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The Librarian #1
The Librarian
A collection of speculative fiction stories about the Librarian’s adventures roving through the multiverse getting in and out of trouble and paying people’s library fines.
Stories include:
“Small Promises” by Azlïn Auckburally
“Where Stories Meet” by E J Delaney
“Rubble At Dawn” by Jane Doring
“Dr. Strangefrog And The Doomsday Device” by Laurel Doud & Katrice Marroquin
“The Girl And The Mouse” by Indigo Emmerson
“All The Things You Will Do” by J.D. Harlock
“More Than Color” by CL Hart
“Stolen History” by A.P. Hawkins
“Libbie and Dewey’s Excellent Adventure” by Henry Herz
“Proof Of Magic” by Storm Humbert
“A Light In The Fair” by Larry Ivkovich
“Book Circulation” by Carter Lappin
“Old Haunts” by Kenzie Lappin
“Rhyme Time” by Anya Markov
“The Arrival” by Katrina Middelburg
“Farewell Kelary, Farewell” by Sean Monaghan
“The Bar At The End Of The World” by Waverly X. Night
“The Haunting Of Branch 19” by Leo Otherland
“A Light Unmatched In All Depths” by D.G.P. Rector
“The Unbroken Chain” by Zachary Rosenberg
“The Anamatra” by Elizabeth Snow
“La bibliothèque d’objets quotidiens” by Ana Sun
“Tree Of Knowledge” by Michael Teasdale
“The Art Of Seeing” by Nathan Waddell
Stories include:
“Small Promises” by Azlïn Auckburally
“Where Stories Meet” by E J Delaney
“Rubble At Dawn” by Jane Doring
“Dr. Strangefrog And The Doomsday Device” by Laurel Doud & Katrice Marroquin
“The Girl And The Mouse” by Indigo Emmerson
“All The Things You Will Do” by J.D. Harlock
“More Than Color” by CL Hart
“Stolen History” by A.P. Hawkins
“Libbie and Dewey’s Excellent Adventure” by Henry Herz
“Proof Of Magic” by Storm Humbert
“A Light In The Fair” by Larry Ivkovich
“Book Circulation” by Carter Lappin
“Old Haunts” by Kenzie Lappin
“Rhyme Time” by Anya Markov
“The Arrival” by Katrina Middelburg
“Farewell Kelary, Farewell” by Sean Monaghan
“The Bar At The End Of The World” by Waverly X. Night
“The Haunting Of Branch 19” by Leo Otherland
“A Light Unmatched In All Depths” by D.G.P. Rector
“The Unbroken Chain” by Zachary Rosenberg
“The Anamatra” by Elizabeth Snow
“La bibliothèque d’objets quotidiens” by Ana Sun
“Tree Of Knowledge” by Michael Teasdale
“The Art Of Seeing” by Nathan Waddell
306 pages, Paperback
First published December 15, 2022
7 people are currently reading
140 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 18, 2023
An exquisite collection of SF short stories. Some work better than others as standalone pieces, but all contribute to defining the titular character and capturing that shared sense of hope, wonder and inquiring open-mindedness instilled and symbolised by libraries throughout the multiverse.
February 15, 2023
This is a marvelous little anthology composed of heartful stories well arranged to achieve the promised effect of its organizing concept: "The Librarian" travels the multiverse appearing in different forms in different worlds. Assisted with their *magic* satchel, The Librarian lends aid to various characters in speculative fiction scenarios.
The volume itself is also bound and printed beautifully, which contributes to the sense of kaleidoscopic wholeness.
There are a few textual hiccups that slipped through the editorial sieve, but on the whole the book covers for these with its overall warmth.
Having been a librarian, I can also attest to the way in which various authors approach the librarian aspect of their tale-telling.
The book as a whole is satisfying, but a few stories stood out to me as exceptional to nudge my vote from a high 4- to a solid 5-star rating.
