What do you think?
Rate this book
Ile-Rien #0.1
Elemental: The Tsunami Relief Anthology
Stories of Science Fiction and Fantasy.
In the winter of 2005, after the horrifying natural disaster of the tsunami in Southeast Asia, Alethea Kontis and Steve Savile joined forces to raise money to help the distressed survivors and have created Elemental. They solicited SF and fantasy stories, all new and never published elsewhere, from many of the top writers in the genres today, and received immediate responses in the form of the excellent stories here in this book. Elemental has an introduction by Arthur C.Clarke and more than twenty stories by Brian Aldiss, David Drake, Jacqueline Carey, Martha Wells, Larry Niven, Joe Haldeman, Eric Nylund, Sherrilyn Kenyon writing as Kinley MacGregor, and a Dune story by Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson, and many others. They created in Elemental one of the most important genre anthologies of the year, but more than that: in giving real value for the purchase price, everyone who sells this book can be proud, and everyone who buys it will be richly rewarded for supporting the tsunami relief effort.
In the winter of 2005, after the horrifying natural disaster of the tsunami in Southeast Asia, Alethea Kontis and Steve Savile joined forces to raise money to help the distressed survivors and have created Elemental. They solicited SF and fantasy stories, all new and never published elsewhere, from many of the top writers in the genres today, and received immediate responses in the form of the excellent stories here in this book. Elemental has an introduction by Arthur C.Clarke and more than twenty stories by Brian Aldiss, David Drake, Jacqueline Carey, Martha Wells, Larry Niven, Joe Haldeman, Eric Nylund, Sherrilyn Kenyon writing as Kinley MacGregor, and a Dune story by Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson, and many others. They created in Elemental one of the most important genre anthologies of the year, but more than that: in giving real value for the purchase price, everyone who sells this book can be proud, and everyone who buys it will be richly rewarded for supporting the tsunami relief effort.
380 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
16 people are currently reading
550 people want to read
About the author
Steven Savile
246 books250 followersSteven Savile (born October 12, 1969, in Newcastle, England) is a British fantasy, horror and thriller writer, and editor living in Sala, Sweden.
Under the Ronan Frost penname (inspired by the hero of his bestselling novel, Silver) he has also written the action thriller White Peak, and as Matt Langley was a finalist for the People's Book Prize.
Under the Ronan Frost penname (inspired by the hero of his bestselling novel, Silver) he has also written the action thriller White Peak, and as Matt Langley was a finalist for the People's Book Prize.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 20, 2012
My favorites, in no particular order:
Joe Haldeman's previously unpublished early "Expedition, with Recipes" about a band of children struggle to find food in a post-apocalytic ruin. (His explanation of how he wrote it was also amusing.)
Eric Nylund's "Butterflies like Jewels" reminded of fantasy from an earlier era (the 1920s? Not sure).
Lynn Flewelling's "Perfection" is remarkably interesting for a story with no action. An old lady architect builds her last and greatest palace.
Nina Hoffman's "Sea Air" was interesting, but felt like it wanted to be a YA novel instead of a short story.
Sharon Shinn's "Double-Edged Sword." Nice to see depressed, charmless middle ages folks getting some romance.
"The Potter's Daughter" is an earlier story about Kade from Martha Wells' The Element of Fire. It can be read without having read the book, but I don't think it would be as interesting.
That brings me to my main complaint about a number of these stories, which is that many are set in the authors' larger story-arcs or worlds and are thus confusing or uninteresting to readers who haven't already read the 6-volume Nareela epic or whatever. But I guess this collection was for charity and they probably grabbed whatever was laying around and could be completed quickly.
Joe Haldeman's previously unpublished early "Expedition, with Recipes" about a band of children struggle to find food in a post-apocalytic ruin. (His explanation of how he wrote it was also amusing.)
Eric Nylund's "Butterflies like Jewels" reminded of fantasy from an earlier era (the 1920s? Not sure).
Lynn Flewelling's "Perfection" is remarkably interesting for a story with no action. An old lady architect builds her last and greatest palace.
Nina Hoffman's "Sea Air" was interesting, but felt like it wanted to be a YA novel instead of a short story.
Sharon Shinn's "Double-Edged Sword." Nice to see depressed, charmless middle ages folks getting some romance.
"The Potter's Daughter" is an earlier story about Kade from Martha Wells' The Element of Fire. It can be read without having read the book, but I don't think it would be as interesting.
