The nitty-gritty: An original world-building idea that just didn’t get off the ground for me. Perhaps a novel might work better? I was excited to check out a shorter piece of fiction by Fran Wilde, whose Updraft I really enjoyed, and so when Tor.com announced The Jewel and her Lapidary, I jumped at the chance […]
The nitty-gritty: A bunch of stories that will make you very uncomfortable. And that’s a good thing! God watches as you bring another into the room. He does not take his eyes off you. Sits in his LifeChair exactly where you parked him two days before. White beard and tubes. His cartridge core throbs, like […]
The nitty-gritty: A lush and romantic story of palace intrigue, with a supernatural subplot that adds a sense of danger to the tale. The gorgeous colors on this cover initially attracted me to Masks and Shadows, like a bee to a beautiful flower, but I was happy to find an exciting story behind the cover […]
The nitty-gritty: A short tale that’s packed with action, humor, and some old favorite characters. I fell in love with Wesley Chu’s Tao series, which ended last year with The Deaths of Tao, and so I was thrilled to discover he was writing a novella set in the same universe. The Days of Tao is […]
The nitty-gritty: An unexpectedly entertaining and emotional story, whose prison drama and tough characters outshine the paranormal story-line. The Girl with All the Gifts was a top ten read for me a couple of years ago, and so it was with great anticipation that I started M.R. Carey’s follow-up, Fellside. And while it didn’t completely blow […]
The nitty-gritty: An instant classic, Railhead deserves a spot up there with some of the best young adult fantasy/science fiction ever written. The train was gone, but he could still see her, striding along beside him in the sodium glow from the trackside lamps. The smell of space clung to her, rich and smoky. What […]
The nitty-gritty: A heartbreakingly sad but wonderfully magical tale about growing up. What she wanted most didn’t need to be spoken, for they shared her hunger, her brutal, unforgiving desire: what she wanted most was a door, and the things that waited on its other side. But unlike the rest of them, she knew where […]
The nitty-gritty: Another winner for Belcher, a good versus evil story that will scare and delight in equal measure. “Jimmie, if what the Pagan said is true, then the universe, at its most fundamental levels, is out of whack and is falling apart. We have to do something before it’s too late.” “Right,” Jimmie said. […]
The nitty-gritty: A delightful blend of fantasy, the modern-day film industry, and quirky characters that will make you smile. It was midmorning on a Monday when magic walked into my life wearing a beige Ann Taylor suit and sensible flats. I’ve been salivating over this amazing cover for months now, and I was so excited […]
The nitty-gritty: An atmospheric and eerie ghost story with psychological undertones that make this a satisfying horror story on several levels. The house held only broken dreams, shattered screams, and secret little dirty things. It was a liar’s playground, a dead man’s last stand. I was pleasantly surprised by Damian Angelica Walters’ short story collection […]