn't feel like this fit in with the rest of the stories. The power was gross, and the story reminds me of Illuminatus! (which I didn't like).
Transfigurations by Victor Milan (2/5) - features the Vietnam protests. I didn't really get the point, and felt that the aces/jokers were superfluous.
Down Deep by Edward Bryant and Leanne C. Harper (2/5) - features alligator and animal telepath aces who get in trouble with the mob. I thought the story was random.
Strings by Stephen Leigh (3/5) - Puppetman and the riotous jokers. It had an interesting twist.
Ghost Girl Takes Manhattan by Carrie Vaughn (4/5) - A night out in the Bowery goes awry with ghost girl and the sleeper. The story was funny and exciting.
Comes a Hunter by John J. Miller (3/5) - A nat takes on an ace. The story was interesting, and I'm curious to find out how it 'ends'.
cybergit's review against another edition
5.0
An unexpected gem
I must admit that this was an impulse buy! I had just finished reading all of the Game of Thrones books and enjoyed them tremendously. I enjoy Science Fiction, this collection was edited by George R R Martin and I thought this would be a good combination. I was expecting a collection of short stories set in an alternative history – what I got, was so much more!
Wild Cards is a series of short stories written by different authors but set in the same alternate history. The stories span the period from just after the Second World War to the mid 80's. George R R Martins careful editing seems to solve all of the continuity errors that usually plague these multi author collections. The stories are very diverse and engaging and they all have a 1950 and 60's feel, bringing the universe to life. The language of the time comes through very strongly making the characters and the world they inhabit seem very real. One story set during the Joseph McCarthy communist witch hunt, brilliantly captures the fear and intimidation that pervaded that sorry episode in American history.
The quality of all the stories is exceptional, with three stand out stories, in my opinion, that soared above the general high level of writing:
“The sleeper” by Roger Zelazny is the perfect opening for the series and lays the ground rules for the rest of the book. Zelazny at his minimalist best, bringing the world and his protagonist to life.
“Degradation Rites” by Melinda M. Snodgrass is the second stand out story detailing the doomed love affair of Dr. Tachyon. The character of Mrs Renssaeler is beautifully worked and you end up rooting for this tragic young woman as she slowly loses he mind and is pushed over the edge by the HUAC questioning.
“The Long, Dark Night of Dortunato” by Lewis Shiner is also a great read, but very dark and disturbing.
Two other stories that I enjoyed which were just fun were "Shell Games" and "Ghost Girl takes Manhattan"
I must admit that this was an impulse buy! I had just finished reading all of the Game of Thrones books and enjoyed them tremendously. I enjoy Science Fiction, this collection was edited by George R R Martin and I thought this would be a good combination. I was expecting a collection of short stories set in an alternative history – what I got, was so much more!
Wild Cards is a series of short stories written by different authors but set in the same alternate history. The stories span the period from just after the Second World War to the mid 80's. George R R Martins careful editing seems to solve all of the continuity errors that usually plague these multi author collections. The stories are very diverse and engaging and they all have a 1950 and 60's feel, bringing the universe to life. The language of the time comes through very strongly making the characters and the world they inhabit seem very real. One story set during the Joseph McCarthy communist witch hunt, brilliantly captures the fear and intimidation that pervaded that sorry episode in American history.
The quality of all the stories is exceptional, with three stand out stories, in my opinion, that soared above the general high level of writing:
“The sleeper” by Roger Zelazny is the perfect opening for the series and lays the ground rules for the rest of the book. Zelazny at his minimalist best, bringing the world and his protagonist to life.
“Degradation Rites” by Melinda M. Snodgrass is the second stand out story detailing the doomed love affair of Dr. Tachyon. The character of Mrs Renssaeler is beautifully worked and you end up rooting for this tragic young woman as she slowly loses he mind and is pushed over the edge by the HUAC questioning.
“The Long, Dark Night of Dortunato” by Lewis Shiner is also a great read, but very dark and disturbing.
Two other stories that I enjoyed which were just fun were "Shell Games" and "Ghost Girl takes Manhattan"
greatnate008's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this book. I liked most of the stories, and I really liked the overall concept. How have I not paid any attention to this series before now? I'm going to read the next one.
shirezu's review against another edition
5.0
I first heard of this book a few years ago when I read [b:GRRM: A RRetrospective|1783847|GRRM A RRetrospective (Trade Hardcover)|George R.R. Martin|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1188301243s/1783847.jpg|1782715] which included one of George R. Martins contributions to the first volume. Ever since that little glimpse I was hooked and wanted to read more. Finally I got my hands on a copy.
[b:Wild Cards|147908|Wild Cards |George R.R. Martin|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172191781s/147908.jpg|1807663] is set in an alternate reality which broke away in the 1940's just after WW2. An alien virus was released over Manhattan which could affect people in one of 3 ways - kill them (90%), mutate them into a deformed creature (called a Joker - 9%) or imbue them with special powers (known as an Ace - 1%). Although not all Ace powers are very good. If you gain a power but it's not useful you're known as a Deuce.
