A friend of mine loaned me this book when they heard that I love Misty Lackey's books. "Stolen Silver" is the story of how the Karsite Alberich was found by his companion.
All of the stories were wonderfully thought provoking and surprisingly deep for a sub-genre that has seen alot of fluff.

I could not put this book down. Highly, highly reccomended for horse lovers(though not all the stories are suitable for children).

It's hard to find horse stories with a sci-fi/fantasy twist, and there are some good ones here. Four hooves up(haha)!

A MUST-HAVE for horse lovers! When I first picked it up, I thought, oh geez, more girly horse-stuff....WRONG! Never have I read such great horse fiction! Most of the authors are actually knowledgeable about horses, which is definitely a plus! Some stories are even better than the Black Stallion. Most reccomended stories: "The Most Magical Thing About Rachel"(the author should do a full-length novel of this one!), "When Lightning Strikes", and "Riding the Nightmare"(altho' the ending is a tad cheesy:-).

If you're looking for an intriguing, informative, and overall enjoyable reference work on both noir fiction and film, look no further. The Big Book of Noir, co-edited by Lee Server and Ed Gorman, is chock full of terrific pieces on great directors and writers including Cornell Woolrich, A.I. Bezzerides (writer of the classics Kiss Me Deadly, On Dangerous Ground, and Thieves' Highway), Harry Whittington, Peter Rabe, Fritz Lang, Leigh Brackett, Gil Brewer, Mickey Spillane, and many more.

One of the best things about the book is that several of the above-mentioned pieces are actually interviews; Lang and Bezzerides fall into this category, as do Daniel Mainwaring (writer of Out of the Past), Abraham Polonsky (writer of Force of Evil), Peter Rabe, Charles Willeford, and Donald Westlake.

Several of the non-interview pieces are written by some of the best known writers in suspense fiction around including Stephen King (on Jim Thompson), William Nolan, Ed Gorman, Barry Malzberg, Bill Pronzini, and Max Allan Collins. Other pieces are firsthand accounts--by Leigh Brackett and Malvin Wald (writer of Naked City).

There's an interesting checklist of 100 favorite noir films (including a few by Jean-Pierre Melville, one of the all-time great French directors--a powerful inspiration for Tarantino), another checklist of 100 noir novels, and even a section on noir comics!

The Radio and TV section goes into Peter Gunn, of course, but also mentions the lesser-known (and by all accounts, far more interesting) Johnny Staccato which starred John Cassevetes who was infinitely edgier than Craig Stevens' Gunn character.

These guys have done their homework and more, and it definitely shows. It's a shame this book is out of print; it's terrific!

A wonderful collection featuring some of the world's best noir scholars and historians. There's a wealth of information between these covers, but the book is worth its weight in platinum for the magnificent, definative essay on Gil Brewer written by Bill Pronzini.

As the lowly web guy behind The Thrilling Detective Web Site, I'm always looking for good reference books, and this one's a keeper! It collects some of the very best articles, essays and critiques in one handy volume, covering everything from film and fiction to radio, television and comics. Passionate, diverse, opinionated, cranky, illuminating and enlightening, it's like a Greatest Hits of Noir Criticism.

Contents:
Trouble with Water - H. L. Gold
Nothing in the Rules - L. Sprague de Camp
Fruit of Knowledge - C. L. Moore
Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius - Jorge Luis Borges
The Compleat Werewolf - Anthony Boucher
The Small Assassin - Ray Bradbury
The Lottery - Shirley Jackson
Our Fair City - Robert A. Heinlein
There Shall Be No Darkness - James Blish
The Loom of Darkness - Jack Vance
The Man Who Sold Rope to the Gnoles - Margaret St. Clair
The Silken-Swift - Theodore Sturgeon
The Golem - Avram Davidson
Operation Afreet - Poul Anderson
That Hell-Bound Train - Robert Bloch
The Bazaar of the Bizarre - Fritz Leiber
Come Lady Death - Peter S. Beagle
The Drowned Giant - J. G. Ballard
Narrow Valley - R. A. Lafferty
Faith of Our Fathers - Philip K. Dick
The Ghost of a Model T - Clifford D. Simak
The Demoness - Tanith Lee
Jeffty Is Five - Harlan Ellison
The Detective of Dreams - Gene Wolfe
Unicorn Variations - Roger Zelazny
Basileus - Robert Silverberg
The Jaguar Hunter - Lucius Shepard
Buffalo Gals, Won't You Come Out Tonight - Ursula K. Le Guin
Bears Discover Fire - Terry Bisson
Tower of Babylon - Ted Chiang

