I must have had my dad read these stories a million times at bed time. I remember always bugging him to read one more story. It has been so many years since then and I can't wait to read them to my own children, although i don't think I can do the voices quit so well. The illustrations in the hardcover edition were beautiful and i would spend so much time pretending with my little sister that we lived in rootabaga country. It will be a pleasure to reread all the stories of my childhood. When i would pick rootabaga stories at bedtime even over everybodies all time favorite Winnie-the-pooh.

Carl Sandburg, winner of Pulitzer Prizes both for his biography of Abraham Lincoln and for his COMPLETE POEMS, explores another genre in ROOTABAGA STORIES, fairy tales that he wrote for his daughters. When asked how he wrote the stories, Sandburg replied, "The children asked questions, and I answered them."

The ROOTABAGA STORIES are unconventional in almost every way. Unlike traditional fairy tales, they have no perfect princesses and evil witches. They are American fairy tales with a rural flavor and, in fact, they have no evil characters. The settings, though fanciful, include images that defined America in the 1920s, when the stories were published: the railroad, which "ran across the prairie, to the mountains, to the sea," and the skyscraper.

In Rootabaga Country the railroad tracks go from straight to zigzag, the pigs wear bibs (some checked, some striped, some polka-dotted), and the biggest city is the Village of Liver-and-Onions. Characters in this fanciful world are equally peculiar: Please Gimme, Blixie Blimber, Eeta Peeca Pie, and dozens of others. Children and literary critics alike would be hard-pressed to explain (even symbolically) the events that occur in the stories. Nevertheless, meaning comes through and truth is revealed. For example, in "Three Boys with Jugs of Molasses and Secret Ambitions," ambition is defined as "a little creeper that creeps and creeps in your heart night and day, singing a little song, 'Come and find me, come and find me.'" Who would expect that "The Two Skyscrapers Who Decided to Have a Child" would have an absolutely poignant ending?

Although the events of the stories may not be explainable, the stories are replete with concrete images. Sandburg provides both visual and auditory description with musical, repetitious phrases and novel juxtaposition of words ("a daughter who is a dancing shaft of light on the ax handles of morning"). Occasionally he invents words, such as "pfisty-pfoost," the sound of the train's steam engine, and "bickerjiggers," the buttons on an accordion.

ROOTABAGA STORIES are wonderful for reading aloud. They provide an opportunity for readers and listeners to delight in language and revel in truths revealed in a fanciful world.

Sometimes it is late and you want to read your child something short so you naturally will reach for this book - where most of the stories are 4 pages or less and they are not really connected - the problem is: you can seldom stop at one and if you are not careful you will read the whole book! My 10 year old is just as mesmerized by Sandberg's words as my 8 year old was 2 years ago, mostly because Sandberg's choice of words and fantastic plots and settings are continually unexpected and surprising. I'm mesmerized too, but I won't reveal my age.

I was introduced to this anthology in a writing course. While compulsory reading is seldom as enjoyable as elective reading, I found myself returning to this collection of short stories long after the course ended. Stuart Dybek's "Pet Milk", a warm and rich introspection on the transition from childhood to adulthood, got me hooked and I soon read every story in this collection. Anyone who enjoys good writing but struggles to find time to read, or who appreciates finely crafted short fiction will enjoy these short but interesting stories. Highly recommended.

I didn't want this book to end; the stories were so enjoyable. Some were so intense I had to reread them immediately. I would love to take a writing course to try emulating them or using them as inspiration. One complaint: like many of these anthologies the editors don't give a hint of what to expect. Stories are ordered alphabetically by author's last name, but curiously each leads to the next. This volume is much better than ones that try to pick the best story (or stories) of the year and more enlightening than single author collections.

This is a wonderful selection of contemporary short fiction featuring a variety of authors and points of view and a great diversity of subject matter. Stories deal with such varied topics as homosexuality, the Holocaust, Native American mysticism and small time crooks. Women writers are well represented. This collection features some very different choices, including a ghost story from Joyce Carol Oates.
This collection will prove an invaluable resource for budding writers and literature majors alike. This would also be a great primer for someone unfamiliar with the most contemporary short fiction.

En esta obra, Gustav Meyrink logra una de sus mejores novelas junto con "El golem". Este es un libro profundo, lleno de misterio, que sabe lo que dice... Una obra que refleja la busqueda de la identidad y nos habla de las herencias malditas.

A man inherits the collected papers of his deceased cousin and is suddenly plagued with nightmares and flashbacks of the past and of the life of his ancestor, John Dee. Strange people start visiting him: the mysterious Lipotin, the seductive Assia Chotokalungin, both demanding of him his most valuable heirloom, the legendary spear head of Hoel Dhat, of which he has no knowledge of possession. Full of alchemistic symbols, the plot spans the time from the reign of Elizabeth I. to early 20th century. The atmosphere is one of increasing angst, the images heavily tinted with the shadiest of grays. Highly recommended!

Huy

Michael Reynolds's Hemingway, The Paris Years is the second volume of his five volume life of Hemingway. Reynolds's takes pains in his introduction to thank and praise Carlos Baker for his Hemingway biography, but Reynolds's work has become acknowledged as the greater of the two. This volume deals with Hemingway's Paris years from 1921 to 1926, the same period that Hemingway describes in his short memoir, "A Moveable Feast."

The twenty-two year old Hemingway is newly married to his first wife Hadley and has been advised by his American literary mentor, Sherwood Anderson, to go live and work among the writers and artist of Paris' Left Bank expatriate pack.

Reynolds present Hemingway's Paris years in detailed chronological order. He occasionally goes into greater detail than is appropriate for good story telling but the book reads for the most part like a novel. Hemingway takes a trip to Italy to visit his WWI haunts in Milan and the riverbank where he was wounded. Hemingway's early work as a reporter for the Toronto Star takes him to some of the major political events of the 1920's. He interviews Mussolini mere months before he seizes power in Italy and attends a 1922 Genoa conference that is eerily similar to the 2001 Genoa conference. He takes exciting bullfighting trips to Spain wherein the development of Hemingway aficion for bullfighting is well described. The details of Hemingway's climb up the literary pecking order are made clear. He is being referred to as the best young American novelist by friendly critics years before he has published a novel.

The painstaking process by which Hemingway fashioned his early, classic short stories is described in you-are-there detail. The pugnacious Hemingway picks fights with perceived rivals, both with fisticuffs and with his writing. The long and difficult negotiation by which his first publisher, Boni and Liveright publish his first widely available book, "In Our Time," is well described. It seems that "In Our Time" was published almost more as a favor to Sherwood Anderson and Hemingway's other literary fans than on it's own commercial merit. Hemingway's dissatisfaction with Boni and Liveright's efforts for him is described as well as Fitzgerald's efforts to bring Hemingway to Scribner's. Hemingway writes the short satiric novella "The Torrents of Spring" to force Boni and Liveright to break their contract with him and then gives his first real novel, "The Sun Also Rises, " to Scribner's.

The book ends with Hemingway on his way home to Paris from New York in winter 1926. He has successfully broken his contract with his first publisher and signed a new contract with Scribner's.

I sometimes feel sorry for the biographers of great men. In this case, the subject, Hemingway, lived his larger-than-life life to the fullest, grabbing all the gusto, having his adventures and love affairs while the poor biographer is trapped in his academic cocoon, poring over old papers, scribbling in notebooks, devoting his own life to writing about someone else's life. Such is the lonely world of biographers. Those thought aside, "Hemingway, The Paris Years" is a one fifth of monumental achievement by Reynolds and a must read for any fan of the great man.

Mr. Reynolds continues his bio of EH with the writer's first marriage and Paris years of the early 1920's. Reynolds is excellent in his narrative of EH's developing literary career. The trial and errors of the early stories, the rejection and success of getting the stories published is well told. EH's social life in Paris is well analyzed. Gertrude Stein and Ezra Pound are part of EH's life for short periods that EH makes the most of. His life as a reporter and editor are well told too. His life as husband and father is secondary to his work as a writer. Mr. Reynold's skill as a biographer has improved since the first volume. He is less judgemental and lets EH's nasty side reveal itself thru incident rather than excessive criticism. A first rate bio.

This book is wonderfully (and obviously pain-stakingly) crafted. It reads like a novel, but it illuminates Hemingway's personality through subtle, and not so subtle, touches. This is an excellent telling of the early years in Paris and Toronto and of how Hemingway taught himself to write. I especially enjoyed the details of the Hemingway, Ford Madox Ford relationship regarding the Transatlantic publication, and I also enjoyed learning better what Stein gave to Hemingway's writing -- but overall I enjoyed the book evenly from start to finish. This book can stand alone. It was the first one in the series that I'd read. I look forward to reading the others.

I'm so glad to finally find this book again after losing it. Drew is simply an amazing author and truly has a grip on how to write a true fairy tale. Mr. Drew taught my grade 12 english class and some of his writing rubbed off on me. Unfortunately he died of Lou Garrigs disease a few months ago. He will be truely missed and so will his writing. If you get the chance learn more about this man and the other titles he has written.

Simply a masterpiece of a book. Some funny stories, some serious all very original. Wayland Drew's story may even affect the way you think about your life. The Old Soul is one of the best short stories I have ever read.

For six years I have been searching for this collection. How many libraries and book stores have I searched since leaving this book on my elementary school's shelf six years ago? Once upon a Time's stories may be modern, but have already become classic in my memories of childhood. I memorized every one. Each is more real to me than my own life was; every tale has become engrained in my consciousness. Moreover, its illustrations were exquisite; enthralling; inspiring.They burned their surreal images into my memory and flicker coaxingly where reality meets dream; where conscious meets subconscious. And there also lay the hope of finding this childhood friend, this inspiration, once more. Its stories have become fabled within me: intangible and elusive as the dreams they teased, and yet I am sure that this old book will live up to its legend when I hold it in my hands and gaze into its glimmering illustrations again.

Michael Swanwick is a modern writer. He writes very contemporary. His tales are strong, focused, and brilliant. Funy too -but in a dark sort of way.
They aren't suitable for everybody, I think, because of their mature themes. If you decide to buy a copy don't forget I warned you of their contents.
Many of these tales were nominated for major "literary" awards. Don't understand me wrongly: these are REAL literary stories.
Some other stories actually won awards. Left me wondering why not all of them won them. Swanwick's tales are head and shoulders above most other SF/F writing.
He writes novels too, but I urge you to start here. These stories are his best -and are better than his novels.
I have respect for this writer because he actually does write short stories after having gotten praise for his longer work. Most other writers break through with a couple of short stories -which most of the time aren't as interesting- and then start their mass-production of "novels." Fat bulks of paper written just for money. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but they do actually keep the good stuff from getting a more prominent view. Soon shoppers forget about the good books -won't buy them anymore, and shops display only things that sell. Exit the good books.
Okay, buy this book and reward this interesting author/writer.
The best of speculative fiction remains to be found in short stories. These are short and all gem-like.
That's all from me.

This collection of short stories is among the best ever written. Deeply profound, thoughtful and literary tales, these stories remind me of Franz Kafka and Philip K. Dick at their best. Swanwick utilizes science fiction in the exact way science fiction should be utilized: as a realistic and cautionary window into the future. His favorite themes include: The dangers of unfettered capitalism and emergence of corporate slave-labor; science and medical technology run amok; the nature of death, the soul, and the afterlife; and time travel and the complications involved in altering the past. He also seems to have an obsession with dinosaurs. If these themes sound like a recipe for intellectual and thoughtful literature, you are correct. Swanwick is able to convey fascinating philosophical concepts through his fiction, and does so with a clear and lucid style. Unlike some modern authors, Michael Swanwick does not try to experiment with an overly abstract or poetic style, and does not play tricks with the reader in an attempt to create a "new" style of writing prose. Swanwick sticks with a basic writing style, and invokes pioneering literary concepts through the actual content of his stories. This is mystical-realist literature at its best - realistic style and execution, combined with far-out mystical concepts.

Michael Swanwick's latest collection 'Tales of Old Earth' is masterful. The collection of stories ranges from Hard SF to the so-called Hard Fantasy (don't ask me to explain it). There are Hugo and World Fantasy Award Winners and numerous stories that were nominated for major awards.

It's unfortunate that Michael Swanwick isn't widely-recognized as the writer that he is. His work is consistently head-and-shoulders above the average work being turned out in the genre. But he writes predominantly short fiction, and short fiction never has, and never will be, recognized by the masses.

This is one of the best story collections I've ever read. There isn't a 'dog' in the bunch. Every story jumps out at the reader with its vibrancy. Michael Swanwick is a wordsmith of unparalleled talent. I have no doubt that he's the best writer of the current generation. I highly recommend this collection.

As a farm kid and a veterinary student, I found this book to be extremely realistic and funny. I enjoyed his stories recalling veterinary school and farm calls. Dr. Lucas tells it how it is. It is a good eye opener for people interested in large animal veterinary medicine and the life one has because of it. If you come from a farm you will certainly enjoy this book.

James Lucas is a seasoned veterinarian playing his trade in southern Iowa for more than 36 years. He kept notes of his experiences with the people and animals he encountered throughout his career. In Birth In A Chicken House, Lucas draws upon those personal reminiscences to spin out his humorous true-life tales that will engage the reader's rapt attention from first page to last. Highly recommended reading for anyone who loves a good yarn well told, Birth In A Chicken House provides perceptive and very funny descriptions of the animals and culture, the beauty and history of a rural farming community, and the dedicated veterinarian that served their needs.

Birth in a Chicken House is a great read for anyone who has experienced life in a rural setting, and it's a must read for anyone in the 50s' plus era. As you read the stories, it's as if Dr. Lucas is sitting across the table from you telling a story. He writes it just like it happened. I found myself laughing out loud many, many times as he related his personal accounts of people and animals...I think almost everyone can identify with his experiences. The short story format makes it a great book for busy people to pick up for a few minutes and read a story. However, once you start reading it, you'll probably not want to put it down.

Few people in the world have the imagination of Mike Gordon. While reading through his collection of daydreams and short stories one can't help but imagine just what goes on inside his head. In a time where it is difficult, if not impossible, to be original Mike Gordon has achieved just that. These motley tales take you to the outer limits of your mindscape and push you to think in ways you never thought possible.

Mike Gordon is able to capture the essence of the adjective. His wordings are the greatness of spike. Where can grammar go, from where Mike Gordon has taken us all? Its another plane. A minute piece of the past. Chilling realizations speak of its chime towards bone curdling flies. A time Lost? I truly think not. The emotional highpoints captured in the embrace between Winchester and Buggyboo brought a tear. And besides, does the "Corner" really exist. Figment. Figment is a part of life that cannot be avoided. A fig on the other hand creates love. Newtons of my youth spoke of a willing plea. A plea for literature. This literature is captured in the pleas of Mike Gordon. The many pleas thereof. Some are hard to replace, but for a book to stand alone, it must prioritize. Priorities are a necessity for a book to understand.

If you're reading this review, you're probably a fan of Phish, like me. I think the stories in this book are phabulous. They are full of witty plays-on-words and some of the most hillarious stuff I've ever read. Admittedly, they are off-the-wall, and are only for acquired tastes. The story "PS" is a letter forecasting a fence being broken. The story "Suite # 102" is about rolling around on awnings, and "The case of the Yellow Ballots" contains the word "ballotwomanbeatereater." Need I say more? It sounds silly, but You'll have to see for yourself. Check it out at your bookstore.

The Power of the Jedi Sourcebook is a full-color, hardcover resource for all things pertaining to the Jedi Order. Continuing from the standard set by the Dark Side Sourcebook, the "PotJ" book combines information and utility with a tasteful arrangement of interior artwork and photos.

Most players will probably be most interested in the selection of new Jedi Prestige Classes, Light Side Force skills, feats, and equipment that the book offers. But there are also sections discussing Jedi history, Jedi traditions, new equipment, and new force-sensitive creatures. There are entries on important characters, important locations, and even advice on how to run a Jedi campaign. And of course, no book on the Jedi would be complete without a discussion of Force Spirits. This is also a section discussing new races, but most of these are also in the newer Ultimate Alien Anthology.

This book has been one of the important resources in my Star Wars campaign. I've really enjoyed using the Prestige Classes. From the Jedi Healer to the powerful Jedi Weapon Master, players now have a much wider range of advancement options open to their characters. In addition many of the force-sensitive characters, creatures, and locations have already popped up in my storyline. I also found the notes on running a Jedi campaign to be very useful, for not only can they guide a GM but they can also aid players on how a Jedi should conduct himself.

However, I do have a few minor complaints. A few of the Light Side force skills, particularly Force Light and Sever Force, seem to be quite powerful. Perhaps this is because they were based on the abilities of comic-book characters, but in any case, it was a wise move that such skills may only be acquired with GM approval. I would have also preferred to see a much more in-depth history section, particularly as it pertains to the Tales of the Jedi storyline. Finally, I felt that the maps for some of the important locations were fairly inadequate.

However, as I noted earlier, these were minor complaints.

Overall, I found this to be an outstanding addition to my Star Wars campaign. I use it often, and it is likely that I will continue to do so for some time to come. Whether you're the GM of a campaign with Jedi in it, or whether you're a player wanting to explore the possibilities of a Jedi character, I'd recommend this book as a solid investment.

If you have the Core Rulebook, this supplement is a must. It contains lots of info on the jedi and lots of great stuff about the types of jedi you can play with prestige classes and all. Being a Jedi is what Star Wars is made of, so this book is a must if you want your adventure of RPG to be complete.

This is a must have for all Star Wars roleplayers. It has a huge amount of new stuff for playing as a jedi. An EXTREMELY helpful addition.