Customer Reviews (1)

A Wonderful Collection of Jane Yolen's Stories
The introduction by Patricia McKillip says it all: Jane Yolen's stories have become deeper and more complex, but still entertain, amaze, teach and enlighten.

I strongly recommend this collection of dragon and faeriestories to old and young alike. ... Read more

Product Description
Firebirds gathers together sixteen original stories by some of today’s finest writers of fantasy and science fiction. Together, they have won virtually every major prize—from the National Book Award to the World Fantasy Award to the Newbery Medal—and have made bestseller lists worldwide. These authors, including Lloyd Alexander, Diana Wynne Jones, Garth Nix, Patricia A. McKillip, Meredith Ann Pierce, and NancyFarmer, tell stories that will entertain, provoke, startle, amuse, and resonate long after the last lage has been turned. And they all share a connection to Firebird—an imprint, like this anthology, devoted to the best fantasy and science fiction for teenage and adult readers.

An ALA Best Book for Young Adults

A Locus Recommended Reading Selection

A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age

A Selection of the Science Fiction Book Club ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Firebirds: An Anthology.....
Great book full of very interesting stories. Perfect for me since I love fiction and fantasy.

A good collection... as one might expect
Firebirds is another masterpiece of editing by Sharyn November.I've heard a lot about the horror that is the slush pile, but people like Sharyn seem to keep finding literary gold.Sure, they're supposedly for kids age 12 to 18, but I tend to think that kids that age are better described as "people", and Firebirds is an excellent book for people (and if you're reading this, odds are that you are one).

I picked up this anthology because it has a Nina Kiriki Hoffman story in it, and she's one of the few authors for whom I am still something of a raving fan.I read that one first. :)

"Flotsam" by Nina Kirki Hoffman is a story about a young boy from another land who winds up in ours and the people that help him out.It's a formula that's been done before, but you know, so was "Fear Street" and Nina Kirki Hoffman managed to write three stories in that trope that were new.She managed to do the same here.What's particularly nice here is that, while there is magic, it's not particularly magical.Though astonishing to the people that have not previously seen it, it's nothing special to the people doing the magic.

"Cotillion" by Delia Sherman is a remarkably (albeit lantern-hung) variant of Tam Lin.There's nothing very special here, which was surprising, as I generally enjoy her work.Then I got to the end, and it ended correctly, even though it broke the pattern.I appreciate that at lot.

"The Baby in the Night Deposit Box" by Megan Whalen Turner was wonderful.I shant bore you with a plot-based retelling, so let me just say that it's a story about a small town and their collective love for a child.I mean, sure there's a fairy war with goblins, enslavement and death as well as buracracy on many levels, but that stuff's not important.Really, it's all about love and bunnies... as well it should be.

"Beauty" by Sherwood Smith felt strange.It was like reading a story that was only half-told.As I read it, I thought that it was a vehicle for a bit of philosophy on pretty people and rightness of action.Then, when I got to the end and read the Author's Note, I saw that it was a sequel of sorts to Crown Duel.It sorta stands on it's own, but I suspect that I would have liked it better had I read the other book first.

"Mariposa" by Nancy Springer is a story that needed to be written.It's very good and addresses a common social problem in a very matter-of-fact and unusual way.This is one of those that is definitely aimed at the 12-18 age range, but also serves as a good reminder for those of us who are a wee bit older.

"Max Mondrosch" by Lloyd Alexander is horrifying and nightmarish and should not be read.Really, get out your tape and stick these pages together.Put a PostIt note on the front of the story with the note "Do not open until economy has improved."You'll thank me later.(Oh yeah, it's really good, you just don't want to read it.)

"The Fall of Ys" by Meredith Ann Pierce really requires knowledge of Celtic myth.This is one of those sories that should really stand on it's own, but really doesn't.It would be better if it were framed as a story within a story, so that the traditional myth could be briefly retold than this story could be told from a "what really happened" perspective.Maybe there wasn't enough space to do it that way, I don't know.In the end, it was somewhat disapointing.

"Medusa" by Michael Cadnum was another story that requires knowledge of myth.However, I think that this story still permeates our mainstream culture, so that's OK.Unlike many retellings, it really dwells on
the concept that the Greek gods really don't care about humans, so I applaud its historical accuracy as well as the way that it twists the form just enough to resolve appropriately for modern audiences.

"The Black Fox" by Emma Bull and Charles Vess is a surprise comic book!Like most of Emma's work, it's well researched and well told.Like most of Charles's work, it's very well drawn and annoylingly lettered.I mean, sure the lettering is beautiful, but it's a little harder to read than the more classic style.Maybe it's just what I'm used to, I don't know.Anyway, it's a good retelling of a classic folk song and again tweaked so as to be accessible to modern readers.I enjoyed it.

"Byndley" by Patricia A. McKillip is pretty much a classic McKillip story.The writing sparkles and the storytelling winds its way through the woods much like the characters it describes.It feels like it should be a novel, yet, at the same time, it's good that it's not.As a novel, it would be ponderous and difficult to get through.As it is, you come in at the end of the story and enough is retold that you understand and appreciate it.It's done well and well done.

"The Lady of the Ice Garden" by Kara Dalkey was another retelling of "The Snow Queen", and I must admit that Kelly Link's version has spoiled me forever.Had I not read that one, I would have thoroughly enjoyed Dalkey's version.As it was, there seemed to be something missing.Granted, there is a subtlety to Japanese culture that I may be missing due to incomplete historical knowledge, but in the end, I just didn't enjoy this one as much as Link's.So it goes.

"Hope Chest" by Garth Nix was holy-crap-what-am-I-reading fantastic.It's another foundling story, but is very different from any other such story I've ever read.It takes the interlinked concepts of destiny/fate/purpose and tells a story that is every bit as heartbreaking at Greek tragedy and still unbelievably good (despite being an American Western).It's worth the price of the collection all by itself.

"Chasing the Wind" by Elizabeth E. Wein was good, but didn't make much of an impression on me.This may have been due to the immediately preceding "Hope Chest", but it could also have been that it was about a time period that doesn't really do much for me, nor does aviation history.I suspect that WWII and aeroplane aficionados would have a very different opinion.

"Little Dot" by Diana Wynne Jones is about kitty cats.It doesn't really work well as a story, as there are too many things left unexplained and the world isn't well built.Were this a story among other stories set in the same world, it would be better.However, the kitty cats feel real, and that's worth something.

"Remember Me" by Nancy Farmer is good but sad.It's about families and misfits.Mostly though, it's about being different, as seen by those who are not.It's short and worth reading, so I shall not say any more here.

"The Flying Woman" by Laurel Winter is an interesting exploration of magic, honor and care taking.There's also an element of "you can't change people", which is a good, though difficult, lesson to learn.In a book full of life lessons, this is an appropriate story to exit on.

Taken as a whole, the collection is wonderful, and the only real problem was that it took me five years to get to it (and then two months to write this review, *sigh*).Sure would be nice if there was a subscription model so one could get the latest monthly or bimonthly Sharyn November book without having to track them all down.Sure, tracking things down is fun, but I don't have the same amount of sleuthing time I once did.

But, if that's the biggest complaint I have, I guess I'm OK.

Not Free SF Reader
False advertising you could call this.The cover says Fantasy and Science Fiction, except there is none of the latter.

Unless you call the plane story a really inconsequential sort of alternate history perhaps, or Garth Nix's superhero Western.

If you are looking for SF, do not buy this book.

Whoever wrote the cover needs a whack upside the head.


On the whole it appears to be aimed at kids going by what the editor is saying, and that appears to be the case as this is very lightweight stuff.

Firebirds : Cotillion - Delia Sherman
Firebirds : The Baby in the Night Deposit Box - Megan Whalen Turner
Firebirds : Beauty - Sherwood Smith
Firebirds : Mariposa - Nancy Springer
Firebirds : Max Mondrosch - Lloyd Alexander
Firebirds : The Fall of Ys - Meredith Ann Pierce
Firebirds : Medusa - Michael Cadnum
Firebirds : Byndley - Patricia A. McKillip
Firebirds : The Lady of the Ice Garden - Kara Dalkey
Firebirds : Hope Chest - Garth Nix
Firebirds : Chasing the Wind - Elizabeth E. Wein
Firebirds : Little Dot - Diana Wynne Jones
Firebirds : Remember Me - Nancy Farmer
Firebirds : Flotsam - Nina Kiriki Hoffman
Firebirds : The Flying Woman - Laurel Winter


Hell boy tithe grapple rescue.

3 out of 5


Bank life inheritance withdrawal.

3 out of 5


Tree bloke.

2.5 out of 5


Soulless upbringing.

3 out of 5


Job description.

3.5 out of 5


Riddle me this deadman.

2.5 out of 5


Reptile garden ornament.

2.5 out of 5


Wizard vs King and Queen a bit rough.

2.5 out of 5


Tengu shafting.

3.5 out of 5


Superspeed shootist sheriff slays sister on the way to silver bullet showdown with supervillain shyster.

3.5 out of 5


Plane advance.

3 out of 5


Cat overload.

3 out of 5


Soul asylum.

3 out of 5


Elfgate.

3 out of 5


Magic, the gathering.

2.5 out of 5

Kind of flat
I found Firebirds kind of flat.I think the best children's stories can be read at many levels. Think of "The Hobbit," which appeals to readers ranging from roughly third or fourth grade all the way up to adulthood.At the simplest level there is just an easily accessible story which appeals to a very young and uncomplicated person.At other levels the story should appeal to more sophisticated readers: there might be complex moral decisions, satirical references only an adult would catch, interesting use of language, etc. I know that all the authors featured in "Firebirds" are capable of writing for multiple audiences, but (other than Wynne-Jones's "Little Dot") I found the work presented here somewhat disappointing. It wasn't horrible; it just didn't have the richness I expected from a collection of writers this talented.

One of the best anthologies I've ever read
This is a collection of some of the finest authors in the biz, and I think every single one of them would be proud of their work here. I loved this book, and although I do admit that it is a little misleading calling it an anthology of fantasy and sci fi when there's pretty much no sci fi in it, I forgive it that small glitch because it's just so good.

If you're an intelligent reader, or someone who likes incredible reimaginings of traditional tales, or someone who likes their authors to think outside of the box and move into truly bizarre and undiscovered realms, then this book is for you. And if you're the kind of person who doesn't just want action and adventure, but who likes stories that truly make the reader think and feel and wonder, then you will definitely like this. I actually cried several times whilst reading this, I was so moved. But don't get the impression that it's a sad book, because it isn't. It's just that a few of the stories were really poignant in an emotional sense to me.

There's something here for everyone. There's even a poem and a comic book story. I would thoroughly recommend this book to any of the fans of the writers contained within it, and also to readers who have never read any of these authors' works before, since it's a great introduction to their talents. Bravo, Firebirds. ... Read more

Product Description
This is nonfiction commentary. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, Ombria in Shadow, Alphabet of Thorn, Harpist in the Wind, the Bell at Sealey Head, Od Magic, the Riddle-Master of Hed, in the Forests of Serre, Winter Rose, Heir of Sea and Fire, Song for the Basilisk, the Book of Atrix Wolfe. Source: Wikipedia. Free updates online. Not illustrated. Excerpt: The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is a fantasy novel by Patricia A. McKillip, first published by Atheneum Publishers in 1974, and later Magic Carpet Books in 1996. It is the winner of the 1975 World Fantasy Award. The book centers on the fictional character Sybel, a woman previously cut off from the rest of the fictional world of Eldwold, as she learns to live and love in the world outside of the one she once knew. In the beginning of The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, sixteen year old Sybel lives alone on a mountain, with only the mythical creatures that her deceased father Ogam summoned for company. Sybel cares for the creatures and shares a type of telepathy with them. However, in the dead of night, a man named Coren of Sirle gives her a baby to care for. Coren believes the baby is none other than the child of Rianna, the now deceased queen of Eld, and her dead lover, Norrel, although it is later revealed that he is the son of Rianna and Drede, king of Eldwold. Sybel accepts the baby, Tamlorn, on Coren's conditions that she love it, and cares for Tamlorn with the help of the witch Maelga who lives near the mountain. Twelve years later, Coren comes back for Tamlorn. Sybel refuses to return him, believing that Coren and his brothers would use Tamlorn in their plot against Drede, the king of Eld. She later reluctantly gives Tamlorn to Drede along with the mythical falcon Ter, to watch over Tamlorn. As a result Sybel falls into a depression and...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=14518884 ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Extrapolation, published by Thomson Gale on March 22, 2005. The length of the article is 6540 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Having it all: the female hero's quest for love and power in Patricia McKillip's Riddle-Master trilogy.
Author: Christine Mains
Publication: Extrapolation (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 22, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 46Issue: 1Page: 23(13)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
Word count: 3825. ... Read more

Product Description
By the vow of her father and her own desire, Raederle was pledged to Morgon, Riddle-Master of Hed. But a year had passed since Morgon disappeared on his search for the High One at Erlenstar Mountain, and rumors claimed he was dead.
Raederle set out to learn the truth for herself, though her small gift of magic seemed too slight for the perils she must face. The quest led through strange lands and dangerous adventures. Only her growing powers enabled her at last to reach Erlenstar Mountain. And there she discovered what she could not bear to accept.
Accompanied by Deth, the High One's Harper, she fled. And behind them came a pursuer whose name was Morgon, bent on executing a grim destiny upon Raederle and Deth.
Her only hope lay in summoning the Hosts of the Dead, led by the King whose skull she bore . . .
... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

She is an amazing author.
I love Patricia's books but this series is so well done! I just love the mystery of her writing how nothing is spelled out.

Sequel to "The Riddle-Master of Hed"
The heir of sea and fire referred to in the title is Raederle, Morgon of Hed's betrothed, and the main character of this second book in McKillip's 'Riddle-Master' trilogy.She struggles against her shape-changer heritage, but gradually begins to tap into its power in order to protect Morgon."Heir of Sea and Fire" begins in the spring of the year "following the strange disappearance of the Prince of Hed, who had, with the High One's harpist, vanished like a mist in Isig Pass..."

Raederle has reason to believe Morgon dead, since the land-rule of Hed has passed to Morgon's brother, Eliard.Or was land-rule ripped from Morgon while he was still alive?In a key passage, Raederle asks the High One's harpist, "What piece of knowledge did the Founder expect to find beneath the knowledge of when the barley would begin to sprout or what trees in his orchard had a disease eating secretly at their hearts?"

The importance of the question lies in the inability of the harpist to answer it.

As with all quest fantasies, this book has some long, relatively dull journeying to be gotten out of the way.Characters get seasick, lost, confused.It rains a lot.Raederle keeps losing jeweled pins out of her hair. Plus I'm not nearly as fond of the Morgol and her guards as is the author, and they don't add much to the plot.Perhaps in the years following the publication of this book (1977), we have all become used to spear-wielding maidens.And battle scenes are battle scenes no matter how much they're juiced up with magic.

But there are also some great visuals in "Heir of Sea and Fire," especially in the sequence where Raederle calls up the dead of An and bargains with them to protect the man who is journeying across their land.I really feared for her life because of the bargain she made with the dead Kings, even though I've read a million fantasies and the heroine never dies--at least not until the end of the trilogy.

This book is a worthy heir to "The Riddle-Master of Hed."You will definitely have to keep reading through to the end of the trilogy, which is "Harpist in the Wind."

"The wise man does not pursue his own shadow."
The heir of sea and fire referred to in the title is Raederle, Morgon of Hed's betrothed, and the main character of this second book in McKillip's 'Riddle-Master' trilogy.She struggles against her shape-changer heritage, but gradually begins to tap into its power in order to protect Morgon."Heir of Sea and Fire" begins in the spring of the year "following the strange disappearance of the Prince of Hed, who had, with the High One's harpist, vanished like a mist in Isig Pass..."

Raederle has reason to believe Morgon dead, since the land-rule of Hed has passed to Morgon's brother, Eliard.Or was land-rule ripped from Morgon while he was still alive?In a key passage, Raederle asks the High One's harpist, "What piece of knowledge did the Founder expect to find beneath the knowledge of when the barley would begin to sprout or what trees in his orchard had a disease eating secretly at their hearts?"

The importance of the question lies in the inability of the harpist to answer it.

As with all quest fantasies, this book has some long, relatively dull journeying to be gotten out of the way.Characters get seasick, lost, confused.It rains a lot.Raederle keeps losing jeweled pins out of her hair. Plus I'm not nearly as fond of the Morgol and her guards as is the author, and they don't add much to the plot.Perhaps in the years following the publication of this book (1977), we have all become used to spear-wielding maidens.And battle scenes are battle scenes no matter how much they're juiced up with magic.

But there are also some great visuals in "Heir of Sea and Fire," especially in the sequence where Raederle calls up the dead of An and bargains with them to protect the man who is journeying across their land.I really feared for her life because of the bargain she made with the dead Kings, even though I've read a million fantasies and the heroine never dies--at least not until the end of the trilogy.

This book is a worthy heir to "The Riddle-Master of Hed."You will definitely have to keep reading through to the end of the trilogy, which is "Harpist in the Wind."

excellent series
Out of all three books this one is, to me at least, the least attractive one.Don't get me wrong I mean it's an excellent read and you'll burn through it just like the other two but this one spends so much time with the girl that I really would rather read about the main character, so to speak.Might be wrong but its just my opinion.

Weak middle volume... NOT!
In most trilogies, the middle volume is the weak one, tying beginning and end together with too little plot. Patricia McKillip skillfully avoids this pitfall in "Heir of Sea and Fire," the second slim volume in her Riddlemaster trilogy, and the story of Raederle, the second most beautiful woman in An.

A year has passed since Morgan of Hed vanished at Erlenstar Mountain, and suddenly the land-rule passes to Morgan's brother -- a sign that Morgan is dead, that the harpist Deth has betrayed him. As he was the Star-Bearer, assorted people are extremely upset. And a few refuse to believe that it can be true.

Raederle's father is one of them; after he leaves, his daughter meets the Morgul of Herun, and her brother in Caithnard. There she teams up with the Morgul's daughter, Lyra (whom Morgan met in "Riddlemaster") who is angry at Morgan's supposed death, and eager to accompany Raederle wherever she goes. They set off on a ship, going to Erlenstar Mountain, and soon find that aside from Raederle, Lyra, and Lyra's fellow guards, they also have Tristan of Hed stowed away (who is promptly seasick).

Raederle finds out that Morgan has recently appeared, kept captive by the mysterious and evil Ghisteslwchlohm, and betrayed by Deth -- who is now on the run from everyone. But as Raederle's questions are answered, more pop up. She encounters a shapechanger, and then runs into Deth camping in the woods. Answers about the High One, about Morgan, and about her own abilities and heritage begin to come to light, as the dead of An begin to blaze back into existance. Raederle must bargain with fate and a dead king, using only her newfound powers and a crowned skull, to save Morgan -- and the rapidly unraveling world.

Wow, where to begin? Well, for one thing, Patricia McKillip delivers a wallop in book two of three, explaining many of the things she brought up in "Riddlemaster" and starting the buildup to the huge climax in book three (which I am now twenty pages into). This book (thankfully) does not end on a cliffhanger like "Riddlemaster"; also, if you are looking for an immediate answer to the cliffhanger previously shown, then you will be frustrated enough to give the Great Shout.

In addition, we are given another character who is as realistic as Morgan: Raederle, the second-most beautiful woman in An. Her looks are only brought up a couple times, as it's her strength, brains, and search for the truth and for Morgan that catch the reader -- and are most often displayed. The explanation for her growing power and the use she makes of it is as breathtaking as Morgan learning how to become a tree or a vesta. The scenes where she dangles the crowned skull to get that dead king to bargain with her was priceless, and the climax is shattering. McKillip's skill in describing magic grows even further; the descriptions of what Raederle is doing are like poetry. In addition, she does not remain a static character as she learns shattering truths and encounters strange people; she grows more mature and stronger.

We don't see Morgan much, though we hear a lot about him, and his sudden growth of power. More we see of Raederle and Lyra, who is fleshed out from the more shadowy character from "Riddlemaster." It's a rare gift to write strong women convincingly. Deth remains strange and ambiguous -- he betrayed Morgan, yet makes no excuses for himself. Other characters like the Morgul and Morgan's siblings are more absent (though what Tristan does is a bit unforgettable).

McKillip's writing is a bit more flowery than in "Riddlemaster," more descriptive and dreamy in parts. We get a few more puns on "Hel," such as that the Star-Bearer's path was leading straight into Hel. (Hel being a region)

Overall, an astounding piece of work and a worthy sequel to "Riddlemaster." I'm itching to read more of "Harpist in the Wind." ... Read more

Product Description
This acclaimed series, winner of numerous World Fantasy Awards, continues its tradition of excellence with scores of short stories from such writers as Michael Bishop, Edward Bryant, Angela Carter, Terry Lamsley, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, A.R. Morlan, Robert Silverberg, Michael Swanwick, Jane Yolen, and many others. Supplementing the stories are the editors' invaluable overviews of the year in fantastic fiction, Edward Bryant's witty roundup of the year's fantasy films, and a long list of Honorable Mentions-all of which adds up to an invaluable reference source, and a font of fabulous reading.
Amazon.com Review
The 10th volume of this excellent annual anthology series notonly collects 39 stories and 4 poems in these overlapping genres, butreports on the year's best in books, movies, and other media. Thehorror and dark fantasy tales are by Jay Russell (family ghost),Angela Carter (fairy tale ghost), Edward Bryant (aliens), RobertSilverberg (dark goddess), Yxta Maya Murray (Southwestern folkloreghost), Thomas Ligotti (secret society), Graham Masterton (macabrerecipe book), Douglas Clegg (anguished love), Stephen Dedman (childlamia who knew Lewis Carroll), Terry Lamsley (monster"pet"), Isobelle Carmody (phoenix), Delia Sherman (witchesand wolves), Lisa Russ Spaar (Rapunzel), Neil Gaiman (queen bee),Philip Graham (oppressive angel), Terry Dowling (monomania), DennisEtchison (L.A. paranoia), Kathe Koja and Barry N. Malzberg (ravagingbears), A. R. Morlan (rock 'n' roll sleaze), Michael Marshall Smith(entrapping relationship), and Ron Hansen (magic realism). All thedark tales are high quality, and a few are among the best in theseries so far. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Pretentious and Overblown
Ohhhhh.....Where to begin? I'll start with co-editor Terri Windling. Her opening essay on the year in Fantasy was almost enough to make me hurl down the book in irritation. If she said "Magic Realism" one more time....I lost track at 37. Unbearable. Just unbearable. I have a pretty steadfast rule that, no matter how bad a book may be, I read EVERY SINGLE WORD. Every word. No matter what. I had to skim through Windling's essay, because it was either skim or put my fist through the wall. "Magic Realism. Magic Realism. Magic Realism." Ugh.

Ellen Datlow's essay is slightly more interesting, and the sections on Media and Comic Books were very well done. Now, on to the stories themselves.

I've read a few of the previous Year's Best volumes, and it always bothered me how the book slants towards Fantasy over Horror (Terri Winling is the Fantasy Editor, Ellen Datlow the Horror Editor), but this edition is WAY over the top. Out of 35 stories, Windling's name is on over twenty. Her tastes run towards oblique, overwritten, pretentious tripe, and strange poetry. One of her selections, Gerald Vizenor's Oshkiwiinag: Heartlines on the Trickster Express put me beyond the newfound sacrilige of skimming. I actually had to skip the remainder of the story after five endless, pointless pages. I have never read such strange shizznit in my whole life. I literally had NO idea what he was writing about. Ugh. Another Windling pick (Among The Handlers, by Michael Bishop) is endlessly long, written in an awful hillbilly dialect, and is neither Fantasy or Horror, but IS god-awful. I'll avoid Vizenor and Bishop like the plague, thanks to these stories. We also get other Windling-picked classics like Birthdream, (A poem about childbirth, not Horror or Fantasy, but also awful. If I wanted bad poems, I'd get a poetry book.) Caribe Magico, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (A travelogue. For God's sake, a travelogue! Not Horror, not Fantasy...but as Windling says...MAGIC REALISM! Code for "Pretentious story that makes no sense."), and Beckoning Nightframe by Terry Dowling, about a woman who is scared of her neighbor's open window. FOR 16 PAGES! UGH. Her only decent choice is Little Beauty's Wedding, by Chang Hwang. It's an unforgettable story.

Ellen Datlow fares better in her choices. The Secret Shih Tan (By Graham Masterson), Never Seen By Waking Eyes (By Stephen Dedman), and the grotesque Three Bears pastiche "Ursus Triad, Later" (By Kathe Koja & Barry N. Malzberg) are all incredible, and I'm glad to have discovered writers I wasn't familiar with, but the overall feeling I had when reading the book was one of irritation with the all-encompassing pretentiousness of the package. I'd say the stinky outweighed the good by 90%. I'm VERY sorry that I'vealready purchased the next four volumes....But at least I've learned to skim & skip!

Interesting, But Not Very Horrorific
Interesting collection of writers, some famous and some unknowns, but all in all not a real page turner. Some stories I couldn't even finish I got so bored. Some were so good I got goose pimples. Go figure. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Extrapolation, published by Thomson Gale on March 22, 2005. The length of the article is 2939 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Motive, magic and mundanity: why do we write?(Transcript)
Author: Patricia McKillip
Publication: Extrapolation (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 22, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 46Issue: 1Page: 17(6)

Article Type: Transcript

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more