Most are classics. Some of them are otherwise hard to find. This book has again to be reprinted.
Highlights:
Trouble with Water - H. L. Gold
Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius - Jorge Luis Borges
That Hell-Bound Train - Robert Bloch
The Bazaar of the Bizarre - Fritz Leiber
And many more. Classic writers; the best of these writers.
If you can find it, buy it immediately.
Too bad there is only one story of each writer. I would love to have seen more of Tanith Lee. Her short stories are_very_hard to come by.
I think this is the best F anthology ever printed. These are multi-functional stories; elements of H too. Very good atmosphere. Fritz Leiber story will......you. Leiber is so good!
Happy hunting!

"The Fantasy Hall of Fame" fills an enormous hole in the fantasy world. While many of the best works in the genre are short stories, short stories rarely stay in print for long. This anthology presents the finest tales ever written in the genre; with rare exception, almost any reader's favorites can be found here. Robert Silverberg hasn't done many anthologies in recent years, but he used to put out one every year, and he hasn't lost his touch. Any young reader of fantasy novels looking for a new chunk of his favorite reading material will be ecstatic; any long-time reader will be overjoyed to greet old friends once more. The list of stories included is too long to be included here (which in itself is a good sign!), but my favorites include Robert Bloch's "That Hell-Bound Train" and Anthony Boucher's "Compleat Werewolf." A first-rate collection!

Each and everyone of these stories is a landmark. If you are a fantasy reader, Its the best place to investigate the roots of almost each and everyone of your beloved stories. If you are a beginner, there isnt a better place to start your exploration in this field!

THE MYSTERIOUS WEST Edited by Tony Hillerman

This is an ecclectic collection of short stories in settings that rage the American West by a wonderful variety of writers. They are all new, never before published, stories.

Each story is a "mystery" of some sort. I found them all to be quite facinating, even if most are not about cats. One story is most decidedly about a cat, Midnight Louie.

Louie has his own series of novels. The short story in this anthology is a good example of Midnight Louie's other adventures.

If you or your purrrson like mysteries and stories of susspense, deceit and excitement, this is a great book to have. The stories are completey engrossing, easy to read and a treat! Take the book along when you have to wait for your next medical, dental or other appointment. Each tale is like a piece of gormet canip--a pleasure that almost doesn't last long enough.

A book for adult readers, but without sleaze, or the need for parental discression!

Twist, a prrroud member of CLAW, and the CLAW Bookstore Committee

I've been reading a lot of novels lately. 600-pagers. So when I found this collections of short stories, I gave it a try. I love the West; I love short stories; why not a change of pace. Hillerman has collected stories set in the West, not western stories. At first I bridled: Hillerman without Navajos? But once I got into the first story, I was hooked. This is the only collection I have ever read whose stories are ALL good, and there are a lot of stories in the book. I liked the characters, the locations, the stories, and the surprise that most of the stories were by women. I hadn't expected that. A favorite? That would be tough. How about three: "Nooses Give" by Dana Stabenow--ridding the Tundra of bootleggers; "A Woman's Place" by D. R. Meredith--Highwater, Texas never saw no lady judge before!; and "With Flowers in Her Hair" by M. D. Lake--you CAN go back, but it may not be very nice there. What did I hate about the book? Closing the back cover.

This is one of the better anthologies of mystery stories that I have read. The Western theme works well to tie it all together, though for some authors it is apparent only from the location of the story. I enjoyed the short submissions from authors whose full length works I have already read - including D.R. Meredith, J.A. Jance and Karen Kijewski. The most notable reason to get this collection is to be exposed to authors you may not normally choose. A couple I found here and had to investigate further were Dana Stabenow (writes about an Eskimo female investigator - excellent stories) and Linda Grant - who I have only read in other short story collections

Great Book. We have bought many books about the Caribbean over the years, but this is one of the best if not the best. Easy to read, full of up to date info and breaks it down into catagories easy to find. Does not just refer to the large hotels or famous places to eat, but also those not so famous.
THE TIPS that are easy to see, are throughout the book that give short, to the point, info.
This is a valuable book.

An excellent new guide... replete with detailed information on every aspect of vacationing on the islands. Illustrated with maps and drawings. Focus on France

Finally! We have looked for years for a book which gave St. Barth proper coverage. We have heretofore found only books with from a few to a dozen pages. St. Martin & St. Barts Alive gives this tiny island well over a hundred pages, and it covers beaches, restaurants, hotels, villas, shopping, and considerably more. Our edition is copyright 1999, but the authors mention the damage done by Hurricane Luis several times -- do not let that dissuade you; the island had fully recovered when we visited there two seasons after Luis.

The layout uses lots of free clip art, one font used for headings is rather hard to read, and there are no photographs, but the book is well- written in plain English, without gushing -- we enjoyed it. The authors have covered the island very well, and there were lots of tips which were new to us. We will have this book with us on our next trip.

This book is recommended for all visitors to St. Barts, whether first- timers or old hands on the island.

There are twenty-two talented authors included in this outstanding collection of werewolf stories. But the real prize is finding a Cheri Scotch story related to her very hard to find werewolf triology. My favorite story, though, is "Dumpster Diving" about finding an abandoned puppy in the dumpster and in the morning being faced with the task of caring for a baby... These are not, for the most part, slash and gore werewolf horror stories. Instead, these are a fine collection of thought provoking stories that are a real treat to those of us who wonder "what if..."

Werewolves is the ultimate collection of fiction stories, diversly portraying werewolves as more than the typical murderer. Highly recommended for those who enjoy werewolves in more ways than the horror aspect.

This is not the typical template writing. Nor is this writing paid for by the word. It is a book of reflection, of introspection, of social criticism. "Some Touch of Pity" by Gary A. Braunbeck is more a work of prayer than of fiction. Gary's essay alone is worth the small price of the book. Try it!

I find The Joker to be a fascinating fictional character, and this collection of short stories definitely manages (at least for the most part) to get at what I feel is the true character of The Clown Prince of Crime. This little overlooked book is probably the best portrayal of The Joker this side of Alan Moore's The Killing Joke.

The quality of the stories is uneven, ranging from brilliant to forgettable. Unfortunately, the very best stories are all weighted toward the first part of the book and sets you up thinking that ALL of the stories will be that good. My favorites are "The Man Who Laughs" and "On a Beautiful Summer's Day, He Was." The latter, while being the least "Joker"-y of the lot, is also the most disturbing. "On the Wire" is also excellent, and although "Jangletown" falls into the average group, it's memorable for its description of the Joker (which brought shadows of Grant Morrison's Arkham Asylum) and the hints at pederasty. Most of the others are average but still entertaining and full of dark, disturbing moments (Bruce Wayne's punchline in "Dying is Easy, Comedy is Hard," the opening of "Bone," and the patricide in "Best of All"). The only story I flat out didn't like was "The Joker's Christmas."

I thought it was an excellent decision to use horror writers for the most part to bring The Joker to life...I can't imagine a genre he more belongs at home in.

Do yourself a favor a grab a copy of this book. It's truly unsettling.

This book consists of several short stories, each written by a different author, and all of them about the Joker. The stories are too short for me to tell you much about them, and besides, part of what makes this book great is the different angles taken on the Joker. Each story focus on the Joker, but each shows a different part of the whole Joker.
I would recomend this to any Batman fan, any comic fan, or anyone looking for good short stories.

To me, this book defines The Joker; A mean-spirited, incredibly intelligent, completely psychotic mass murderer with a way beyond warped sense of humor. I first read this book in High School. Once I picked it up, it was so amazing/disturbing I couldn't put it down until I'd read the whole thing. I wrote a paper on it that got me into AP English. Now 10+ years later, it was so good I'm searching for it again. This book is a KEEPER. Be careful who you loan it to, they might think so too.

Whether you liked (cough, cough) the final episode or not; you will love to regain your enjoyment for Xena and Gabrielle in this
collection of short stories. Pretty good. Also: "Damsel in the Rough" by Ann M. Tempesta and "Tropical Storm" by Melissa Good--authors who know how to produce a gutsy warrior babe!

this is a very good book, i couldn't put it down. there are lots of short stories in this book, so it doesn't get boring. if you are new to the xena paperbacks, this is the book to get you started.

Like many Xenites, I bought this book to read the work of fanfiction bard and series screenplay writer Missy Good, and I wasn't disappointed: Missy's stellar final story in the anthology made it worth the money.
However, I was thrilled to discover that the person picking the anthology entries and the writers submitting the stories were just as spot-on, dead center in their portrayal of Xena and Gabrielle as the best screenwriters and fanfiction bards out there. With the possible exception of the lengthy story involving Joxer (can't recall the name right now), every story gave wonderful new yet insightful glimpses of the characters we know and love. Further, for readers of all types of sword and sorcery fantasy, this book offers believable plotting and emotionally engaging characters.
This is a book that every Xena fan should own and one to pass on to non-Xenites. Spread the word-- this one's not just for Xenites.

As with all anthologies, the stories here vary in quality. I particularly liked Tanya Huff's story of the brother and sister assassin team that she later featured in her novel _Fifth Quarter,_ and Fiona Patton's tale of a slightly-alternate magical Italy where "death mages" and the Church wage an underground war. The nice thing about anthologies in general is that they can make one aware of writers, and works, that one might miss otherwise. The bad thing is that the quality of stories can be very uneven, but that's not much in evidence here---Greenberg's an experienced editor working with pros.

My favorite stories are those that remind me of Looking Glass Studios' _Thief_ games; a *real* sneaker leaves no traces, other than the job having been done.

Arntzen, Bernie: "On My Honor" Nicholas, the narrator, is and isn't the Oranian Royal Assassin; he's also Roarke's most secret agent in the Oranian court. Now he's been ordered to bite off the hand that feeds him: the queen has ordered him to kill her despicable brother-in-law, the King of Roarke. (Nicholas' humor isn't quenched by his dilemma. "Assassin sarcasm. Another occupational hazard.")

Edgerton, Teresa: "Dying By Inches" Set in the same world as _The Queen's Necklace_. Few of the Rowans survived the two years of imprisonment in barbarous conditions before their names were cleared. When Odilia hears a rumour that the Marquis committed the crime that sent her family into limbo, she plans to exact revenge, with or without proof.

Edghill, Rosemary: "War of the Roses" In the Argestian States, assassins have replaced war as the last resort of diplomacy. But checks and balances are necessary: the Flower Guild exists to hunt down assassins who have become too dangerous. Redlorn, who styles himself the Red Rose, is their next target; the Guild's agent is the legendary White Rose. The feel is _Thief_-like, as Redlorn makes a point of getting into and out of his target's home without touching the guards, and *his* pursuer likewise toys with *him*.

Elrod, P.N. "Myhr's Adventure in Hell" Terrin and Myhr *really* want to earn enough gemstones to let them escape to a more civilized world, broadly defining 'civilized' in terms of plumbing. Their client's husband - this world's Hitler-equivalent - is already dead; she wants to make sure his soul can never reincarnate. Myhr, the narrator, is nominated by his wizard-partner to make the hit. (Myhr trusts him on magic, if not on splitting red velvet cake equally.)

Flewelling, Lynn: "Raven's Cut" The young foreign assassin, when it's his turn to tell the evening's tale, remembers the best assassin he ever knew.

Huff, Tanya: "Death Rites" Very Thiefy feel: the two young assassins attached to 7th Army are the best hope of prying the rebel commander out of her captured stronghold - the secret entrance can't be blocked without cutting off her water supply.

Jefferson, Leyte: "He" Moonback is an assassin whose master remade him into a werewolf. His canine instincts predominate as the moon waxes; at that point, even in human form he reacts like a dog, approaching his master on his belly, licking his hands - losing some of his vocabulary, but remembering some of his professional skills even when he can't remember the word 'army'. Disturbing.

Leigh, Stephen: "Green Stones" The scarred man is only the latest in a long series of fools seeking to learn at the feet of the Green Stone. The trademark green stones left on the victims were always from the flanks of Goat Fell, so the would-be assassin's apprentice has come to Maire's lonely tavern. (Scar doesn't have the sense he was born with, but the reader shouldn't be *too* smug.)

Lindskold, Jane: "A Touch of Poison" Set in the same world as _Through Wolf's Eyes_. The assassins' tool of choice to reach the Supreme Affluent is Adalia, his chief baker; they've taken her infant son as surety. But Adalia knows she has no guarantee they'll return the baby, or that they won't reveal whose hand poisoned her master's pastry. (The culture of Waterland, where administration - there is no 'government' as such - and status are tied directly to money, is interesting in itself.)

Oster, Anna: Mallon is being stalked by a young fool who believes she killed his sister; Mallon, in exasperation, tells him he should have studied "History and Economics" instead of (obviously) poetry at university. (The Silent Guild is quite legal - and it's the client, not the assassin, the boy should be concerned with.)