That brings me to my main complaint about a number of these stories, which is that many are set in the authors' larger story-arcs or worlds and are thus confusing or uninteresting to readers who haven't already read the 6-volume Nareela epic or whatever. But I guess this collection was for charity and they probably grabbed whatever was laying around and could be completed quickly.
July 13, 2024
Elemental is a collection of stories showcasing the various elements of speculative fiction. The stories in this anthology were originally written to raise money for the Save the Children's Asia Tsunami Relief fund. All the proceeds of this anthology were donated to help the children left behind on that December day in 2004 when a major earthquake struck the west coast of northern Sumatra, and the resulting tsunami devastated communities along the surrounding coasts of the Indian Ocean. This is a fine collection of stories, with only a few that didn't appeal to me.
1. Report from the Near Future: Crystallization by David Gerrold [3.5 stars]
- A mildly stiffing look at future traffic congestion, and that it isn't all bad (eventually). Evocative writing.
2. And Tomorrow and by Adam Roberts [4.5 stars]
- The author's dark humoured take on Shakespeare's pedantic and legalistic prophecies that doom Macbeth. This was funny and the end was brilliant.
3. Abductio ad Absurdum by Esther M. Friesner [3 stars]
- A mildly comedic story about a prehistoric alien abduction going wrong. The fallout would eventually prove to be spectacular. Interesting twist.
4. In the Matter of Fallen Angels by Jacqueline Carey [3.5 stars]
- A beautifully written story about an Angel that is discovered asleep in a small, out of the way, village, and how the village-people react to it. Interesting.
5. Tiger in the Night by Brian Aldiss [2 stars]
- A vignette that evokes emotions, but doesn't really give much of a story.
6. The Strange Case of Jared Spoon, Who Went to Pieces for Love by Stel Pavlou [2 stars]
- A strange story that didn't really appeal to me in terms of writing style and plot.
7. The Solipsis at Diner by Larry Niven [2 stars]
- The strength of imagination. Meh
8. The Wager by Sherrilyn Kenyon [3 stars]
- Sir Thomas Mallory (of Le Morte D'Arthur fame) gets into trouble by pissing off a Merlin. Interesting concept, if a bit blandly executed.
9. Expedition, with Recipes by Joe Haldeman [4 stars]
- A nicely-written, dystopian, post apocalyptic, children's foraging expedition... with recipes on how to cook cockroaches and rats among other things. Interesting concept, but a rather bleak future, where little children have to find their own food.
10. Tough Love 3001 by Juliet Marillier [4 stars]
- This story arose from Marillier's first experience of running a critique group in which she had a mixed group of authors - including one fantasy novelist and several people with literary pretensions. The experience couldn't have been that bad if it produced this delightful little story - even if the story went over the head of the majority of participants.
11. Chanting the Violet Dog Down: A Tale of Noreela by Tim Lebbon [2 stars]
- Tim Lebbon can write, but this macabre story would no doubt have meant more to me if I had read the author's previous work, Dusk, which shares a world with this story.
12. Butterflies Like Jewels by Eric Nylnd [3 stars]
- A nice, surreal story.
13. Perfection by Lynn Flewelling [4 stars]
- A lovely story about an architect's last, great building work... with a delightful ending. Brilliant!
14. The Compound by Michael Marshall Smith [3.5 stars]
- Very interesting, with a surprise ending.
15. Sea Child: A Tale of Dune by Herbert Properties, LLC [1 stars]
- This would have been a nice, but not particularly original, foundling story, except all the expository references to the Dune-related world-building and technobabble. The story got lost in the ultimately boring jargon.
16. Moebius Trip by Janny Wurts [4 stars]
- A quirky and delightfully charming story about a special commission for a most particular and unusual mirror from a cranky, rose-loving widower.
17. The Run to Hardscrabble Station by William C. Dietz [2.5 stars]
- A very military science fiction short story. Not something I generally enjoy.
18. The Last Mortal Man by Syne Mitchell [3.5 stars]
- The last mortal man must decide if he is to accept the age-erasing nanotechnology and live forever, or if he will keep his word to his dead lover. Interesting concept that asks if there is life after death.
19. The Double-Edged Sword by Sharon Shinn [4 stars]
- Medicine is a double-edged sword and can be used for good or ill. This was a lovely story with interesting characters, and a surprising ending.
20. Night of the Dolls by Sean Williams and Shane Dix [2 stars]
- This story is well-written but the concept didn't appeal to me.
21. The Potter's Daughter by Martha Wells [4 stars]
- A beautifully written story about the potter's daughter's search for her killed the potter, and that curses can have unintended consequences.
22. The Day of Glory by David Drake [2 stars]
- Another military story. Not my cup of tea.
23. Sea Air by Nina Kiriki Hoffman [4 stars]
- Another foundling story. This was was excellently written and the whole concept was beautiful.
1. Report from the Near Future: Crystallization by David Gerrold [3.5 stars]
- A mildly stiffing look at future traffic congestion, and that it isn't all bad (eventually). Evocative writing.
2. And Tomorrow and by Adam Roberts [4.5 stars]
- The author's dark humoured take on Shakespeare's pedantic and legalistic prophecies that doom Macbeth. This was funny and the end was brilliant.
3. Abductio ad Absurdum by Esther M. Friesner [3 stars]
- A mildly comedic story about a prehistoric alien abduction going wrong. The fallout would eventually prove to be spectacular. Interesting twist.
4. In the Matter of Fallen Angels by Jacqueline Carey [3.5 stars]
- A beautifully written story about an Angel that is discovered asleep in a small, out of the way, village, and how the village-people react to it. Interesting.
5. Tiger in the Night by Brian Aldiss [2 stars]
- A vignette that evokes emotions, but doesn't really give much of a story.
6. The Strange Case of Jared Spoon, Who Went to Pieces for Love by Stel Pavlou [2 stars]
- A strange story that didn't really appeal to me in terms of writing style and plot.
7. The Solipsis at Diner by Larry Niven [2 stars]
- The strength of imagination. Meh
8. The Wager by Sherrilyn Kenyon [3 stars]
- Sir Thomas Mallory (of Le Morte D'Arthur fame) gets into trouble by pissing off a Merlin. Interesting concept, if a bit blandly executed.
9. Expedition, with Recipes by Joe Haldeman [4 stars]
- A nicely-written, dystopian, post apocalyptic, children's foraging expedition... with recipes on how to cook cockroaches and rats among other things. Interesting concept, but a rather bleak future, where little children have to find their own food.
10. Tough Love 3001 by Juliet Marillier [4 stars]
- This story arose from Marillier's first experience of running a critique group in which she had a mixed group of authors - including one fantasy novelist and several people with literary pretensions. The experience couldn't have been that bad if it produced this delightful little story - even if the story went over the head of the majority of participants.
11. Chanting the Violet Dog Down: A Tale of Noreela by Tim Lebbon [2 stars]
- Tim Lebbon can write, but this macabre story would no doubt have meant more to me if I had read the author's previous work, Dusk, which shares a world with this story.
12. Butterflies Like Jewels by Eric Nylnd [3 stars]
- A nice, surreal story.
13. Perfection by Lynn Flewelling [4 stars]
- A lovely story about an architect's last, great building work... with a delightful ending. Brilliant!
14. The Compound by Michael Marshall Smith [3.5 stars]
- Very interesting, with a surprise ending.
15. Sea Child: A Tale of Dune by Herbert Properties, LLC [1 stars]
- This would have been a nice, but not particularly original, foundling story, except all the expository references to the Dune-related world-building and technobabble. The story got lost in the ultimately boring jargon.
16. Moebius Trip by Janny Wurts [4 stars]
- A quirky and delightfully charming story about a special commission for a most particular and unusual mirror from a cranky, rose-loving widower.
17. The Run to Hardscrabble Station by William C. Dietz [2.5 stars]
- A very military science fiction short story. Not something I generally enjoy.
18. The Last Mortal Man by Syne Mitchell [3.5 stars]
- The last mortal man must decide if he is to accept the age-erasing nanotechnology and live forever, or if he will keep his word to his dead lover. Interesting concept that asks if there is life after death.
19. The Double-Edged Sword by Sharon Shinn [4 stars]
- Medicine is a double-edged sword and can be used for good or ill. This was a lovely story with interesting characters, and a surprising ending.
20. Night of the Dolls by Sean Williams and Shane Dix [2 stars]
- This story is well-written but the concept didn't appeal to me.
21. The Potter's Daughter by Martha Wells [4 stars]
- A beautifully written story about the potter's daughter's search for her killed the potter, and that curses can have unintended consequences.
22. The Day of Glory by David Drake [2 stars]
- Another military story. Not my cup of tea.
23. Sea Air by Nina Kiriki Hoffman [4 stars]
- Another foundling story. This was was excellently written and the whole concept was beautiful.
September 10, 2009
Wow! The stories in this book are very, very good. I'm generally not a big fan of science fiction, but only a couple of these short stories were really what I consider to be "science fiction." I honestly liked almost every singe story in the book, but some of them were absolutely amazing. Some made me laugh out loud (which takes a lot--usually reading only provokes me to smile or chuckle, not actually laugh) and some made me tear up. Excellent, excellent writing!
January 28, 2017
After the horrifying natural disaster of December 2005 tsunami, a group of editors and writers joined forces to raise money to help the survivors and created this book. 100% of the net proceeds went to Save the Children. The authors or editors decided to forgo any payment for their work on this collection of sci-fi and fantasy stories. Truly a wonderful anthology. My favorite stories are "The Last Mortal Man," by Syne Mitchell and "In the Matter of Angels," by Jacqueline Carey. A keeper!!
August 17, 2007
This is a great collection of SF/fantasy short stories. And that proceeds helped victims of the Indonesian tsunami is good, too. There were only one or two stories of the whole anthology that I didn't like. A good mix and just the right length to squeeze in a tale or two on break.
Read
December 8, 2016I like books by Martha Wells.
March 1, 2018
A solid anthology that spanned fantasy and scifi. There were a couple of stories I particularly liked (The Last Mortal Man comes to mind), and a couple I skimmed through out of boredom, but generally I enjoyed the offerings.
November 2, 2017
Read this for the Sharon Shinn short-story, which was wonderful of course. I read it several times over. I was equally surprised to discover and read a sci-fi story by the beloved Juliet Marillier!
December 11, 2019
Great stories from great authors. Enjoyed dipping my toes into these small universes.
on-hold
January 30, 2020Loved Sharon Shinn's 'Double Edged Sword' story. Loved it. Have not gotten to read the rest.
May 14, 2022
A so-so speculative fiction anthology.
July 30, 2013
I've been procrastinating on writing this review because I wanted to address each story individually, and that would take time, and I never have time anymore. Okay, that isn't strictly true, I have lots of time, I just spend most of it these days playing CivV. Like I literally cannot stop. But enough of that.
Though not every story in this anthology was a hit for me, I thought it was very well edited. The collection is eclectic at best- it's more like a random hodge-podge of modern fiction. Some stories felt more sci-fi/fantasy-y than others, and no two were truly alike. And somehow, it worked.
Like I said, some resonated with me more than others- I don't care so much for war and combat stories, so space marines aren't really my thing (*ahem* Halo) and the Violet Dogs story was a little too melodramatic for me. But the thing I liked about this anthology, even the stories that I didn't like so much, is that it exposed me to a lot of new things. I looked up several of the authors' longer stuff, and it reminded me that genre fiction can tell beautiful and intriguing stories (in fact, there's an incredibly meta short story in there about just that).
Overall, as long as you've got an open mind, you're bound to find something you enjoy in this anthology, and it's a great sampling of what's available today in modern sci fi/ fantasy. Anyone looking to expand their horizons in that genre would be well-suited by this book.
Though not every story in this anthology was a hit for me, I thought it was very well edited. The collection is eclectic at best- it's more like a random hodge-podge of modern fiction. Some stories felt more sci-fi/fantasy-y than others, and no two were truly alike. And somehow, it worked.
Like I said, some resonated with me more than others- I don't care so much for war and combat stories, so space marines aren't really my thing (*ahem* Halo) and the Violet Dogs story was a little too melodramatic for me. But the thing I liked about this anthology, even the stories that I didn't like so much, is that it exposed me to a lot of new things. I looked up several of the authors' longer stuff, and it reminded me that genre fiction can tell beautiful and intriguing stories (in fact, there's an incredibly meta short story in there about just that).
Overall, as long as you've got an open mind, you're bound to find something you enjoy in this anthology, and it's a great sampling of what's available today in modern sci fi/ fantasy. Anyone looking to expand their horizons in that genre would be well-suited by this book.
