I read this short story collection and walked around the rest of the day in a daze. Nancy Kress managed to blow me away almost every time. I had loved her novels, but this was even better. She managed not to get caught in a rut while maintaining a consistency of quality that was amazing. If you want to know about technology and human nature, read this book. If you want to know how to write short stories, read this book. If you want to spend a pleasant hour, day, or week reading, read this book. Just read it. It's that good.

I am normally pretty stingy with giving 10's to books, but this chapbook of one of Kress' strongest novellas surely deserves the rating.

Kress never fails to deliver utterly believable characters while driving plots forward with her straight-forward style of prose. "Dancing on Air" is no exception.

Upong starting the book I was immediately put off by the fact that it is narrated by an intelligence-enhanced dog. There are, of course, countless novels using this device, and I'd say all but Simak's "City" are completely forgettable. (I would include "Watchers" and "Lives of the Monster Dogs" in the "forgettable" category.) But, I trusted Ms. Kress to deliver and was ultimately rewarded. Kress' narrator choice turns out to be wonderful. The dog is impossible to dislike and presents a point of view so objective as to be unquestionable and yet filled with raw emotion as could only come from a dog or perhaps a small child.

If you are a fan of short fiction, don't miss this one!!!

After reading "Beginnings, Middles and Ends," any beginning writer will have many of the tools needed to put together a good story or novel. Kress takes the reader through a step-by-step process that makes you think, "It's so simple. Why didn't I think of that?" It's so simple because Kress has expertly targeted the areas that most writers have trouble with and has offered workable solutions. Her writing is very clear and readable. The examples and exercises alone are worth the price of the book. If you are interested in writing fiction and can only buy one book, this is the one.

The further into this book I read, the more impressed I become with Nancy Kress.

Many people don't understand the mechanics involved in writing a story. She "sits" the reader down and explains the best way to start a story from the first sentence. She then goes into the first scene, and even into the second scene! She explains the things necessary to include in a good opening, and also gives examples of poor ones. I find this approach to be the best way to hammer home the ideas.

She then goes into 'middles,' and later 'ends' of stories, and explains the best ways not to [upset] off your reader, by having a story, for example, where you spend six hundred pages falling in love with the main character, only to have him killed off on the last page for no reason. You pulled the old "bait and switch"!Your next book, having not even been published, just lost a reader!

I would rather have this book, than almost any other in my rather large collection.

Nancy Kress offers a professional insight into the real hardware of fiction writing. This award winning author maintains the voice of a master instructor whom beginning writers avidly seek when questing for practical writing advice. Those who have valued her advice in popular writing periodicals will be treated to a book size serving of enlightening writing strategies. In a series of books that make the reader often blurt, "Of course why didn't I think of that?" Kress suggest and points out many invaluable tools which bring a work of fiction together from its beginning to the middle all the way to the end. Everything about this book is . . . well for lack of better description, just right; arguably the best writer on the nuts and bolts of writing in the most practical series on writing in print today, perfect.

Nancy Kress makes it seem effortless. Her inspired plotting, characters and imagination remind me of Robert Silverberg in his prime. The only other author currently writing that is comparable in depth and quality is, perhaps, Patricia Anthony.

Crossfire tells the story of an intergalactic ark that carries a number of wealthy volunteers to an unsettled Earth-like planet. Jake Holman,the president of the venture, is the smooth talking negotiator of the group that manages to arrange co-operation among a widely diverse population with different agendas for wanting to settle a new world. Most believe that Earth is on its last legs.

The planet that's been surveyed appears to have no life and the habitat is well suited to humans. There's one catch; after arriving they discover that there is intelligent life of sorts. A number of villages inhabited by what they call the Furs. There are three different groups, though: One appears docile and, upon examination, appears to have some sort of uniform brain damage; the second is unusually aggressive and attacks one group of settlers; the third appears to be chronically drugged but it's not clear by what. A number of clues indicate that the planet may be a "giant petri dish" and other aliens have some vast, poorly understood experiment going on.

Just when things couldn't get any worse an alien ship is detected entering the star system and will be in orbit in less than 36 hours.

