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Borderlands Anthology

(The Actuator #1.5)

James Wymore (Goodreads Author) (Editor and author),

Aiden James (Goodreads Author) (foreword),

Matthew S. Cox (Goodreads Author),

Dan Willis (Goodreads Author),

Nathan Yocum (Goodreads Author),

Mara Valderran (Goodreads Author),

Patrick Burdine (Goodreads Author),

Whitney Trang,

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4.26 · Rating details · 23 ratings · 12 reviews

When the Actuator breaks the earth into a patchwork of altered realities, the remaining Machine Monks begin looking for the Keys to put it back. In the meantime, everyone in the world has been transformed without knowing why. This collection tells about some of the people struggling to deal with the change.

In “Remembering Emily,” by Sara Wolf, Daniel must rescue his distan ...more

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Published September 15th 2014 by Curiosity Quills Press (first published September 10th 2014)

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Jan 24, 2017 Montzalee Wittmann rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Borderlands Anthology (The Actuator #1.5) by James Wymore and other great authors is a collection of great stories by the masters of sci-fi. I had a real hard time deciding which was a favorite because I loved all of these stories. All were strange and unique, things I love in sci-fi. After giving a lot of thought, I think I liked "Stolen Orchid” and “The Blackbird’s Tale” the best but it was very difficult to choose. Great stories for great authors, the reader can't lose! ...more

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Sep 03, 2017 Roberta R. (Offbeat YA) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, creatures, dystopian, fantasy, horror-or-gore, mc-multiple, pov-1st-person, pov-3rd-person, sci-fi, short-stories

Excerpt from my review - originally published at Offbeat YA.

Pros: Eclectic bunch of stories, covering a wide range of genres and (fictitious) eras. We get a glimpse of how the Change affected some people unaware of the Actuator's existence. But one doesn't necessarily have to be familiar with the series in order to read this collection.
Cons: Not every genre tackled in here can be everybody's cup of tea. The quality (and most of all, originality) spectrum varies from high to less impressive.
Will Excerpt from my review - originally published at Offbeat YA.

Pros: Eclectic bunch of stories, covering a wide range of genres and (fictitious) eras. We get a glimpse of how the Change affected some people unaware of the Actuator's existence. But one doesn't necessarily have to be familiar with the series in order to read this collection.
Cons: Not every genre tackled in here can be everybody's cup of tea. The quality (and most of all, originality) spectrum varies from high to less impressive.
Will appeal to: Those who like eclectic short-story collections. Those who want another perspective about the Actuator.

First off...DISCLAIMER: I am a semi-regular reviewer of Curiosity Quills titles (like this one), but if you look back at my ratings, this never prevented me from being unbiased. And all the books I received from them were generously sent with no strings attached.
Note: Apparently, an earlier version of this book featured a story called Cult of the Actuation instead of Cyber Cowboy (both by James Wymore). Judging from the blurb for the first story, it has been later incorporated into Book 1 of the series, Fractured Earth, providing its new ending. Cyber Cowboy was originally included in the Curiosity Quills anthology Primetime (2013).

WAR OF THE WORLDS

Sort-of-disclaimer: I usually don't read anthologies, unless they 1) contain stories by one of my favourite authors, 2) are part of a series I'm reading (like in this case), or 3) have a unifying theme that calls to me like a siren song (like the excellent Windows into Hell, also by Curiosity Quills Press). The reason why I'm wary of short-story collections is that, most of the time, I don't enjoy them as much as novels. They need to be as homogeneous as possible (which isn't an easy feat), or at least to have a strong common theme. The stories in Borderlands loosely fulfill my second condition in that they all give us a taste of the life right after (or simply after) the Change, that is, after the Actuator (a reality-bending machine) has turned the whole world into a patchwork of different, often plain weird realities. On the other hand, such a premise gives the authors ample freedom when it comes to creating a bunch of worlds at odds with one another, or playing with any genre or trope under the sun. This probably accounts for my having mixed reactions to these stories, since some of them are not my scene, but it's not the only reason. I'll come back to that in a minute, but first off, let me tell you that despite my overall rating, there are a few gems in here. [...]

