Some great stories and an ugly cover
Monday, August 25th, 2008
I’m sorry to start like this, but I’ve hated this cover since the first moment I saw it. The original is a digital painting and for a non-artist like me it’s amazing a man can paint something so realistic. Unfortunately, on the cover it just looks like a bad “let’s make a goth chick” photoshop, and the fact that it’s printed on silvery glossy paper makes it even worse.
But, seeing as the editors are Ellen Datlow (’nuff said) and Kelly Link (one of my favorite short story writers) [sorry, didn't know anything in particular about Gavin Grant] and the names inside include some very very interesting authors, plus I knew the translator… I went ahead and ordered it. And I haven’t regretted one moment.
This particular book is actually the first half of the Year’s Best Fantasy & Horror 19th Edition, 2006, so it doesn’t include some of the things I was looking forward to, such as Charles de Lint’s essay. Alas, I hope the 2nd volume is out soon. On with the show… after an apology: poetry is not my thing (at all. really.) so I won’t mention the poems. I’ve only read one of them, anyway, and didn’t get it.
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