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Evolve: Vampire Stories of the New Undead
(Otherworld Stories #9.4 -Learning Curve)
by
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New Vampires have evolved, and they are coming for you! Kelly Armstrong, Tanya Huff and twenty-two other dark fantasy and horror writers come together to re-imagine the future of vampires in this new collection of all-original short fiction – one of the most unusual and original vampire anthologies ever assembled.
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Paperback, 256 pages
Published
September 15th 2010
by Edge
(first published January 1st 2010)
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Start your review of Evolve: Vampire Stories of the New Undead

(Originally appeared at http://sleeplessereader.blogspot.com/...)
There was a time I liked vampires. Incubus, Succubus, Spike. Then it came. You know what I’m talking about. At times, I feared that I would go stark raving mad if I had to hear about or read another story with either “sparkles” or “Sookie” in it.
I bought Evolve several months ago at a vendor’s table here in town. The cover art is what struck me to pick it up. The cover is stunning, capturing the “demon inside” part of the vampire m ...more
There was a time I liked vampires. Incubus, Succubus, Spike. Then it came. You know what I’m talking about. At times, I feared that I would go stark raving mad if I had to hear about or read another story with either “sparkles” or “Sookie” in it.
I bought Evolve several months ago at a vendor’s table here in town. The cover art is what struck me to pick it up. The cover is stunning, capturing the “demon inside” part of the vampire m ...more

Do you like vampires? No, do you REALLY like vampires? This is a collection of 24 short stories, all dealing with vampires and how they have changed in modern fiction. Editor Nancy Kilpatrick is a little obsessed with vampires, and her prologue is worth reading.
The vampires in this novel run the gamut from bluesy Faustian demons (Soulfinger) to not-quite-altruistic medical personnel (How Magnificent is the Universal Donor). A few of them are even smouldering-hot Byronic heroes (though none of th ...more
The vampires in this novel run the gamut from bluesy Faustian demons (Soulfinger) to not-quite-altruistic medical personnel (How Magnificent is the Universal Donor). A few of them are even smouldering-hot Byronic heroes (though none of th ...more

As a whole, EVOLVE delivers what it promised. Editor Nancy Kilpatrick has managed to cater to all tastes. From action to introspective monologues, from laugher to tears, from violence to love EVOLVE covers all grounds with some of the most memorable interpretations of the vampire lore and mythology that I have ever read. Yes, there are some weak links in the armor, but as a whole EVOLVE is one finely tuned mechanism, perfectly balanced between prose, plot, characters and concept. A must-read for
...more

Read only Kelley Armstrong's "Learning Curve" about a non-confrontational lezzie vampire Zoe Takano (first introduced in Broken). Very short - 5 pages or so. Someone is stalking Zoe and she has to teach the stalker a lesson. I would like to know more about this stalker. Very mysterious.
...more

I just read Learning Curve by Kelley Armstrong so far.
Learning Curve (WotO 9.4) - Kelley Armstrong
Another Zoe Takano short story!
This time Zoe Takano, Toronto's only vampire, is being followed. And she's loving it, making it into a big game and testing how smart her stalker is. 4 stars ...more
Learning Curve (WotO 9.4) - Kelley Armstrong
Another Zoe Takano short story!
This time Zoe Takano, Toronto's only vampire, is being followed. And she's loving it, making it into a big game and testing how smart her stalker is. 4 stars ...more

Vampires fans, this is a must read. Not quite what I would call an anthology, this is more like tid bits, but enough to tempt your pallet. Evolve is stuffed full of shorts that all have one thing in common, good writing about the fabulously fanged. This is great book to keep on your nightstand to grab, read a story...and then tuck in. Quick and to the point. Sometimes I would wish they were longer...so I'll probably go out and grab more books by that particular author. I was also introduced to a
...more

Learning Curve - Zoe is weird.

Anthology of what’s supposed to be 25 new generation (though a lot of the stories are about older vampires and quite a few are depressing) vampire short stories written by Canadian authors. There’s also a very comprehensive history of the vampires on TV and the movies for the introduction.
I got this for the Kelley Armstrong Otherworld story 9.4 Learning Curve, but scanned a few pages of each and read what interested me. Here’s what I thought. About each. There are a few good stories.
1) Let the N ...more
I got this for the Kelley Armstrong Otherworld story 9.4 Learning Curve, but scanned a few pages of each and read what interested me. Here’s what I thought. About each. There are a few good stories.
1) Let the N ...more

This wasn’t my favourite collection of short stories. Maybe I’m not all that much into vampire stories, maybe because these are just the type of vampire stories that I really love. The only two tales I really loved in this were by Kelley Armstrong and Tanya Huff. They weren’t necessarily bad tales, just not ones that I was completely enthralled by.
If you like the more traditional and darker aspect of vampires, I think that this is for you. Some of the stories were a little contemporary, but they ...more
If you like the more traditional and darker aspect of vampires, I think that this is for you. Some of the stories were a little contemporary, but they ...more

