Wednesday 9 June 2010

Want:// Stories - Neil Gaiman & Al Sarrantonio

Published by: Headline
Buy from: Amazon.co.uk

One hell of a huge book of great, exciting stories which will become a uniting force for readers of all forms of imaginative fiction.


Rather than being dictated by genre, for co-editors Gaiman and Sarrantonio there is only one true distinction in fiction: the one dividing realistic and imaginative fiction. STORIES is a collection of the very best original fiction from some of the most imaginative writers in the world, as well as a showcase for some of fiction's newer stars.
Contributors include: Roddy Doyle; Joyce Carol Oates; Joanne Harris; Neil Gaiman; Michael Marshall; Smith; Joe R. Lansdale; Walter Mosley; Richard Adams; Jodi Picoult; Michael Swanwick; Peter Straub; Lawrence Block; Jeffrey Ford; Chuck Palahniuk; Diana Wynne Jones; Stewart O’Nan; Gene Wolfe; Carolyn Parkhurst; Kat Howard; Jonathan Carroll; Jeffrey Deaver; Tim Powers; Al Sarrantonio; Kurt Andersen; Michael Moorcock; Elizabeth Hand; Joe Hill

I've seen quite a few things I'd like to point my eyeballs at lately but this one really appeals. I'm a fan of Neil Gaiman's work in general and I'm hugely into short fiction and anthologies so this just has 'buy me' written all over it.

The always readable Speculative Scotsman has a great review of it over at his blog which has only served to further whet my appetite, so I'll hopefully grab a copy at some point. I see it's also coming out as ebook and audiobook but as much as a I love audiobooks the hardback looks lovely so I may grab that for a spot on my shelves.

9 comments:

  1. Bought! Ten quid for a meaty hardback seems like a bargain.

    Now if only I hadn't also bought a bunch of Daniel Abraham and Jim Thompson books this week.

    When I die they'll build me a mausoleum out of unread books.

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  2. My wife keeps threatening me with a one in one out policy on books but it hasn't reall worked.

    Hope you enjoy, it does seem like a bargain, miught just order a copy too.

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  3. With a young'un installed, it probably wouldn't do to suggest a similar policy on wives. ;)

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  4. Hehe, not sure that would go down too well. Since half the house belongs to my daughters and the other to my books, I'm pretty lucky she puts up with me. :)

    What Daniel Abraham did you get? I was eyeing the limited edition of 'Leviathan Wept and Other Stories' from Subterranean but sadly my pockets were not deep enough.

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  5. I took a punt on the Long Price books. Four novels collected in two books. I've read a few of his shorts and been really impressed. TBH I'm burned out on epic fantasy right now, but it's not like they're anywhere near the top of the reading pile. I keep buying books, just in case they go away... somehow... it's a sickness.

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  6. It's a sickness I share. I'm hoping if I surround myself with enough unread books, I'll develop some form of fiction osmosis and simply absorb the stories without having to read them. Ebooks haven't really helped matters, they just stop me from reading the pbooks.

    I'm not so keen on any epics at the moment. I would love some more reasonably lengthed novels but in genre fiction in particular the short novel is not so popular these days. Hence my love of short fiction.

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  7. BBC News story about the Stories collection.

    I am unduly excited to be reading this. I'll send it to you when I'm done, if you want, just promise to pass it on.

    I read a coupla dozen short stories a month on the net. It's a pity that a LOT of great shorts get over-looked because there's no perceived market.

    My buddy Alan wrote this.

    I think it's a great story. Maybe two dozen people will ever read it.

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  8. Thanks, that's incredibly generous of you. However my urge to spend money on books got the better of me and I ordered a copy yesterday. Really looking forward to it, might have to clear my reading list for it.

    I'll check your friend's story out when I get five minutes peace.

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  9. Enjoyed your friend's story.

    Yeah I still read quite a lot of short fiction online. There are some really great sites now but it is a shame that it doesn't really sell.

    Been enjoying 365 Tomorrows for a daily bit of flash fiction. Clarkesworld is consistently good too.

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