This isn't your normal (well for the time it was written) superhero book. The best contemporary comparison is [b:Watchmen|472331|Watchmen|Alan Moore|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1238274511s/472331.jpg|4358649]. They were both written around the same time in a similar vein. Wild Cards is dark and honest and brutal. It follows through the times perfectly. The post WW2 boom time, Korea, Vietnam, the Communist McCarthy witchhunts and the HUAC. Instead of race riots there's Joker riots in the '70s.
But it's not all doom and gloom. There are some funnier stories, some feelgood stories. But it doesn't gloss over the unpopular truths as good fiction shouldn't. A brilliant collection I can't wait to read the next volume.
[b:Wild Cards|147908|Wild Cards |George R.R. Martin|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172191781s/147908.jpg|1807663] is set in an alternate reality which broke away in the 1940's just after WW2. An alien virus was released over Manhattan which could affect people in one of 3 ways - kill them (90%), mutate them into a deformed creature (called a Joker - 9%) or imbue them with special powers (known as an Ace - 1%). Although not all Ace powers are very good. If you gain a power but it's not useful you're known as a Deuce.
This isn't your normal (well for the time it was written) superhero book. The best contemporary comparison is [b:Watchmen|472331|Watchmen|Alan Moore|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1238274511s/472331.jpg|4358649]. They were both written around the same time in a similar vein. Wild Cards is dark and honest and brutal. It follows through the times perfectly. The post WW2 boom time, Korea, Vietnam, the Communist McCarthy witchhunts and the HUAC. Instead of race riots there's Joker riots in the '70s.
But it's not all doom and gloom. There are some funnier stories, some feelgood stories. But it doesn't gloss over the unpopular truths as good fiction shouldn't. A brilliant collection I can't wait to read the next volume.
scamp1234's review against another edition
3.0
I really like the premise of this series and that it's a collaboration of different writers tackling it in short stories. Some of the stories to start out though were a bit bland, but I would have to believe that it's going to get better with so many volumes are out and now a tv series is in the works.
secre's review against another edition
4.0
I don't often read anthologies of short stories and whilst I enjoyed this, it does remind me why. I feel knocked out of the story at each jolt to a new character, a new viewpoint, a new issue or concern. It was far more noticeable here than with a few other anthologies I have read, due to the sheer amount of stories. There is twenty here in total (and that doesn't include the appendices!); a few of the interludes only a handful of pages long, whilst others stretch easily to 25,000 words.
All relate to this world in which an alien virus is released, killing 90% of those who contract it and causing strange changes in those remaining. The lucky few become Aces; beings with subhuman powers. The 90% of the survivors... don't. It becomes known as the Wild Card virus as it is a true wild card as to what you draw; Ace, Joker, Deuce, Black Queen. Whatever you draw, it will change your life and even if you are one of those who wasn't in range of that immediate virus, life will still never be the same again.
I also found that the writing styles to be variable and whilst all were well written, some simply didn't grab and hold my attention. Some characters just failed to excite or intrigue me and some events made me uncomfortable rather than interested. There are a couple of short stories here with a firm focus on a grimy underworld of sex, violence and expletives that I struggled more with. I also found myself struggling to re-engage each time, particularly by half way through the book as the chopping and changing was giving me a headache.
For all of that however, I can't help but be impressed with this anthology both for how realistic and thorough the world-building is and for how well the stories worked together in this intricately balanced world. There are no inconsistencies jarring you between different stories and that has to be considered virtually miraculous. The way different authors 'borrow' characters that earlier entries have introduced, whilst keeping them in character is clever and gives a grounding to keep the universe steady and linked. Sometimes its a throwaway comment, other times key early characters play a forefront role and it nearly always works.
The interlinking of fantasy events with true history is also beautifully done, making that fine line between reality and distortion difficult to find in some cases. There's some real imagination in the nature of the distortions and disfigurements of both Aces and Jokers, but there is also an uncanny ability to meld truth into fiction. The way the McCarthy years are used like a scalpel goes beyond clever, and the political implications reverberate through later tales. It is all joined up and that allows for these twenty odd stories to build a comprehensive world to dip your feet in.
All relate to this world in which an alien virus is released, killing 90% of those who contract it and causing strange changes in those remaining. The lucky few become Aces; beings with subhuman powers. The 90% of the survivors... don't. It becomes known as the Wild Card virus as it is a true wild card as to what you draw; Ace, Joker, Deuce, Black Queen. Whatever you draw, it will change your life and even if you are one of those who wasn't in range of that immediate virus, life will still never be the same again.
I also found that the writing styles to be variable and whilst all were well written, some simply didn't grab and hold my attention. Some characters just failed to excite or intrigue me and some events made me uncomfortable rather than interested. There are a couple of short stories here with a firm focus on a grimy underworld of sex, violence and expletives that I struggled more with. I also found myself struggling to re-engage each time, particularly by half way through the book as the chopping and changing was giving me a headache.
