Anthology Review: Warriors, edited by GRRM (Part II)

Last week, in my anthology review of Warriors by GRRM and Gardner Dozois, I blurbed three of the best short stories I have read in a while: Landsdale, Beagle, and Hobb all put forward masterful performances. Now, after finishing the entire anthology, I am ready to render a more comprehensive verdict.

The Warriors anthology enjoys a range, breadth, and depth that will appeal to any reader while showcasing the biggest names in speculative fiction. The different approaches to the warrior archetype all produce worthy stories; from midnight black through grey and all the way to scintillating white, warriors of every type abound. That said, the same could be said of virtually any anthology in which contributors are given such a broad and subjective topic.

The most interesting stories for me were the fresh ones - those not set in a previous world already intimately familiar to the author. In those, the story line is tighter, more focused, and ultimately much more personal. All in all, a fine showing by all the contributors to the anthology, though a couple of the stories lost some of their appeal after I discovered they were prequels to stories I was already familiar with - GRRM's little ditty not included. That was a fun one... (and thanks for the link love Mr. Martin).

Overall an excellent vintage. Like a fine wine that takes time to open up (think '83 Margaux) giving you a range of surprising flavors you didn't expect and delighting the pallet. Deep, intense, with shining moments of humor and pathos, the Warriors anthology is well worth the read.

Forever Bound, by Joe Haldeman

I am a huge fan of Mr. Haldeman's having read the vast majority of his work going into his short story, which is a prequel to Forever Peace. That said, it just didn't click for me just as Forever Peace didn't either. No harm no foul, it was still a nifty piece drawing heavily on Mr. Haldeman's strengths as an author. A tight focus which blossoms into a sense of wonder and amazement generally directed at humanity's inherent potential. Nough said.

And Ministers of Grace, by Tad Williams

Mr. Williams' piece is hard space opera science fiction a la Hamilton. Full on bio-engineered weaponized soldiers pound it out, and then some more, and heck, lets throw in some cannibalism for the fun of it. The protagonist starts out a bit shallow and one dimensional but then opens up quite nicely (I'll go with the '83 Margaux for comparison). All in all, a fun piece that reads nicely as a prequel to a much larger story. Want to buy more please.

Seven Years from Home, Naomi Novik

Similar to Tad Williams' piece, Novik skims ecopunk (are we using that term yet?) and presents us a world divided between two waring continents; one is fairly belligerent/capitalist and the other populated by bio-engineering tree huggers. Told from the point of view of a young adventurer, the story is well worth your time and again will leave you wanting to read more.... which seems to be a recurring problem with me and reading anthologies.

The Scroll, by David Ball

Only one word to describe this one: BRUTAL. Yes, the caps are deliberate, hopefully conveying undertones of sadism, torture, and anguish. Before diving into this one, queue up some calming music and pictures of puppies, because you are going to need them. Mr. Ball gives us the darkest side of human nature, and does it well. Served up for your reading pleasure, some of the darkest and most depraved historical fiction you are likely to encounter. You have been warned.

Anthology Review: Warriors, edited by GRRM

Warriors, the highly anticipated anthology edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois will hit shelves in March. Mr. Martin best describes the anthology: "You will find warriors of every shape, size, and color in this pages, warriors from every epoch of human history, from yesterday and today and tomorrow and worlds that never were. Some of the stories will make you sad, some will make you laugh, many will keep you on the edge of your sear." Indeed, Mr. Martin is right on point with his overall description - I found warriors to be a true wonder in both its diversity and talent. The masterful explorations of the warrior archetype will delight fans of any genre, and are sure to titillate even the most hardened veterans of speculative fiction.

The three pieces which follow are my favorites so far in the anthology - all are gritty and bloody, showcasing a fair measure of violence, wit, and emotion.

Soldierin', by Joe Landsdale:

In this daringly nifty piece of historical fiction, Mr. Landsdale brings us back to the old days of slavery and American expansion into the West. Meet an escaped slave headed to sign up as a Buffalo Soldier after narrowly escaping an old fashioned lynching. The tone of the story is reminiscent of Abercrombie in his First Law trilogy - dark and ironic with a healthy abundance of sarcasm masked as humor. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the tale, at least for me, is the protagonist's world view and the casual familiarity with which racist epithets - and racism -abound. A true cowboys and indians frontier story, Soldierin' will delight, amaze, and leave one hoping for an expanded novella on the part of Mr. Landsdale.

Dirae, by Peter S. Beagle:

Unique in its structure, Dirae is a dreamscape like staccato narrative of a hero in the truest sense; a being who exists only in the moments of greatest need to protect the innocent and punish evil. Part superhero quest and journey of self-discovery, Dirae holds more twists than is proper for such a short story, showcasing a profound sense of loss and sorrow that seems all to personal. Peter S. Beagle is undoubtedly a modern master of the short story who has once again amazed me with his raw skill and daring narrative style. I would give this one three thumbs up, but physically that would be a bit awkward.

The Triumph, by Robin Hobb:

Brutal and bloody, The Triumph is a story of friendship, honor, and courage in an age in which warriors dreamed and lived for glory - to be remembered - and where mythical beasts roamed the land. The story, more than anything, highlights the timeless bond between warriors that is forged in the heat of battle, that endures unto, and even beyond, death. In a historical sense, Mr. Hobb highlights a worldview that is long extinct, and was perhaps even doomed to extinction from the start. Gruesome and bloody, Triumph is a story of a bond broken and friendship lost, but a memory sustained. Highly recommended and second only to Mr. Beagle's Dirae at this point.

... to be continued.