Disgusting and weird.
I don't care if the vampire craze is over, I still like them, and I got excited when I found this book at a writing conference. Especially when there's stories by a few people I know in it. But this was a strange collection of stories. One was downright disgusting, most didn't make sense, and only a few were actually interesting.
I don't want to give anything away, but the stories that stood out to me were:
Mamma's Boy by Sandra Wickham--short and creepy, I liked it.
A Murder ...more
I don't care if the vampire craze is over, I still like them, and I got excited when I found this book at a writing conference. Especially when there's stories by a few people I know in it. But this was a strange collection of stories. One was downright disgusting, most didn't make sense, and only a few were actually interesting.
I don't want to give anything away, but the stories that stood out to me were:
Mamma's Boy by Sandra Wickham--short and creepy, I liked it.
A Murder ...more

I read this back in college. Overall, I'd say it was ok. Being an anthology, it's no surprise I'd say it was a mixed bag. There are some really good short stories in here, but some really dreadful ones. I've critiqued many amateur short stories in college that are far superior to 1/3 of these stories.
However, the overall unique style of this anthology bumps it up from a 2/5 to 3/5.
...more
However, the overall unique style of this anthology bumps it up from a 2/5 to 3/5.
...more

We’ve all heard enough about vampires recently.
Everyone knows they look like frumpy old ladies, overjoyed that an aging population means they fit in nowadays. Or that they keep humans penned up as food, and having sex with a human is tantamount to bestiality. Or that when a vampire slayer starts killing them off, they go right to the police.
Wait, this isn’t sounding too much like Twilight or True Blood — but they’re some of the ideas introduced in the new Canadian anthology Evolve, edited by Nan ...more
Everyone knows they look like frumpy old ladies, overjoyed that an aging population means they fit in nowadays. Or that they keep humans penned up as food, and having sex with a human is tantamount to bestiality. Or that when a vampire slayer starts killing them off, they go right to the police.
Wait, this isn’t sounding too much like Twilight or True Blood — but they’re some of the ideas introduced in the new Canadian anthology Evolve, edited by Nan ...more

Some stories I enjoyed, some I didn't. There's a few clever twists on the vampire myth, but overall many of the stories are too dreary for me.
...more

It's been awhile since I read a complete short story anthology and Evolve was a good way to get back in the saddle. The stories in this volume are definitely one-bite stories so we don't always get to know a whole lot about characters, settings, or any other story elements. Instead, you get stories that are a lot like doing shots out of unknown glasses. Some of them are fruity and fluffy and go down like candy. Others make you get your whiskey face on.
These are no tired reworkings of tired old v ...more
These are no tired reworkings of tired old v ...more

This is an anthology of new stories from Canada all about vampires, that mainstay of horror literature.
In the 21st century, Vampires are people, too (so to speak). They go on Oprah, they have teenage daughters (with a unique set of problems in school) and they run for public office. They are jazz and blues musicians, and they have to deal with the fathers of some of the women they have killed. Their bodies can filter out a major blood disease that is ravaging mankind. They breed humans for their ...more
In the 21st century, Vampires are people, too (so to speak). They go on Oprah, they have teenage daughters (with a unique set of problems in school) and they run for public office. They are jazz and blues musicians, and they have to deal with the fathers of some of the women they have killed. Their bodies can filter out a major blood disease that is ravaging mankind. They breed humans for their ...more

Great book. I haven't read short stories in years and usually don't have an affinity for them, but I was happy to read some vampire short stories, especially since they're about evolved vampires. There's a story type for every vampire fan. There's first person, third person, and even second person. There are men and women authors. There are male, female, senior citizen, and teen protagonists. Each story offers a new take on vampires, and I love it.
My favorite is "Red Blues" by Micheal Skeet. It ...more
My favorite is "Red Blues" by Micheal Skeet. It ...more

The short story anthology “Evolve” was released by Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing on March 1st and is a collection of works (23 stories and 1 poem) by Canadian authors.
I was anxious to read it. Anyone who knows me will be surprised by that comment because I normally avoid anything that is labelled “horror”. I have an exceptionally vivid imagination and I prefer sleep that is uninterrupted by nightmares. Hence, I approached this collection with both interest and trepidation...
You can ...more
I was anxious to read it. Anyone who knows me will be surprised by that comment because I normally avoid anything that is labelled “horror”. I have an exceptionally vivid imagination and I prefer sleep that is uninterrupted by nightmares. Hence, I approached this collection with both interest and trepidation...
You can ...more

This collection of short stories was excellent! Some that made me actually squirm and look away, (then look back because I NEEDED to know what happened), some that gave me a little bit of a giggle, some that played with traditional good guy/bad guy roles, and some that just sort of resonated like poetry.
I highly recommend this collection, there was not a bad story in the bunch.
And I must throw a shout out to my friend Heather, whose story "Come to Me" was both creepy and beautiful all at the s ...more
I highly recommend this collection, there was not a bad story in the bunch.
And I must throw a shout out to my friend Heather, whose story "Come to Me" was both creepy and beautiful all at the s ...more

Mar 18, 2010
Kate
rated it
it was ok
Recommends it for:
Adults
Recommended to Kate by:
EDGE Publishers
Shelves:
2010,
unable-to-complete
I've not been able to post a proper review of Evolve: Vampire Stories of the New Undead as I have not yet been able to finish reading it. Through this experience, I've found that shorts/essays of this type are just not enough to keep my attention. I keep "looking" for the rest of the story and/or finish each essay with a sense of disappointment that that there wasn't more.
While I will attempt to complete this reading experience, I've elected to set this particular project aside for a while. I ho ...more
While I will attempt to complete this reading experience, I've elected to set this particular project aside for a while. I ho ...more

I enjoyed most of the stories in this anthology I went through so I could mention some stand outs but each had it's own unique twist. The five I didn't like made the book drag a little.They are all vampire stories no mix of werewolves, zombies, angels or ghosts. You had the characters with morals and the vampires weren't always the bad guys but there were enough bad guys to sink your teeth into. Title is appropriate as there are a few stories of vampires evolving to blend with society others sto
...more

*Let the Night In -- 3 Stars
*Learning Curve -- 4 Stars -- Fun!
*Chrysalis -- 2 1/2 Stars
*Mother of Miscreants -- 4 Stars
*Resonance -- 4 Stars
*The New Forty -- 5 Stars
*Red Blues -- 3 1/2 Stars -- Would give it 4 Stars if it wasn't a 2nd person story. Not a huge fan of 2nd person perspective, though this one was well done.
*The Drinker -- 2 1/2 Stars
*Sleepless in Calgary -- 3 Stars
*Come To Me -- 4 Stars
*An Ember Amongst the Fallen -- 3 1/2 Stars
*Mamma's Boy -- 4 Stars
*The Morning After -- 4 1/2 Star ...more
*Learning Curve -- 4 Stars -- Fun!
*Chrysalis -- 2 1/2 Stars
*Mother of Miscreants -- 4 Stars
*Resonance -- 4 Stars
*The New Forty -- 5 Stars
*Red Blues -- 3 1/2 Stars -- Would give it 4 Stars if it wasn't a 2nd person story. Not a huge fan of 2nd person perspective, though this one was well done.
*The Drinker -- 2 1/2 Stars
*Sleepless in Calgary -- 3 Stars
*Come To Me -- 4 Stars
*An Ember Amongst the Fallen -- 3 1/2 Stars
*Mamma's Boy -- 4 Stars
*The Morning After -- 4 1/2 Star ...more

I'll admit it, I bought this anthology because I am a die-hard Huff/Vicky fan (and I read that story first). Then I was weary because the beginning of the book starts with mediocre stories. But the middle does not disapoint with some truly beautiful and unique pieces. It, however, ended on a mediocre note and the generic stories dragged the review down to three stars. It was really worth reading, though, for some of the more thought-provoking vampire interpretations.
...more

Love! Evolve is a collection of short stories that any fan of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” would applaud. It keeps true to the traditional vampire ideals, while giving readers something completely new all at once. You won’t find the same old cliché plotlines in these tales, but mesmerizing stories of the new undead with a classic touch. An anthology any vampire fan would love.

Four and a half stars.
The vast majority of stories in this anthology were very good. There were a couple of exceptions and more than one author had to actually say something about how the vampires were evolving. I'm not a huge fan of authors quoting the theme or name of their story. It always feels heavy handed to me.
All the authors are Canadian. ...more
The vast majority of stories in this anthology were very good. There were a couple of exceptions and more than one author had to actually say something about how the vampires were evolving. I'm not a huge fan of authors quoting the theme or name of their story. It always feels heavy handed to me.
All the authors are Canadian. ...more

Collection of vampire stories (all Canadian). Kilpatrick wanted to explore where vampire tales are going. But almost more about what are the tropes of the genre evolving too, not the vampires themselves.
I'll call it and say that vamps are pretty played out (except for our beloved True Blood), and fair to say some of the writers were exemplars of a done trend.
Uneven collection. ...more
I'll call it and say that vamps are pretty played out (except for our beloved True Blood), and fair to say some of the writers were exemplars of a done trend.
Uneven collection. ...more

A few more interesting stories, more that weren't anything special. The collection as a whole reminded me of vampire short-stories from the 80s, when authors wanted their vamps more contemporary but hadn't hit on the sparkles yet.
...more

The only story I read in this anthology was Kelley Armstrong's Learning Curve. In this short, which is VERY short, Zoe discovers she has a stalker. Which turns out to be a "Vampire Hunter". What I enjoy the most about Zoe is her laissez faire attitude about EVERYTHING.
...more

Learning Curve by Kelley Armstrong: This short story features Zoe who we met in the Otherworld series. Zoe is being stalked, but she doesn't take her stalker too seriously. This was a quick, light-hearted short that, for Otherworld fans, gives us a little more on Zoe, vampire friend of the pack.
...more

Stupid
Stupid
I choose this because of the high rate. Just one dumb story after another. Boy was that a mistake! The stories got more crazy as I read. Didn't finish. ...more
Stupid
I choose this because of the high rate. Just one dumb story after another. Boy was that a mistake! The stories got more crazy as I read. Didn't finish. ...more
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