Whole review here. ...more

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Jul 29, 2014 A Voracious Reader (a.k.a. Carol) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: anthology, curiosity-quills, fantasy, sci-fi

In Fractured Earth, the Actuator split the world into different realities. A few people are trying to get the Keys that the Machine Monks created when they activated the Actuator. They need the Keys in order to restore the world to the original reality. The task seems insurmountable, but they have to try.

Borderlands gives a peek at some of the other realities and the people who inhabit them. 16 short stories tell of what’s going on in various parts of the world since the accident that changed ev ...more

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Jan 20, 2015 Sarah-Jayne Briggs rated it really liked it · review of another edition

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

Although reading anthologies with recurring themes running through them is fairly normal, I think this might be the first anthology I’ve read with short stories all set in the same kind of universe. Even so, I felt it was really good that each story was unique enough to provide a different perspective… while still staying true to the core plot.

I found it interesting how some people were aware of the (I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

Although reading anthologies with recurring themes running through them is fairly normal, I think this might be the first anthology I’ve read with short stories all set in the same kind of universe. Even so, I felt it was really good that each story was unique enough to provide a different perspective… while still staying true to the core plot.

I found it interesting how some people were aware of the split in their realities, while others weren’t. There were a couple of stories where I found myself getting a bit confused, because there seemed to be nothing indicating that there was any kind of change. But for the most part, I understood what was going on.

There were some stories which, I felt, stayed true to the culture of the place in which they were set. The Ritual was one of those. Apart from a few instances of using Japanese words (presumably, they would be speaking in Japanese, so using it once or twice makes no sense), I felt that the world came across as real enough that my suspension of disbelief about the whole plot was easy.

I did think that some of the stories were a bit too short and could have been expanded, since they seemed to cut off rather abruptly. The one with werewolves and Jane Austen was quite an interesting storyline, but I was hoping for a bit more of the story, rather than what seemed to be a lack of conflict.

I felt there was quite a nice mix of genres in this book and although it takes place after the first book set in this world, I still found it easy to follow.

Halfway was quite a strange storyline and I found myself cringing at some of the descriptions used. There were parts of it that were almost bittersweet, though, and I would have liked to see some more of that.

Cult of the Actuation is quite a creepy story, but it does have some characters who I would like to see more of. All told, I’d like to read the first book in this series and any follow-ons at some point in the future. This is quite an interesting idea that provides a good reason for creating a world with a huge mix of genres. It’s a very unique idea that I felt was carried across really well. ...more

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Jan 28, 2015 J. Ford rated it really liked it · review of another edition

It is difficult for me to pinpoint which story I liked the most. Each one was written very well and were quite entertaining, and I enjoyed them all.

There is a common theme that runs through this anthology, and each one of the authors tweaked their characters and their settings around that theme. It actually seems like each of the stories play off of each other in an odd way, almost as if one can’t exist without the other. I do think some of the stories could have been expanded. Some felt flat. ...more

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Jan 25, 2015 Sarah rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

*I received a free e-copy of this anthology in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fun and entertaining collection of stories from so many great authors. Each world within the Actuator universe is brought to life with highly creative imagery. The descriptive styles of many of the authors are vivid, and each story carries a distinct flavor. Characters are introduced with peculiar obstacles that challenge their goals, lives, and relationships in, at times, deeply humanizing ways. Also, there w ...more

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Jan 29, 2015 Naturalbri (Bri Wignall) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

What I Thought:

I enjoyed this anthology a lot. It was the first anthology I have read, and at first I wondered whether or not I would be a fan. I have just gotten into short stories, and really love them, especially when you are short on time, and only have a little bit of time to read. I was extremely impressed with the collection of stories in this anthology. They all had a core common subject, with the same 'reality' or universe being the setting. It was an odd commonality, but it did tie the ...more

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Sep 04, 2014 Katie Hamstead rated it liked it

Shelves: arc, curiosity-quills, dnf, own-it

This is a DNF for me. Not that it was bad, more that I lacked motivation. It seems I'm not an anthology type person. But here are my thoughts on what I did read:
Remembering Emily - Great opening story. Sweet ending.
Stolen Orchid - Well written, but I'm not into cyber punk.
The Blackbird's Tale - A bit longer than the first two. This one delves into the Actuator story, while also giving a classic 30's/mobster crime tale. Enjoyed.
The Dream Journal of Oren Smith Wessely - Again, not really my genre, ...more

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Jan 20, 2015 WTF Are You Reading? rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015-review-books, adult, anthology, fantasy-tastic

This wonderful anthology allows readers to travel to worlds ranging the imaginative spectrum.
There is something to be found for every reader. From steampunk to historical.
Though the worlds may be different, the underlying theme of human sacrifice is a unifying thread which works to link the tales.
This is a surprising treasure trove of originality that will make a welcome addition to any library.

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Nov 03, 2014 Diane rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I received a complimentary copy to read and review. It has stories that will appeal to all types of readers. I couldn’t put it down. I love all the stories in it. Each story has great characters that the authors have created. There are great twists and turns within each one of them. Add it to your TBR list you won’t be disappointed. I look forward to reading more books by each of the authors.

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Dec 10, 2015 Janis Hill added it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-review-not-netgalley, urban-fantasy

I would like to thank Curiosity Quills Press for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an open and honest review.

This is a rather entertaining and well thought out anthology that encouraged authors and (I believe) fellow fans of the first ‘The Actuator – Fractured Earth’ novel to have a go at helping to reshape the world after the ‘Great Event’… or whatever it was called when the Actuator was let loose on the planet. Trust me, all of what I just said made sense if you’ve been reading this seri I would like to thank Curiosity Quills Press for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an open and honest review.

This is a rather entertaining and well thought out anthology that encouraged authors and (I believe) fellow fans of the first ‘The Actuator – Fractured Earth’ novel to have a go at helping to reshape the world after the ‘Great Event’… or whatever it was called when the Actuator was let loose on the planet. Trust me, all of what I just said made sense if you’ve been reading this series. And if it doesn’t make sense – go read the series… it’s worth it! ;-)

As with the majority of anthologies I’ve read, this one had its good and bad moments. It had its stories I never wanted to end and those I was happy to see the back of. What can I say, I am a fan of anthologies… but I am also fickle and do enjoy how you can pick and choose with them.

I totally loved the whole concept of this book. Talk about fan fic at its best! It has made getting back into the second book in the series a little harder as I have to focus back to the original style of writing from Mr James and Mr Wymore. Not that I don’t mind their style, I was just enjoying the mixture of talents and styles shown in this anthology.

Would I recommend this book to others? Yes I would. Though only if they had read ‘Fractured Earth’ first so they had the background basics this set of short stories is based on. But, yes, I really do recommend people give it a read. An anthology is a terrific way to get to know authors you may not have heard of before – that alone is a good enough reason to recommend it!

Would I buy this book for myself? Possibly. I mean, if I decided to own the whole of the Actuator series, then absolutely yes I would want this one as part of it… but as I’m still seeing how the series as a whole progresses, I’m still undecided about whether it’ll make it onto my virtual shelves any time soon.

In summary – as anthologies go, this was a good one. A great mixture of different writing styles and stories all following the underlying theme of the earth after the Actuator fractured it. A good little stepping stone to bide your time with while waiting for book two in this very interesting series.
...more

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Sep 21, 2014 Dennis E. Flynn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Interesting but too short variations

the short interpretations were interesting but too short to lead anywhere.
Some were very interesting but then just stopped,drove me nuts.

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About James Wymore

James Wymore

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James Wymore grew up on a heavy diet of movies and books that morphed his real life adventures into imaginary worlds. His published works span the fiction spectrum, including many different genres in the best-selling Actuator series. He’s an acquisitions editor, running games with hundreds of players at conventions. http://jameswymore.wordpress.com ...more