Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
I selfishly read this for the Patricia Briggs story. I tried to read all the other stories, but read only two or three of them and exited. Elizabeth Bear is a favorite author, too, but I had a hard time getting into the vein of the anthologized story. Usually I get new author ideas from reading collections, but not in this instance.
A few really good stories, but the rest were pretty meh. Several didn't feel like they belonged in this book, but would have been a better fit for a horror anthology. Most of the stories were very slow paced without much action. It took me a while to get through this book because it just didn't hold my attention for very long.
I expected a lot more from this one, but it just didn't hit the mark.
I expected a lot more from this one, but it just didn't hit the mark.
I picked up this anthology at the library for the sole purpose of reading the Patricia Briggs story. So worth it! I'm sure the other stories must be good too, although I'd suspect that each one specifically appeals to fans of that particular writer.
Like all anthologies there were some amazing stories and some that when they were finished I was..... ummmmmmm ..... still glad to have read them
I read it for the Patricia Briggs story. It was good, but not my favorite.
I'm slowly working through the other stories in the book, and for the most part, it's been fun. I'd recommend picking it up from the library.. maybe not buying it if you aren't a giant fan of one of the authors.
I'm slowly working through the other stories in the book, and for the most part, it's been fun. I'd recommend picking it up from the library.. maybe not buying it if you aren't a giant fan of one of the authors.
This is one of the best anthologies I've read in a long time, especially considering the wide variety of authors. However, this is one of the few that I wouldn't mind reading again. All of the stories really sucked me in, and I discovered several writers I'd never heard of before. A must read if you love urban fantasy.
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I've been reading a lot of story anthologies lately, and the word "uneven" comes up in my reviews so often I sound like a broken record. Many anthologies are mixed in terms of quality, and while you might guess the problem to be the difficulty of finding enough strong writers to participate, I think it's more that some of the most prominent writers earn their spot by name recognition alone, and just go through the motions. Most of the stories with "New York Times bestseller" as part of the author bio seemed to me rushed, superficial and generally lacking, as if cranked out to fulfill a commitment rather than to express ideas. There are exceptions. Jim Butcher is well-known, with a successful series of novels, and his lead-off story "Curses" is enjoyable and engaging. The strongest work here, and there is certainly enough of it to justify purchase of The Naked City, comes from emerging or mid-list writers.
Matthew Kressel's "The Bricks of Gelecek" may have been the most beautifully crafted piece here, and certainly the most poetic. It's my first exposure to Kressel and I'll keep his name in mind. Jeffrey Ford's "Daddy Longlegs of the Evening" overcomes a somewhat puzzling and ultimately not-entirely-satisfying central concept by virtue of a pleasing narrative voice and wonderfully crafted prose. Lucius Shepard's "The Skinny Girl" is likewise stronger on style than content, but the piece is relatively brief and moves along well. Shepard is one of the truly fine craftsman of sentences in genre writing. Nathan Ballingrud's "The Way Station" feels like the most heartfelt and intense of stories here. As with Kressel, this is a name I'll follow in the future. Caitlin R. Kiernan is one of my favorite writers of weird and fantastic fiction, and her "The Colliers' Venus (1893)" was an excellent, flavorful period piece with a bit of steampunk feel, but not so much as to annoy those of us who find steampunk tiresome.
Lavie Tidhar's "The Projected Girl" started off strong and had me engaged for a while, only to drag later on. Could've been a great 20 page story or even a very good 30 pager, but at 40 pages overstayed its welcome. Likewise, I went back and forth on Elizabeth Bear's lengthy closing piece, "King Pole, Gallows Pole, Bottle Tree." It's well-written and emotionally real, but often the fantasy component to the story felt tacked-on to a real world story about a couple of friends.
I understand story anthologies are tough to put together. Often bigger names have to be included in order to get a publisher interested. This necessity makes things tougher on Editor Ellen Datlow, who's better at this kind of thing than anyone, as the all-stars don't seem to be putting in as much effort as the players off the bench. That's not a reason to avoid The Naked City, not at all, but this will be of greater interest to fans of writers like Kiernan, Ballingrud, Ford and Shepard than fans of the better-known names prominently featured on the cover.
Matthew Kressel's "The Bricks of Gelecek" may have been the most beautifully crafted piece here, and certainly the most poetic. It's my first exposure to Kressel and I'll keep his name in mind. Jeffrey Ford's "Daddy Longlegs of the Evening" overcomes a somewhat puzzling and ultimately not-entirely-satisfying central concept by virtue of a pleasing narrative voice and wonderfully crafted prose. Lucius Shepard's "The Skinny Girl" is likewise stronger on style than content, but the piece is relatively brief and moves along well. Shepard is one of the truly fine craftsman of sentences in genre writing. Nathan Ballingrud's "The Way Station" feels like the most heartfelt and intense of stories here. As with Kressel, this is a name I'll follow in the future. Caitlin R. Kiernan is one of my favorite writers of weird and fantastic fiction, and her "The Colliers' Venus (1893)" was an excellent, flavorful period piece with a bit of steampunk feel, but not so much as to annoy those of us who find steampunk tiresome.
Lavie Tidhar's "The Projected Girl" started off strong and had me engaged for a while, only to drag later on. Could've been a great 20 page story or even a very good 30 pager, but at 40 pages overstayed its welcome. Likewise, I went back and forth on Elizabeth Bear's lengthy closing piece, "King Pole, Gallows Pole, Bottle Tree." It's well-written and emotionally real, but often the fantasy component to the story felt tacked-on to a real world story about a couple of friends.
I understand story anthologies are tough to put together. Often bigger names have to be included in order to get a publisher interested. This necessity makes things tougher on Editor Ellen Datlow, who's better at this kind of thing than anyone, as the all-stars don't seem to be putting in as much effort as the players off the bench. That's not a reason to avoid The Naked City, not at all, but this will be of greater interest to fans of writers like Kiernan, Ballingrud, Ford and Shepard than fans of the better-known names prominently featured on the cover.
I only read Underbridge by Peter S Beagle, Guns for the Dead by Melissa Marr, and Noble Rot by Holly Black. I am not usually a big short story fan, but, 4 stars for each!