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1st out of 19 books
—
7 voters
The Way of the Wizard
by
John Joseph Adams (Goodreads Author) ,
Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author), George R.R. Martin, Peter S. Beagle (Goodreads Author), David Barr Kirtley (Goodreads Author), Simon R. Green, Wendy N. Wagner (Goodreads Author), Lev Grossman (Goodreads Author)
,
more…
Power. We all want it, they've got it - witches, warlocks, sorcerers, necromancers, those who peer beneath the veil of mundane reality and put their hands on the levers that move the universe. They see the future in a sheet of glass, summon fantastic beasts, and transform lead into gold... or you into a frog. From Gandalf to Harry Potter to the Last Airbender, wizardry has...more
Paperback, 477 pages
Published
November 16th 2010
by Prime Books
(first published 2010)
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Apr 13, 2011
Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Shelves:
anthologies-and-collections,
fantasy-fiction
This is a pretty decent anthology; it caught my eye at the library. Almost all of the stories have been collected elsewhere previously, though. Some of them had errors that suggested they had been retyped and that not all the errors stemming therefrom had been caught, particularly the Marion Zimmer Bradley story. (It made me sad. Not because of the typos, because of the subject matter.)
On an unrelated note, I am getting a little irritated at seeing big name fantasy authors take shots at Harry Po...more
On an unrelated note, I am getting a little irritated at seeing big name fantasy authors take shots at Harry Po...more
At times I'm not sure how to judge anthologies. I usually enjoy most stories, end up skipping three or four, and get excited about one or two. This anthology is no different, although I appreciate the subject. To begin with, those stories I really liked, were; Wizard's Apprentice Delia Sherman. So Deep the Bottom, G. Valentine. I really liked the Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Not sure why, but I found it endearing, and perfectly paced. (I also thought it quite a wonderful insight into the insect mind.....more
This collection of short stories blew me away. I’m used to reading magazines or anthologies where I get a few stories I connect with, a handful I can see are good, and a couple that I didn’t like. While I might not have loved every story, I can’t remember a single one that provoked a negative or “eh” reaction. I received this book as part of my Hugo voting packet, but have purchased the paper copy so my boys can read it.
This collection is a mix of original and reprinted stories that show a wide...more
This collection is a mix of original and reprinted stories that show a wide...more
I read this short-story collection because of the astonishingly high number of good writers in it, though it turns out most of the stories are reprints - I was disappointed to find that the Susanna Clarke story was one I'd already read in The Ladies of Grace Adieu, though at least the others were all new to me.
There weren't any bad stories in the collection, though most were pretty forgettable, and the editing in the book is atrocious (words are frequently mistyped as other words in a way that s...more
There weren't any bad stories in the collection, though most were pretty forgettable, and the editing in the book is atrocious (words are frequently mistyped as other words in a way that s...more
This collection didn't impress me much; it seemed to me that a lot of the stories were clumsily and amateurishly written or simply took way too long to get the setup out of the way, and a sense of humor would have been very welcome.
I enjoyed George R.R. Martin's "In the Lost Lands," a demonstration of the importance of being careful what you wish for, and Delia Sherman's "The Wizard's Apprentice," a charming tale of a runaway stumbling into a bookstore run by an evil wizard -- it says so right...more
I enjoyed George R.R. Martin's "In the Lost Lands," a demonstration of the importance of being careful what you wish for, and Delia Sherman's "The Wizard's Apprentice," a charming tale of a runaway stumbling into a bookstore run by an evil wizard -- it says so right...more
This was a very hit and miss collection for me. Unfortunately it was more miss than hit. Though none of the stories were bad, per se, I found a large portion of the entries unengaging. I’m sure a large part of this has to do with personal bias. I am more a fan of urban fantasy (though that term makes me cringe…I mean good, modern-set fantasy, not the clichéd ones with the girl on the cover who has her back to the audience, which is to say…most of them.) I like horror and I like darker stories, s...more
These stories are excellent, although I was disappointed that the Susannah Clarke story was a reprint from her book *The Ladies of Grace Adieux*. Most of the others were printed in magazines, which makes them a little harder to come by and more worth reprinting. Mostly I wanted this for Jonathan Howard's new Johannes Cabal short story, which didn't disappoint. There were fewer idiom problems than usual (writers using 20th century Americanisms in pseudo-medieval settings always bothers me) and th...more
I found this collection of stories to be really good. Of course it can be hard to go wrong when the subject matter is wizards. Most of the stories were good, and a few were great, but of course a couple were so so or bad, but that is how it is with most anthologies. While a lot of people might be upset that most of the stories collected here are reprints, for me it was a first reading them, and a lot of the authors. I enjoyed this because it introduced me to a few new authors and gave me glimpse...more
I find pretty much every anthology I read to be hit-or-miss, but I also find that anthologies edited by Ellen Datlow or John Joseph Adams are more hit than miss. While I was disappointed at the absence of a Harry Dresden story in an anthology so obviously suited for one (editor Adams explains that Butcher's schedule didn't allow time to write a new story and the reprint rights for the existing ones were tied up), there were more than enough stand-alone and series-connected tales for me to enjoy....more
All of the stories in this anthology are about wizards but wizard can hold many definitions. Due to how broad the idea of a wizard can be and the number of authors, this anthology ended up rather uneven. The best stories stood out by truly playing with the genre but ones like Robert Silverberg's The Sorcerer's Apprentice started by trying to change a trope and ended up in a hole with another one. As a reader of fantasy, I found some authors that I wish to read books of but since there were few n...more
An uneven collection. None of the stories was absolutely dreadful, but only a few were excellent, and those were by known authors. I borrowed it from the library, and while I would recommend taking a look at it, I would not recommend buying it.
As others have said, this collection did not turn me on to any new writers. I do have to admit that toward the end of the volume, I began skipping stories set in medieval worlds. They all began to sound much the same.
Although other reviewers have noted t...more
As others have said, this collection did not turn me on to any new writers. I do have to admit that toward the end of the volume, I began skipping stories set in medieval worlds. They all began to sound much the same.
Although other reviewers have noted t...more
While I'm not the hugest fan of short stories, I have to admit this was definitely one of the better collections that I've read. The contributing author list is staggering in terms of the big names and the major storytellers that are included. This is an excellent collection for any reader of fantasy literature. There is a wide variety of stories to appeal to just about any reader. Additionally, there were several authors whose work I had never encountered that I will now be searching out becaus...more
I’ve always thought wizards are cool. If you walk up to me on the street and utter the word, “Fantasy” to me, the first thing I’ll do is give you a bizarre look and, if I don’t know who you are, probably say something along the lines of, “What?” But the second thing I would do is conjure an image of a slightly stooped old man with a white beard, flowing robes, and yes, an impressive, gnarled staff. From Gandalf to Belgarath to the Order and Chaos mages of Recluce and Candar, wizards have been ar...more
I’m going to preface this review by saying that I will review each of the 36 stories in the anthology. So it’ll take me a while to complete the entire review. But I did want to mark it as finished and move onto my next book :)
In The Lost Lands by George R. R. Martin - An excellent story from the master of mythology. The kind of tale that I can easily see as a small chapter in the next Song of Ice and Fire novel. The entire story was told with a sense of foreboding that came to fruition with the...more
In The Lost Lands by George R. R. Martin - An excellent story from the master of mythology. The kind of tale that I can easily see as a small chapter in the next Song of Ice and Fire novel. The entire story was told with a sense of foreboding that came to fruition with the...more
This was a fun read. Anthologies are a special treat for me, because I discover so much. I discovered Laura Anne Gilman from an anthology. I enjoyed the short story so much I soon had the first two or three books of the Retrievers series in my hands. After nine books in two series (Her latest Dragon Justice is out, but I'm a cheapskate, so I'm waiting, of course, if I read correctly it's also her last novel in this particular literary universe, which doesn't make me want to go out and read it in
...more
The list of authors contributing to this anthology is what initially caught my eye. Lucky me that I actually won a paperback copy signed by the editor. Thank you Goodreads' giveaway! I've been snacking on these short stories for a few months now. I gather from other reviewers that there isn't much "new" material to be found here. Well I've never had the pleasure of encountering any of these stories before. They were all new to me and maybe that is why I enjoyed the collection so much. I was doub...more
I've copied the contents from WorldCat and I'll only rate the ones I like.
Contents: Introduction by John Joseph Adams --
In the lost lands / George R.R. Martin -- 5 stars
Family tree / David Barr Kirtley -- 4 stars
John Uskglass and the Cambrian charcoal burner / Susanna Clarke -- 3.5 stars
Wizard's apprentice / Delia Sherman -- 4 stars
The sorcerer Minus / Jeffrey Ford -- 3.5 stars
Life so dear or peace so sweet / C. C. Finlay --
Card sharp / Rajan Khanna -- 4 stars
So deep that the bottom could not b...more
Contents: Introduction by John Joseph Adams --
In the lost lands / George R.R. Martin -- 5 stars
Family tree / David Barr Kirtley -- 4 stars
John Uskglass and the Cambrian charcoal burner / Susanna Clarke -- 3.5 stars
Wizard's apprentice / Delia Sherman -- 4 stars
The sorcerer Minus / Jeffrey Ford -- 3.5 stars
Life so dear or peace so sweet / C. C. Finlay --
Card sharp / Rajan Khanna -- 4 stars
So deep that the bottom could not b...more
One of the best anthologies I've read in a long while. Great mix of classic wizard stories (like "In the Lost Lands by George RR Martin and "The Word of Unbinding" by Ursula K. LeGuin) along with a whole host of exciting new ones. Really liked "One Click Banishment" by Jeremiah Tolbett, "Street Wizard" by Simon R. Green,"The Thirteen Texts of Arthyria" by John R. Fultz, and "Wizards of Perfil" by Kelly Link. "Card Sharp" by Rajan Khanna had a neat system of magic as well.
En realidad, 3 estrellas y media, más que tres a secas.
Como en toda recopilación, hay cuentos buenos, cuentos malos y cuentos originales cuya idea está interesante pero cuyo desarrollo no acaba de convencerme. De los autores que no conocía, me ha gustado especialmente el relato de Nnedi Okorafor, El atasco.
Como en toda recopilación, hay cuentos buenos, cuentos malos y cuentos originales cuya idea está interesante pero cuyo desarrollo no acaba de convencerme. De los autores que no conocía, me ha gustado especialmente el relato de Nnedi Okorafor, El atasco.
Won this a a freereads here on Goodreads.
This is a wonderful collection of short stories by various well-known authors in the sci-fi/fantasy genre. The stories all center on magic in one way or another, though the way it is approached is different depending on the author. There are the classic wizards tales to more modern takes on magic. The stories span time periods from the past all the way to the distant future. Definitely a good read and recommended for those who enjoy fantasy.
This is a wonderful collection of short stories by various well-known authors in the sci-fi/fantasy genre. The stories all center on magic in one way or another, though the way it is approached is different depending on the author. There are the classic wizards tales to more modern takes on magic. The stories span time periods from the past all the way to the distant future. Definitely a good read and recommended for those who enjoy fantasy.
The short stories in this book are the perfect way for getting in a quick fantasy read (I've been reading a lot of it on my iPhone). So far all the stories I've read are engrossing and entertaining. They start out with George R.R. Martin's contribution, which is his style of a moral fairy tale, and you don't have to know anything about the Song of Fire and Ice series to enjoy it. My favorite story so far is C.C. Finlay's "Life So Dear or Peace So Sweet." I wasn't sure I would like it at first be...more
Aunque muchas de las historias ya las había leído (las de Kelly Link, Rober Silverberg, Peter S. Beagle, Neil Gaiman, Lev Grossman y Ursula K. Leguin), dentro de este contexto es una buena selección. Como es habitual en las antologías, tiene sus eslabones débiles.
Lo que mas me gustó es como en pocas historias se puede dar un recorrido entre los diferentes tipos de magos, hechiceros y brujos, todos teniendo varios elementos en común pero siendo tan diferentes como sus autores lo son. También me a...more
Lo que mas me gustó es como en pocas historias se puede dar un recorrido entre los diferentes tipos de magos, hechiceros y brujos, todos teniendo varios elementos en común pero siendo tan diferentes como sus autores lo son. También me a...more
I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway. It is hard to rate an anthology, but I was overall pretty pleased with most of the stories. My favorites in particular were: In the Lost Lands by George R.R. Martin, The Secret of Calling Rabbits by Wendy N. Wagner, The Wizards of Perfil by Kelly Link, Mommy Issues of the Dead by T. A. Pratt, and The Word of Unbinding by Ursula K. Le Guin. There were several misses as well and a couple I didn’t finish, but overall the quality was good. I did really e...more
A mixed bag, but a lot of strong stories in this collection. A few of them seemed rote, and the best had high stakes for the characters personally. A very readable anthology overall.
A great collection of stories of wizards in their varied forms.
Selalu saja muncul perspektif baru pada saat membaca ulang buku ini
Some really good stories, some sucky ones, but overall pretty good.
this antho rocks and not only because i'm in it. :-)
I really wanted this collection to blow me away, however with a couple of exceptions the stories just didn’t do that. It probably hurt that I was also reading the fifth Martin book at the same time as this.
Particular favorites included Family Tree and The Wizards of Perfil. I also really like Into The Lost Lands, but had read it previously in a different collection.
Overall, this is good for some casual reading but isn’t near the top of my list of short story collections from the last few years.
Particular favorites included Family Tree and The Wizards of Perfil. I also really like Into The Lost Lands, but had read it previously in a different collection.
Overall, this is good for some casual reading but isn’t near the top of my list of short story collections from the last few years.
Short stories, fun
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John Joseph Adams—called “the reigning king of the anthology world” by Barnes & Noble.com—is the bestselling editor of many anthologies, such as UNDER THE MOONS OF MARS: NEW ADVENTURES ON BARSOOM, ARMORED, LIGHTSPEED: YEAR ONE, BRAVE NEW WORLDS, WASTELANDS, THE LIVING DEAD, THE LIVING DEAD 2, BY BLOOD WE LIVE, FEDERATIONS, THE IMPROBABLE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, and THE WAY OF THE WIZARD...more
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Nov 22, 2012 08:08pm