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excavatinglizard's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
A truly lovely collection of short stories. The writing is straightforward but full of clear characterizations and worldbuilding packed into the limits of the short stories without feeling rushed.
britreads's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
A great collection! Here are some stories that stood out:
- Requiem Without Sound
- Case of the Soane Museum Thefts (Really hope the author returns to this world in another story)
- Blades, Stones and the Weight of Centuries
- Five Reasons for the Sing Above Her Door, One of Them Unspoken
- Everything the Sea Takes, It Returns (very nearly choked up during one scene)
- Shadows of the Hungry, the Broken, the Transformed
The entire collection is worth a read, though I was much more interested in the latter half. Neon Hemlock continues to publish great works and now I have a new spec. fic. author that I will closely follow.
becomingmari's review
5.0
really good! very gay! Lot of different worlds, a lot sad and dystopic, but really interesting reads as standalone pieces. Didn't feel too repetitive. I recommend!
gracew's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
trillium9's review
I didn't like this as much as I thought I would. I was hoping for darker and stranger I think. (and a little less direct about what the moral of each story was? some of them felt more like essays with fiction woven in than stories.) Still, I loved "Hopper in the Frying Pan" - fast and fun. And I liked the strange format and romance of "Dead at the Feet of God."
joreadsbooks's review
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Read an ARC from the publisher
This collection is full of queer stories that cross streams between science fiction, fantasy, and horror, sometimes crossing over, but never being shy about it. There are multiverses, quests, terrifying boarding schools, haunted museums that need to be emptied, people resisting, people trying their best, and more. I inhaled these in rapid succession. You will find intricate worldbuilding and complex characterizations within these pages, and I’m excited to share my faves.
Overall, this collection is impressive. I am floored by the intricacy of these stories. They deliver the full plots and backstories of entire novels in a small space of several thousand words. The characters aren’t always loveable, but they are complex. They’re people who are trying, and the stories portray the best efforts, regardless the outcome. There is tenderness, but there is also resilience. The author’s notes at the end also provide wonderful context for both the structure of each story and Wasserstein’s process in the writing craft.
The range and variety Wasserstein brings to the table is truly a sight to behold. Here are the stories that I enjoyed the most, but there is something for everyone across the broad spectrum of SFFH:
- “All the Hometown You Can’t Stay Away From”
- A kind of multiverse story in which the narrator comes home multiple times to different outcomes
- Similar through lines and characterization despite characters appearing or disappearing
- Bittersweet
- “Unplaces: An Atlas of Non-Existence”
- A story told in the literal margins from an artifact in a Museum of Fascism
- Anti-fascist with incredibly lived-in world
- Tragic, hopeful, a roller coaster
- “The Good Mothers’ Home for Wayward Girls”
- About a reform school there’s a new girl
- Things are not okay, and this continues to be among my favorite horror subgenres
- Horrifying and intriguing
- “Dead at the Feet of a God”
- A high fantasy about assassinating a god told in a fractured, nonlinear timeline
- Angsty with intricate worldbuilding for such a tight space
- CW: corpses, execution
- “Hopper in the Frying Pan”
- A cyberpunk near-fear where you’re in danger of becoming who you pretend to be
- Interesting use of social media as plot progression and hacking, so much hacking
- CW: police brutality
- “Blades, Stone, and the Weight of Centuries”
- The words, “gladiomancer” and “pestimancer”
- High fantasy with dynamic sword fights and sword lesbians kissing
- Reckons with destiny and the desire for destiny
- “The Grass Bows Down, The Pilgrims Walk Lightly”
- A blend of science fiction space exploration and worship of Norse gods (specifically Odin)
- Build, rebuild, explore, repeat
- Seeking something better after ecological collapse, and not stopping until it is found
- “Shadows of the Hungry, the Broken, the Transformed”
- Sentient shadows in a police state backdrop and an MC pursuing a PhD
- Weaving as craft and magic
- Magic as a manifestation of loss and reflection
More...