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When the Hero Comes Home
Heroes come in a thousand guises, and so do stories about them.
The only survivor of a war struggles to return to a home that doesn't exist anymore. A rebel leader loses everything she fought for and must start from scratch. A hero who has fought for her village her whole life must retire into obscurity without ever being known for her deeds. A starship returns to an Earth that is much changed, yet too much the same. A soldier is haunted by the very thing that saved his life. And King Arthur returns in Albion's hour of need.
Dark fantasy. Urban fantasy. Political intrigue. Science fiction. From the horrific to the heartwearming. Introducing 19 pulse-pounding tales, by luminaries and great new voices. Co-edited by Gabrielle Harbowy and Ed Greenwood. Featuring an introduction by Susan J. Morris. Cover art by Scott Purdy.
The anthology features new fiction by Jay Lake, Todd McCaffrey, Julie Kagawa, and an all-new Jig the Goblin story by Jim C. Hines.
table of Contents:
A Place to Come Home To by Jay Lake and Shannon Page
The Evil That Remains by Erik Buchanan
Full Circle by Steve Bornstein
Lessons Learned by Peadar Ó Guilín
Brine Magic by Tony Pi
The Legend of Gluck by Marie Bilodeau
One and Twenty Summers by Brian Cortijo
The Blue Corpse Corps by Jim C. Hines
Ashes of the Bonfire Queen by Rosemary Jones
Keeping Time by Gabrielle Harbowy
Scar Tissue by Chris A. Jackson
Coward by Todd McCaffrey
Nine Letters Found in a Muddied Case on the Road in Baden, Germany by Xander Briggs
The Once and Now-ish King by J.M. Frey
His Last Monster by J.P. Moore
Dark Helm Returns by Ed Greenwood
Mirror, Mirror by Phil Rossi
Knights and Beans by Julie Kagawa
Oathbreaker by Erik Scott de Bie
The only survivor of a war struggles to return to a home that doesn't exist anymore. A rebel leader loses everything she fought for and must start from scratch. A hero who has fought for her village her whole life must retire into obscurity without ever being known for her deeds. A starship returns to an Earth that is much changed, yet too much the same. A soldier is haunted by the very thing that saved his life. And King Arthur returns in Albion's hour of need.
Dark fantasy. Urban fantasy. Political intrigue. Science fiction. From the horrific to the heartwearming. Introducing 19 pulse-pounding tales, by luminaries and great new voices. Co-edited by Gabrielle Harbowy and Ed Greenwood. Featuring an introduction by Susan J. Morris. Cover art by Scott Purdy.
The anthology features new fiction by Jay Lake, Todd McCaffrey, Julie Kagawa, and an all-new Jig the Goblin story by Jim C. Hines.
table of Contents:
A Place to Come Home To by Jay Lake and Shannon Page
The Evil That Remains by Erik Buchanan
Full Circle by Steve Bornstein
Lessons Learned by Peadar Ó Guilín
Brine Magic by Tony Pi
The Legend of Gluck by Marie Bilodeau
One and Twenty Summers by Brian Cortijo
The Blue Corpse Corps by Jim C. Hines
Ashes of the Bonfire Queen by Rosemary Jones
Keeping Time by Gabrielle Harbowy
Scar Tissue by Chris A. Jackson
Coward by Todd McCaffrey
Nine Letters Found in a Muddied Case on the Road in Baden, Germany by Xander Briggs
The Once and Now-ish King by J.M. Frey
His Last Monster by J.P. Moore
Dark Helm Returns by Ed Greenwood
Mirror, Mirror by Phil Rossi
Knights and Beans by Julie Kagawa
Oathbreaker by Erik Scott de Bie
296 pages, Paperback
First published June 6, 2011
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Gabrielle Harbowy
32 books52 followers(She/her) I'm an editor, anthologist, and author. Welcome to my page!
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 9, 2011
It’s not what you usually think of, is it? What happens to the hero after it’s all over. But that’s the subject of the utterly fantastic anthology When the Hero Comes Home, edited by Gabrielle Harbowy and Ed Greenwood. I came to this knowing I’d like at least some of it, because Gabrielle is an incredible editor and I already love JM Frey’s writing. What I didn’t expect is that I would like--that I would love--all of it. (OK, total honesty, I have no stomach for zombies, so the little bit of that in a couple of stories, I didn’t like, but I’m clearly in the minority with the zombie-ickies, so don’t mind me.)
There’s such a wonderful diversity in these stories. Sci-fi, fantasy, urban fantasy, it’s definitely a new experience with every story. And there are some real flashes of brilliance in here.
Keeping Time by Gabrielle Harbowy I read first, because she’s my editor and I idolize her but I’d never read anything by her. I was so pleasantly surprised, both by the compelling storytelling and by the ending. The Once and Now-ish King by JM Frey I jumped to next, since I already love her debut novel, Triptych. That. One. Rocks. So insanely clever and funny.
There’s such raw, real humanity—and inhumanity—in The Evil that Remains by Erik Buchanan. Brine Magic by Tony Pi was unique, fascinating, and moving. One and Twenty Summers by Brian Cortijo left me gasping for more—and those were not tears, really they weren’t. But, Brian, when you write more of this one, I want first dibs.
The imagery and emotion of Ashes of the Bonfire Queen by Rosemary Jones was so real that I find myself still thinking of it, feeling it, more than a week later. Mirror Mirror by Phil Rossi was such a creepy-realistic look at the human psyche and the things we do and are capable of. And if I’m ever capable of writing the rich prose Erik Scott de Bie does in Oathbreaker, a Tale of the World of Ruin, I’ll die a happy writer. The best part of that one wasn’t just the beautiful drapery, but the way it revealed a fascinating story set in a world far more well-imagined than you usually expect in a short.
Full Circle, by Steve Bornstein, may well be my secret favorite. I’m a sucker for a well-told second person POV and this one is pitch perfect. Steve also builds an great story from very little real info to start on, letting the surprise unfurl with the story, without leaving you scratching your head wondering what’s going on. Just the delicious thrill of I-know-I’m-going-to-love-this-as-soon-as-I-figure-it-out.
Those aren’t all the great things about this anthology, or even the best, simply the ones that stick out to me over a week later when I finally had a chance to write this review. Don’t do yourself the disservice of missing this one. It’s an amazing experience.
Triptych
There’s such a wonderful diversity in these stories. Sci-fi, fantasy, urban fantasy, it’s definitely a new experience with every story. And there are some real flashes of brilliance in here.
Keeping Time by Gabrielle Harbowy I read first, because she’s my editor and I idolize her but I’d never read anything by her. I was so pleasantly surprised, both by the compelling storytelling and by the ending. The Once and Now-ish King by JM Frey I jumped to next, since I already love her debut novel, Triptych. That. One. Rocks. So insanely clever and funny.
There’s such raw, real humanity—and inhumanity—in The Evil that Remains by Erik Buchanan. Brine Magic by Tony Pi was unique, fascinating, and moving. One and Twenty Summers by Brian Cortijo left me gasping for more—and those were not tears, really they weren’t. But, Brian, when you write more of this one, I want first dibs.
The imagery and emotion of Ashes of the Bonfire Queen by Rosemary Jones was so real that I find myself still thinking of it, feeling it, more than a week later. Mirror Mirror by Phil Rossi was such a creepy-realistic look at the human psyche and the things we do and are capable of. And if I’m ever capable of writing the rich prose Erik Scott de Bie does in Oathbreaker, a Tale of the World of Ruin, I’ll die a happy writer. The best part of that one wasn’t just the beautiful drapery, but the way it revealed a fascinating story set in a world far more well-imagined than you usually expect in a short.
Full Circle, by Steve Bornstein, may well be my secret favorite. I’m a sucker for a well-told second person POV and this one is pitch perfect. Steve also builds an great story from very little real info to start on, letting the surprise unfurl with the story, without leaving you scratching your head wondering what’s going on. Just the delicious thrill of I-know-I’m-going-to-love-this-as-soon-as-I-figure-it-out.
Those aren’t all the great things about this anthology, or even the best, simply the ones that stick out to me over a week later when I finally had a chance to write this review. Don’t do yourself the disservice of missing this one. It’s an amazing experience.
Triptych
July 25, 2012
Full disclosure: I am in this book. My story, "The Evil That Remains" is the second one you will read. And you will read it, because once you pick up this book, you will be practically unable to put it down. Every story in here is a winner, and every one has its own take on what happens when the hero comes home after his adventures or battles or whatever.
I highly recommend this book, and hope you enjoy it.
I highly recommend this book, and hope you enjoy it.
November 27, 2011
I won this as via Goodreads Giveaway so I really didn't know what to expect. Short story collections are always a mixed bag. Most editors try to have a little of something that appeals to everyone, which usually means I only really enjoy some of the stories. Not this book. Every single story made me go "wow, that was really good" at the least... and there was still a variety of genres. Dragons, magic, generation ships, werewolves, nanobots, ocean dreams and military psyche.
I will be on the lookout for more books compiled by these editors!
I will be on the lookout for more books compiled by these editors!
January 1, 2012
Continuing on my odyssey through anthologies of short stories...
I come to When the Hero Comes Home. The idea behind the anthology is really smart: what happens to the hero after the decisive battle. It's the sort of thing that you never think about, but, once the question is put to you, you smack your head and go, "Yeah. What does the hero do after the decisive battle?"
I must admit, I came to this anthology because a colleague, J. M. Frey, had a story in it, "The Once and Now-ish King." In fact, I had heard parts of the story read at Faery Fest in Elora a few months before the book came out. The story, about King Arthur finding himself reincarnated as a baby in the modern world, was funny when I first heard it, and got even better when I could take time to savour it on the page.
This anthology tended more to fantasy than science fiction, which, admittedly, isn't my taste. Even so, I found much pleasure in stories like Jim C. Hines' "The Blue Corpse Corps," in which the "hero" was a kind of goblin Flashman. Smart, funny and from a highly unexpected point of view.
Gabrielle Harbowy's "Keeping Time" was also very memorable in the way it connected interstellar exploration to a very personal story.
When the Hero Comes Home was another very enjoyable anthology that I have no hesitation in recommending.
I come to When the Hero Comes Home. The idea behind the anthology is really smart: what happens to the hero after the decisive battle. It's the sort of thing that you never think about, but, once the question is put to you, you smack your head and go, "Yeah. What does the hero do after the decisive battle?"
I must admit, I came to this anthology because a colleague, J. M. Frey, had a story in it, "The Once and Now-ish King." In fact, I had heard parts of the story read at Faery Fest in Elora a few months before the book came out. The story, about King Arthur finding himself reincarnated as a baby in the modern world, was funny when I first heard it, and got even better when I could take time to savour it on the page.
This anthology tended more to fantasy than science fiction, which, admittedly, isn't my taste. Even so, I found much pleasure in stories like Jim C. Hines' "The Blue Corpse Corps," in which the "hero" was a kind of goblin Flashman. Smart, funny and from a highly unexpected point of view.
Gabrielle Harbowy's "Keeping Time" was also very memorable in the way it connected interstellar exploration to a very personal story.
When the Hero Comes Home was another very enjoyable anthology that I have no hesitation in recommending.
July 7, 2013
The Hero has to me become the most stale and uninteresting of character archetypes. I wonder if that's because the hero is often the most explored of the archetypes associated with the heroic journey. Characters like the Villain and the Sidekick or even the Love Interest have in my opinion more potential for exploration. But we've seen the Hero in pretty much every form: Good, Bad, Reluctant, Unnamed, Anti-, Violent, Pacifist, Dumb, Honorable. Sometimes he's interesting, sometimes he's not. This anthology manages to rescue the Hero, as a character archetype, from the obscurity of over exploration by focusing on the part of the Heroic Journey least explored. Aftermath. The short review is simply that it works. It works so marvelously I want to tempt fate and ask for a sequel, just to see if it is possible to even do it again (Edit: Wahoo! There WILL be a second one - Link).
Before that I ask myself: How does one review an anthology? Is it appropriate to rate it as an average of the individual stories? Is it more appropriate to rate it on it's cohesiveness? Especially when there is a given theme as there is here? I'm not sure what answer if any is correct so I'll just try to explain why I finished this anthology with an extremely high opinion of it.
One of the most obvious ways to subvert a genre's expected tropes if to turn the Heroic Journey from one that ends in triumph and joy into one that ends in bittersweet or pyrrhic victory or perhaps defeat outright. Some of the best literature I've read does this and does it fantastically. Yet I rarely seek out stories that will leave the reader with a negative state of mind. The forward while appropriate did give me (and others) pause that this would be a collection of stories where heroes come home to find things negatively reflected with reality. Instead we get imagination, authors taking the most interesting written narrative format (the short story) and doing fantastically interesting and unexpected things with characters that are labeled "Hero".
Not every story has a happy ending. The first story actually fulfills exactly the type of downer ending that I mentioned previously yet even that story is told with so much imagination that the sheer wonder of a girl being returned to life is an instant favorite. The stories only get more varied from there. The only real common thread is that in every story there is a character that has the label "Hero" whether some of them are or are not, whether we or even they would consider themselves such.
Some of the stories take conventional heroic situations and put a unique element (of mythos or plot) to yield unexpected outcomes. Some take stories of unconventional and unexpected heroes like Lesson's Learned and The Blue Corpse Corps). A few rely on word gags that wouldn't work in video similar to video gags that wouldn't work in print as in Twilight Zone's "Eye of the Beholder". One of my favorites was a story steeped in Asian culture simply because it was a type of Hero that haven't been inundated throughout my culture.
The short story format is tight by it's nature. While few like Richard Matheson have been able to turn a short story into a leisurely paced single thought (Pattern for Survival), most are about taking a typical plotline and wording the tale in such a way that the reader can infer most of the previous (or following) events. These stories all pack quite a bit of plot line in such tiny narratives. The best part of a short story is rereading it again and again to watch everything unfold with the clues intact from the very beginning. A few of the stories towards the end were a bit complex and actual required rereading in order to understand the fullness of the story. None of them fall apart. Reading them again they're just as good the second time as they were the first, a few even better.
This anthology is a classic example of taking the boring and making it exciting. Turning the Hero from a worn out symbol into a unique character was almost a form of magic. It's for books like this that I reserve my five star ratings. How much more could be done with the Villain? The Villain when created correctly can be terrifying and/or seductive. The Hero is someone we want to love. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't but we walk into a hero story wanting to love him. The Villain on the other hand is an unknown. I can't wait to read the companion anthology "When the Villain Comes Home" because if a collection of authors can do this much with a Hero. How much more can they do with the Villain.
I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
Updated July 2013: Grammar/Spelling
Before that I ask myself: How does one review an anthology? Is it appropriate to rate it as an average of the individual stories? Is it more appropriate to rate it on it's cohesiveness? Especially when there is a given theme as there is here? I'm not sure what answer if any is correct so I'll just try to explain why I finished this anthology with an extremely high opinion of it.
One of the most obvious ways to subvert a genre's expected tropes if to turn the Heroic Journey from one that ends in triumph and joy into one that ends in bittersweet or pyrrhic victory or perhaps defeat outright. Some of the best literature I've read does this and does it fantastically. Yet I rarely seek out stories that will leave the reader with a negative state of mind. The forward while appropriate did give me (and others) pause that this would be a collection of stories where heroes come home to find things negatively reflected with reality. Instead we get imagination, authors taking the most interesting written narrative format (the short story) and doing fantastically interesting and unexpected things with characters that are labeled "Hero".
Not every story has a happy ending. The first story actually fulfills exactly the type of downer ending that I mentioned previously yet even that story is told with so much imagination that the sheer wonder of a girl being returned to life is an instant favorite. The stories only get more varied from there. The only real common thread is that in every story there is a character that has the label "Hero" whether some of them are or are not, whether we or even they would consider themselves such.
Some of the stories take conventional heroic situations and put a unique element (of mythos or plot) to yield unexpected outcomes. Some take stories of unconventional and unexpected heroes like Lesson's Learned and The Blue Corpse Corps). A few rely on word gags that wouldn't work in video similar to video gags that wouldn't work in print as in Twilight Zone's "Eye of the Beholder". One of my favorites was a story steeped in Asian culture simply because it was a type of Hero that haven't been inundated throughout my culture.
The short story format is tight by it's nature. While few like Richard Matheson have been able to turn a short story into a leisurely paced single thought (Pattern for Survival), most are about taking a typical plotline and wording the tale in such a way that the reader can infer most of the previous (or following) events. These stories all pack quite a bit of plot line in such tiny narratives. The best part of a short story is rereading it again and again to watch everything unfold with the clues intact from the very beginning. A few of the stories towards the end were a bit complex and actual required rereading in order to understand the fullness of the story. None of them fall apart. Reading them again they're just as good the second time as they were the first, a few even better.
This anthology is a classic example of taking the boring and making it exciting. Turning the Hero from a worn out symbol into a unique character was almost a form of magic. It's for books like this that I reserve my five star ratings. How much more could be done with the Villain? The Villain when created correctly can be terrifying and/or seductive. The Hero is someone we want to love. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't but we walk into a hero story wanting to love him. The Villain on the other hand is an unknown. I can't wait to read the companion anthology "When the Villain Comes Home" because if a collection of authors can do this much with a Hero. How much more can they do with the Villain.
I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
Updated July 2013: Grammar/Spelling
September 6, 2012
I usually read anthologies as 'palette cleansers', sort of 'lighter' fare between heavier or at least lengthier works. In this case I was more than pleasantly surprised to find a collection of works that not only had an interesting theme, but sustained that theme in a variety of tones, all of them compelling.
The theme is that of the Hero coming home. After the Battle is Won. The Evil Vanquished, The Princess Rescued. what happens next?
The stories range from the depressing, to the uplifting, to the comically absurd(The Final story, about a farm-boy turned Knight and Warlock Slayer who returns whom to discover the bean-growers of his little village don't know about his exploits and will never see him as anything other than the starry-eyed wierdo kid is particularly amusing.). In anthologies, by definition, you have stories of varied quality, but the quality is here is pretty good all around. I dont' recall a singal story I felt dragged or that I was eagre to end just to see the next one. They were all well crafted.
I'd recommend this to anyone who likes fantasy and sci-fi really. It's just well written and it certainly served the other function of anthologies; getting me the names of writers I think I might like in the future.
The theme is that of the Hero coming home. After the Battle is Won. The Evil Vanquished, The Princess Rescued. what happens next?
The stories range from the depressing, to the uplifting, to the comically absurd(The Final story, about a farm-boy turned Knight and Warlock Slayer who returns whom to discover the bean-growers of his little village don't know about his exploits and will never see him as anything other than the starry-eyed wierdo kid is particularly amusing.). In anthologies, by definition, you have stories of varied quality, but the quality is here is pretty good all around. I dont' recall a singal story I felt dragged or that I was eagre to end just to see the next one. They were all well crafted.
I'd recommend this to anyone who likes fantasy and sci-fi really. It's just well written and it certainly served the other function of anthologies; getting me the names of writers I think I might like in the future.
January 7, 2012
This is an anthology that I was very much looking forward to picking up as soon as I heard about its theme, answering the question of what happens to the hero after. It's a haunting theme with so much potential.
The result is a mix bag of stories that have varying degree of success in terms of execution. Some are very well written and strike the theme of the book right on the head. Others are well written, but the story barely skims the surface of the theme. And finally there are stories that feel unpolished and may or may not follow the theme of this anthology; some of them I feel don't.
Overall, it's a worth while read. The strongest stories are worth the price of admission whether they follow the theme close enough or not. The weaker stories you can skim or skip all together.
The result is a mix bag of stories that have varying degree of success in terms of execution. Some are very well written and strike the theme of the book right on the head. Others are well written, but the story barely skims the surface of the theme. And finally there are stories that feel unpolished and may or may not follow the theme of this anthology; some of them I feel don't.
Overall, it's a worth while read. The strongest stories are worth the price of admission whether they follow the theme close enough or not. The weaker stories you can skim or skip all together.
November 22, 2012
I really liked this anthology. It's a bit fantasy heavy but the science fiction stories in it? Pack a punch.
I love that just because someone is a "Hero" doesn't mean that they have a "Happily Ever After". There are some stories that broke me. But, some stories have the "Happily Ever After" and that gives the book balance. Also, some stories are quite funny and surprising.
I also liked the various definitions of "Hero" and how the "Heroes" and the other people deal with it.
As always, there are some stories I loved and some that I didn't like as much. Some that were too short, a few that were too long and some that were exactly the right length.
All in all - I really liked it and I'm looking forward to re-read some of the stories!
I love that just because someone is a "Hero" doesn't mean that they have a "Happily Ever After". There are some stories that broke me. But, some stories have the "Happily Ever After" and that gives the book balance. Also, some stories are quite funny and surprising.
I also liked the various definitions of "Hero" and how the "Heroes" and the other people deal with it.
As always, there are some stories I loved and some that I didn't like as much. Some that were too short, a few that were too long and some that were exactly the right length.
All in all - I really liked it and I'm looking forward to re-read some of the stories!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2013
Great book, but then, I'm a sucker for collections of short stories. Lots of variety in terms of writing style and storyline concepts, with a few really good humorous tales thrown in for good measure. Most of the stories hit the nail on the head with the theme of the volume, though several just seemed to be fun stories that didn't focus too much on the aftermath of the hero's journey. Nevertheless, an excellent collection which I highly recommend.
-Bob
-Bob
February 28, 2013
Favorite: Ashes of the Bonfire Queen by Rosemary Jones
February 19, 2013
I won this book from Goodreads.
I enjoyed this anthology very much. Some of the stories surprised me, some made me think.
I enjoyed this anthology very much. Some of the stories surprised me, some made me think.
February 25, 2017
As with most anthologies, there are some really amazing stories in here. But most of them are pretty mediocre. At least none were terrible.
March 21, 2014
I loved this anthology. Normally I find with collections of short stories that there will be a couple that I love, a bunch that I enjoy, and a couple that aren't really my cup of tea. That was not the case with When the Hero Comes Home. I loved every single one of the stories in this collection, though there were a couple of favourites that stood out above the rest (quite the feat given the caliber of stories here). There are so many different takes on an interesting idea - what happens when the battle is won and the hero tries to return home? The hero is forever changed by their experiences, as is perhaps their home and friends and family. Each story brings a different perspective and insight into the life-changing experience of being a hero and its, sometimes painful, aftermath.
March 27, 2013
Amazing anthology of wildly different tales about the aftermaths or epilogues of heroes' stories.
I'll confess my favorites were by colleagues and friends (Steve Bornstein, Brian Cortijo, Erik Scott de Bie, Gabrielle Harbowy, Jim Hines, Rosemary Jones, and Ed Greenwood) though a few of these stories made me really want to sit down and share some beers with other authors.
I'll confess my favorites were by colleagues and friends (Steve Bornstein, Brian Cortijo, Erik Scott de Bie, Gabrielle Harbowy, Jim Hines, Rosemary Jones, and Ed Greenwood) though a few of these stories made me really want to sit down and share some beers with other authors.
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June 30, 2014Very enjoyable anthology. Julie Kagawa's "Knights & Beans was brilliant and relatible to any adult who's ever tried to impress their parents. Todd McCaffrey's "Coward" was very well done. He has become a writer in league with his mother.
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