In no particular order (paging through to refresh my memory):
"The Art of Seeing" by Nathan Waddell is a delightful romp that plays with genre tropes to great effect and voices of the characters jumping off the page with sardonic wit and a shapely story arc. It imagines alien characters inspired by Earth's colonial insects and drops us into the thick of what is at once action-adventure and pseudo-coming-of-age transformation story.
"Rhyme Time" by Anya Markov puts two stark realities of modern libraries--budget cuts and children's story time--onto a terraforming outpost where the underappreciated societal linchpin provided by public libraries is humorously defended by the voices of the young who ultimately hold sway over the behaviors of their adults.
"Libbie and Dewey's Excellent Adventure" by Henry Herz portrays a really tight, humorous, and exciting quest of a young interdimensional librarian on a mission to help a young woman access a scientific textbook in a 19th century Polish library with wide-ranging consequences.
"Where Stories Meet" by E J Delaney drops us into an intimate mother-daughter dynamic in the middle of a world torn by war.
"Stolen History" by A.P. Hawkins shows us a post-literate nomadic culture marginalized by "the cities" whose young hunger to reclaim lost historical narratives despite the calcified resistance of their elders.
"Old Haunts" by Kenzie Lappin offers a chance at redemption for a human librarian unconsciously saddled with grief at a recent loss by engaging in some friendly library ghostbusting.
"Tree of Knowledge" by Michael Teasdale gives us satisfaction in aligning with the asteroid underdog holding out against the grinding power of bureaucracy imposing the interstellar equivalent of eminent domain.
"A Light Unmatched in all Depths" by D.G.P. Rector takes us into the perspective of crab-like sentients sojourning into the foreign territory of dry land.
"More Than Color" by CL Hart delivers an emotional tour-de-force. The premise is simple: a librarian doing her job in helping an uncertain young patron by finding and feeding her meaningful books. The speculative fiction premise is also simple: a world where it is common for people to change from grayscale to color as they age, love, and are loved. The way Hart combines these to create this story is heart-rending in its sincerity. It actually made me cry.
This is not to take away from any of the other stories in this collection, which all offer something worth reading and all round out the whole.
Cheers to those involved in this effort--a tidy joy to read.
The volume itself is also bound and printed beautifully, which contributes to the sense of kaleidoscopic wholeness.
There are a few textual hiccups that slipped through the editorial sieve, but on the whole the book covers for these with its overall warmth.
Having been a librarian, I can also attest to the way in which various authors approach the librarian aspect of their tale-telling.
The book as a whole is satisfying, but a few stories stood out to me as exceptional to nudge my vote from a high 4- to a solid 5-star rating.
In no particular order (paging through to refresh my memory):
"The Art of Seeing" by Nathan Waddell is a delightful romp that plays with genre tropes to great effect and voices of the characters jumping off the page with sardonic wit and a shapely story arc. It imagines alien characters inspired by Earth's colonial insects and drops us into the thick of what is at once action-adventure and pseudo-coming-of-age transformation story.
"Rhyme Time" by Anya Markov puts two stark realities of modern libraries--budget cuts and children's story time--onto a terraforming outpost where the underappreciated societal linchpin provided by public libraries is humorously defended by the voices of the young who ultimately hold sway over the behaviors of their adults.
"Libbie and Dewey's Excellent Adventure" by Henry Herz portrays a really tight, humorous, and exciting quest of a young interdimensional librarian on a mission to help a young woman access a scientific textbook in a 19th century Polish library with wide-ranging consequences.
"Where Stories Meet" by E J Delaney drops us into an intimate mother-daughter dynamic in the middle of a world torn by war.
"Stolen History" by A.P. Hawkins shows us a post-literate nomadic culture marginalized by "the cities" whose young hunger to reclaim lost historical narratives despite the calcified resistance of their elders.
"Old Haunts" by Kenzie Lappin offers a chance at redemption for a human librarian unconsciously saddled with grief at a recent loss by engaging in some friendly library ghostbusting.
"Tree of Knowledge" by Michael Teasdale gives us satisfaction in aligning with the asteroid underdog holding out against the grinding power of bureaucracy imposing the interstellar equivalent of eminent domain.
"A Light Unmatched in all Depths" by D.G.P. Rector takes us into the perspective of crab-like sentients sojourning into the foreign territory of dry land.
"More Than Color" by CL Hart delivers an emotional tour-de-force. The premise is simple: a librarian doing her job in helping an uncertain young patron by finding and feeding her meaningful books. The speculative fiction premise is also simple: a world where it is common for people to change from grayscale to color as they age, love, and are loved. The way Hart combines these to create this story is heart-rending in its sincerity. It actually made me cry.
This is not to take away from any of the other stories in this collection, which all offer something worth reading and all round out the whole.
Cheers to those involved in this effort--a tidy joy to read.
January 29, 2023
Delightful! I love books about books, and a librarian who travels through space and time helping people by always having the perfect book is fantastic. The Librarian definite reminded me a bit of Doctor Who.
As a collection of short stories all based around a single character and theme, it worked very well. In any such collection, you will like some stories better than others. Personally, there were no duds.
My only complaint is with the graphic story. I love that a comic-style story was included. I’m a fan of graphic novels. However, the small physical size of the book’s pages made the speech bubbles very difficult to read. While the resolution was fine for the pictures, it made the words a bit fuzzy, and my aging eyes had a very hard time finding a focal length. The actual story was fine, I just couldn’t read everything they were saying.
Anyway, I highly recommend this collection of SF tales and am excited that a second volume of The Librarian and Satchel’s journeys will be coming soon. Looking forward to it.
As a collection of short stories all based around a single character and theme, it worked very well. In any such collection, you will like some stories better than others. Personally, there were no duds.
My only complaint is with the graphic story. I love that a comic-style story was included. I’m a fan of graphic novels. However, the small physical size of the book’s pages made the speech bubbles very difficult to read. While the resolution was fine for the pictures, it made the words a bit fuzzy, and my aging eyes had a very hard time finding a focal length. The actual story was fine, I just couldn’t read everything they were saying.
Anyway, I highly recommend this collection of SF tales and am excited that a second volume of The Librarian and Satchel’s journeys will be coming soon. Looking forward to it.
December 30, 2022
It would be hard for me to express quite how much I love this book. I fell hard and fast for the concept as soon as Air and Nothingness started advertising the prospect of the book. Which... would be why as soon as it was announced the book was going to be a reality I got my spectacles and writing hat on and squinted at my computer screen until some words came out. (I was half asleep through everything I wrote for this, but it seems to have come out alright.) My excitement continued when my story was accepted to be in this lovely book, but I think waiting on reading all the other stories was my real joy. And it has been well worth the wait.
The Librarian is a gem, cover to cover. The artwork (on all of the covers) is stunning, and the stories weave a mottled, multicolored fabric that tells of the wanderings on one Librarian and their Satchel. Every story is unique and uniquely shows the style and imagination of its author, and yet each and every one comes back to the same place and interweaves so flawlessly with all the others it's hard to imagine we singular authors didn't know what the others were writing. The emotions between these covers range though joy and sadness, desperation and rejuvenation. All of them with their own grain of hope, even in the darkest of places and times. I am so pleased to be a part of this whole.
And, as has become my custom when reviewing anthologies, I have thoughts on a few of my favorites and why they resonated with me. In the order they appear in The Librarian, these are the stories I most remember:
The Unbroken Chain. I don't think there's a writer or artist anywhere who hasn't at some point run out of motivation or inspiration and desperately looked for more, wondering where the muse had gone and why they'd left. This first story in The Librarian was a glorious reminder our words, our art, reaches far beyond ourselves and what we see of it.
Rubble At Dawn. Few things bring tears to my eyes, but this one left the sting of them behind. In this time when some are experiencing the brutality of war first hand, how can we not weep for all that is being lost?
Old Haunts. A firm reminder we do not have to banish our ghost or forget our pain. Sometimes knowing them and growing with them is all we need and the surest way to live again.
Small Promises. This one is interesting for various reasons. The imagery the story presented me with left me caught up and confused for a short time but also nagged at me until I went back and read it all again and when I did the tapestry the author weaved with their words was amazing. A story in a story, in media res, and all of it done so effortlessly it leaves you wanting more, and knowing that more is there, just at the edges and out of reach. Incredibly well done.
The Anamatra. This one felt... different to me. Almost as if it wasn't as much a part of the rest of the whole as the rest, but that only made me love it all the more. The closeness and almost intimacy of the characters makes me wish there was more story, past and future for this. But I shall just have to be satisfied with what I have here in my hands.
Gods, I keep smiling every time I pick up the book to look through the table of contents so I don't miss anything.
Libbie and Dewey's Excellent Adventure. This on is just plain fun and it had bee from the beginning with its wit and allusion to... well lots of things. Go read it! You'll love it.
A Light Unmatched In All Depths. Another reminder what we do for the love of it will far out last us. It will reach on into the far future and though we may never fathom it, our efforts will shine like a light unmatched. Much love for this one.
The Art of Seeing. Knowledge is power, but the art of seeing the truth in that knowledge and using for the betterment of all.. well that is a greater power. This story was cute and had just the right taste of humor to go along with its seriousness. Highly recommend.
Dr. Strangefrog and The Doomsday Device. Ummm... How can I not mention this story?? Its the only comic in the book and I was snickering at the throw back to Dr. Strangelove in the title since the TOC for The Librarian was released. This little comic is funny and adorable and have I mentioned the Muppets Easter egg?? No, well you're going to have to find it on your own.
A Light In The Fair. Knowledge is power... and withholding it can be a means of controlling people and keeping them down. This story and a few others (Stolen History, Proof of Magic) stand as reminders knowledge is meant to be given and shared, a means of us all being better together.
The Arrival. Some of us are born with an insatiable hunger. Some for beauty, some for story, some for learning. For me, this story struck places in me that reminded me we have to at times be selfish, we have to pursue the joy and the bright beauty of life, even when people say those things are useless when pitted against needs and survival. But can we survive without beauty?
The Bar At The End of The World. *cough* Easter egg! *cough* Anyway, love the title and love the story. Full of glorious imagery and the reminder creating is its own joy. To write, to paint, to draw worlds into existence... the act of doing is in itself enough.
Rhyme Time. Gods, I laughed so hard with this one. Never, ever go up against a couple librarians and some toddlers, you will lose every time. (I am still laughing here, I'm sorry.) Bottom line, you'll love this story.
Right about here was where I remembered I'd actually written something for this book and, despite being pretty much asleep and squinty-eyed the whole way, I guess it worked... You'll have to read myself for your self (something, something, trees being haunted...), and I'm not joking. I literally got so caught up in this book when I found my own story I kind of stared at funny going, "What are you doing here??
Book Circulation. I had to include this one because it made me laugh. (Spiky bears!!) It's short and sweet and just a good time.
More Than Color. If asked if I had a favorite of favorite stories in here, it would probably be this one. The main character experiences some of the same stigmas attached to asexuality, but the story as a whole shows what it is to be anything other then what society deems "right and natural" and gives a glimpse of what it is to stand above that and say, "This is me and I am beautiful and I am worthy." This one took my breath away.
La Bibiotheque D'objets Quotidiens (The Library of Everyday Things). A perfect way to end this particular book because we never know quite what we have until we think it's gone.
In the end, The Librarian is well worth the read. I can't wait for others to love it as much as I do. Travel on, stay strong.
The Librarian is a gem, cover to cover. The artwork (on all of the covers) is stunning, and the stories weave a mottled, multicolored fabric that tells of the wanderings on one Librarian and their Satchel. Every story is unique and uniquely shows the style and imagination of its author, and yet each and every one comes back to the same place and interweaves so flawlessly with all the others it's hard to imagine we singular authors didn't know what the others were writing. The emotions between these covers range though joy and sadness, desperation and rejuvenation. All of them with their own grain of hope, even in the darkest of places and times. I am so pleased to be a part of this whole.
And, as has become my custom when reviewing anthologies, I have thoughts on a few of my favorites and why they resonated with me. In the order they appear in The Librarian, these are the stories I most remember:
The Unbroken Chain. I don't think there's a writer or artist anywhere who hasn't at some point run out of motivation or inspiration and desperately looked for more, wondering where the muse had gone and why they'd left. This first story in The Librarian was a glorious reminder our words, our art, reaches far beyond ourselves and what we see of it.
Rubble At Dawn. Few things bring tears to my eyes, but this one left the sting of them behind. In this time when some are experiencing the brutality of war first hand, how can we not weep for all that is being lost?
Old Haunts. A firm reminder we do not have to banish our ghost or forget our pain. Sometimes knowing them and growing with them is all we need and the surest way to live again.
Small Promises. This one is interesting for various reasons. The imagery the story presented me with left me caught up and confused for a short time but also nagged at me until I went back and read it all again and when I did the tapestry the author weaved with their words was amazing. A story in a story, in media res, and all of it done so effortlessly it leaves you wanting more, and knowing that more is there, just at the edges and out of reach. Incredibly well done.
The Anamatra. This one felt... different to me. Almost as if it wasn't as much a part of the rest of the whole as the rest, but that only made me love it all the more. The closeness and almost intimacy of the characters makes me wish there was more story, past and future for this. But I shall just have to be satisfied with what I have here in my hands.
Gods, I keep smiling every time I pick up the book to look through the table of contents so I don't miss anything.
Libbie and Dewey's Excellent Adventure. This on is just plain fun and it had bee from the beginning with its wit and allusion to... well lots of things. Go read it! You'll love it.
A Light Unmatched In All Depths. Another reminder what we do for the love of it will far out last us. It will reach on into the far future and though we may never fathom it, our efforts will shine like a light unmatched. Much love for this one.
The Art of Seeing. Knowledge is power, but the art of seeing the truth in that knowledge and using for the betterment of all.. well that is a greater power. This story was cute and had just the right taste of humor to go along with its seriousness. Highly recommend.
Dr. Strangefrog and The Doomsday Device. Ummm... How can I not mention this story?? Its the only comic in the book and I was snickering at the throw back to Dr. Strangelove in the title since the TOC for The Librarian was released. This little comic is funny and adorable and have I mentioned the Muppets Easter egg?? No, well you're going to have to find it on your own.
A Light In The Fair. Knowledge is power... and withholding it can be a means of controlling people and keeping them down. This story and a few others (Stolen History, Proof of Magic) stand as reminders knowledge is meant to be given and shared, a means of us all being better together.
The Arrival. Some of us are born with an insatiable hunger. Some for beauty, some for story, some for learning. For me, this story struck places in me that reminded me we have to at times be selfish, we have to pursue the joy and the bright beauty of life, even when people say those things are useless when pitted against needs and survival. But can we survive without beauty?
The Bar At The End of The World. *cough* Easter egg! *cough* Anyway, love the title and love the story. Full of glorious imagery and the reminder creating is its own joy. To write, to paint, to draw worlds into existence... the act of doing is in itself enough.
Rhyme Time. Gods, I laughed so hard with this one. Never, ever go up against a couple librarians and some toddlers, you will lose every time. (I am still laughing here, I'm sorry.) Bottom line, you'll love this story.
Right about here was where I remembered I'd actually written something for this book and, despite being pretty much asleep and squinty-eyed the whole way, I guess it worked... You'll have to read myself for your self (something, something, trees being haunted...), and I'm not joking. I literally got so caught up in this book when I found my own story I kind of stared at funny going, "What are you doing here??
Book Circulation. I had to include this one because it made me laugh. (Spiky bears!!) It's short and sweet and just a good time.
More Than Color. If asked if I had a favorite of favorite stories in here, it would probably be this one. The main character experiences some of the same stigmas attached to asexuality, but the story as a whole shows what it is to be anything other then what society deems "right and natural" and gives a glimpse of what it is to stand above that and say, "This is me and I am beautiful and I am worthy." This one took my breath away.
