A few of these stories I liked very much, and Egan's talent is evident--you can see how she became the masterful writer she is today. But many of the stories, for me, fell a little flat, or felt so classic as to seem formulaic. I forgot a lot of them as soon as I was done, whereas I can remember every chapter and character from Egan's new book, A Visit from the Goon Squad.

This is a must-read if you are crazy for Egan, but not the book to start with if you are only just coming to her work. I think, with Look at Me, she really leaped into brilliance, and has stayed there ever since.

It was nice to see how far Egan's skills have come since this first collection. Maybe there's hope for me after all...