Kress manages to create convincing characters with vastly different agendas. She also conveys the complex moral and ethical decisions facing these colonists. There are a number of minor flaws; Jake Holman is too reminiscent of Lyle Kaufman a character from Kress' Probability series. Still, there is just enough of a measured difference to make his character interesting and more than a carbon copy of the other character. The dark past haunting Holman that Kress keeps hinting at gives added gravity to the character and his actions.

The conclusion of the book isn't as smooth as expected. That's no surprise, however, as Crossfire, like Proability, was designed as a single, giant novel split into three volumes (at least that's what rumor has it as being). The second volume will be particularly interesting as it will resolve a number of conflicts and awkward situations that could leave humanity stranded in the crossfire of intergalatic war.

Keep writing Nancy, you're doing a heck of a job.

This book has a great plot, characters that are interesting and well-developed, well-presented ethical and philosophical dilemmas - in short good science fiction plus good writing. Highly recommended.

Nancy Kress' style captivates me to the point that I am quite willing to overlook her shortcomings. I'll mention them though, just to get them out of the way: I found the beginning a bit rough, keeping track of a lot of characters all introduced at the same time. And there were occasional repetitions noticeable, and rather awkward foreshadowing.

These are each very minor flaws though, and don't interfere with a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Plotwise, we have a private company in the 23rd century building a spaceshp and ferrying 6,000 very rich people from a dying Earth to their new planet, Greentrees. These 6000 represent quite diverse groups and ideologies. There's a tribe of Cheyennes wanting to take up a traditional mode of life; 1000 Chinese and 1000 New Quakers each seeking separate ways of leading simpler and quieter lifestyles; a major charcter's extended family of ecologically obsessed scientists; a deposed Arabic royal family, along with a few other various assorted rich & eccentric individuals.

The challenges and difficulties of setting up a world with such large and diversified groups is well handled by the author. Further complication ensue with the discovery of aliens already living in villages and with the approach of a spaceship bearing a very different species approaching.

The core of the novel and its primary fascination come from the parts where humans and aliens work to avoid mistakes like those made on first contact. However, the stories & agendas of the various characters are also fascinating. At times, one might fear trite & ho-hum subplots such as the friction between the New Quaker doctor and his rebellious daughter, or the Corporation leader with a deep dark secret in his past, and yet we feel deeply enough for those involved that we are concerned with how each works out his and her challenges.

Having been away from science- reading for a long while, disenchanted with the depressing view of the future and the emphasis on hard science prevalent in the genre, I found this to be a refreshing, enjoyable return.

Nancy Kress is the author of over a dozen books of fiction, including Beggars in Spain, which won both the Hugo and Nebula awards. She is the fiction columnist for Writer's Digest (WD) magazine, and her short fiction frequently appears in Omni magazine. She also teaches fiction-writing classes for universities and writing conferences.

I've been a fan of Kress's fiction column in WD for a long time now, and this book is an extended version of her clear, enlightening advice. The topics covered in Dynamic Characters include: (1) the definition and purpose of characters; (2) naming characters; (3) the influence of setting on characterization; (4) how dialogue reveals characters; (5) choosing telling details to describe characters; (6) basing characters on real people; (7) internal dialogue; (8) dreams; (9) villains; (10) unsympathetic protagonists; (11) how plot affects characterization; (12) secondary characters; (13) conflict leading to violence; (14) growth and transformation in characters; (15) basing plot on real-life events; (16) connections between characters, plot and theme; (17) biographical questionnaire for characters.

All of these topics are thoroughly covered in a clear, helpful manner. My favorite section of the book is the 14-page character biography form Kress calls an "Intelligence Dossier." I transcribed its questions into my computer and use it regularly to help me flesh out my characters when I am in the backstory phase.

I highly recommend this book not only to brand new fiction writers, but to experienced ones as well. Kress provides an abundance of insights useful to authors of every level of accomplishment.

Kress is author of the widely read Beginnings, Middles & Ends of the Writers' Digest Elements of Fiction Writing Series. Those who have been inspired and taught by Kress' work in Writers' Digest Magazine will find this book filled with material from the "Fiction" column for which Kress writes. Kress has taken a systems approach to fiction, refusing to completely segment the different elements but rather bringing all elements together to dance and balance like one of John Bradshaw's mobiles.

