Blurb:
Seventeen delightfully unexpected stories from Simon R. Green--including a brand-new adventure of the Droods--take us deep into the Darkside, embroil us in the Secret Histories, and lead us into the shadowy places where monsters and demons roam: Welcome to the worlds of Simon R. Green. In this wide-ranging collection, the "New York Times"-bestselling urban fantasist opens doors into hidden places: strange realms bordering our own mundane existence and prowled by creatures of fancy and nightmare. Here are the strange, frequently deadly--and sometimes even dead--things that lurk in garbage-strewn city alleyways and grimy subway stations after midnight, visible only to the most perceptive human or inhuman eye. In these tales, Green revisits the ingenious worlds within worlds that he created for his wildly popular novels. Take a stroll on the Darkside with a jaded street wizard, an underpaid government functionary responsible for keeping demons, vamps, and aliens in line. Enter the hidden recesses of Drood Hall, where the aging family member who creates powerful weapons that protect humankind recalls his long and bloody career. Join a squad of no-longer-human soldiers dispatched to combat the all-consuming jungle on a distant planet. Visit a house at the intersection of two realities that serves as a sanctuary from the evil of "all" worlds. Confront the unstoppable zombie army of General Kurtz in a brilliant homage to "Apocalypse Now." And whatever you do, never forget that there "are" monsters out there. Really. Each story includes a new afterword by the author.
Another enviable skill is his world building – it doesn’t matter if he’s writing about an alien world or a world inhabited by zombies, he brings these worlds to life with singular focus, creating them within the space of a short story and a few choice words.
My favourite books of his have always been the urban fantasy titles, which given his skill at moulding our world into something fantastical, makes sense. I think that’s why his Soho story, of a street wizard policing the streets of Soho is another favourite of mine. He wanders along what could be a normal night, but can see the streets and the people for what they really are. I am absolutely bummed that it inspired his Nightside series and has no chance of becoming a series on its own!
Granted, you have to be in the right frame of mind for these stories, for they are darker than his usual fare, and deal heavily with loss in a more emotional, direct way than in his other novels. In those stories, the overarching story and action often takes over quickly, but here the loss lingered with me for a long time after I’d finished the story.
This was also an unexpected introduction into his writing beyond his famous Nightside and Secret Histories books. I did think that perhaps his older stories might have been better suited to be first in the book so we could see the progression of his voice, but it hardly matters. Some stories are not without their twists too, and they’re always, always worth it. I envy his ability to create a story in a handful of pages.
I don’t think fans of those series will be entirely satisfied with these short stories, but if you’re looking for an introduction to the wealth of his sci-fi and fantasy writing, this is a good place to start. Each story comes with a little bit of an afterword, giving readers insight into how these stories came about.
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