Alex Hurst Reads

Nine Princes of Amber, a new wave fantasy written by Roger Zelazny, one of the fathers of modern science fiction, is the first of a ten-novel series known as [b:The Great Book of Amber|5367|The Great Book of Amber (Chronicles of Amber, #1-10)|Roger Zelazny|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1386924223s/5367.jpg|8810].

The story follows the narrative of Prince Corwin, one of nine brothers vying for the coveted throne of Amber after the disappearance of their father, King Oberon. The competition for the seat of power in the country that doubles as the magical crux of our reality is a bloody, ruthless venture which is often fronted as a game of wits between the siblings. The novel begins with Prince Corwin waking in a private hospital in New York, with absolutely no memory of who he is or the world he came from, but a sense of urgency, and an understanding that someone wants him dead. Clever, quick-thinking, and willing to sacrifice others for his own ends, amnesiac Corwin is a classical anti-hero: a man who makes it hard to root for him.

Still, I did, and I enjoyed his exploits throughout the plot's journey. Zelazny's characters interact with each other in an entertaining and underhanded way, always testing each other and fishing for information. Everyone knows they can't trust anyone, and perhaps Corwin only comes to regret that feeling of isolation amongst so many he calls family.

One of the most interesting things about the book was how the narrative voice changed overall. The book is told in first person, with Corwin being somewhat of an unreliable narrator, and starts with a modern, rugged man's voice. But as pieces of Corwin's true personality return to him, the narrative style changes, adopting more formal language (befitting a prince).

Unfortunately, the use of first-person is a double-edged sword for Nine Princes of Amber. Corwin's tendency to speak at a distance of events as they unfold kept me from fully immersing myself in the world, and rather than the book having a rising action towards its (admittedly) unique and powerful conclusion, Corwin's laundry-list style of relaying the events killed much of the tension for me.

The characters and world-building, especially in regard to the magical systems the princes employ, were quite interesting. I loved the characters of Random and Jopin, and the second incarnation of Corwin (as compared to the Corwin of Act I in the book). However, I would have loved to see more development on the whole. While I am not someone who needs to have prominent female characters in any story, the addition of Llewella and Moire seemed rather pointless and unneeded. And Flora, who seemed to be important in Act I, never shows again after Chapter 3.

The magic was quite interesting and enjoyable, drawing inspiration from Tarot and several different cultures. The use of the Trumps, as the characters called them, as communication and teleportation devices was quite well thought-out (and used as a quick way to identify all the major players of the story was quite clever, if wordy). I also really loved the concept of The Pattern, but I won't give away spoilers here.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, and it had moments of real interest, but in addition to all of the things above, a painfully obvious and disappointing deus ex machina brought the rating down quite a bit. Still, I am looking forward to continuing the series, to see what will happen to the cast, and if the intrigue will keep its interest.

I think it's safe to say that I am in love with this book.

Ronald B. Tobias's craft book, "20 Master Plots and How to Build Them" takes an approachable and wizened tone to the subject of plot and plot-doctoring. At no point is the craft "preached" or laid out as hard-set rules to follow (indeed, he hastens, on many occasions, to remind us that the book only offers patterns).

The tone makes the text approachable, and the layout of the book is logical, concise, full of literary examples to illustrate points, and not at all gimmicky.

The twenty plots examined by Tobias include Quest, Adventure, Pursuit, Rescue, Escape, Revenge, The Riddle, The Rivalry, The Underdog, Temptation, Metamorphosis, Transformation, Maturation, Love, Forbidden Love, Sacrifice, Discovery, Wretched Excess, Ascension, and Descension. Each come with three or four literary or cinematic examples to help get the point across, and a checklist at the end to help "guide you" back on target. The text can be read cover to cover or piecemeal, however you plan to use it.

I personally recommend reading the book with a story already in mind. By the time I got to Chapter Five, I had so many new ideas for writing that I almost put it down... I'm glad I didn't, because in Chapter Thirteen, I was hit by another plot twist that basically fixed a lot of my tension issues in the outline.

This book not only helped me understand some of the fundamentals that are not inherently obvious, but did the most important task of all: got me psyched to start writing!

Steven Brust's [b:Jhereg|1281575|Jhereg (Vlad Taltos, #1)|Steven Brust|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1387744811s/1281575.jpg|1521838] is the first in a long series of books, focuses on the adventures of Vlad Taltos, a witty, amiable, and ruthless assassin belonging to the House of Jhereg. He is accompanied by his familiar, Loiosh, and his shamed-Dragon assistant, Kragar, among a host of other characters in this truly epic cast.

The central plot of this book is that Vlad must find a way to kill a man who has stolen from the House of Jhereg, without betraying his employer's oath that the man will not be harmed (while in his house). Forces conspire to raise the stakes at every turn, and Vlad learns much about the world he lives in and his own history along the way.

I came upon this series through the high recommendations of a friend, and had been told such good things about it that I probably was over-estimating how much I would enjoy it when I began reading. The story is written in a witty, sometimes curt first-person, and while I enjoyed the banter, at times I just wanted the story. For that reason, and the inexplicably large cast of characters that Vlad meets with in the first third of the story, I had a hard time getting through the first hundred pages. I would begin to read, and grow impatient, or bored, and finally, I'd put the book down.

However, there is a point in the book, starting when Vlad finally begins to piece the whole mystery together, that the writing, the characters, and the conflict all click together, and drive through to the end with surprising and exceptionally well-written tension. Once I got to that point, it was near impossible to put it down, and I am greatly looking forward to continuing the series.

Had it not been for the cumbersome need to world-build in the beginning of the story (so that the later parts of the plot would make sense), I probably would have given this story five stars. As it stands, it's still a very good book, and I can heartily recommend it to people who like games like Skyrim or Assassin's Creed, or the idea of a cross-over between an evil Robin Hood and The Three Musketeers.

Demons from the Haunted World: Supernatural Art by Yoshitoshi is part of an ongoing series of ukiyo-e art print books, compiled and edited by Jack Hunter. Ukiyo-e is an art style that flourished during the Edo Period, from the 17th to 19th centuries, in Japan. It's rough translation is "pictures from the floating world", and most often depicts romanticized versions of samurai, kabuki (male theatre) actors, gorgeous women, and even erotica.

This particular set of collections zeroes in on the violence and horror avenues of ukiyo-e, gathering paintings and prints from the eras most well-known artists. Demons from the Haunted World showcases art by ukiyo-e master, Yoshitoshi, who lived from 1839 to 1892. Yoshitoshi was a prolific painter, and is considered one of the last masters of this art form. He lived through the beginnings of the Meiji era, and in a time where Japan was rapidly adopting Western technology (like photography) he fought to keep old traditions alive. Unfortunately, his struggle was futile, and the art is said to have effectively died with him in 1892.

He became well-known for a set of prints called "The Bloody Prints" (not included in this collection). The series depicted horrible and ultra-violent scenes of mayhem and death (such as this print--warning, graphic content). Later, he would go on to paint many more series. This book focuses purely on his demon and ghost paintings, from several different collections, including "100 Ghosts from China and Japan", "Heroic Beauty from the Suikoden", "New Forms of 36 Ghosts", and a smattering of other collections.

The art itself is gorgeous: terribly detailed, imaginative, and indicative of the period. For those that aren't familiar with demon renditions in Japan, most do take human form, so I wasn't overly surprised by the great number of portraits which depict mostly human subjects. However, the actual prints (in this case, the photography used in the book) is quite muddy, and in many cases "bleeds out" the color. These publisher defects, when printed on ultra-glossy paper, detracts from the overall quality of the book, which has nothing more than an introduction and catalog for words. I enjoyed the concept of the layout, with large, full-page, color illustrations, but the quality of the reproductions was poor, often given the images the appearance of a low-quality camera image that had been blown up to grainy quality.

There were also some images in the back that I would have really loved to see much larger, but overall, Demons from the Haunted World showcases an incredible and diverse collection of prints, and I am pleased to have it on my shelf for reference. If you'd like to see images of the book to better understand my meaning, you can visit my blog here: http://alex-hurst.com/2014/01/01/demons-from-the-haunted-world-a-review/

As many others can attest, this is a book that demands your attention from start to finish, with gripping characters and a storyline so compelling it is near impossible to set it down. Coming from someone who gets easily distracted while reading, this is quite an accomplishment!

Not once did my eyes skim, though I found myself devouring Nielsen's words as the stakes of the conflict kept getting higher and more dangerous; there were several points in the book where I was just as awed as the characters, which speaks to how much The False Prince can draw you in.

Sage is a wonderful character. Too often in fantasy, main characters get what they want too easily, or as boring as cardboard--not Sage! From the very beginning, I fell in love with his cleverness and wit, and the indomitable spirit required of any true fantasy hero.

But the whole cast of characters, from Mott to Imogen, built a world of diverse and motivated characters who all, in their own way, tugged the action in believable, fulfilling ways. I can't really say much about the plot at all without giving away spoilers (there is no fat to be had in this tale; no long, boring expositions, no disjointed subplots), but it has been a long time since I have been so satisfied with a book.

I am so glad that the the second book is already out, and the third is available for pre-order! I'd hate to have to wait too long to continue this story.

This is easily my favorite part of the collections thus far. Collection 3 takes us to the Center, a pseudo-Christian-based Garden of Eden (complete with snake and forbidden fruit). The descriptions that hooked me in the first chapter finally make a comeback, truly breathing life and energy onto the page, and all of the emotional distance is closed, with Tib and Michael expressing their regrets and anger about a lost relationship. There is also a whole lot more of the story to read in this collection, which made it far more satisfying than previous collections.

The depictions of angels were also truly awesome. The Man with No Eyes and the Watcher return, in less antagonistic ways. The Man with No Eyes remains more "cartoony" than his initial appearance led me to believe, but as a YA villain, he's interesting enough.

The additional story, "A Nightmare Named Ricky", by Rusty Carl, is an interesting addition, but for the first time, I definitely enjoyed the "main dish" more than the bonus short. That isn't to say that "A Nghtmare Named Ricky" isn't good; I enjoyed it immensely, though the greasy, oily feeling that comes with a demented child story (think "The Good Son") is sort of hard to shake off.

All in all, a great part of the collection. I'm looking forward to Collection 4.

For this second collection of the previously serialized Shadow Spinner series, the author focuses on The Man With No Eyes, the Watcher, and Michael (Tib's father). Unfortunately, I can't give much more of a summary without giving spoilers, but I was sad to see my favorite character go, especially since I am finding the three characters mentioned previously a little flat overall. I also feel so bad for Tib's mother, and would really like to see more conclusion of conflict in every serial of this series. All of that, coupled with a jarring switch of POV, give this collection its 3-star rating.

The bulk of this collection is dominated by the addition of the novelette "Augurs of Distant Shadow" by Briane Pagel, a dark fiction based on Andrew Leon's "House on the Corner". The novelette takes up a whopping 67% of the Kindle file, and is a well-written, action-packed story. For the amount of space it takes up, I am surprised that the contributing author does not get a credit on the cover.

As far as the story goes, I was confused for most of the beginning, perhaps because I wasn't getting references to the parent work, but in the end, the storyline grew on me, and I was curious about what was going to happen. I would have liked to see the story far longer, so there could be more character development and reaction, but I understand space constraints.

In this powerful and evocative collection of dark short stories by Angel Cox, readers follow a large cast of well thought-out characters and story lines.

Of the thirteen tales, I think "Toward the Light" is my favorite, with "A Rainy Day" and "The Beginning of Prejudice" coming in as a close second and third. This collection is a strong one, using child narrators, women, men; the destitute and the forlorn, with each touching on a different human condition and asking the reader to think and align the message to their own life.

Two of my favorite lines from the collection are:

"Man can never go backward, but his past can light the way for his journey." (Toward the Light)

and:

"They had set forth to rid their town of evil and managed to rid it of pleasure as well." (The Beginning of Prejudice)

There were a few stories in the collection that had rough, abrupt cliffhanger endings; endings that I feel are particularly hard to pull off, and there was another story I wasn't altogether fond of, but overall this collection is a wonderful debut from a writer who has a lot of talent with characterization and setting. Each story was separate and distinct, and as a whole, "A Day in the Dark" was a wholly pleasurable read.

For American Odyssey, the blurb was enough to get my attention. Leo Lewis, a soldier recently returned from Afghanistan, decides to take a road trip instead of going directly home to his wife in order to dispel the PTSD he fears will ruin his reunion. Athena (yes, the goddess) watches over him as the other gods, namely Poseidon, try to throw a wrench in Leo's fate every step of the way.

I haven't read Homer's Odyssey since I was in high school, but I remembered enough of the story to be comfortable with the clever references sprinkled throughout the text. R. Douglas Clark writes with a strong voice, that compliments the allusions in a way that does what it should: enriches and emboldens the myth in a new and intricate way. I loved the descriptions of the city, and how the visceral depictions of New Orleans, Taos, Utah and others really captured the diversity of culture and character of the greater United States. As someone who has gone on many a road trip (to nearly all of the places mentioned), I feel that Clark has truly captured the spirit of every city, and the characters that inhabit most of the regions were interesting and unique.

My one real complaint about the story is that I felt the ending with Penelope was nearly anti-climatic, after his epic (no pun intended) journey there. I would have liked to see more of a catharsis on Leo's side than the wife's, though I understand the reasoning of it. At the very least, the tongue-in-cheek epilogue made up for most of my disappointment in Leo's confrontation with Penelope's high-school-ish band of suitors. Overall, this story reminded me of a modern rendition of "O Brother Where Art Thou?", and that's a really, really good thing.

A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Reviewing a graphic novel is never easy, and when that graphic novel is a collection of almost thirty shorts, one shots and ads, it's even harder.

First, a little about the rating: the actual stories being told in this anthology are fairly average, and rely heavily on an understanding of stereotypes to convey their messages in a small space. My biggest complaint with the stories was that a fair number of them really needed to be longer in order for me to care what what happening. However, many of them introduce a half-explained conflict and then simply end. I assume these stories will be continued in a later publication, but for the sake of a contained review, I found this mostly jarring and frustrating as a reader. Unconventional Conventions, The Lost City, Steaming Pile, and Diwali were particularly guilty of this. Diwali also "stands out" as the only story in the collection with typos and a very disconnected narrative of Rama the Steadfast with Rama of this universe.

The one-shots fared a lot better in my opinion, and I thoroughly enjoyed the false ads running all through the publication. There was a surprising amount of zombie inferences in the offerings, as well. Even though I'm not a huge zombie fan, it was interesting to see how they played a part in the various steampunk universes that were on display for this anthology.

Overall, the stories of this anthology get three stars. Only a couple stick out in my mind: Gargoyles (for its amazing art and dystopian setting), Punching Up the Act (twisted humor, but I still can't really see it as connected to steampunk in any way), Rule, Britannia! The Messenger (the opener, with good reason). Probably my least favorite stories were Bushido and Gladiatrix, both of which felt flat and not well-thought out, but as someone who has studied Japanese history and now lives in Kyoto, Bushido just felt like a stereotyped mess. Gladiatrix annoyed me, perhaps because her name almost felt ironic for the message the story was trying to give, but not ironic in the intentional or edgy way.

So, after all of that, why four stars?

The art. This collection features a huge array of really intimate and unique styles that keep the eye hugely entertained through even the subpar reads, and that's arguably the most important element for any graphic media. SteamPunk Originals, Vol. 1 had a fantastic melting pot of the elegant and rough, realistic and cartoon illustration styles, and for that, I bump my rating. For steampunk, the visual interest is even greater, so I really like the overall concept of this anthology.

At 102 pages, it's well worth a look, especially if you like steampunk!

"Secrets of Retail" was a story I picked up on my Kindle a long while ago, but just finally got around to reading in between one mammoth text and another.

The story is about a young man named Wade who works in an electronics store. As a supervisor in a poorly managed branch, Wade does what he can to make the days go by quickly. Most of the time this means practicing his one-liners with women and having sex whenever the uniform is off.

I used to work in retail, and his descriptions of the way employees feel is pretty spot on. I had to shake my head and roll my eyes at the nostalgia of a few of his more "classy" customers. But then there were the wonderful, human moments of connection, just for a few moments, that reminded me why, yeah, I did like my job too, at least for a little while.

The surprising element of this story was the personal growth of Wade, and how his personal life, which is out of control, eventually collides with the security and stability of his work life. The interactions of the characters felt very real... and juuuuust when I was starting to get annoyed by his continued exploits, the author produced a wonderful flip that thrusts all of these casual occurrences into a conflict that I couldn't predict, and couldn't put down.

Though a short, casual read, "Secrets of Retail" is a great story, with a really interesting cast of characters that all feel like different people. An excellent debut from a very talented author!

I love a good nonfiction book. And having grown up in a household that only bought organic foods, recycled everything, refused to have a lawn, and had one parent deep in the trenches at EPA, I was excited to read Kenneth Eade’s timely book about the impending disaster regarding the massive decline in bee population during recent years. Unfortunately, the book fell a little flat, alternating between droning out long passages of facts in the style of my 6th grade social studies textbook, and spending huge portions (Chapters 5-8) on tangents about GMOs.

The information is well researched; over twenty pages of references are included at the end, but at least for me, I learned nothing new. In fact, I found the ‘what you can do’ section rather weak- there was no mention of community endeavors (instead of just individual), or the extremely important act of not disturbing a hive. At times, the text felt like a speech off a soapbox. ‘Dirty business as usual’ in Washington, ‘too big to fail’ companies buying out conservation efforts, and the need for GMO labeling (which I agree with, but it felt heavy-handed and off topic).

Now, I’m not defending EPA practices, before anyone jumps there–there are a great deal of things that have made me (and the parent that works there) heartily disillusioned, but I mentioned it so readers can know I am informed. I think the text could have used with citing their sources more directly, either through footnotes, or saying, instead of ‘a study found’, saying ‘A United Nations study found…’ (which is something I researched when I wanted to fact-check the document). Those small things would have lent a lot more credibility to the arguments as I was reading them. I’m not sure about the intended audience; the grossly uninformed will probably find this very enlightening, but as I’ve been following this debate for several years, it felt very one-sided, and it seemed to only scratch the tip of the iceberg for what it could have been. This is a nonfiction book. Where are your interviews? Where are your credentials? When I read nonfiction of this nature, I expect new things to be said, new theories to be expounded, or critical analysis of the debate to be in the forefront. In this regard, the book didn’t deliver. Adding in the long ramble in the middle section, and a few formatting aesthetic concerns, I can only give this one a three.

I don't read many humor books, but as George Takei writes, he's sort of the 'naughty gay uncle we all wish we had'. I was more than a little excited to pick up this book, as I'm an avid follower on his Facebook fan page and was expecting more of his brand of humor.

Unfortunately, it didn't much live up to that expectation. Probably because I follow his Facebook page regularly, there wasn't much new material to be had. It was amusing, but they were all jokes I'd seen or heard before (sans his Allegiance videos, which need to be viewed online anyway).

As other reviews have touched on, the book is useful for people who are looking specifically for tips on how to improve their page rankings and reach a broader fan base on Facebook (so long as they intend to do it through humor). For me personally, the following paragraph was the most poignant:

"All kidding aside, it may come as a surprise to many, but peddling a product or service right out of the box doesn't really work that well as an online strategy. Facebook in particular is a pretty lousy place to sell something, because people aren't looking to buy. They're looking to be entertained."

As a moderator for a Facebook group for writers, I couldn't have agreed with this more, and I hope that authors who crop dust their ads across Facebook would read this book in particular.

The writing itself is not out of this world, hence the rating; it reads sort of like a 200 page blog post. Very casual and candid. It rambles about various aspects of the internet (as described from someone who didn't know much about it a couple of years ago-- another point: if you are well-versed in internet lingo and the various meme and image sites, you probably won't get much out of the descriptive passages).

As ever, I appreciate all George Takei does online. Oh Myyy! was a brisk, casual read, but I would have loved to see a bit more new content, and maybe even a bit more focus.

There is something incredibly satisfying about a book that you can pick up casually, and then refuse to put down until it is finished, mourning any moment where you are not immersed in the story because of some random thing in your day that requires attention.

I made the mistake of starting "Skin Deep Motives" a couple of hours before work; I was nose-in-book the rest of the day, any time my job allowed for an extra five minutes to read. Intense from page one, SDM only takes a few detours from the crime for sex and vegan-snacks. The "grunge" is alive on the page; Aaron Hilton's imagery and writing-style capture the sub-cultures of Portland in a visceral way--I could taste the air in the markets and feel the oppressiveness of the rain. The city comes to life on the page.

The work overflows with a heavy appreciation for tattoos, Suicide Girls, and all things animal-cruelty free, sometimes feeling a tad extreme or superfluous, but never for long enough to get boring. It is a good addition to any noir collection: guns, dark crime, sex, and bombshells (sans leather).

Our Grunge Operatives, Matt and Leslie, are an interesting pair. The story isn't transparent, which is a huge plus, and there are enough secondary characters to keep you wondering. Most importantly, they felt like real people, though every now and then Leslie's emotions and perspective felt a little too 'male' for my tastes.

Even with those minor things, I'm still giving SDM a five star rating, because of how thrilling and exciting it was to read. I could read it again and enjoy every delicious word, hoping for more. Thankfully, it seems I'll be getting my wish, as Mr. Hilton is working on Leslie & Matt's next story!

I happened to pick up this novel during a free Kindle promotion, and only just got around to reading it.

Kari Milburn's "Where to Draw the Line" is a soiree through the darkest reaches of the human mind, a discussion on what makes right and wrong, and how we decide when the social systems we've constructed, as a community, simply aren't enough to uphold justice.

The novel was a quick read, absorbing, and had a great deal of potential. I really liked the author's portrayal of Zoey, William's wife Heather, and her careful writing of the judicial system (a lot of books paint judges, detectives and police officers as incompetent, but I didn't get that feeling here.) I also liked the use of William's day job as a taxi driver to further the plot.

However, there were a few things that bugged me. I didn't understand how Dart, an essential character to solving the crime, could really be justified as being there. He just sort of plopped in halfway and dumped a lot of new info I'm sure the police force should have uncovered earlier. (Without giving spoilers, I imagine that Zoey's friends would have been interviewed the night of the murder as well, and her history with her killer would have been uncovered). It's a shame, because Dart was actually my favorite character! I just couldn't accept him as a 'coincidence', and kept expecting him to reveal himself as something more than a genius-hacker-burglar.

The only other thing that bugged me was the ending! I wish it had been longer; I really want to know what was going to happen to William (and his accomplices) for their part in subverting the law.

All-in-all, a great read. Crime novels usually aren't my thing, but I was absorbed all the way until the end!

If you have the time, I highly recommend checking out Issue #84 of Clarkesworld; it’s free, and it’s fantastic!

As a first-time reader to Clarkesworld, I wasn’t expecting much. I like science fiction, but tend to find science fiction collections bogged down by too many nihilistic, dystopian undertones. If Issue 84 is anything to go by, I have to say Clarkesworld is one of the best short fiction magazines out there, and I am thrilled to now have a subscription.

#84 seems to be largely themed around planetary travel, and the risks those travelers make within our own solar system. In this issue, there was so much to love that I’d like to touch on every section of the magazine separately.

Mar Pacifico by Greg Mellor

From paragraph one, I was absolutely in love with Mellor’s style. The word-smithing, the turn-of-phrase. Every sentence was like a tasty, melty truffle. It was an absolutely stunning work of prose. Usually, I would worry that a writer whose style is that elegant would be lacking in the story-telling element, but Mellor delivers. There was something so perfect about the haunted setting of a dead Pacific that worked so well for this story. Probably one of my favorite science fiction short stories of all time. It will be finding a permanent home in my Kindle.

The Promise of Space by James Patrick Kelly

Another story I really enjoyed. (Three in a row? Wow!) This story takes us to Saturn, and explores the problems and conundrums of the human genome, and our experimentation with it. At the heart of it, One Flesh is a love story, and echoes many of the themes seen in Mar Pacifico. I heartily enjoyed the whole tale, and liked how the main conflicts shifted in such an active way. I’ll be looking forward to reading more from this author.

Out of Copyright by Charles Sheffield

(NONFICTION) This article was really awesome to read. I loved the outlined history of SF radio dramas. It reminded me of when my dad used to talk about waiting anxiously each week to hear The Lone Ranger or Superman. I admit a lot of the names and shows were over my head, as they were way before my time, but it’s great to hear that they’re getting a second life, or second wind, through podcasts. Having just found out about a pod-drama just a few days ago, this was a very timely read.

Organic Synthesis: A Conversation with Ken Liu

(INTERVIEW) This was a great interview with a translator and Hugo-award winning author about wuxia stories from China. I was delighted to hear about all of his translation work and love of the genre, as one of my favorite books of all time, “The Story of the Stone” or “Dream of Red Chamber”, is similar to the genre (if a bit dense). I really agreed with his take on how translations should be a little strange. I read a lot of translated literature, and when it’s translated well, it’s like nothing else available in English. (“Neverending Story”, for example, or “Ring”.)

Another Word: I am an Endangered Species by [a:Alethea Kontis|173493|Alethea Kontis|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1352913068p2/173493.jpg]

(OPINION) I enjoyed this short musing on the general disenchantment of this generation when it comes to love. Kontis’s thoughts on how and why that is were, I felt, pretty spot on. As far as ‘love at first sight’? I still believe! (I also believe in Happily Ever After.)

Editor’s Desk: Post-Apocalyptic Publishing by [a:Neil Clarke|4005010|Neil Clarke|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1359923861p2/4005010.jpg]

I really wish I got more of the references in this. I have a feeling I missed out on a lot of inside jokes with this one. Nonetheless, it was amusing where I could extrapolate the meaning or joke through context. I read in Neil Clarke’s bio that he was nominated for a Hugo Award for his short fiction editing. I’m not surprised! This was an amazing issue of stellar stories and articles. I am just floored by the quality. Can’t wait for the next issue!