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kjboldon's review
5.0
A delightful collection, all gems, no duds! It feels like faint praise to say that it's not uneven, but collections almost always are. And this one isn't! Kritzer's speculative slant is never her focus, but rather the flavor. The stories are built on good characters, humor, compelling situations, and the clever mind that wondered, what if? This is speculative fiction for both fans and skeptics alike.
kimu's review
5.0
One of the best science fiction short story collections that I've read in years. There were one or two stories that didn't connect for me, but overall, really enjoyed this collection. Definitely recommend.
lglazb's review
3.0
So there are a lot of 5* ratings here, and I did ponder some time before deciding what mine will be.
The reason that this, from my perspective, isn't a perfect 5, nor quite a strong 4, is that some of these stories were just ok.
Don't get me wrong. Naomi knows how to build the narrative and the characters, so she keeps your focus through this journey, and the comic undertone found in most of the stories is very amusing. I would say that sf is more of her strong suit (I loved the Cat Pictures Please), so in the end, the just-ok-fantasy-stories were those that determined my rating.
The reason that this, from my perspective, isn't a perfect 5, nor quite a strong 4, is that some of these stories were just ok.
Don't get me wrong. Naomi knows how to build the narrative and the characters, so she keeps your focus through this journey, and the comic undertone found in most of the stories is very amusing. I would say that sf is more of her strong suit (I loved the Cat Pictures Please), so in the end, the just-ok-fantasy-stories were those that determined my rating.
maeve_spry's review
5.0
Brilliant
This collection is a wholly satisfying smorgasbord of delightful short stories. Even those I’d read before were great to reread, while those new to me have firmly situated themselves in my “to read again” pile.
This collection is a wholly satisfying smorgasbord of delightful short stories. Even those I’d read before were great to reread, while those new to me have firmly situated themselves in my “to read again” pile.
zannetastic's review
5.0
Fabulous collection
I was quite impressed with the collection. I'd read several of these in other places, and am happy to have all of them in one place. A lovely variety of stories.
I was quite impressed with the collection. I'd read several of these in other places, and am happy to have all of them in one place. A lovely variety of stories.
devrose's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
This was a great anthology! I thoroughly enjoyed every story. The ending to the last one felt a bit abrupt, but that’s my biggest criticism.
lamusadelils's review against another edition
4.0
Conocí a Naomi Kritzer por la historia que da nombre a esta colección, que me encantó cuando la leí originalmente.
El resto no se queda atrás, casi todas son muy buenas y a lo largo de los diferentes temas, Kritzer mantiene ese sentido del humor y precisión al decir justo lo necesario para implantar una imagen en tu mente.
El resto no se queda atrás, casi todas son muy buenas y a lo largo de los diferentes temas, Kritzer mantiene ese sentido del humor y precisión al decir justo lo necesario para implantar una imagen en tu mente.
sharonfalduto's review against another edition
5.0
Great science fiction short stories that (usually ) start out as normal domestic scenes and then get turned a little sideways.
Including the Hugo award winning story "Cat Pictures Please" about a helpful AI.
Including the Hugo award winning story "Cat Pictures Please" about a helpful AI.
sashas_books's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.25
A very good collection of short stories! There was a lot of interesting themes and concepts that stayed with you and made you think. What muddied the waters for me a bit was that the 2-3 "meh stories" in here were very meh indeed.
I loved the titular story about an AI with a thing for cat pictures ;).
The other ones I really liked were:
"The Golem" - set in Prague in 1941...
"In the Witch's Garden" - a sci-fi/fantasy retelling of the "Snow Queen"
"Cleanout" - three sisters are cleaning out their parents' house in order to sell it. But where did the parents REALLY come from?
"Artifice" - when one of your friends decides to get a robot boyfriend...
"The Good Son" - a faery falls in love with a mortal and bewitches a childless couple to act as his parents to make courting easier.
"Isabella's Garden" - when you have a two-year-old with magical powers that MAKE THINGS GROW
"Bits" - a sex toy company needs to begin to cater to human/alien couples (very very silly and funny)
"Honest Man" - about an immortal conman ;)
"So Much Cooking" - food blogger stuck at home during a horrid flu epidemic. (Kind of prescient...)
I loved the titular story about an AI with a thing for cat pictures ;).
The other ones I really liked were:
"The Golem" - set in Prague in 1941...
"In the Witch's Garden" - a sci-fi/fantasy retelling of the "Snow Queen"
"Cleanout" - three sisters are cleaning out their parents' house in order to sell it. But where did the parents REALLY come from?
"Artifice" - when one of your friends decides to get a robot boyfriend...
"The Good Son" - a faery falls in love with a mortal and bewitches a childless couple to act as his parents to make courting easier.
"Isabella's Garden" - when you have a two-year-old with magical powers that MAKE THINGS GROW
"Bits" - a sex toy company needs to begin to cater to human/alien couples (very very silly and funny)
"Honest Man" - about an immortal conman ;)
"So Much Cooking" - food blogger stuck at home during a horrid flu epidemic. (Kind of prescient...)