La Bibiotheque D'objets Quotidiens (The Library of Everyday Things). A perfect way to end this particular book because we never know quite what we have until we think it's gone.
In the end, The Librarian is well worth the read. I can't wait for others to love it as much as I do. Travel on, stay strong.
October 30, 2023
Absolutely amazing anthology! Had me crying and laughing and everything in between! So deep and so profound. This touched me very deeply and kept me sane during a very hard time.
December 31, 2022
Todd Sanders has knocked it out of the park with this anthology. My only complaint is that I need a magnifying glass to read the comic.
December 5, 2024
This themed anthology of speculative fiction features an interdimensional character known simply as "the Librarian" reminiscent of Doctor Who's main character "the Doctor." The Librarian's special services involve anything that can be fixed with books and the knowledge they contain, and helping people pay their library fines. Although, no fines are actually paid in these stories. But with the Librarian's assistance, people do discover their worth, heal strange illnesses, and even forge peace between warring parties.
Each author envisions the Librarian in a different way, which makes the collection interesting if a bit at odds with itself. But I suppose we are all somewhat different people in different circumstances, and anyway, the Librarian adapts to the world--and the species--being served. Sometimes a man, sometimes a woman, sometimes androgynous. Sometimes human, sometimes something very different. It's all part of the job.
On the whole, I enjoyed the stories. I did find it a bit clunky, though, when some authors chose to apply the pronoun "they" to the Librarian. It turns out this makes reading more difficult in certain circumstances, because "they" is technically a plural pronoun, not a singular one. When the Librarian is in the company of others, and the others are collectively called "they," things get a bit muddled. (I'm not making any sociopolitical statements here. This is just about clarity of language. Applying "they" to a single individual can make a hash of things, at least in some circumstances.)
Aside from that little detail, it's a fun and imaginative collection.
Each author envisions the Librarian in a different way, which makes the collection interesting if a bit at odds with itself. But I suppose we are all somewhat different people in different circumstances, and anyway, the Librarian adapts to the world--and the species--being served. Sometimes a man, sometimes a woman, sometimes androgynous. Sometimes human, sometimes something very different. It's all part of the job.
On the whole, I enjoyed the stories. I did find it a bit clunky, though, when some authors chose to apply the pronoun "they" to the Librarian. It turns out this makes reading more difficult in certain circumstances, because "they" is technically a plural pronoun, not a singular one. When the Librarian is in the company of others, and the others are collectively called "they," things get a bit muddled. (I'm not making any sociopolitical statements here. This is just about clarity of language. Applying "they" to a single individual can make a hash of things, at least in some circumstances.)
Aside from that little detail, it's a fun and imaginative collection.
September 14, 2023
Amazing premise, but the stories included were very hit and miss and unfortunately more misses than hits. Amazing presentation and artwork on the cover(s). I enjoyed the comic that was included. Would recommend to the right reader, particularly if you like your speculative fiction with a lot of heart
November 13, 2024
A collection of short sci-fi stories by a multitude of different author. There were some that I loved and reread immediately, and others that I just started skimming because they just didn't click with me. I'm glad that I picked this one up to start the series, as the latest edition/volume was released via Kickstarter and caught my eye.
3.5 Stars (rounded down)
3.5 Stars (rounded down)
April 19, 2025
A mixed bag. Some were good, some not so much. I absolutely refused to continue reading the ones that used they as pronoun for a singular person. Extremely confusing and hard to understand, let alone not being grammatically correct. There are too many good books in this world to waste your time on this one.
February 28, 2023
This collection of short stories by new to me authors was everything I didn't know I wanted to read about a roving Librarian and their bag across time and space - full of hope, laughter, joy, sadness and more hope. Absolutely sensational.
May 31, 2023
Just a lovely collection. Particular favorite pieces included: "The Girl and The Mouse," "A Light Unmatched in All Depths," "The Art of Seeing," and "Rhyme Time."
November 2, 2023
I’m obsessed. I’m obsessed! I don’t even know what else to say.
April 7, 2025
Wow, I'm really impressed with THE LIBRARIAN!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews