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jkusters's review against another edition
4.0
I generally do not like anthologies. Most of them are very uneven, and stories that don't catch my interest often cause me to put the book aside. So, I was skeptical when a friend recommended this anthology to me. "Trust me," he said.
I'm glad I did. There wasn't a single story in this book that failed to catch my interest. Even though the stories had wildly different genres, settings, and styles, they all were captivating. Some were funny, some were thought-provoking, and some were kind of just "out there" yet still entertaining.
If you enjoy thoughtful, well-written, science-fiction and fantasy stories, add this book to your collection.
I'm glad I did. There wasn't a single story in this book that failed to catch my interest. Even though the stories had wildly different genres, settings, and styles, they all were captivating. Some were funny, some were thought-provoking, and some were kind of just "out there" yet still entertaining.
If you enjoy thoughtful, well-written, science-fiction and fantasy stories, add this book to your collection.
twitchyredpen's review against another edition
4.0
Disclosure: I am friends with Sara Mueller, who co-wrote the included "Falling Off the Unicorn." (I think I enjoyed it its own merits, but it's best to be honest.)
The stories in Space Magic are fantasy in a way that makes sense. Everything is "normal", except there's clicking bug-aliens. Everything is "normal", except the government has time-rewinding assassins. And the stories have a plot. Even the ones not set in this world have a tether to Earth and reality.
See, sometime after reading this, I ended up with another book of short stories that was award winning despite reading like a collection of particularly nonsensical fever-dreams. And before this, the last book of short stories I'd had was this very dense collection of characters thinking about their families and considering whether they should fish. So if you're avoiding short stories because they're boring or just too weird, I understand where you're coming from, and suggest this instead! The stories are not boring, and are a perfect level of weird!
The stories in Space Magic are fantasy in a way that makes sense. Everything is "normal", except there's clicking bug-aliens. Everything is "normal", except the government has time-rewinding assassins. And the stories have a plot. Even the ones not set in this world have a tether to Earth and reality.
See, sometime after reading this, I ended up with another book of short stories that was award winning despite reading like a collection of particularly nonsensical fever-dreams. And before this, the last book of short stories I'd had was this very dense collection of characters thinking about their families and considering whether they should fish. So if you're avoiding short stories because they're boring or just too weird, I understand where you're coming from, and suggest this instead! The stories are not boring, and are a perfect level of weird!
twitchyredpen's review
4.0
Disclosure: I am friends with Sara Mueller, who co-wrote the included "Falling Off the Unicorn." (I think I enjoyed it its own merits, but it's best to be honest.)
The stories in Space Magic are fantasy in a way that makes sense. Everything is "normal", except there's clicking bug-aliens. Everything is "normal", except the government has time-rewinding assassins. And the stories have a plot. Even the ones not set in this world have a tether to Earth and reality.
See, sometime after reading this, I ended up with another book of short stories that was award winning despite reading like a collection of particularly nonsensical fever-dreams. And before this, the last book of short stories I'd had was this very dense collection of characters thinking about their families and considering whether they should fish. So if you're avoiding short stories because they're boring or just too weird, I understand where you're coming from, and suggest this instead! The stories are not boring, and are a perfect level of weird!
The stories in Space Magic are fantasy in a way that makes sense. Everything is "normal", except there's clicking bug-aliens. Everything is "normal", except the government has time-rewinding assassins. And the stories have a plot. Even the ones not set in this world have a tether to Earth and reality.
See, sometime after reading this, I ended up with another book of short stories that was award winning despite reading like a collection of particularly nonsensical fever-dreams. And before this, the last book of short stories I'd had was this very dense collection of characters thinking about their families and considering whether they should fish. So if you're avoiding short stories because they're boring or just too weird, I understand where you're coming from, and suggest this instead! The stories are not boring, and are a perfect level of weird!
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