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Straying From the Path
Best known for her New York Times bestselling urban fantasy novels, Carrie Vaughn has also written dozens of short stories for Talebones, , and many other magazines and anthologies.
Collected here for the first time are ten of her favorite hard-to-classify stories covering the full range of speculative fiction -- science fiction, fantasy, horror -- sometimes all in the same story. Read about Emily Dickinson's dog, women pilots in WWII, future Hollywood, a haunted Europa, and more!
Collected here for the first time are ten of her favorite hard-to-classify stories covering the full range of speculative fiction -- science fiction, fantasy, horror -- sometimes all in the same story. Read about Emily Dickinson's dog, women pilots in WWII, future Hollywood, a haunted Europa, and more!
196 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2011
9 people are currently reading
311 people want to read
About the author
Carrie Vaughn
279 books4,539 followersCarrie Vaughn is the author more than twenty novels and over a hundred short stories. She's best known for her New York Times bestselling series of novels about a werewolf named Kitty who hosts a talk radio advice show for the supernaturally disadvantaged. In 2018, she won the Philip K. Dick Award for Bannerless, a post-apocalyptic murder mystery. She's published over 20 novels and 100 short stories, two of which have been finalists for the Hugo Award. She's a contributor to the Wild Cards series of shared world superhero books edited by George R. R. Martin and a graduate of the Odyssey Fantasy Writing Workshop.
An Air Force brat, she survived her nomadic childhood and managed to put down roots in Boulder, Colorado, where she collects hobbies.
Visit her at www.carrievaughn.com
For writing advice and essays, check out her Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/carrievaughn
An Air Force brat, she survived her nomadic childhood and managed to put down roots in Boulder, Colorado, where she collects hobbies.
Visit her at www.carrievaughn.com
For writing advice and essays, check out her Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/carrievaughn
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 8, 2012
This is a most excellent collection of short stories. Carrie Vaughn isn't one of my favorite authors — the books I have read by her were okay, but nothing special — so I thought this book would be likewise okay but not great. It seems to me that Vaughn really excels at short-form fiction, though, because I enjoyed every one of these stories, and they covered a fairly wide breadth of genre fiction. I won't bother trying to give individual star ratings. Not every story is what I would necessarily classify as "great," but unusual for a short story collection, not one was a clunker for me, and some were really poignant.
This is the Highest Step in the World: Probably the least interesting story in the collection, maybe because the fantastical elements were mostly tossed in as a wink at the reader, but still quite a thrilling real-tale about Joseph Kittinger's 1960 high-altitude parachute drop. (He basically parachuted from space!)
Peace in Our Time: A war vet story, about the last war veteran outliving all the others, and making circuits of funerals where no one is left to play "Taps."
Silence Before Starlight: This is more of a blend of sci-fi and fantasy. Vaughn transplants the legends about faerie women who lure sailors to their deaths to space, where an astronaut has an otherworldly encounter above Europa.
The Happiest Place: A rather dark tale about an actress who plays Cinderella at "The Happiest Place on Earth" and encounters a real wishing well.
Swing Time: A bit of a sci-fi romcom, about two time-traveling thieves who are able to open portals to other eras by dancing.
The Librarian's Daughter: At first, just a medieval fantasy tale about a seer who can see the future by wearing a dead horse's skin. It turns sad and then very dark at the end.
The Bravest of Us Touched the Sky: Two WASPS who fly planes during World War II are asked to fly a bomber from one base to another. It turns out the plane is one of those "classified" experiments, and the Very Important Men in Charge figured women pilots wouldn't have the same problems as "real" pilots. Yup, things go wrong.
The Heroic Death of Lieutenant Michkov: A farcical tragicomedy about a military officer serving the Russian emperor. The Soviets didn't invent brutal, mindless bureaucracy!
Real City: Probably the story that did the least for me, because it's mostly just a romance with a HEA about an accountant and a movie star; the speculative element isn't very speculative, being pretty close to where actual filmmaking technology is today. It was still a decent read, though.
In Time: I am not particularly an Emily Dickinson fan, but Carrie Vaughn obviously is. This is the shortest piece in the book, and is a must-read for anyone who has ever owned a dog.
Highly recommended!
This is the Highest Step in the World: Probably the least interesting story in the collection, maybe because the fantastical elements were mostly tossed in as a wink at the reader, but still quite a thrilling real-tale about Joseph Kittinger's 1960 high-altitude parachute drop. (He basically parachuted from space!)
