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Shadowbridge #0.5 - How Meersh...
Attack of the Jazz Giants and Other Stories
This collection of 14 stories from a Nebula, Hugo, Tiptree, International Horror Guild, and World Fantasy Award finalist takes the reader on a wonderful and nightmarish journey. Beginning with a midnight odyssey to a shadowland where vehicles feast on vagrants, this compilation includes stories in which Poe's final days are revealed, factory workers are exploited by an apparition of the Virgin Mary, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart pinwheels through the corridors of time. Also included is a tale of an apocalyptic entity that hides in a Ukranian village, a contemplation on the horror that dwells in Jack the Ripper's pocket watch, and a brand-new novella that combines an interplanetary road story with more than a dash of Flash Gordon. Behind-the-stories notes by the author are also included.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2005
1 person is currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
Gregory Frost
87 books105 followersGregory Frost is an American author of fantasy, science fiction and thrillers. He taught fiction writing at Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania for eighteen years. A graduate of the iconic Clarion Workshop, he has taught at Clarion four times, including the first session following its move to the University of California at San Diego in 2007. He has also been an instructor for the Odyssey and Alpha Workshops.
Frost has been a finalist for every major fantasy, sf, and horror fiction award. His novelette, "Madonna of the Maquiladora" was a finalist for the James Tiptree Award, the Nebula Award, the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award, and the Hugo Award.
His latest novel is RHYMER, the first in the Rhymer series from Baen Books. His previous work, SHADOWBRIDGE, was voted one of the best fantasy novels of 2009 by the American Library Association, it was also a finalist for the James Tiptree Jr. Award.
The historical thriller FITCHER'S BRIDES, was a Best Novel finalist for both the World Fantasy and International Horror Guild Awards for Best Novel.
Publishers Weekly called his Golden Gryphon short story collection, ATTACK OF THE JAZZ GIANTS & OTHER STORIES, “one of the best of the year.” It has now been reprinted in slightly altered form as THE GIRLFRIENDS OF DORIAN GRAY & OTHER STORIES, available through Book View Cafe.
Current short fiction includes "A Hard Day's Night at the Opera" in the Beatles-themed anthology ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, edited by Michael Ventrella and Randee Dawn, and "Episode in Liminal State Technical Support, or Mr. Grant in the Bardo" in THREE TIME TRAVELERS WALK INTO... edited by Michael A. Ventrella; "Traveling On" in the Sept/Oct. 2020 ASIMOV'S SCIENCE FICTION magazine, and "Ellende" in WEIRD TALES #364.
He spent time (did time?) as a researcher for non-fiction television shows on werewolves and the "Curse of the Pharaohs," and acted in a couple of frightening (not necessarily in the sense of scary) indie horror movies.
Gregory Frost is a founding partner, with author Jonathan Maberry, of The Philadelphia Liars Club, a group of professional authors and screenwriters, and one of the interviewers for The Liars Club Oddcast , a podcast interviewing novelists, short story writers, screenwriters, illustrators, and more.
Frost has been a finalist for every major fantasy, sf, and horror fiction award. His novelette, "Madonna of the Maquiladora" was a finalist for the James Tiptree Award, the Nebula Award, the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award, and the Hugo Award.
His latest novel is RHYMER, the first in the Rhymer series from Baen Books. His previous work, SHADOWBRIDGE, was voted one of the best fantasy novels of 2009 by the American Library Association, it was also a finalist for the James Tiptree Jr. Award.
The historical thriller FITCHER'S BRIDES, was a Best Novel finalist for both the World Fantasy and International Horror Guild Awards for Best Novel.
Publishers Weekly called his Golden Gryphon short story collection, ATTACK OF THE JAZZ GIANTS & OTHER STORIES, “one of the best of the year.” It has now been reprinted in slightly altered form as THE GIRLFRIENDS OF DORIAN GRAY & OTHER STORIES, available through Book View Cafe.
Current short fiction includes "A Hard Day's Night at the Opera" in the Beatles-themed anthology ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, edited by Michael Ventrella and Randee Dawn, and "Episode in Liminal State Technical Support, or Mr. Grant in the Bardo" in THREE TIME TRAVELERS WALK INTO... edited by Michael A. Ventrella; "Traveling On" in the Sept/Oct. 2020 ASIMOV'S SCIENCE FICTION magazine, and "Ellende" in WEIRD TALES #364.
He spent time (did time?) as a researcher for non-fiction television shows on werewolves and the "Curse of the Pharaohs," and acted in a couple of frightening (not necessarily in the sense of scary) indie horror movies.
Gregory Frost is a founding partner, with author Jonathan Maberry, of The Philadelphia Liars Club, a group of professional authors and screenwriters, and one of the interviewers for The Liars Club Oddcast , a podcast interviewing novelists, short story writers, screenwriters, illustrators, and more.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 5, 2011
I ran across the story "Madonna of the Maquiladora" at Fictionwise.com several years ago, but never got around to reading it until last year. It blew me away! So I looked for Gregory Frost on the internet and learned that the story was published in this collection, Attack of the Jazz Giants, which I ordered at Amazon.com "used in good condition." It is actually like new, except for the intriguing and very personal inscription and autograph of the author, addressed to Janine on 21 June 2005. Several other stories were of similarly good quality, for which I might have awarded five stars to the book, but a few were low enough to give it three stars, so I compromised on the rating. Some of the book is science fiction, some fantasy, and some just plain Twilight-Zone strange. Overall, quite an enjoyable read--especially the inscription, which you will never get to see because I'm keeping this book. It took me forever to read because it is a collection of stories.
