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A review by marlireads
The Hitherto Secret Experiments of Marie Curie by Henry Herz, Bryan Thomas Schmidt
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Average rating: 2,725 ⭐️
All-in-all a pretty niche story collection. And I feel like, because each author received the same prompt to work with (Marie Curie’s backstory) the stories became a bit repetitive. I think if the stories weren’t about a young Marie Curie as a character and instead about this young girl obsessed with science, it might have created more freedom for the authors in creating a character and it might have made for a more fun experience reading this collection of short stories.
The stories/poems and what I thought of them as I read them:
Dark Lady, Salomea by Jane Yolen - 2 stars
All-in-all a pretty niche story collection. And I feel like, because each author received the same prompt to work with (Marie Curie’s backstory) the stories became a bit repetitive. I think if the stories weren’t about a young Marie Curie as a character and instead about this young girl obsessed with science, it might have created more freedom for the authors in creating a character and it might have made for a more fun experience reading this collection of short stories.
The stories/poems and what I thought of them as I read them:
Dark Lady, Salomea by Jane Yolen - 2 stars
Uncrowned Kings by Seanan McGuire - 4 stars
McGuire’s writing is impeccable as always
Marya’s Monster by Alethea Kontis - 2,5 stars
Liked the element of depression, but the entire story was a bit too on the nose (and a little bit boring)
Shards of Me by Lissa Price - 1,5 stars
Weird and a bit stupid, writing wasn’t on par with the other stories so far
Fight or Flight by Jo Whittemore - 2,5 stars
Liked the mystery/deduction elements of this story, but again, the fact that this is supposedly starring Marie Curie in her younger years doesn’t really add anything to the story itself…
Three Ravens by Mylo Garbia - 2 stars
Again, there’s so much focus on the same aspects/prompt. It feels like I’m just reading a story of an inquisitive young girl, with the same backstory over and over again. This story was kind of boring.
The Magic of Science by Bryan Thomas Schmidt & G. P. Charles - 2,5 stars
A little murder mystery, but too short to be really impressed by it. Again the MC “being” Curie didn’t really play a part in it
Horse Cart by Jane Yolen - 2 stars
Poem doesn’t really ring a bell or do anything for me. A bit horrendous.
A Glow In the Dark by Scott Siegler - 4 stars
I actually really liked this one. Came across it just as I was giving up hope for this anthology. It took a different approach to the other stories and I liked the writing of this short and spooky story.
Retribution by Christine Taylor-Butler - 3 stars
This was okay, I liked it. A bit more suspense, but quite a stupid experiment.
The Cold White Ones by Susanne L. Lambdin - 2.5 stars
Again, pretty forgettable, but not necessarily bad?
Cheating Death by Henry Herz - 1 star
Thanks, I hated it. While I love a story about a woman getting revenge, the writing and the use of first person pov were just not it. How was this written from the perspective of a teen girl? It wasn’t.
A Shard of Sunlit Shadow by Emily McCosh - 2,5 stars
This one was okay. Again, repetitive in this collection, but okay.
She Walks Between Heaven and Hell by Jane Yolen - 3 stars
I felt more with this poem than the others, but it was still a bit too much on the nose. Still a weird subject to write a poem about though.
Silence Them by Dee Leone - 2 stars
Pretty depressing and I feel like the real story might have been more interesting.
Experiments With Fire by Sarah Beth Durst - 2,5 stars
This was an okay story. I wasn’t fully expecting the ghost of a dead sister and a dragon, but it wasn’t a bad story.
The Prize by Steve Pantazis - 3 stars
A different approach, where Marya isn’t the mc. I think the writing could be improved upon, but I liked the story.
The Beast by Stacia Deutsch - 2 stars
Hmm. Too Frankenstein-ey. Also, not really a fan of time travel stories, so that doesn’t help.
The Night Flyers by Jonathan Mayberry - 3,5 stars
I liked this one. I loved what it had to say about knowledge and the oppression of women.
Marya’s Precious Pill by Jane Yolen - 1,5 stars
I feel like this one would make more sense if I knew something about Marie Curie that I don’t. So yeah, this poem doesn’t really have any impact on me.