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A review by moonlightcupofcocoa
Unnatural Creatures: Stories Selected by Neil Gaiman by Neil Gaiman
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
3.75
Since this is a collection of short stories I will share short notes and a rating for each of them separately. The overall star rating would be for the collection as a whole and will be the calculated average for the individual stories.
Overall: I rarely decide to own short story collections, because more often than not, I don't find enough stories in them I'd want to revisit. This was the first one I found myself looking to buy.
Individual Stories Ratings:
The Spot by Grahan Wilson (5 stars) - I made up the name because its name is actually a visual of a blob. I really enjoyed this whole story as nonsensical and strange as it is. So much so I had to go look up other books by Grahan Wilson since I hadn't heard the name before.
The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees by E. Lily Yu ( 1 star) - I'm not even sure what I read. I read it twice to try and get into a different mindset and see if I'd like it better, but no. It tries to be a commentary on politics and society but does it in such a convoluted way that you can't help but hate it.
The Griffin and the Minor Canon by Frank R. Stockton (4 stars) - I actually really enjoyed this one. The flow of the story was good. Pacing was great. Overall really well-written.
Ozioma the Wicker by Nnedi Okorafor (3 stars) - When I went back to remember the stories in the collection, I found myself unable to remember which story this was. I enjoyed the story enough while reading it, but I wouldn't say I loved it. Something about the pacing and a rather abrupt ending perhaps? It was well-written and it did provide enough details to paint the picture but overall wasn't impactful.
Sunbird by Neil Gaiman (5 stars) - One of my favourites in this collection. Writing is great. Flow was very good and so was the pacing. I found myself really excited to see what happens next and how it will end (even though we were getting hints about the ending throughout the whole thing). Also, as someone with Egyptian family, I really appreciated the use of Kawha (street cafe) terminology. I wasn't expected it and loved it.
The Sage of Theatre by Diana Wynne Jones (3 stars) - I usually loved Diana Wynne Jones books, but this one was a little too disjointed. I liked the concept but the pacing was not very good. I kept finding myself counting down the pages to its end because I felt like it was dragging on. In general I wasn't sure if it fit the general theme of the collection. But Diana Wynne Jones is the amazing writer of Howl's Moving Castle so I'm sure you'll love other works by her, don't let this deter you!
Gabriel Ernest by Saki (3.5 stars) - This was overall a good ghost (well, werewolf) story. It left me feel unnerved and spooked out throughout. Its pacing was a little strange and it felt like it ended abruptly but I still recommend it.
The Cockatoucan by E. Nesbit (4 stars) - It's very 'Alice in Wonderland'-like in that it makes little sense and reads like a fever dream, but you'll enjoy every minute of it. I really loved the writing style too and will be looking for similar works by the author.
Moveable Beast by Maria Dahvana Headley (2 stars) - The idea is good, but the execution not so much. I found myself somewhat bored by what should've been a fun enough short journey through Bastardville, the strange town the protagonist lives in.
The Flight of the Horse by Larry Niven (3 stars) - I'm really torn about this story. It's more sci-fi which should've been fine and it does paint a grim and intriguing picture of the future. It didn't outlast its welcome and I'd say the pacing was fine. But for me, at least, it didn't really leave any impact.
Prismatica by Samuel R. Delany (4 stars) - This reads like a fairy tale meets Pirates of the Carribean story. I actually really enjoyed it and found myself remembering it fondly in the few days after reading it.
The Manticore, the Mermaid, and Me by Megan Kurashige (3.5 stars) - I don't know how I feel about this one. On the one hand, it really did creep me out which is great. On the other hand, I actually forgot about it after and only remembered it again while working on the review. I think it's something to do with the main character being forgettable, but I'd also argue for a short story like this, do you really need a memorable character? I keep going back and forth between 3.5 and 4 stars.
The Compleat Werewolf by Anthony Boucher (4.5 stars) - I really liked this story. It was a bit longer than the others I believe but it was so worth it. The writing was really good. The pacing was great. The ending was wonderfully done, in my opinion. I just really enjoyed it as a whole.
The Smile on the Face by Nalo Hopkinson (2 stars) - I was going to rate this story a star higher, but to be honest, its pacing was just not very good. It took forever to get to the point and when it did, it moved too fast and became almost nonsensical. For some reason I found myself really not liking any of the main characters, either.
Or All the Seas with Oysters by Avram Davidson (3 stars) - I think the idea is interesting and unique. And I did enjoy the writing style enough. The problem I had with it was I found myself confused at the end. The climax seems to have happened off the screen and rather abruptly. I would like to read more by this author.
Come Lady Death by Peter S. Beagle (4.5 stars) - This story left me feeling things, haha. I don't even know how to explain it. It's both a celebration and grief of humanity, done in an unusual and kinda fun way. I found myself loving the writing style but staying because of the way it made me feel. The characters are fun and very memorable. I want to read more by the author. I do question if this was technically an unnatural creature? I suppose it is.
Overall: I rarely decide to own short story collections, because more often than not, I don't find enough stories in them I'd want to revisit. This was the first one I found myself looking to buy.
Individual Stories Ratings:
The Spot by Grahan Wilson (5 stars) - I made up the name because its name is actually a visual of a blob. I really enjoyed this whole story as nonsensical and strange as it is. So much so I had to go look up other books by Grahan Wilson since I hadn't heard the name before.
The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees by E. Lily Yu ( 1 star) - I'm not even sure what I read. I read it twice to try and get into a different mindset and see if I'd like it better, but no. It tries to be a commentary on politics and society but does it in such a convoluted way that you can't help but hate it.
The Griffin and the Minor Canon by Frank R. Stockton (4 stars) - I actually really enjoyed this one. The flow of the story was good. Pacing was great. Overall really well-written.
Ozioma the Wicker by Nnedi Okorafor (3 stars) - When I went back to remember the stories in the collection, I found myself unable to remember which story this was. I enjoyed the story enough while reading it, but I wouldn't say I loved it. Something about the pacing and a rather abrupt ending perhaps? It was well-written and it did provide enough details to paint the picture but overall wasn't impactful.
Sunbird by Neil Gaiman (5 stars) - One of my favourites in this collection. Writing is great. Flow was very good and so was the pacing. I found myself really excited to see what happens next and how it will end (even though we were getting hints about the ending throughout the whole thing). Also, as someone with Egyptian family, I really appreciated the use of Kawha (street cafe) terminology. I wasn't expected it and loved it.
The Sage of Theatre by Diana Wynne Jones (3 stars) - I usually loved Diana Wynne Jones books, but this one was a little too disjointed. I liked the concept but the pacing was not very good. I kept finding myself counting down the pages to its end because I felt like it was dragging on. In general I wasn't sure if it fit the general theme of the collection. But Diana Wynne Jones is the amazing writer of Howl's Moving Castle so I'm sure you'll love other works by her, don't let this deter you!
Gabriel Ernest by Saki (3.5 stars) - This was overall a good ghost (well, werewolf) story. It left me feel unnerved and spooked out throughout. Its pacing was a little strange and it felt like it ended abruptly but I still recommend it.
The Cockatoucan by E. Nesbit (4 stars) - It's very 'Alice in Wonderland'-like in that it makes little sense and reads like a fever dream, but you'll enjoy every minute of it. I really loved the writing style too and will be looking for similar works by the author.
Moveable Beast by Maria Dahvana Headley (2 stars) - The idea is good, but the execution not so much. I found myself somewhat bored by what should've been a fun enough short journey through Bastardville, the strange town the protagonist lives in.
The Flight of the Horse by Larry Niven (3 stars) - I'm really torn about this story. It's more sci-fi which should've been fine and it does paint a grim and intriguing picture of the future. It didn't outlast its welcome and I'd say the pacing was fine. But for me, at least, it didn't really leave any impact.
Prismatica by Samuel R. Delany (4 stars) - This reads like a fairy tale meets Pirates of the Carribean story. I actually really enjoyed it and found myself remembering it fondly in the few days after reading it.
The Manticore, the Mermaid, and Me by Megan Kurashige (3.5 stars) - I don't know how I feel about this one. On the one hand, it really did creep me out which is great. On the other hand, I actually forgot about it after and only remembered it again while working on the review. I think it's something to do with the main character being forgettable, but I'd also argue for a short story like this, do you really need a memorable character? I keep going back and forth between 3.5 and 4 stars.
The Compleat Werewolf by Anthony Boucher (4.5 stars) - I really liked this story. It was a bit longer than the others I believe but it was so worth it. The writing was really good. The pacing was great. The ending was wonderfully done, in my opinion. I just really enjoyed it as a whole.
The Smile on the Face by Nalo Hopkinson (2 stars) - I was going to rate this story a star higher, but to be honest, its pacing was just not very good. It took forever to get to the point and when it did, it moved too fast and became almost nonsensical. For some reason I found myself really not liking any of the main characters, either.
Or All the Seas with Oysters by Avram Davidson (3 stars) - I think the idea is interesting and unique. And I did enjoy the writing style enough. The problem I had with it was I found myself confused at the end. The climax seems to have happened off the screen and rather abruptly. I would like to read more by this author.
Come Lady Death by Peter S. Beagle (4.5 stars) - This story left me feeling things, haha. I don't even know how to explain it. It's both a celebration and grief of humanity, done in an unusual and kinda fun way. I found myself loving the writing style but staying because of the way it made me feel. The characters are fun and very memorable. I want to read more by the author. I do question if this was technically an unnatural creature? I suppose it is.