Dynamic Characters is divided into three parts -- covering "externals," "internals," and "plot." "Externals" deals with the character's appearance, name, setting, employment, and dialogue. Kress also includes two chapters designed to harness unhelpful characterization. "Internals" deals with internal thought processes, dreams and responses to newscasts, and villains & other unsympathetic characters. The third part on "plot" covers conflict, point of view, secondary characters, character change, and theme. The plot section also includes two chapters on where plots can come from.

Right from the start this is the type of book that you'll want to hold in one hand so the other can create characters as you read. It is infinitely more helpful than the variety of "characterization checklists" available on the internet. While such checklists can be helpful for triggering some ideas, usually they are too clinical and fail to adequately suggest life for your characters. Kress helps the reader to see the possibilities inherent in each choice made for the character. Not only does she ask us to decide what kind of vehicle the character drives, but she also prods the reader to consider how the choice of vehicle affects and is affected by the character's personality.

Those who are expecting a book in which every word is directly related to the process of characterization are bound to be disappointed or confused. At least four chapters have very little to do with characterization directly. Two chapters cover technicalities of the craft of dialogue and one covers internal monologue -- seeming out-of-place from the earlier chapters more obviously about characterization. Later, in the "plot" section, Kress has given us chapters on conflict and basic plotting. In each of these chapters Kress takes a break from strict characterization to focus on other elements of fiction craft which impact characterization indirectly.

Kress's new book does include a checklist with a good deal of the information from Dynamic Characters included. It offers almost as much suggestion as it requests response. Example:

BEDTIME

Does he/she usually go to bed at a consistent time? ___Yes ___No
What Time?____________________________
With Whom?___________________________
When does a bedtime occur at a different time?___________________________________
Does he/she usually fall asleep right away? ___Yes ___No
If no, what is s/he doing in the meantime--Reading, watching TV, sex, tossing and turning, etc.?

This checklist can easily be photocopied by the book's owner and used for a variety of characters.

Since Kress' new book does cover territory beyond mere characterization, however, it could be used by a beginning novelist still learning the elements of fiction craft. The final part of the book covering plot weaves together plot, characters, viewpoint, and structure in a unique and particularly helpful way. My favorite chapter is called "Also Featuring," in which Kress shows us how secondary characters can help us solve a variety of plot problems: Characters which are unaccounted for at the end of the plot, undermotivated actions necessary to the climax, implausibility in the plot, a too-abrupt climax, "thin spots" in the plot, cliché'd scenes, and a distant subplot. For each of these problems Kress demonstrates ways in which secondary characters can step in and save the day.

Kress has also done something particularly helpful, showing how plot itself can be about character change. We've all seen it done, but this is extraordinarily difficult to do without instruction or luck. Here's the instruction.

At the end of each chapter is a short summary -- 5 or 6 sentences in which the basic gist of the chapter is outlined. This can help the reader narrow down his selection process when seeking inspiration or a solution to a problem.

Still, Kress' writing is enjoyable enough to capture a reader's attention from cover to cover. Even if this is difficult to find, I recommend going the extra mile to get it. It doesn't belong closed up on your shelf, in belongs open -- in front of your eyes.

If you are a writer who adores reading and writing stories that focus on the characters, you'll fall in love with Dynamic Characters. The author provides an excellent guide to developing characters plus great direction on how to create a meaningful plot based on who your characters are. She also includes one of the best chapters on dialogue I've ever read. Her examples are crystal clear as well as inspiring to the creative muse (hmm, how could I apply this to my story? Oh, yes, this way and that way and...) Because Ms. Kress covers everything that matters to characterization, this book goes far beyond merely how to create fictional characters. It is instead one of the best comprehensive how-to-write books available.

Good Science Fiction book. Second book of Nancy Kress' I have read (Brain Rose in 1992?) and both have been thoughtful and to have contained fully explored themes. In this book an alien race confines a community of ship wrecked humans to study them. The humans have been stranded on the planet so long they have reverted back to a roughly medieval lifestyle. The purpose of the experiment is to allow the aliens to better understand humans so they can defeat them in an on-going war they are having with Earth. Both the primitive human community and the alien culture are fully developed in the book. Philosophical questions are asked and answered through the story. A largely successful effort to write about human behavior from the standpoint of an outside observer. What makes us strong, what makes us weak, and what makes us dangerous. Well written both from an idea stand point and a story line stand point. Kress is a concise and economical writer who develops characters pretty well.

I really enjoyed this book. While not quite as immediately riveting, such as the case with Beggars in Spain, this book gradually drew me in. After reading it a second time, I found an even richer story. I think I've read this book four times now over the past six years and have enjoyed it each time. I find it amazing how Nancy Kress is able to create these true to life characters in situations that she creates and makes real.

Beggars and Choosers is the second book in Nancy Kress's "Beggars" trilogy. Although it is intended to be able to stand alone, many readers will find it much more intelligible and enjoyable if it is read after Beggars in Spain, which is a fine story in its own right.

Beggars and Choosers is set in a twenty-second century in which genetically engineered humans ("genemods") have taken over the reins of society, with the predicable consequence of conflict with the unmodified "livers." This is not a new theme, but Kress handles it with imagination, intelligence, a wonderful understanding of the conventions of hard science fiction, and a truly admirable literary style. This, and Beggars in Spain,contains some of the best written science fiction that I have encountered in my forty or more years of reading in the genre. It is intellectually demanding, as is most good science fiction, but very rewarding.

My one quibble with the book is comparatively minor, but annoying enough to be stated: I found the distinctions between the various groups of modified humans (donkeys,sleepers, super sleepers), and their origins, to be less than clear. I suspect that readers who approach Beggars and Choosers without having read Beggars in Spain are likely to have even more trouble with these distinctions than I did, but the differences are of critical importance to the understanding of the story.

I am looking forward to reading Beggars Ride, the third volume in the trilogy.

This book picks up where Beggars in Spain left off, but unlike many sequels which require re-reading the first again, this is very much a stand alone book. While the issue of gene manipulation and modification is central to the story line, Beggars and Choosers is not so much a ripping yarn as it is a moving and powerful commentary on contemporary society.

Kress again excels in the area of character development, with the story told through the eyes of Diana Covington (genemod / "donkey" and undercover agent for the Genetics Standards Enforcement Agency), Billy Washington ("liver"), and Drew Arlen (central character from B in S). I particularly enjoyed the narrative when Diana and Billy were telling the story.

While the plot is not perhaps as fast moving as its predecessors, there are still plenty of twists and turn to keep you guessing. Overall, I had no hesitation giving this novel 5-stars, putting it up there with the best in the genre.

This was actually the first Kress book I read (I went out and grabbed 4 more almost immediately afterward, including Beggars in Spain)...so, the book definately stands on its own two feet and I still enjoyed the series tremendously despite not reading them in their intended order. Maybe it's because I read this one first, but it stands out as my favorite - a well-crafted future (usually missing from a lot of sci fi), a compelling plot (again, often absent from a lot of sci fi...no alien invasion/war/global cataclysm/blah/blah here, just a very interesting look at what the advances in our own existing technology may one day bring us), really great lead characters, particularly Diana Covington who I felt I sort of followed through this story in progress, and hey, some actual science! I'm no genetic engineer, but it seems that the material has been very well thought out and is a running theme in the Kress books I've read so far - being central to this book and the others in the series, I like the fact that the concept is used so thoughtfully...genetic engineering didn't destroy the world, but it certainly did change it. I suppose it would...perhaps it will, depending on how far we take it. This book has a ring of realism and science fact mixed in with fiction, as well as the central question 'what will the technological and social advances of the future really mean to us and how will they affect us?' - I just don't seem to find much science fiction like that these days. I was looking for some new material to read, and after picking up four or five complete duds by other authors, I picked this one up initially because the cover intregued me...boy am I glad I did. I have a feeling Kress will keep me in good sci fi for a while.