September 22, 2010
Report from the Near Future: Crystallization :/
And Tomorrow and :)
Abductio ad Absurdum :(
In the Matter of Fallen Angels :/
Tiger in the Night :(
The strange case of Jared Spoon, who went to pieces for love. :(
The Solipsist at Dinner :(
The Wager :(
Expedition, with Recipes :(
Tough Love :/
Chanting the Violet Dog Town: A Tale of Noreela :/
Butterflies Like Jewels :)
Perfection :)
The Compound :(
Sea Child: A Tale of Dune :(
Moebius Trip :(
The Run to Hardscrabble Station :(
The Last Mortal Man :)
The Double Edged Sword :)
Night of the Dolls :/
The Potter's Daughter :)
The Day of Glory :(
Sea Air :)
And Tomorrow and :)
Abductio ad Absurdum :(
In the Matter of Fallen Angels :/
Tiger in the Night :(
The strange case of Jared Spoon, who went to pieces for love. :(
The Solipsist at Dinner :(
The Wager :(
Expedition, with Recipes :(
Tough Love :/
Chanting the Violet Dog Town: A Tale of Noreela :/
Butterflies Like Jewels :)
Perfection :)
The Compound :(
Sea Child: A Tale of Dune :(
Moebius Trip :(
The Run to Hardscrabble Station :(
The Last Mortal Man :)
The Double Edged Sword :)
Night of the Dolls :/
The Potter's Daughter :)
The Day of Glory :(
Sea Air :)
November 30, 2014
I purchased this book solely for the short story, The Wager. I'm a completest when it comes to collecting all works by Sherrilyn Kenyon, and found the very short story about Thomas Malory - the author of the Arthurian tales - very fun! I adored how Sherri worked this in as an interesting tidbit, and I'm extremely curious as to whether or not Thomas will come into play in a later book.
As for the other stories, I might one day read them, but I have no immediate plans to do so. I rate this book 5 stars based on Sherri's short story.
As for the other stories, I might one day read them, but I have no immediate plans to do so. I rate this book 5 stars based on Sherri's short story.
August 4, 2009
An anthology of stories, I could pick and choose which to read and which I didn't. I chose to read all of them and found that I liked some more than others, as one would expect. Several of the stories took a while to get through, not because of the slightly longer length (which some were a great deal longer than others), but more because the premise of the story didn't really appeal to me, such as war-time. And so, I give this book 4 stars.
September 29, 2009
I enjoyed this collection but unfortunately too many of the stories were set in universes already explored in other books for me to enjoy them. I find it really difficult to read a story set alongside other books I haven't read, because I feel as though I'm missing something. I had to skip those, but luckily there were enough self-contained stories to keep me interested during the long process of moving. It made for a great book to read during short breaks of lugging boxes and furniture.
July 27, 2016
It's hard to rate an anthology such as this one as a whole. The overall theme is dark and sad..and some of the stories shine, some are okay, and a rare few were tedious for me. I had a hard time finishing this because there was no ongoing story to get back to that pulled me in, which is something I find I usually deal with in anthologies. Since I have to rate all these stories together, I say 4 stars because most of the stories were enjoyable!
April 17, 2008
Various authors contributed to this benefit anthology. Unfortunately some of the stories seemed to be dug out of a drawer rather than responding thematically to the disaster. My favorites were the first and the last stories and I found some new authors of interest. I only gave up on one story (I'm not a fan of detailed military campaigns) I was reminded of how much I like Nina Kiriki Hoffman.
December 14, 2011
I know this was done for Tsunami Relief, but the stories were a complete mish-mash. Some I couldn't read, others I couldn't stop reading. They seemed to get better towards the end and Sea Air by Niki Kiriki Hoffman was among the best. I have not read her, but now I will. That one was a 5
Read
August 23, 2008isbn,original
January 22, 2015
Only read:
The Wager by Sherrilyn Kenyon
The Wager by Sherrilyn Kenyon
June 3, 2015
Really enjoyed some top-notch stories by a good number of story-tellers . . . great way to find out who's work you may want to read more of.
June 2, 2016
Nice mix of stories but some are very flat or downright confusing. Not impressed with the cover artwork (what little there is of it.)
January 2, 2016
Just a fun anthology full of mish-mashed stories. Read it at a pace of 5 per week and enjoyed them thoroughly!
July 16, 2016
I only read Kinley MacGregors story, but still would have wanted more background on the character.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews