Now reading: Ages of Wonder , edited by Julie Czerneda and Rob St. Martin. This is one of a pile of books I brought back from Ad Astra. It will take me months to get through my stack of new SF novels, especially since I'm supposed to be writing.
So far I'm really enjoying this book of short stories. I think one reason some people avoid Fantasy stories, even before they read them, is Fantasy's reputation for vague pseudo-medieval English settings. Stories like that are no longer in fashion, but if you say Fantasy to me, I still visualize long-haired maidens leading unicorns.
I prefer well-defined, researched settings. If they do it right, I like it when Fantasy writers take liberties with old cultural icons, like Neil Gaiman's Anansi-inspired novels or Christopher Moore's Grim Reaper baby.
This collection, organized into The Age of Antiquity, The Age of Sail, The Colonial Age, The Age of Pioneers, The Pre-Modern Age and The Age Ahead, promises Fantasy with an authentic feel.
Novel Progress Report: Now working on Chapter 10.Labels: book review, drama, Fantasy, Short Stories, Writing