Patton, Fiona: "The Svedali Foundlings" 'In Cercicava, the dead were revered far more than the living.' Coll can testify to this on several counts; he survived the burning of the Svedali Innocenti Foundling Home fourteen years ago during the duc's little expansion project for the necropolis, only to be picked up as an organ collector by the death mages. But someone else survived the burning: Drey, an assassin now stalking the corridors of power.

Reichert, Mickey Zucker: "Darkness Comes Together" Josafah envies the fame of the assassin known as Nightfall; no hire would dare waste Nightfall's time, as he'd just as soon destroy an unworthy hire as destroy his target. When Josafah encounters Nightfall outside his target's home, he suggests that they cooperate - who's to know? (Josafah's gratuitous violence contrasts with Nightfall's minimalist approach.)

Rusch, Kristine Kathryn: "Coin of the Realm" Orsem's assassins are competing for the public executioner's job - most of whose work is outside the kingdom - and the winner will be he who kills the most important victim, increasing the king's holdings in the process. *Not* the safest time to bring foreign dignitaries to court, as the king's daughter Rosalind is being sold into marriage to a neighbouring kingdom's heir.

Sherman, Josepha: "Never Say...Uh...Die?" Rather than ordinary humans, the narrator assassinates rampaging ogres, sorcerers plotting to usurp kingdoms - like that. His current target, a Koshchei, has learned subtlety in the art of hiding his heart outside his body. (*Not* a retelling of the Firebird legend.)

West, Michelle: "Echoes" Kallandras' family was murdered because someone learned they had a child with demonic powers - command-voice, among other things - and sought to take him. Kallandras survived as a beggar until the day the Kovaschii, the brotherhood serving the Lady's darkest face, took him for testing. The story is told in flashback, as the adult Kallandras remembers the tests of his training in a land far away.

Assassin's are extremely difficult characters to write. If you do it wrong, the assassin becomes a monster that no one can relate to. Or becomes self-rightous and hypocritical.
In this book there are 15 stories of assassins who are unique characters unto themselves, and no where near typical.
My favorites were Death Rites, about the brother sister team of Vree and Bannon, assassins for the empire. Also Coin of the Realm, which gave a very interesting twist, and Darkness Comes Together, about an assassin who is nearly as dangerous to his employer as his mark.
Echos was a good story to me, but then I have read the other books featuring Kallandras. For thoses who haven't, it may just be a little confusing.
I didn't care much for He, or for History and Economics or Dying By Inches. They seemed a little stilted, and not quite as smoothly flowing as some of the others.
But all in all, this was a good book, especially if you enjoy tales of darkness and deception, and of the ever mysterous assassin.
All assassin lovers should give this book a try.

My two friends and I bought copies of this book, but I was the only one to finish it. They are both Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter fans. Both were expecting Legolas or maybe Dobby, but neither are to be found here.

What is found is this anthology is all manners of elves from all kinds of mythology. From the tiny fairies of England, to the leprechauns of Ireland, to the thin, elegant, trickster elves of Norse mythology- this anthology has it all.

Out of the 19 stories contained in this novel, some of the more famous authors are Andre Norton, Tanya Huff, Jody Lynn Nye, and Michelle West. Out of all the stories, the best by far is " All That Glitters" by C.J. Henderson, a dark fantasy story guaranteed to chill you to your marrow.

So I recommend this book for fans of Daw and Martin Greenberg anthologies, but if you're looking for a Lord of the Rings anthology, try After the King, ISBN: 0765302071.

I agree with both the editors and some readers that the whole idea of short, stumpy Santa's elves do not do justice to the Tuatha de Danaan. Most of the stories in this book capture the beauty, grace, and yes, even a bit of the haughtiness of these people. Truly a good read, although some of the stories can get a bit overcomplicated (like the elves themselves, I suppose)

The stories in this are, as the title suggests, fantastic! ::giggles:: It IS a must! If there is one creature i adore the most it is the elf. They are fascinating, beautiful, gentle creatures and, although I distaste with a few of the ideas that elves are always mischievous and look like something out of Santa's workshops, you can't hold a grudge on Earth beliefs, can you? Frankly, I believe elves truly exist and come in many sizes and forms. They are all around us, watching us with cautious curiousity for they fear the Earthling mind and all its destroying thoughts. I believe that if an Earthling could just find the true, wild spirit within then perhaps this world would be more unified. Anyway, read ELF FANTASTIC and revel in its beauty! It is certainly a jewel to behold. And don't skip " The Changeling " (it's magnificant.......except that they've got the world slightly wrong.......heh......) Enjoy!