For all of that however, I can't help but be impressed with this anthology both for how realistic and thorough the world-building is and for how well the stories worked together in this intricately balanced world. There are no inconsistencies jarring you between different stories and that has to be considered virtually miraculous. The way different authors 'borrow' characters that earlier entries have introduced, whilst keeping them in character is clever and gives a grounding to keep the universe steady and linked. Sometimes its a throwaway comment, other times key early characters play a forefront role and it nearly always works.
The interlinking of fantasy events with true history is also beautifully done, making that fine line between reality and distortion difficult to find in some cases. There's some real imagination in the nature of the distortions and disfigurements of both Aces and Jokers, but there is also an uncanny ability to meld truth into fiction. The way the McCarthy years are used like a scalpel goes beyond clever, and the political implications reverberate through later tales. It is all joined up and that allows for these twenty odd stories to build a comprehensive world to dip your feet in.
williamstome's review against another edition
2.0
Didn't read the last two stories, but marking this as finished nonetheless. The book is fine... But very dated at this point, and I didn't get much enjoyment out of it, especially for it's length.
persepony's review against another edition
3.0
As always, I'll keep it short. This one was hard to get through, really. Probably it's brilliant, but it's just not my genre and I found it really exhausting most of the time.
"The Sleeper" by Roger Zelazny is by far the best story in my opinion. I really loved it. The rest - not so much, but perhaps mostly because it's just not my style.
"The Sleeper" by Roger Zelazny is by far the best story in my opinion. I really loved it. The rest - not so much, but perhaps mostly because it's just not my style.
jmanchester0's review against another edition
4.0
I read this in high school, but don't remember so much about the war in the beginning. It just kind of dragged on for me for a while. When are we getting to the good stuff? Where is Fortunato? The Turtle? Where are all the cool jokers? The stories were interesting to be sure, but all of the politics and all of the courtroom scenes started to get a little boring. Finally, nearly halfway through, we get through a lot of the background and into the stories I was more interested in.
I still love The Sleeper (Croyd is fanastic) and Shell Game; and The Long, Dark Night of Fortunato is even better than I remember it.
And the new stuff was interesting - especially Ghost Girl Takes Manhatten. Though now the old paperback copy I own is pointless. *sigh*
I love how these are all separate stories are all interwoven. A hippie who has a big part in Fortunato's story pops up in Rosemary's story. The enigmatic Croyd - who has the first real ace story - makes cameos in several others.
As I reflect on it, it is a little bit groundbreaking to see a series with superheroes that delves so much into the crap you have to deal with everyday life. That's one great thing about a short story anthology - you have the time an leeway to mix it up, like having the regular day-to-day humdrum mixed with the epic action.
But wow, there's a lot more sex than I remember. Some of the stories are lightly PG. Some are R. Just be aware of this going in. Generally, the content fits the story its in. Fortunato fits. Though I could have done without the creepy mix of sex and politics in Strings.
And it's interesting to see that so many of these stories hold grains of truth. Eagle Eye in Powers was a real person. And he really flew the U-2 and was held by the Soviets for espionage right before the Paris East-West summit. (While reading this book, I accidentally happened upon the following quote on the internet, looking up something completely unrelated this book: "I was a pilot flying an airplane and it just so happened that, where I was flying, made what I was doing spying." -Francis Gary Powers)
Great book. At this point, it's kind of a classic.
I still love The Sleeper (Croyd is fanastic) and Shell Game; and The Long, Dark Night of Fortunato is even better than I remember it.
And the new stuff was interesting - especially Ghost Girl Takes Manhatten. Though now the old paperback copy I own is pointless. *sigh*
I love how these are all separate stories are all interwoven. A hippie who has a big part in Fortunato's story pops up in Rosemary's story. The enigmatic Croyd - who has the first real ace story - makes cameos in several others.
As I reflect on it, it is a little bit groundbreaking to see a series with superheroes that delves so much into the crap you have to deal with everyday life. That's one great thing about a short story anthology - you have the time an leeway to mix it up, like having the regular day-to-day humdrum mixed with the epic action.
But wow, there's a lot more sex than I remember. Some of the stories are lightly PG. Some are R. Just be aware of this going in. Generally, the content fits the story its in. Fortunato fits. Though I could have done without the creepy mix of sex and politics in Strings.
And it's interesting to see that so many of these stories hold grains of truth. Eagle Eye in Powers was a real person. And he really flew the U-2 and was held by the Soviets for espionage right before the Paris East-West summit. (While reading this book, I accidentally happened upon the following quote on the internet, looking up something completely unrelated this book: "I was a pilot flying an airplane and it just so happened that, where I was flying, made what I was doing spying." -Francis Gary Powers)
Great book. At this point, it's kind of a classic.