Peace in Our Time: A war vet story, about the last war veteran outliving all the others, and making circuits of funerals where no one is left to play "Taps."
Silence Before Starlight: This is more of a blend of sci-fi and fantasy. Vaughn transplants the legends about faerie women who lure sailors to their deaths to space, where an astronaut has an otherworldly encounter above Europa.
The Happiest Place: A rather dark tale about an actress who plays Cinderella at "The Happiest Place on Earth" and encounters a real wishing well.
Swing Time: A bit of a sci-fi romcom, about two time-traveling thieves who are able to open portals to other eras by dancing.
The Librarian's Daughter: At first, just a medieval fantasy tale about a seer who can see the future by wearing a dead horse's skin. It turns sad and then very dark at the end.
The Bravest of Us Touched the Sky: Two WASPS who fly planes during World War II are asked to fly a bomber from one base to another. It turns out the plane is one of those "classified" experiments, and the Very Important Men in Charge figured women pilots wouldn't have the same problems as "real" pilots. Yup, things go wrong.
The Heroic Death of Lieutenant Michkov: A farcical tragicomedy about a military officer serving the Russian emperor. The Soviets didn't invent brutal, mindless bureaucracy!
Real City: Probably the story that did the least for me, because it's mostly just a romance with a HEA about an accountant and a movie star; the speculative element isn't very speculative, being pretty close to where actual filmmaking technology is today. It was still a decent read, though.
In Time: I am not particularly an Emily Dickinson fan, but Carrie Vaughn obviously is. This is the shortest piece in the book, and is a must-read for anyone who has ever owned a dog.
Highly recommended!
September 2, 2016
I'm marking this whole book as read even though I've only read the short story The Bravest of Us Touched the Sky. I found it online and didn't realise it was part of a larger collection of Vaughn's short stories. I'm hopeful I can get my hands on this and read the rest, since Vaughn's short stories are pretty amazing.
November 19, 2011
Carrie Vaughn may be best know for her Kitty Norville series, but she’s been writing short fiction for a long time. Straying from the Path collects ten short stories that cover topics that aren’t necessarily the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks about a paranormal author. The result is an impressive variety of stories that shows off Vaughn’s range as a writer in a way that one book series never could.
For a brief review of each story, please continue.
This is the Highest Step in the World- The name Joe Kittenger isn’t one I remember learning about in school but after reading this story, I wish I had. Joe Kittenger holds the record for the highest altitude parachute jump ever taken. This story tells what that jump could have been like from his perspective, while drawing parallels to the story if Icarus. A very interesting true story with just a hint of the fantastic
Peace in Our Time- In the second story, Vaughn asks the question “what will happen when the last war veteran dies?” I enjoyed how the futuristic elements were kept light in this science fiction story about a world of peace, keeping the emphasis on the characters and their emotions. This story has really stuck with me since reading it.
Silence before Starlight- In her notes, Vaughn refers to "Silence Before Starlight” as her “elves in space” story. It tells about two astronauts orbiting around Europa. While outside of the ship, one astronaut comes face to face with a beautiful woman who seems to be calling to him. I enjoyed how this story mixed the idea of something very old and mythic (sirens), with something very futuristic (colonizing a moon).
The Happiest Place- In this story, a woman who spends her days dressed as Cinderella in Disney World struggles with some of the emotionally difficult parts of the job. Then, she is given the power to change things. As someone that grew up on Disney culture I appreciated how Vaughn took a respectful yet less happily ever after adult perspective on the scene. The ending is quite powerful too.
Swing Time- Swing Time may not be as strong as some of the other stories in this collection, but I enjoyed it’s unique take on time travel and the romantic tension between the two leads. Perhaps I feel this way because "Swing Time" seemed to be the story that resembled the Kitty books the most, this story seems like it would be successful if Vaughn chose to flesh it out in a full length work.
The Librarian’s Daughter- This is the only example of a traditional fantasy story in this collection. Perhaps it was because it was about a girl and her horse, but it reminded me a bit of early works by Robin McKinley and Mercedes Lackey. I appreciate the fact that she went for a rather daring ending.
The Bravest of us Touched the Sky- This is an interesting story about female fighter pilots who were alive during World War 2, and what happens when a pair of them are asked to fly a strange aircraft. I didn’t get into this story as easily as some of the others but I ended up enjoying the mix of history and fantasy.