Ms. Kress turns out a competent work of mystery here. The story is good, and we don't find out "whodunit" until the very end. My only complaint is that the characters were a bit cliche. Dr. Melanie Anderson was just about the angriest character I have ever seen. In my own humble opinion, I don't see how she could possibly have risen to a position of responsibility within the CDC with some of the know-nothing convictions she holds. Agent Cavanaugh is the quintessential "man afraid of commitment"

Read this book and be entertained for a few hours.

Maryland, USA. Are we dealing with an attempt to wipe out the black population by a biological weapon? Dr. Melanie Anderson of CDC thinks so. Malaria reading, named after Malcolm Peter Reading, a black Senator from Pennsylvania and a presidential hopeful, who died after suffering a stroke in the middle of his speech, continues to spread rapidly. What made Dr. Anderson so sure about the genocide attempt is that the disease seems to attack only t hose with sickle-cell trait, a predominantly black population.

Nancy Kress has taken a bold step. She's an award-winning science fiction writer who is universally recognized as one of the best in the genre. With 'Oaths and Miracles' and now with 'Stinger,' she has proven that she can stand toe-to-toe with the best of the thriller/suspense writers as well.

'Stinger' begins with Senator Malcolm Peter Reading, a presidential hopeful, collapsing during a speech. Reading, an African-American, dies in a matter of minutes. It is discovered that he had contracted malaria. Others quickly begin dying of malaria. Nearly all of them are African-American. Then the epidemic begins.

FBI agent Robert Cavanaugh and Dr. Melanie Anderson of the Centers for Disease Control quickly discover that the deaths are not accidents. Someone...or some country...has reintroduced malaria into America. The cards appear to be stacked against them: they have few clues and little time. To complicate matters, both Cavanaugh and Anderson are faced with personal and professional crises just as an answer is beginning to develop.

I have always appreciated two things about the writing of Nancy Kress: fascinating characters and scientific ideas a clod like me can understand. Cavanaugh acts exactly the way we think an FBI agent should - logical, methodical thinking, going through the proper steps at the proper time, etc, but Kress shows us that while the agent has everything together on the job, that doesn't necessarily mean every aspect of his life is in order. Melanie Anderson is an African-American woman who is mad as hell at what is happening. She's not perfect, yet we identify with her, hurt for her, and cheer for her. Two great characters.

'Stinger' is a great thrill-ride all the way to the very last page, but it is also chilling in another aspect. Although this book was published in 1998, it has some frightening parallels to the events surrounding Sept. 11. A real page-turner...and a real eye opener.

303 fast-moving pages

I loved Nancy Kress's "Beggars" series and was looking forward to reading this short story collection. I was quite disappointed. What attracted me to her novels -- strong ideas, persuasive plot, interesting characters -- are absent in this collection of stories. Even her commentaries add little to understanding her writing process or the stories.

Casting a critical eye on science and its purveyers has its place. Yet I felt Kress offers nothing new in these stories. "Evolution" takes a very serious topic, antibiotic-resistance in bacteria, and turns it into a bland, Shirley Jackson-esque tale of people becoming uncivilized. I kept thinking after the first few pages, "Ok, I get it. Why should I keep reading?"

I really enjoy stories that immerse me in unfamiliar milieus or occupations. However, "Dancing on Air" gives a minimal treatment of the world of professional ballet. One could replace "ballet" with "figure skating" or "piano competition" and it would have made no difference. Again, after the few first pages found myself thinking "Why should I keep reading?"

Only the "Beggars" novella was somewhat interesting from a historical perspective. For "Beggar" fans, nibble the novella but don't eat the whole dozen.

This collection has been around for awhile, but I just found it. I highly recommend it to all fans of Nancy Kress

You don't have to be a science-fiction fan to enjoy the stories of Nancy Kress. In fact, you don't even have to know anything about science-fiction. If you enjoy well written, intelligent writing with remarkably believable characters, Kress is for you.

This collection starts off with a bang. "Beggars in Spain," the Hugo and Nebula winning story deals seriously with genetic engineering and prejudice when a group of "sleepless" children are born. Also outstanding are "Ars Longa" (about what it may have been like to have been Walt Disney's grade-school teacher) and "Flowers of Aulit Prison." All of the stories are very, very good, but these three are my favorites. If you like great characters and great writing, they may be yours also.