December 13, 2015
Attack of the Jazz Giants brings together a variety of Frost’s award-winning science fiction, including the Nebula-nominated novella, “Madonna of the Maquiladora,” a unique take on the exploitation of workers and religious apparitions.
Frost’s tales are original, surprising, and dark, with the refreshing characteristic of taking a stand without preaching. In “Collecting Dust,” for instance, Frost explores the alienation and disintegration of the overworked American family by elevating these rather clichéd metaphors to reality. In “The Bus,” the blood, sweat, tears, bones, and guts of the less fortunate quite literally grease the gears that propel the powers that be.
Many of the stories take on a Kafkaesque, fairy-tale quality: at once fantastical and mundane. In the title story outsized musical instruments reinstate human harmony to a world made discordant by hate and racism, while Meersh the Bedeviler leads us through a world where it is perfectly logical that children who are turned into fish from being fed too much medicine should be fried up for lunch.
Still other narratives are just plain absurdist fun, like “The Road to Recovery.” This piece of right-on nonsense reprises Bing Crosby and Bob Hope in the ultimate intergalactic road movie. After stowing away on a space ship to avoid being prosecuted for a crime whose punishment is “flogging over slow coals for three days prior to execution,” the boys cook up their usual stew of pun, innuendo, and asides, and somehow bungle their way to rescuing the girl and saving the universe to boot.
Perhaps what ties all these diverse yarns together is Frost’s skill as a wordsmith, which is enough to carry the few stories that are uninspired or lack originality. This is most apparent in the opening story,” The Girlfriends of Dorian Gray.” I’m sure the title was just too good to resist, but as you might expect, it gives away the gist of this story which otherwise should come as a surprise a few pages in. What’s worse, the ending of this tale of food and excess is as obvious a serving of “just desserts” as a crowd of waiters singing “Happy Birthday” to an embarrassed diner. What saves it however, is the sheer joy of reading words as rich and delectable as the gluttonous meals enjoyed by the main character. “With his fork, he cut through the layers of crisp philo dough, lifted and placed in his mouth the slice of bisteeya. The flavours of cinnamon, coriander, butter, and almonds flooded his senses – a sweet and tender orgasm to which he gave himself completely, eyes closed, fingers curled tenderly around his utensils.”
Aside from winning awards for his writing, Frost teaches it, and is himself a product of writers’ workshops, which is no doubt why he added explanations after each piece, telling how he came to write it. Far from the sort of overblown, pompous dogma writers too often spew when discussing their craft; these are brief, to the point, enjoyable, and insightful.
A feast for fans of SF and good writing.
Frost’s tales are original, surprising, and dark, with the refreshing characteristic of taking a stand without preaching. In “Collecting Dust,” for instance, Frost explores the alienation and disintegration of the overworked American family by elevating these rather clichéd metaphors to reality. In “The Bus,” the blood, sweat, tears, bones, and guts of the less fortunate quite literally grease the gears that propel the powers that be.
Many of the stories take on a Kafkaesque, fairy-tale quality: at once fantastical and mundane. In the title story outsized musical instruments reinstate human harmony to a world made discordant by hate and racism, while Meersh the Bedeviler leads us through a world where it is perfectly logical that children who are turned into fish from being fed too much medicine should be fried up for lunch.
Still other narratives are just plain absurdist fun, like “The Road to Recovery.” This piece of right-on nonsense reprises Bing Crosby and Bob Hope in the ultimate intergalactic road movie. After stowing away on a space ship to avoid being prosecuted for a crime whose punishment is “flogging over slow coals for three days prior to execution,” the boys cook up their usual stew of pun, innuendo, and asides, and somehow bungle their way to rescuing the girl and saving the universe to boot.
Perhaps what ties all these diverse yarns together is Frost’s skill as a wordsmith, which is enough to carry the few stories that are uninspired or lack originality. This is most apparent in the opening story,” The Girlfriends of Dorian Gray.” I’m sure the title was just too good to resist, but as you might expect, it gives away the gist of this story which otherwise should come as a surprise a few pages in. What’s worse, the ending of this tale of food and excess is as obvious a serving of “just desserts” as a crowd of waiters singing “Happy Birthday” to an embarrassed diner. What saves it however, is the sheer joy of reading words as rich and delectable as the gluttonous meals enjoyed by the main character. “With his fork, he cut through the layers of crisp philo dough, lifted and placed in his mouth the slice of bisteeya. The flavours of cinnamon, coriander, butter, and almonds flooded his senses – a sweet and tender orgasm to which he gave himself completely, eyes closed, fingers curled tenderly around his utensils.”
Aside from winning awards for his writing, Frost teaches it, and is himself a product of writers’ workshops, which is no doubt why he added explanations after each piece, telling how he came to write it. Far from the sort of overblown, pompous dogma writers too often spew when discussing their craft; these are brief, to the point, enjoyable, and insightful.
A feast for fans of SF and good writing.
January 22, 2010
This collection of short stories has its ups and downs but there isn't anything that is really wonderful. Frost seems to be a bit of a one-trick pony in the plot arena.
May 5, 2010
v smart; surreal and v creative premises; Hope/Crosby Road spoof is GOLD
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews