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Eclipse Four: New Science Fiction and Fantasy
(Eclipse #4)
by
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To observe an eclipse is to witness a rare and unusual event. Under darkened skies the sun becomes a negative image of itself, its corona transforming the landscape into a strange space where anything might happen, and any story may be true...
In the spirit of classic science fiction anthologies such as Universe, Orbit, and Starlight, master anthologist Jonathan Strahan (Th ...more
In the spirit of classic science fiction anthologies such as Universe, Orbit, and Starlight, master anthologist Jonathan Strahan (Th ...more
Paperback, 230 pages
Published
May 1st 2011
by Night Shade Books
(first published October 1st 2010)
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Start your review of Eclipse Four: New Science Fiction and Fantasy

While I liked some stories more than others, I would say that the quality of stories in this anthology was very high. It contains an eclectic mix: two or three are what I might describe as hard science fiction, and then there are a whole bunch of ghostly/afterlifely stories. Jeffrey Ford channels Jonathan Carroll (who isn't dead, but seems open to channeling if anybody is). Caitlin Kiernan turns in an elegant story about a black hole. Nalo Hopkinson writes about the great shopping mall in the s
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A collection of sf and fantasy stories.
Andy Duncan's "Slow as a Bullet": told in a sort of pseudo nineteenth century Western style, this is the story of how one lazy man developed gun powder that shot bullets incredibly slowly in order to win a bet.
Caitlin Kiernan's "Tidal Forces": a black hole forms in a woman's stomach and grows ever larger. Weird concept told in a disjointed style, but it works.
Damien Broderick's "The Beancounter's Cat": Starts well (a talking cat adopts a lowly beancounter) ...more
Andy Duncan's "Slow as a Bullet": told in a sort of pseudo nineteenth century Western style, this is the story of how one lazy man developed gun powder that shot bullets incredibly slowly in order to win a bet.
Caitlin Kiernan's "Tidal Forces": a black hole forms in a woman's stomach and grows ever larger. Weird concept told in a disjointed style, but it works.
Damien Broderick's "The Beancounter's Cat": Starts well (a talking cat adopts a lowly beancounter) ...more

A varied selection that would accommodate most readers of speculative fiction in some way or another (although I’ve heard that Jonathan Strahan is not a fan of the ‘spec-fic’ term).
Nalo Hopkinson’s “Old Habits” is a superb piece (a real standout) dealing with humanity and the ghostly afterlife in perhaps the most tackiest of places: a shopping mall. Hopkinson's syntax ,including a superb lengthy stream of consciousness sentence, is masterful. The protagonist, a homosexual ghost, who more import ...more
Nalo Hopkinson’s “Old Habits” is a superb piece (a real standout) dealing with humanity and the ghostly afterlife in perhaps the most tackiest of places: a shopping mall. Hopkinson's syntax ,including a superb lengthy stream of consciousness sentence, is masterful. The protagonist, a homosexual ghost, who more import ...more

This collection of science fiction and fantasy leans heavily toward the latter, and even most of the SF is of the soft or fanciful sort. It also goes heavy on the humor or at least whimsy. In short, a very lightweight selection. About two thirds of them are decent enough, but more than a few failed to hold my attention. One was completely incoherent.
Here are some of the stories I felt were worthwhile:
"The Man in Grey" by Michael Swanwick: A teen-aged girl slips behind the curtain of reality to d ...more
Here are some of the stories I felt were worthwhile:
"The Man in Grey" by Michael Swanwick: A teen-aged girl slips behind the curtain of reality to d ...more

Eclipse Four is part of the series of non-themed science fiction and fantasy anthologies expertly edited (or perhaps curated is a better word choice) by Jonathan Strahan and published by Night Shade Books. This fourth volume in the series contains fourteen excellent stories by Andy Duncan; Caitlin R. Kiernan; Damien Broderick; Kij Johnson; Michael Swanwick; Nalo Hopkinson; Gwyneth Jones; Rachel Swirsky; Eileen Gunn; Jeffrey Ford; Emma Bull; Peter M. Ball; Jo Walton; and James Patrick Kelley. Str
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I checked out the ebook from Hoopla, read a few and then it came due. Have it out again. Wealtheow's review is the go-to here. Also see Sarah's.
More reviews:
http://www.tangentonline.com/print--o...
http://www.tor.com/2011/05/03/hunger-...
TOC: https://jonathanstrahan.wordpress.com...
Highlights:
** “The Beancounter’s Cat”, Damien Broderick
* “The Man in Grey”, Michael Swanwick
...more
More reviews:
http://www.tangentonline.com/print--o...
http://www.tor.com/2011/05/03/hunger-...
TOC: https://jonathanstrahan.wordpress.com...
Highlights:
** “The Beancounter’s Cat”, Damien Broderick
* “The Man in Grey”, Michael Swanwick
...more

Katharine is a judge for the Aurealis Awards. This review is the personal opinion of Katharine herself, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of any judging panel, the judging coordinator or the Aurealis Awards management team.
To be safe, I won't be recording my review here until after the AA are over.
Though I'm unsure on the theme of the anthology in general, most stories within were capturing enough. ...more
Though I'm unsure on the theme of the anthology in general, most stories within were capturing enough. ...more

A number of these stories were good, but none really rocked my world. Either the setting or central conflict seemed tired or too far-fetched (not really supported by the material, kind of a gee whiz look at me vibe) . A great short story needs to be its own universe, direct, complete and satisfying in some emotional way.

A varied and very enjoyable anthology, with some truly standout stories by Caitlin R Kiernan, Kij Johnson and Nalo Hopkinson.
For an in depth discussion of Eclipse 4, please listen to my podcast, The Writer and the Critic, episode 9. ...more
For an in depth discussion of Eclipse 4, please listen to my podcast, The Writer and the Critic, episode 9. ...more

Kij Johnson's story is amazing, exactly the sort of thing I was looking for (and didn't really find) in the Interfictions anthologies. Nothing else in the collection stood out as particularly great or terrible.
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This is an excellent unthemed anthology, edited by Jonathan Strahan who has contrived to pack the volume with thought-provoking stories rather than routine SF and fantasy stories.
http://opionator.wordpress.com/2011/0... ...more
http://opionator.wordpress.com/2011/0... ...more

Oct 02, 2012
Neil Ottenstein
is currently reading it
Just read a few of the stories, but it is an interesting collection

Skimmed the stories. I really borrowed the book to read Emma Bull's Nine Oracles story.
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As with any anthology, this is a mixed bag. Some of the stories are really, really good, but others are more iffy. There wasn't anything I particularly hated though.
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