Kress has the amazing ability to communicate complex scientific ideas (like genetic engineering, microbiology, and cloning) and make them very understandable. Combine this skill with the ability to create characters that the reader really cares about, and you've got a collection of entertaining and thought-provoking stories.

Before I read 'Beggars in Spain,' I read the short story that the novel is expanded from. To be honest, I thought turning such a powerful story into a novel would lessen its impact. I was wrong.

The novel version of 'Beggars in Spain' begins with a simple premise: What if science could genetically alter humans so that they needed no sleep? Think of the advances and discoveries mankind could make, think of all the achievements that would be possible if we never had to sleep for 6, 7, or 8 hours a day.
The theory becomes a reality for Leisha Camden and many other "sleepless." It doesn't take long before the sleepless are shunned by the rest of society and forced to develop their own community. But the persection doesn't stop there...

'Beggars in Spain' has so many things going for it that so many science fiction novels lack. First (and most important in my mind), Kress gives us believable characters that are interesting. You actually believe that these people could be real and would be fascinated to meet them. Leisha is a character I will remember for a long, long time. Next, Kress does something that I wish more science fiction writers would (or could) do: She explains how the science in her story works in a way that a non-scientist can understand it! (Imagine that!) Let me say for the record that I have an extremely weak science background, but thanks to the author's talent, I felt that I understood the basis for all the science that was included in the story. In short, I wasn't intimidated at all.

The characters and the understandable science are important, but I was really knocked out by the multitude of questions that are raised by 'Beggars in Spain.' The book admirably addresses such questions as genetic engineering (How far should science go?), aging, class distinction, euthanasia, community rights,... Kress poses some very difficult questions without backing down from them one bit. I appreciate the honesty and courage that I'm sure it took to write this book. It is tremendous. This is not a novel just for science fiction fans. For anyone who appreciates good writing and an intelligent story that will stick with you long after you turn the last page, 'Beggars in Spain' will not disappoint.

The first half had surprisingly real characters in a surprisingly real world. This is one of the few science fiction books where the characters reminded me of people I know. For instance I can't imagine meeting an Ender Wiggin, Teela Brown, R. Daneel Olivaw, or a Paul Atreides despite the fact they're great characters. The book also shows the appeal & problems with Libertarianism. Characterization doesn't hurt the plot or ideas & I like that. A minor flaw is its "Americanness" & the title. I knew a Spanish person & he would not be amused by his nation being used as an example of a land with beggars. Still those things don't detract from the first half which is some of the best sci-fi written in the 90's.

The second half shows she didn't think socialism was any better then absolute Libertarianism. However, it is less plausible & mildly surrealistic. Still it was nice to see Leisha Camden lighten up & the way the Super-Sleepless thought was interesting. The second half is an above average sf story, but not as much of a phenomenon as the first.

To wrap it up I think Kress is better in short form then long. In fact I think she is one of the best sf short story writers of the 90's. Still I like the first half so much I had to give it 5 stars. It's melancholy, but ultimately more uplifting & humane then most recent sf. Despite that I'm not planning on reading the sequels. One last thing READ SF ANTHOLOGIES OR SUBSCRIBE TO THE MAGAZINES if you like Kress's work.

This superb book created by Nancy Kress begins when a new generation of genetically modified embryos, now requiring no sleep at all, are born. The Sleepless community witness a growing hatred from the Sleepers (regular people) due to sheer envy of their beauty,skill, and super intelligence which inevitably makes them better then Sleepers in all aspects. The main debate throughout the book discusses the obligation a productive society owe or not owe the beggars.
Eventually the blind hatred towards Sleepless brings Jennifer Sharifi to find refuge for her own kind in Sanctuary, first on earth and later on Orbital in space. One of the few Sleepless left behind on earth is Leisha Camden-the main character- who wished to integrate with Sleepers, a wish that never happened.

Some label this book as fantasy but as i foresee, the idea here is not that far away from becoming sad reality. This book is a tremendous enjoyable saga and i very very much recommend reading it.