The Heroic Death of Lieutenant Michkov- This story asks us about the power of stories. It tells about two dispatchers who relay stories to an emperor each day about the status of a long, hard war. One gives the facts, the other tells stories. I thought Vaughn addressed some really interesting issues in this tale (is it okay to make up stories if the results are positive?), and I found the ending very effective.
Real Time- This story looks to the past to tell the story of the future of cinema. Just like certain silent film actors had a hard time transitioning to “talkies” Real Time,shows us a future where most films are shot in one rooms with all of the costumes, props, and backgrounds are added in digitally, and how difficult it can be to transition between the two mediums. What I liked the most about this story is the fact that everything felt very plausible. As a movie fan, I already see that we are well on our way to a world where movies are shot in the boxes as opposed to the real world.
In Time- The final story in the collection is the one that “strays from the path” the most as it’s about Emily Dickinson and her dog. I found I appreciated what Vaughn did on a technical level here (changing her writing style to imitate Dickinson’s style of writing. Not enough dashes though!), but the story was just okay. Still enjoyable, but my least favorite of the collection.
Straying from the Path is the second short story anthology Vaughn has released in 2011 (along with three novels. Yikes!). Unlike the other, Kitty’s Greatest Hits, Straying from the Path is actually a special edition, with a 500 copy print run from WSFA press. Each copy comes numbered and signed. I kind of wish that they had chosen to release this as a regular book because, despite the fact that the collection is very well put together, I know it will result in fewer takers. Only dedicated established fans will pay $25 for a tiny collection of less than 200 pages. In my opinion, this is clearly Vaughn’s strongest release this year. I wish more people could experience it.
For a brief review of each story, please continue.
This is the Highest Step in the World- The name Joe Kittenger isn’t one I remember learning about in school but after reading this story, I wish I had. Joe Kittenger holds the record for the highest altitude parachute jump ever taken. This story tells what that jump could have been like from his perspective, while drawing parallels to the story if Icarus. A very interesting true story with just a hint of the fantastic
Peace in Our Time- In the second story, Vaughn asks the question “what will happen when the last war veteran dies?” I enjoyed how the futuristic elements were kept light in this science fiction story about a world of peace, keeping the emphasis on the characters and their emotions. This story has really stuck with me since reading it.
Silence before Starlight- In her notes, Vaughn refers to "Silence Before Starlight” as her “elves in space” story. It tells about two astronauts orbiting around Europa. While outside of the ship, one astronaut comes face to face with a beautiful woman who seems to be calling to him. I enjoyed how this story mixed the idea of something very old and mythic (sirens), with something very futuristic (colonizing a moon).
The Happiest Place- In this story, a woman who spends her days dressed as Cinderella in Disney World struggles with some of the emotionally difficult parts of the job. Then, she is given the power to change things. As someone that grew up on Disney culture I appreciated how Vaughn took a respectful yet less happily ever after adult perspective on the scene. The ending is quite powerful too.
Swing Time- Swing Time may not be as strong as some of the other stories in this collection, but I enjoyed it’s unique take on time travel and the romantic tension between the two leads. Perhaps I feel this way because "Swing Time" seemed to be the story that resembled the Kitty books the most, this story seems like it would be successful if Vaughn chose to flesh it out in a full length work.
The Librarian’s Daughter- This is the only example of a traditional fantasy story in this collection. Perhaps it was because it was about a girl and her horse, but it reminded me a bit of early works by Robin McKinley and Mercedes Lackey. I appreciate the fact that she went for a rather daring ending.
The Bravest of us Touched the Sky- This is an interesting story about female fighter pilots who were alive during World War 2, and what happens when a pair of them are asked to fly a strange aircraft. I didn’t get into this story as easily as some of the others but I ended up enjoying the mix of history and fantasy.
The Heroic Death of Lieutenant Michkov- This story asks us about the power of stories. It tells about two dispatchers who relay stories to an emperor each day about the status of a long, hard war. One gives the facts, the other tells stories. I thought Vaughn addressed some really interesting issues in this tale (is it okay to make up stories if the results are positive?), and I found the ending very effective.
Real Time- This story looks to the past to tell the story of the future of cinema. Just like certain silent film actors had a hard time transitioning to “talkies” Real Time,shows us a future where most films are shot in one rooms with all of the costumes, props, and backgrounds are added in digitally, and how difficult it can be to transition between the two mediums. What I liked the most about this story is the fact that everything felt very plausible. As a movie fan, I already see that we are well on our way to a world where movies are shot in the boxes as opposed to the real world.
In Time- The final story in the collection is the one that “strays from the path” the most as it’s about Emily Dickinson and her dog. I found I appreciated what Vaughn did on a technical level here (changing her writing style to imitate Dickinson’s style of writing. Not enough dashes though!), but the story was just okay. Still enjoyable, but my least favorite of the collection.
Straying from the Path is the second short story anthology Vaughn has released in 2011 (along with three novels. Yikes!). Unlike the other, Kitty’s Greatest Hits, Straying from the Path is actually a special edition, with a 500 copy print run from WSFA press. Each copy comes numbered and signed. I kind of wish that they had chosen to release this as a regular book because, despite the fact that the collection is very well put together, I know it will result in fewer takers. Only dedicated established fans will pay $25 for a tiny collection of less than 200 pages. In my opinion, this is clearly Vaughn’s strongest release this year. I wish more people could experience it.
April 26, 2022
This is the Highest Step in the World (2004)
A dramatic retelling of Joseph Kittinger's 1960 jump from 102,800 feet. Ten years after the publication of this story, 2014, Alan Eustace exceeded that by jumping from 135,908 feet. I don't think that undercuts this story, but I also didn't find it that interesting.
Meh
Peace in Our Time (2004)
The two last surviving US war veterans preside over the burial of the former third last. The two reminisce about the last war they were in and worry that no one will be left to commemorate them. A worldwide pandemic had killed so many that sending people to fight was no longer feasible. War must go on though, and so autonomous machines were sent to kill.
Ok
Silence Before Starlight (2001) [Trade Guild]
A crewed mission has come to Europa to confirm whether it has any life. Strange and mysterious happenings occur to them and their equipment. As per the author, this is intended to a fairytale set in space. I put [Trade Guild] on these stories because the term is used in them, but they seem to be extremely loosely connected at very best and may just be a generic term Vaughn uses. I may be missing other similar possibly connected series of stories.
Meh
The Happiest Place (2009)
A Disneyland cast member discovers a magical tiara that turns her into a fairy godmother that can grant wishes. However, seeing all the suffering there is in the world can quickly make anyone yearn for death.
Blah
Swing Time (2007) [Temporal Transit Authority]
Two time traveling thieves keep coming across each other. Each time traveler has a specific action they perform, a catalyst, to travel through time.
Ok
The Librarian’s Daughter (2002)
A dark fairytale of a girl who wears the skin of a horse to dream prophecy.
Ok
The Bravest of Us Touched the Sky (2004)
Two female pilots are assigned to fly a heavily modified plane with a doctor of psychology along with them to see how they react, for classified reasons. A horror/mystery/thriller story.
Meh
The Heroic Death of Lieutenant Michkov (2002)
In the hopes of delighting his emperor Michkov presents embellished tales of heroism from the front lines rather than than the dismal reality of that the dispatches report.
Ok
Real City (2006)
A director wants to try something that hasn't been done in decades. Many think him foolish for trying to make a film on-set with actors. Everyone knows that these days that movies, which all are interactive, are created in a bluebox that uses people only for branding purposes and as an aid to ease production as everything else is computer-generated imagery. It's also a romance story.
Enjoyable
In Time (2001)
A story about Emily Dickinson and her dog Carlo.
Blah
Story Notes (2011)
I enjoy reading the notes authors write about their stories and I wish it were a regular inclusion.
A dramatic retelling of Joseph Kittinger's 1960 jump from 102,800 feet. Ten years after the publication of this story, 2014, Alan Eustace exceeded that by jumping from 135,908 feet. I don't think that undercuts this story, but I also didn't find it that interesting.
Meh
Peace in Our Time (2004)
The two last surviving US war veterans preside over the burial of the former third last. The two reminisce about the last war they were in and worry that no one will be left to commemorate them. A worldwide pandemic had killed so many that sending people to fight was no longer feasible. War must go on though, and so autonomous machines were sent to kill.
Ok
Silence Before Starlight (2001) [Trade Guild]
A crewed mission has come to Europa to confirm whether it has any life. Strange and mysterious happenings occur to them and their equipment. As per the author, this is intended to a fairytale set in space. I put [Trade Guild] on these stories because the term is used in them, but they seem to be extremely loosely connected at very best and may just be a generic term Vaughn uses. I may be missing other similar possibly connected series of stories.
Meh
The Happiest Place (2009)
A Disneyland cast member discovers a magical tiara that turns her into a fairy godmother that can grant wishes. However, seeing all the suffering there is in the world can quickly make anyone yearn for death.
Blah
Swing Time (2007) [Temporal Transit Authority]
Two time traveling thieves keep coming across each other. Each time traveler has a specific action they perform, a catalyst, to travel through time.
Ok
The Librarian’s Daughter (2002)
A dark fairytale of a girl who wears the skin of a horse to dream prophecy.
Ok
The Bravest of Us Touched the Sky (2004)
Two female pilots are assigned to fly a heavily modified plane with a doctor of psychology along with them to see how they react, for classified reasons. A horror/mystery/thriller story.
Meh
The Heroic Death of Lieutenant Michkov (2002)
In the hopes of delighting his emperor Michkov presents embellished tales of heroism from the front lines rather than than the dismal reality of that the dispatches report.
Ok
Real City (2006)
A director wants to try something that hasn't been done in decades. Many think him foolish for trying to make a film on-set with actors. Everyone knows that these days that movies, which all are interactive, are created in a bluebox that uses people only for branding purposes and as an aid to ease production as everything else is computer-generated imagery. It's also a romance story.
Enjoyable
In Time (2001)
A story about Emily Dickinson and her dog Carlo.
Blah
Story Notes (2011)
I enjoy reading the notes authors write about their stories and I wish it were a regular inclusion.
December 31, 2024
In my opinion, this book does more than stray from the path, it allows you to explore a variety of paths. My mind was blown several times by the variety of ideas and the different point made by each of them.
These stories do not have a common theme. They can be read or reread in any order. If you have not read this book of short stories drop whatever you are doing and read them all.
These stories do not have a common theme. They can be read or reread in any order. If you have not read this book of short stories drop whatever you are doing and read them all.
July 20, 2018
10 stories
An introduction and a surprise ending- an explanation of what was the inspiration for the stories. I agree with the introduction and all 10 stories are great but the middle 8were my favorites - tears were shed. Great group of stories.
An introduction and a surprise ending- an explanation of what was the inspiration for the stories. I agree with the introduction and all 10 stories are great but the middle 8were my favorites - tears were shed. Great group of stories.
August 18, 2021
Except for "Real City," I found all of the stories to be too macabre or really depressing. Too bad. I love Vaughn's "Kitty" series. But I think I will skip her short stories for now
Read
October 22, 2023Second time I read this book. I like reading one story at a time and letting my emotions rest.
September 6, 2025
Technically competent, but not much hook at all. Mostly very mundane fiction, not much fantasy or supernatural elements at all.
December 11, 2014
So after finding out about the book a couple of months ago, I finally got my hands on a copy; and a signed one, at that! I'm ecstatic! I've read this whole book in under 24 hours even with being interrupted. I couldn't put it down except when I had to. This a must for any Carrie Vaughn fan, I can't get enough of her writing. It's amazing. I have most of her books, two I'm still chopping at the bit to read. Even though I've read "The Bravest of us Touch the Sky" and "The Heroic Death of Lt Michkov" before, I reread them to see if I forgot anything. These stories are amazing, the notes at the end if book about writing each one and the introduction by Jay Lake just adds to it. I hope Carrie never stops writing.
June 21, 2016
A fine collection of 10 short stories of all kinds, this illustrates the author's skill across all genres, and not just urban fantasy. Fantasy, sci-fi, horror and contemporary fiction are all represented here. There is no central theme, and some of these stories have been published in other collections.
October 29, 2015
Review first published on My Blog.
A collection of short stories in all sorts of genres. Some are her take on a historical events, some are purely fantasy. A few were slow moving but most were intriguing and fun to read.
A collection of short stories in all sorts of genres. Some are her take on a historical events, some are purely fantasy. A few were slow moving but most were intriguing and fun to read.
Read
October 20, 2015Interesting collection
I agree with the reviewer who said the Cinderella story was the best, but only by a narrow margin. They were all well crafted and had fleshed out characters. Definitely worth reading.
I agree with the reviewer who said the Cinderella story was the best, but only by a narrow margin. They were all well crafted and had fleshed out characters. Definitely worth reading.
February 23, 2016
Excellent collection
Interesting and well crafted collection of stories. They show that the author is well versed and complicated. It is an excellent read, which I recommend.
Interesting and well crafted collection of stories. They show that the author is well versed and complicated. It is an excellent read, which I recommend.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews