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Stories: All-New Tales

3.76 of 5 stars 3.76 · rating details · 2,590 ratings · 425 reviews

"The joy of fiction is the joy of the imagination. . . ."

The best stories pull readers in and keep them turning the pages, eager to discover more—to find the answer to the question: "And then what happened?" The true hallmark of great literature is great imagination, and as Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio prove with this outstanding collection, when it comes to great fict

...more

"The joy of fiction is the joy of the imagination. . . ."

Stories is a groundbreaking anthology that reinvigorates, expands, and redefines the limits of imaginative fiction and affords some of the best writers in the world—from Peter Straub and Chuck Palahniuk to Roddy Doyle and Diana Wynne Jones, Stewart O'Nan and Joyce Carol Oates to Walter Mosley and Jodi Picoult—the opportunity to work together, defend their craft, and realign misconceptions. Gaiman, a literary magician whose acclaimed work defies easy categorization and transcends all boundaries, and "master anthologist" (Booklist) Sarrantonio personally invited, read, and selected all the stories in this collection, and their standard for this "new literature of the imagination" is high. "We wanted to read stories that used a lightning-flash of magic as a way of showing us something we have already seen a thousand times as if we have never seen it at all."

Joe Hill boldly aligns theme and form in his disturbing tale of a man's descent into evil in "Devil on the Staircase." In "Catch and Release," Lawrence Block tells of a seasoned fisherman with a talent for catching a bite of another sort. Carolyn Parkhurst adds a dark twist to sibling rivalry in "Unwell." Joanne Harris weaves a tale of ancient gods in modern New York in "Wildfire in Manhattan." Vengeance is the heart of Richard Adams's "The Knife." Jeffery Deaver introduces a dedicated psychologist whose mission in life is to save people in "The Therapist." A chilling punishment befitting an unspeakable crime is at the dark heart of Neil Gaiman's novelette "The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains."

As it transforms your view of the world, this brilliant and visionary volume—sure to become a classic—will ignite a new appreciation for the limitless realm of exceptional fiction.

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Hardcover, 428 pages

Published June 15th 2010 by William Morrow

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Mar 04, 2013 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars

Like most short story collections, this one is a mixed bag. There were some great ones, some pretty good ones, some that were instantly forgettable, and a few that flat out stunk.

Favorites: "The Devil on the Staircase" by Joe Hill; "The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains" by Neil Gaiman; "A Life in Fictions" by Kat Howard; "The Therapist" by Jeffery Deavers; "Catch and Release" by Lawrence Block; and "Loser" by Chuck Palahniuk.

Absolute Favorite: "Wildfire in Manhatten" by Joanne Harris.

I ex...more Like most short story collections, this one is a mixed bag. There were some great ones, some pretty good ones, some that were instantly forgettable, and a few that flat out stunk.

Favorites: "The Devil on the Staircase" by Joe Hill; "The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains" by Neil Gaiman; "A Life in Fictions" by Kat Howard; "The Therapist" by Jeffery Deavers; "Catch and Release" by Lawrence Block; and "Loser" by Chuck Palahniuk.

Absolute Favorite: "Wildfire in Manhatten" by Joanne Harris.

I expected to like the Hill and Gaiman stories - I'm a fan of both authors. I was also looking forward to trying Deavers and Block. Kat Howard was a pleasant surprise, as this was her first published work, and it's shorter than most. But I really liked the imagery. I found myself grinning madly as I finished the Palahniuk story. As he did with Fight Club, his cynical humor really hits the mark.

I have never read Joanne Harris before, but I loved (*****) her story in this collection. Enough that I'll be checking out other work by her on her website.

If the entire book had been up to the level of these I just listed, it would be a 5-star affair, easily. There are several other stories that are still good, though I didn't list them with the favorites: stories by Michael Swanwick, Gene Wolfe, Elizabeth Hand, Tim Powers, and Jodi Picoult made for an enjoyable experience.

So what dropped the rating to a three-star? The inclusion of "Samantha's Diary" by Diana Wynne Jones, "Mallon the Guru" by Peter Straub, "The Cult of the Nose" by Al Sarrantonio, and "Stories" by Michael Moorcock.

Those that have followed my reviews in the last few months might be surprised by that last one, but the Moorcock story was easily the worst in the entire book. It might have been the worst story I've ever read. That says a lot, as I'm a longtime Moorcock fan. Well, I was a fan of his work before he got too smart for his readers and learned how to string a mile-long sentence full of empty, pretentious bullshit. Then to string along a series of these sentences to fill the pages of a book. He uses such big words, drops literary references more than he inserts commas, and says absolutely fucking nothing. Oh, and those literary references? I'm probably too stupid to be reading Moorcock anyway, but I only recognized one. The rest were names strewn across the paper as meaningless as the narrative that contained them. This story alone was almost enough to send the book to 2-star Hell.

I didn't realize I had such venom for that story. I honestly am surprised I felt anything at all but the onset of an Excedrin headache. There was a positive note to the Moorcock story though: it made me forget the wasted time spent reading the Jones, Straub, and Sarrantonio stories.

Such a long review without spoilers. If you've read this far, I will once more reiterate the opinion that the book is a fun experience, overall. The inclusion of a few turds should not detract one from picking it up. The good stories are excellent and should not be missed. And how often does one pick up a collection that doesn't have a few stinkers in it?(less)

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Jun 18, 2012 Eric rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of short fiction; Anyone looking for new authors to read

Shelves: short-stories, neil-gaiman, chuck-palahniuk, signed, vampire, lawrence-block

I got a signed copy of this book at a speaking engagement Neil Gaiman did at Columbia Teachers College with the following authors from the book: Kurt Andersen, Lawrence Block, Jeffrey Ford, Joe Hill, Kat Howard and Walter Mosley.

I read a number of the stories, which I will comment on briefly below (more to help me keep track of which I've read and liked, than for the review).

'The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains', by Neil Gaiman:

Oh, Neil Gaiman, how I love everything you write. I only wish...more

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May 13, 2013 Kathy is currently reading it

Shelves: tbr-owned

Blood by Roddy Doyle
This is an interesting take on a vampire tale. But, I have to say, maybe because I've read so many, this wasn't great. Interesting, but not great. (3 stars)

Fossil Figures by Joyce Carol Oates
I've heard so much about this author, that I was excited to read something by her for the first time. Maybe I expected too much. She tried writing a story about twins, where one is the evil twin. I didn't get it. Sure, I didn't like that character, but I didn't get to know or like either...more

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May 10, 2011 Kim rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, fantasy, short-stories, male-author, 2010s, 2010

I was looking forward to this as I'm a big Neil Gaiman fan and a lot of the included authors come well recommended.

However I was disappointed in the end result. The theme behind the collection is supposed to be "...and what happened next?". For most of the stories my reaction was "...and who cares?". Mostly the stories were boring and never really engaged me enough that I just had to keep reading and wanting to know more.

This isn't to say there weren't some gems in amongst the manure. The stand...more

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Oct 03, 2010 Shel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: short-stories, fantasy, print-owned, sf, read-in-2010, horror, fiction

A wonderfully eclectic collection of short stories. Neil Gaiman's introduction was thoughtful and witty, as always.

Favorite stories-
Wildfire in Manhattan, by Joanne Harris: a light-hearted tale of the old Norse Gods hanging out in New York

The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains, by Neil Gaiman: a tale of seeking, finding, and revenge

Goblin Lake, by Michael Swanwick: would you trade a pleasant existence in fiction for the depth and hardship of real life?

Samantha's Diary, by Diana Wynne Jones:...more

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Sep 28, 2011 Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Readers who appreciate short stories

Shelves: anthology, mixed-genre-collection, library-checkout, audiobook, literary-fiction, 2011-reading

How to review this collection.....Hmm..

One one level, for a reader who loves short stories (as I do), for the pure essence of the medium of storytelling, this is an excellent collection. There is no question that all the writers here know their craft, and very well. I had the pleasure of being introduced to many new authors I had never read, and none of the stories were boring. I know I will definitely seek out some of these new authors to read more of their stories. Others, I'm not so sure abou...more How to review this collection.....Hmm..

One one level, for a reader who loves short stories (as I do), for the pure essence of the medium of storytelling, this is an excellent collection. There is no question that all the writers here know their craft, and very well. I had the pleasure of being introduced to many new authors I had never read, and none of the stories were boring. I know I will definitely seek out some of these new authors to read more of their stories. Others, I'm not so sure about. Not because of a lack of ability, but I'm not sure that they write the kind of stories I like to read, if the content here indeed represents their output. It's completely possible that the pieces here are a departure. I suppose that like strangers who travel down a similar path (the world of short story literature), we might meet again. As Neil Gaiman intimated in his introduction, most of these stories caught me, and had me on the line, waiting for what happens next. Like Mr. Gaiman, that is a huge draw when I read a story. If I don't care about what happens next, I don't even bother finishing the story. For pretty much all of these stories, even the ones I didn't care for, I did keep listening to find out...what happens next. I wanted to know!

On another level, I think that if a reader picks this collection up to read fantasy/science fiction/speculative fiction and that alone, they will be disappointed. Certainly, there was a good amount of those things on offer. There were also stories that I would place firmly in the literary fiction arena. Which certainly is not a bad thing if that is your sort of reading. And if you like a literary touch to your speculative fiction reading, you will probably be a happy camper. Myself, I don't care much for the genre or its conventions, so I felt a bit like I had gone into a movie theater for a science fiction 'popcorn' movie and ended up watching an IFC-style drama about all the depressing aspects of life that I don't need to be reminded about. Not to say that the latter movie isn't well done and interesting, but certainly not what I wanted to watch, or read, in this case.

So, this one is a bit of the good and bad. I loved a few of the stories. I liked more still. Others I didn't care for or I was ambivalent about. There was one with a woman who was being stalked by an admirer who gifted her in the days around Christmas in the manner of the wonderful carol, "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Take a moment, if you will, to consider how messed up that could be in execution. Yeah. I was bad, and it was highly hilarious and entertaining. That was by far my favorite story. This was by one of my favorite fantasy authors since I was a young girl, Diana Wynne Jones, who passed away this year, and will be mourned by this reader and many others. If that was her last story, I would raise my glass in toast to her. The Joanne Harris story was about Norse Gods in modern NYC, and it was funny and entertaining. Yeah, the Norse mythology part hooked me, but the wit kept me listening intently. The Jodi Picoult story, "Weights and Measures," had me sobbing hard and blowing my nose as I drove and listened. I think I'll avoid her books. I don't like going to that emotional place if I don't have to. But she can write. The most disturbing story was by Lawrence Block. It was called, "Catch and Release" and it was about a serial killer who had developed a habit of doing exactly that, except not with fish, and not all the time. It was....chilling, to say the least. Another story that I found very well-written but I found very unsettling and very sad was "The Stars are Falling," by Joe R. Lansdale. I've been wanting to read him for a while, and he's definitely a talented writer. The story itself was incredibly sad, but the imagery stuck with me. The sign of a good short story. There were others, lots of others, and I could probably talk about each one, but I won't dither here.

Narrator Comments: I think the narrators were very good. There was one man who I felt sounded a little too much like the PBS documentary narrators for my tastes. It took me out of the story because it was too monotone, and a bit too detached. The other narrators I liked very much.

Final Thoughts: My rating is an emotional one (that's how I roll, you see). I gave it three stars because it didn't quite give me what I wanted. That's on me, not the writers here. However, for the reader who has a serious love of the short story, and who wants to bask in that medium for many hours, or however long one wants to spend reading through an anthology, regardless of the genre and subject matter, I think this is a good collection to reach for. In that sense, it's probably more of a four star collection.

So I recommend this one with reservations...
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Nov 03, 2012 Theresa Flores rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: with-review

A great collection of short stories; some were mysterious, some were built on metaphor, and some were metafictional.

I thought the best stories in the book were mostly in the middle. In the beginning, I thought a lot of stories gave the same plot and ending - they were all mostly vague and mysterious. But as I went on, the stories eventually ventured to different genres and styles.

Favorites/Standouts:

The Stars Are Falling by Joe R. Lansdale: An interesting story about a soldier who returns from...more

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Apr 26, 2011 Oria rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sometimes I like to get to know a book backwards. Just turn to its last pages and see what I can find. And at the end of this one, I found the following:

"I meant to put my hands on her shoulders to hold her still but when I reached for her they found her smooth neck instead."

First impression may not be the most accurate but it is the most powerful. I had one of those feelings of -I need to get this now- that happens every now and then but not too often. And I'm glad to say my first impression w...more Sometimes I like to get to know a book backwards. Just turn to its last pages and see what I can find. And at the end of this one, I found the following:

"I meant to put my hands on her shoulders to hold her still but when I reached for her they found her smooth neck instead."

First impression may not be the most accurate but it is the most powerful. I had one of those feelings of -I need to get this now- that happens every now and then but not too often. And I'm glad to say my first impression was also accurate.
And so, it wasn't until later on when I got home and read the words again that I noticed the author of the story that got my attention was none other than Joe Hill, and his little weird story was called “The Devil on the Staircase”.

"Stories" brings together 27 short horror tales into a beautiful collection. It starts with Roddy Doyle’s “Blood”, a rather funny and chilling story that’s a very strong first step on this horror journey.

Neil Gaiman contributes with “The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains”, a story that builds up slowly in an odd folk-tale like fashion until the unexpected conclusion at the end.

“Catch and Release” is another one of my favorites. It is a seemingly normal tale and I was deceptively lulled into complacency as I began to care about the main character and at the end it delivered such a turn as to send tendrils of fear down into my very soul. It made me think a chilling thought: yes, this could very well be true.

“Juvenal Nyx” is quite a nice twist on a vampire story whose end left me wanting more.

Judy Picoult’s “Weights and Measures” was an amazing story of grief and loss and how it can transform people and not just in the psychological sense.

“Unwell” and “Parallel Lines” are about the relationships between two sisters and how those blood ties become thick ropes of bitter emotions.

“Human Intelligence” started out rather slowly but the end was so unexpected and funny, it made me smile.

There were a few stories I didn’t care much about but they made me appreciate the ones I liked even more.
A very entertaining book with gripping tales and unexpected endings and a just below the surface feeling of the surreal which makes one wonder, for a fraction of a second, if they couldn’t very well be real.
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Nov 08, 2010 Stephanie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-books, adult-fiction

I am loving this collection of short stories!!! It's adult fiction, not my typical genre, but the quality of the stories is so amazing I am actually taking the CDs into my home and listening to them on the couch! (as opposed to only listening to them while driving) The authors are big names like Roddy Doyle, Joyce Carol Oates, Walter Mosley, etc. There are four readers - all excellent and paired perfectly with the stories. I may buy this when I'm finished with it. It's sooo good!

There is no ove...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Zack rated it 3 of 5 stars

the shortest possible opinions of each story:
*Blood - the red juice from your raw red meat is not blood. unless it's the myoglobin he's craving, "HIS" cravings and relief are likely psychosomatic
*Fossil Figures - very well written, but with such generalities that it was hard for me to connect
*Wild Fire in Manhattan - no real criticism. this was cute
*The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains - aces
*Unbelief - it's not that i didn't like this story - the cumulative problem with stories like this,...more

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Apr 03, 2013 Kimberly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, loved

I love short stories. I loved the ones in this book, as they were horror but not horror. They were mind bending. There was horror that was all internal but then there were the ones with supernatural external elements. I especially loved Jodi Picoult's contribution to this book (I was a little surprised that out of all the authors, I'd pick the one furthest away from horror/suspense), it was...I thought melancholy, but that's not right. I think it captured the right feeling of grief. I hope to ne...more

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Mar 26, 2013 CJ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: stopped-reading

I got this on audiobook, and I only stopped reading it before I finished it because I kept feeling compelled to turn it off every time the children walked into the room where I was listening to it. And then it was due back at the library and I could no longer renew it and, well, I'll probably check it out again. Some of the stories were hits and some were misses, but I enjoyed them all quite a like. Walter Mosley's "Juvenal Nyx" was a very satisfying vampire story, and one that I had to turn off...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Katya rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: anthology, urban-fantasy

Out of the several hotly-anticipated anthologies of 2011 (Supernatural Noir, Naked City, Steampunk!) Stories is by far my favorite. I am well familiar with Gaiman's work as a writer and screenwriter, but not as editor, and I'm afraid I'm not familiar with Al Sarrantonio at all, but with Gaiman at the helm of this anthology I didn't think I'd be disappointed.

I wasn't. There were a few duds in the collection, at least as far as I'm concerned - obviously everyone has different tastes so my duds may...more

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Sep 20, 2011 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

Short stories are not usually my thing, but Gaiman's name on the cover whispered to me: "go on, give me a shot" so I picked it up and flipped it open to a random page: Catch and Release by Lawrence Block. That did it for me, I had to read that whole story so I traded 13 manga I had from an eternity ago to Larry Harrison of Harrison's Comics in Salem for it.

I must say, I enjoyed this book of adult short stories very much, though I did not expect to at quite the level I did. In fact, there was onl...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Ryan I rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked Neil Gaiman's introduction, "Just Four Words," more than I liked most of the stories in this anthology. He makes the argument that each of the authors were selected because of their ability to get the reader feverishly flipping pages, with four words on their mind, "...and then what happened."

All of the stories use fantastic or supernatural elements with wildly varying results.

Highlights include:

-Gaiman's "The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains": a dark, revenge fairy tale.

-Joe R. L...more

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Jul 17, 2011 Justine rated it 2 of 5 stars

While I generally enjoy the medium of the short story, and while I really like Gaiman, I have to admit that I wasn't blown away by this collection. It didn't come as much of a surprise that the things I most enjoyed reading were submissions from the two authors and the forward written by Gaiman about the purpose of a story. The rest of the works presented a disjointed mish mash of the vaguely fantastical and often exhibited the shortcomings of the genre and format. Stories felt incomplete, and s...more

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May 01, 2011 Pauline marked it as to-read

GOOD READS SYNOPSIS:Stories: All-New Tales by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Richard Adams, Jodi Picoult, Michael Swanwick, Peter Straub (Goodreads Author), Lawrence Block, Jeffrey Ford, Chuck Palahniuk , more...Diana Wynne Jones, Stewart O'Nan, Gene Wolfe, Al Sarrantonio (Editor), Carolyn Parkhurst, Kat Howard, Jonathan Carroll, Jeffery Deaver, Tim Powers, Kurt Andersen, Michael Moorcock, Elizabeth Hand, Joe Hill, Roddy Doyle, Joyce Carol Oates, Joanne Harris, Michael Marshall Smith,...more GOOD READS SYNOPSIS:Stories: All-New Tales by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Richard Adams, Jodi Picoult, Michael Swanwick, Peter Straub (Goodreads Author), Lawrence Block, Jeffrey Ford, Chuck Palahniuk , more...Diana Wynne Jones, Stewart O'Nan, Gene Wolfe, Al Sarrantonio (Editor), Carolyn Parkhurst, Kat Howard, Jonathan Carroll, Jeffery Deaver, Tim Powers, Kurt Andersen, Michael Moorcock, Elizabeth Hand, Joe Hill, Roddy Doyle, Joyce Carol Oates, Joanne Harris, Michael Marshall Smith, Joe R. Lansale, Walter Mosley ...less
Stories: All-New Tales 3.71 · rating details · 575 ratings · 194 reviews
"The joy of fiction is the joy of the imagination. . . ."

The best stories pull readers in and keep them turning the pages, eager to discover more—to find the answer to the question: "And then what happened?" The true hallmark of great literature is great imagination, and as Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio prove with this outstanding collection, when it

...more
"The joy of fiction is the joy of the imagination. . . ."

The best stories pull readers in and keep them turning the pages, eager to discover more—to find the answer to the question: "And then what happened?" The true hallmark of great literature is great imagination, and as Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio prove with this outstanding collection, when it comes to great fiction, all genres are equal.

Stories is a groundbreaking anthology that reinvigorates, expands, and redefines the limits of imaginative fiction and affords some of the best writers in the world—from Peter Straub and Chuck Palahniuk to Roddy Doyle and Diana Wynne Jones, Stewart O'Nan and Joyce Carol Oates to Walter Mosley and Jodi Picoult—the opportunity to work together, defend their craft, and realign misconceptions. Gaiman, a literary magician whose acclaimed work defies easy categorization and transcends all boundaries, and "master anthologist" (Booklist) Sarrantonio personally invited, read, and selected all the stories in this collection, and their standard for this "new literature of the imagination" is high. "We wanted to read stories that used a lightning-flash of magic as a way of showing us something we have already seen a thousand times as if we have never seen it at all."

Joe Hill boldly aligns theme and form in his disturbing tale of a man's descent into evil in "Devil on the Staircase." In "Catch and Release," Lawrence Block tells of a seasoned fisherman with a talent for catching a bite of another sort. Carolyn Parkhurst adds a dark twist to sibling rivalry in "Unwell." Joanne Harris weaves a tale of ancient gods in modern New York in "Wildfire in Manhattan." Vengeance is the heart of Richard Adams's "The Knife." Jeffery Deaver introduces a dedicated psychologist whose mission in life is to save people in "The Therapist." A chilling punishment befitting an unspeakable crime is at the dark heart of Neil Gaiman's novelette "The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains."
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Feb 04, 2011 Steven rated it 3 of 5 stars

Though I usually purchase books, the fountain pen warrior cover art on this one caught my eye while on prominent display at the local library. As with many anthologies, not every story jumped out and grabbed me. Some had endings that left me irked at the author. Others I have already begun to forget. Only two stories stand out for me. "Catch and Release" repelled and disgusted me, yet I kept turning pages until it was over. Art should (in my opinion) evoke emotion that one continues to feel long...more

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Jan 22, 2011 Anthony rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: short-story-collections

I'm always looking to branch out and read authors I've not read before, and honestly that's easier to do in the realm of the short story than it is with novels most of the time. Often I'll discover an author I've never heard of, or come across an author I've heard of but never read, in a short story anthology and that will inspire me to seek out that author's longer works. This anthology provided that opportunity in big shovel-fulls. Most of the authors that editors Gaiman and Sarrantonio asked...more I'm always looking to branch out and read authors I've not read before, and honestly that's easier to do in the realm of the short story than it is with novels most of the time. Often I'll discover an author I've never heard of, or come across an author I've heard of but never read, in a short story anthology and that will inspire me to seek out that author's longer works. This anthology provided that opportunity in big shovel-fulls. Most of the authors that editors Gaiman and Sarrantonio asked to be in this book are authors I've said "Oh, yeah, I need to read that person eventually" about for years: Jodi Picoult, Gene Wolfe, Joe R. Lansdale, Stewart O'Nan, Chuck Palahniuk, Elizabeth Hand, Diana Wynne-Jones, Richard Adams, Al Sarrantonio, Joanne Harris, Jeffery Deaver, Walter Mosely. Several other contributors are authors whose work I already admire and was glad to see more of: Gaiman, Joyce Carol Oates, Peter Straub, Joe Hill, Lawrence Block. Michael Moorcock. And others are authors I was completely unfamiliar with, like Kurt Andersen and Carolyn Parkhurst.

Gaiman and Sarrantonio put together the anthology because they wanted to read more stories that made them ask "and then what happened?" Stories that have that sense that not only does life go on for the characters but that you want to know what that life, that next moment, is like. Most of the stories meet that goal, and some do more than meet it. There are a few out-and-out genre stories: Mosely's take on vampire fic, Wolfe's endangered space flight, Deaver's and Block's psychological thrillers, but just as many that aren't: Moorcock's semi-autobiographical tale, Lansdale's war vet returning to an unhappy home, O'Nan's lonely divorcee searching for something beyond herself to focus on. Some cross genres: Gaiman's tale is part revenge story, part mystical treasure hunt; Sarrantonio's tale is an expose of secret societies that is also a smooth bit of psychological horror.

All anthologies are bound to be a bit hit-or-miss, and multi-author themed anthologies more so than single-author collections. This one falls more on the side of "hit" than "miss" though. Favorites in the collection include Joe Hill's "The Devil on the Staircase" (I usually hate stories that are set in a 'form' of some kind, but Hill pulled me in despite that dislike with his stair-like paragraphs), Jeffery Deaver's "The Therapist," Lawrence Block's "Catch and Release," Stewart O'Nan's "Land of the Lost," Jodi Picoult's "Weights and Measures." Only a few stories really didn't work for me: Richard Adams' "The Knife," Chuck Palahniuk's "Loser," Diana Wynne-Jones' "Samantha's Diary."(less)

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Dec 29, 2010 Karissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I got a copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program. It consists of 27 stories that range from fantasy, to sci-fi, to general fiction. Overall it is an interesting collection of stories.

Most of the stories have some sort of fantasy aspect to them; something fantastical happens, people have special powers, or events defy reality.

For me the highlights of this book were "Wildfire in Manhattan" by Joanne Harris, "Goblin Lake" by Michael Swanwick, "Leif in the Wind" by Gene Wolfe, "A Life in F...more

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Nov 29, 2010 Ticklish Owl rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, short-stories, fantasy

I listened to the audiobook instead of re-reading. I stand by my original comment for the hard copy. With a few exceptions, this book was lackluster, and unoriginal. The narration, however, was top notch.

"Blood" by Roddy Doyle 2*
"Fossil-Figures" by Joyce Carol Oates 2*
"Wildfire in Manhattan" by Joanne Harris 2*
"The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains" by Neil Gaiman 4.5*
"Unbelief" by Michael Marshall Smith 2*
"The Stars are Falling" by Joe R. Landside 3.5*
"Juvenal Nyx" by Walter Mosley 2*
"The...more

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Nov 28, 2010 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Although I love most of Neil Gaiman's work, I was disappointed by this collection of short stories selected by him. According to the introduction, the theme of the collection was supposed to be stories that keep you saying "and then what happened?" right until the end, but unfortunately most of the stories didn't live up to this theme. Most of the stories seemed to be generally creepy/scary themed, but failed to be actually scary, and also failed to capture much of my interest. Very few kept me...more

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Aug 16, 2010 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Edited by Neil Gaiman & Al Sarrantonio.

Twenty-seven short stories by a wide variety of authors. Some well known such as Jodi Picoult, Chuck Palahniuk, & Lawrence Block. I read all the stories but one: Stories by Michael Moorcock was one I just couldn't get through, and also seemed to be one of the longest. Sorry Michael.

All in all, this is a great collection of fantasy type stories that meld really well. Some of the stories were too abrupt, seeming to end before we even got started. Othe...more

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Jul 09, 2010 Adam Burton rated it 3 of 5 stars

A decent collection of stories, a bit uneven perhaps, but that can be said of most short story collections, particularly those with multiple authors. A wide cross-section of authors, to be sure. Alongside the familiar genre-favorites such as Gene Wolfe and Joe Landsdale, you have such mainstream writers as Jodi Picoult, Chuck Palahniuk and Jeffrey Deaver.
I may have missed the point of the collection, which may account for my confusion regarding some of the tales. I got the impression from the i...more

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Jun 06, 2010 Paul rated it 2 of 5 stars

Stories is an anthology composed by the profilic anthology Al Sarrantonio, along with fantasy writer Neil Gaiman. Bringing together talents ranging from Mr Gaiman himself to Tim Powers, Joyce Carol Oates, and chuck Palahnuik, its an impressive stable of authors for an all new anthology.

The mission of the anthology is to dissolve the artificial barrier between genre fiction and mainstream fiction. providing a suite of stories that straddle the borderland between the often walled kingdoms of fanta...more

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Jan 27, 2012 Petr rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Antologie povídek jsou jako ta bonboniéra, o které vyprávěla Forrestu Gumpovi jeho maminka. Nikdy nevíš, jak ti to namíchali.

Nejlepší povídku sborníku napsal sám Gaiman. Když se tohle stane, zasluhuje editor antologie pochvalu, nebo spíš naopak? Povídka se jmenuje Pravda je jeskyně v černých horách a je skvělá, ostrá jako nůž na hřbetu ruky v mrazivém ránu. Další dvě opravdu výborné jsou předposlední a poslední povídka antologie, obě od autorů, o nichž jsem nikdy neslyšel: První let McCauleyho...more Antologie povídek jsou jako ta bonboniéra, o které vyprávěla Forrestu Gumpovi jeho maminka. Nikdy nevíš, jak ti to namíchali.

Nejlepší povídku sborníku napsal sám Gaiman. Když se tohle stane, zasluhuje editor antologie pochvalu, nebo spíš naopak? Povídka se jmenuje Pravda je jeskyně v černých horách a je skvělá, ostrá jako nůž na hřbetu ruky v mrazivém ránu. Další dvě opravdu výborné jsou předposlední a poslední povídka antologie, obě od autorů, o nichž jsem nikdy neslyšel: První let McCauleyho Bellerophonu od Elizabeth Hund a Na ďáblově schodišti, kterou napsal Joe Hill. Hlavně ten Bellerophon (česky by ovšem lépe vypadalo přeložit to podle příslušné řecké báje jako Bellerofontés, takhle to vypadá, že jde o nějaký typ fonografu) je výborný. Bellerofontés z povídky je letadlo, s nímž jeho vynálezce údajně vzlétl do vzduchu tři roky před bratry Wrighty, přitom ovšem zahynul. Dochoval se však podivný filmový záznam... je to napínavé, zvláštní, dojemné, výborně napsané a velice originální. Je to povídka s tajemstvím, ale především veliká pocta šikovnosti a pracovitosti techniků. Je to taky povídka o přátelství a lásce, o muzeu, o stárnutí a celkem vzato asi o smyslu života. Nebo co.

To jsou ty tři nejlepší. Pak je tam několik velmi dobrých: Padají hvězdy (Joe. R. Lansdale), Váhy a míry (Judi Picoult), Jezero skřetů (Michael Swanwick) a jedna skvělá, leč matoucí do té míry, až to vypadá, že jí kus chybí nebo že se nějak fatálně ztratila v překladu - Puntíky a měsíční svit (Jeffrey Ford), tedy Polka Dots and Moonbeams - název sedí, je to swingová povídka, Velký Gatsby přenesený někam do fantaskní pouště mimo svět a propojený se zápletkou filmu Na Hromnice o den více.

Dál tam jsou průměrné povídky, což je mimochodem kategorie, do níž mi spadli všichni autoři jmen (pro mne) zvučných: Joyce Carol Oatesová, Michael Marshall Smith, Chuck Palahniuk, Gene Wolfe. (Nejvíc mě zklamal Smith, frajer jako on a tak levná záležitost!) Vlastně ne, všichni ne: jeden z nich (Peter Straub) se ocitl v kategorii „povídky, které nemají hlavu ani patu“. Úhrnem: tři super, čtyři skoro super, šest (podle mne) špatných, třináct průměrných. A jedna nehodnotitelná, protože to vůbec není povídka, ale obsáhlé vzpomínky Michaela Moorcocka na život britské fantasy scény v šedesátých a sedmdesátých letech. „Postelové rozhovory s Jenny mě sice inspirovaly k několika povídkám, ale na druhé straně mi dost vadilo, že jsme se předtím účastnil jejích grupáčů.“ Hm, třeba vás tohle zajímá; mě ne.

Půjčte si to v knihovně, nekupujte, za čtyři stovky to není value for money. (less)

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Sep 17, 2011 Deanna Knippling rated it 4 of 5 stars

I think it will always be hard for a collection of stories from multiple authors to get five stars from me; there's always some that I don't like. Ironically, it was some of the stories from my favorite authors that I didn't care for here.

Overall, one of the more satisfying collections of short story anthologies that I've read for a while; however, many of the stories, especially toward the beginning, were so painful (even if good) that I could only read one at a time before switching to somethi...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Jenny Sparrow rated it 3 of 5 stars

Влекомая своей горячей любовью к малой форме и Нилу Гейману, я взялась за свеженький сборник рассказов, вышедший под его редакцией. Stories: All-New Tales - это сборник из 27 рассказов различных авторов, среди которых меня особо привлекли знакомые всем имена: Джоанн Харрис, Чак Паланик, Джо Хилл, Диана Уинн Джонс, собственно Нил Гейман и др. Такие разные на первый взгляд рассказы объединены в первую очередь тем, что это - "фикшн" в чистом виде, а также тематикой: мистика, sci-fi, фэнтези и т.п....more Влекомая своей горячей любовью к малой форме и Нилу Гейману, я взялась за свеженький сборник рассказов, вышедший под его редакцией. Stories: All-New Tales - это сборник из 27 рассказов различных авторов, среди которых меня особо привлекли знакомые всем имена: Джоанн Харрис, Чак Паланик, Джо Хилл, Диана Уинн Джонс, собственно Нил Гейман и др. Такие разные на первый взгляд рассказы объединены в первую очередь тем, что это - "фикшн" в чистом виде, а также тематикой: мистика, sci-fi, фэнтези и т.п. Читала в оригинале, на английском (на русский, насколько знаю, еще не переводилось).

Надо сказать, что читала я очень долго. Во-первых, книга толстая, а во-вторых, не все рассказы мне нравились, не все хотелось читать, не отрываясь. Были даже мысли: надо уже сесть и дочитать поскорее со спокойной душой, чтобы взяться за что-то поинтереснее! С другой стороны, некоторые рассказы были очень хороши, а еще я получила возможность познакомиться с стилями разных новых для меня авторов, пусть и на примере рассказов - интересный опыт.

Особенно мне понравились: рассказ Нила Геймана "The Truth Is A Cave In The Black Mountains"; "Fossil-Figures" by Joyce Carol Oates; "The Stars Are Falling" by Joe R. Lansdale; "Samantha's Diary" by Dianna Wynne Jones; "Unwell" by Carolyn Parkhurst; "A Life In Fictions" by Kat Howard; "Parallel Lines" by Tim Powers и "The Devil On The Staircase" by Joe Hill. Некоторые рассказы не понравились вообще, некоторые не вызвали никаких эмоций. Джоанн Харрис мало того, что разочаровала, так еще и переубедила меня читать её новый роман "Рунные знаки", который я собиралась прочесть...(less)

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Aug 15, 2011 Thea Guanzon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I bought this book for only two reasons, the first being that I adore the cover with all my heart and the second being that I am a mindless Neil Gaiman fangirl who would purchase anything that has his name on it. My expectations were quite low because an anthology by different authors is like a collection of hits and misses, with rather more misses than hits. I already knew before I read the book that I would like the stories by Gaiman, Palahniuk, Jones, Wolfe and Moorcock, but I was apprehensiv...more I bought this book for only two reasons, the first being that I adore the cover with all my heart and the second being that I am a mindless Neil Gaiman fangirl who would purchase anything that has his name on it. My expectations were quite low because an anthology by different authors is like a collection of hits and misses, with rather more misses than hits. I already knew before I read the book that I would like the stories by Gaiman, Palahniuk, Jones, Wolfe and Moorcock, but I was apprehensive about the other authors, either because I'd never heard of them before or didn't much care for them. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised by the overall quality of this book. There are indeed a few very weak pieces, but these are easily outweighed by the gorgeousness of the better works. Things that stood out in particular: Oates' rhythmic, relentless prose in Fossil-Figures (although it loses steam near the end); Harris' intriguing (if a bit derivative) world-building in Wildfire in Manhattan; the ultimate fate that Swanwick gives the Jack of fairytales in Goblin Lake, although the writing style was a bit... ehh; the dreamy atmosphere in Ford's Polka Dots and Moonbeams; the slow-dawning, bone-chilling horror of Sarrantonio's The Cult of the Nose; and the lush descriptions and startling poignancy of Hand's The Maiden Flight of McCauley's "Bellerophon". This is also a good book for aspiring writers to pick up a few tips. Palahniuk shows you how to write an acid trip, Moorcock shows you how to write a story that's almost all exposition but still interesting, Jones shows you how to write a character so well that you can hear her posh accent in your head, and Gaiman shows you how to write, period. I also love how the book is dedicated to Scheherazade, "who was the storyteller and the story told." This is an amazing assortment of page-turning short fictions that, taken together, give you the feeling of being on a long, eerie road trip that's full of dark delight. Anthologies don't get any better than this.(less)

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Jun 27, 2011 Beth Anne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: dave, beth, samantha

ebook.

another great collection of short stories, this one edited by Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio. As Gaiman's intro mentions...they wanted to pull together stories that have the reader asking "...and then what happened," forcing us to want to continue reading. i think that this collection did just that, i could barely put it down...every story was rich and full of such diverse characters...all with the overlying themes of murder, death, mystery, magic.

some notable stories:

Joyce Carol Oates, "...more ebook.

another great collection of short stories, this one edited by Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio. As Gaiman's intro mentions...they wanted to pull together stories that have the reader asking "...and then what happened," forcing us to want to continue reading. i think that this collection did just that, i could barely put it down...every story was rich and full of such diverse characters...all with the overlying themes of murder, death, mystery, magic.

some notable stories:

Joyce Carol Oates, "Fossil-Figures" -- i mean, you know i love how oates writes. this story was no exception. the way she crafts a story that is sentimental, upsetting and beautiful at the same time is amazing, genius...love her.

Joanne Harris, "Wildfire in Mantattan" -- another author i love (come on, Chocolat? Five Quarters of the Orange? Gentlemen & Players? Holy Fools? All favorites of mine) Her story of gods being hunted down in America is exciting and intense.

Neil Gaiman, "The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains" -- another great story by Gaiman. I mean...he writes short stories so well, you feel like it's a novel when you're reading. nothing is missing...he tells such a complete story that packs in so much back story, character development, plot twists, adventure, magic, etc...that you can't believe it's just over 20 pages.

Jodi Piccoult, "Weights and Measures" -- true to Piccoult's style, this story is tragically sad yet immensely thought provoking. chronicling parental life after the death of a child...the simple story of physical and psychological impact is really touching.

Lawrence Block, "Catch and Release" -- serial killer story with a twist. great writing...cool idea. one of my favorites in the collection.

Jeffrey Deaver, "The Therapist" -- tricky story...i love how you trust the narrator when reading this only to have your beliefs kind of upheaved at the end.

Joe Hill, "The Devil on the Staircase" -- loved this story..from the way the type is treated in the book to look like a staircase, to the whole idea of the 'deal with the devil'. very cleverly written, love the ending which leaves you ambiguous as to what happens next in other places in the world of hte story. this was another one of my favorites in the book.

i say to everyone..READ THIS COLLECTION. you won't be disappointed.(less)

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Quotes from Stories

“Television and cinema were all very well, but these stories happened to other people. The stories I found in books happened inside my head. I was, in some way, there.
It's the magic of fiction: you take the words and you build them into worlds.” — 6 people liked it

“You know people don't get better as we get older- we just get more of who we are.” — 4 people liked it

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