Short Story Collections

This is a Worldbuilders Blog.

Some of these books came from publishers, some from authors, or fans. Some of them are signed. Some of them are rare or out of print. Some of them are limited editions you can’t find in any store.

What do they have in common? They’re all short story collections.

As you all know, while I love story, I’m not very good at the *short* part. But I respect the hell out of the people that can do it well.

All of today’s books are going into the Worldbuilders Lottery. That means you can win these and over a thousand other books by donating on the Worldbuilders Team Page. Every ten bucks you kick in gives you another chance to win.

So let’s see what we have today, shall we?

This is a collection of short stories about bookstores.  It’s numbered 127 of 1000, and it is signed by all of the contributing authors, including the editors and Neil Gaiman.  How effing cool.

We could easily auction this off. But instead, we’re going to throw it into the lottery, where anyone who donates $10 possibly win it.

  • A set of A Pleasure to Burn and Summer Morning, Summer Night by Ray Bradbury.

“[About Summer Morning, Summer Night] As intoxicating as Bradbury’s legendary Dandelion Wine , the 27 new and old stories in this potent collection resonate with timeless power.” – Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Whates intends the stories[in Solaris Rising] to illustrate the diversity of the SF field at present. I think the book does this brilliantly. The stories are extremely varied and there should be something for everyone in here.” –  Patrick Mahon

  • 2 copies of Bronies: For the Love of Ponies from Kazka Press.
Okay. First off, I need to make it clear that I’m not a Brony.

Oh sure, I might watch My Little Pony with my little boy. And yes, I think it’s a good show. And yes, I even know which pony I would be. Oot has informed me that I’m applejack. (He’s Spike, and Sarah is Pinkie Pie.)

Ah fuck. I might be a brony.

Let’s not speak of this again….

  • The Otherworldly Pack: A set of The Door Gunner and Other Perilous Flights of Fancy; Winter’s Dreams; and a limited edition copy of In Waders From Mars. The last signed by Keith Lansdale, Karen Lansdale, Joe R. Lansdale. 

“Best known for his Black Company series of fantasy novels, Cook focuses on alternate realities, distant futures, self-sacrifice, and camaraderie born of loneliness in these 12 intimate stories… Close first-person perspectives tug heartstrings in these tragedies of thwarted expectations.” – Publishers Weekly (starred review)

  • A set of 100 Stories for Haiti and 100 Stories for Queensland.  Signed by Robert J. McCarter.

“One hundred beautiful stories. Our stories. When so much was lost or destroyed, this was created. That’s something that can never recede or wash away.” Kate Eltham.

“[This] collection, spanning more than two decades, contains Little’s trademark visceral descriptives and Southwest settings, sure to please fans who may have missed some of the more obscure entries.” – Publishers Weekly

“The sense of menace and melancholy sown into the pieces emanates primarily from the locales in which they are set and is in large part the reason I can’t recommend Strange Epiphanies highly enough.” – John Kenny

  • A copy of Strange Wonders: A Collection of Rare Fritz Leiber Works by Fritz Leiber.

“For anyone who loves great literature, Fritz Leiber walked on water.” – Harlan Ellison

  • A set of Vacancy & Ariel and The Dragon Griaule by Lucius Shepard.

“Lucius Shepard has one of the sharpest pens in the genre, and he’s in top form in this set of stories.” –  Tor.Com

“Doug Smith is, quite simply, the finest short-story writer Canada has ever produced in the science fiction and fantasy genres, and he’s also the most prolific. His stories are a treasure trove of riches that will touch your heart while making you think.” – Robert J. Sawyer

“[About River] I was surprised at how varied the stories were, from those in fantasy settings (like mine) to modern day settings, to post-apocalyptic and even SF settings … I think every reader will be able to find a couple of stories in here that they will love, and they’ll enjoy the rest of the stories as well.” – Joshua Palmatier

“[Reggie Oliver is] endowed with a fertile imagination and a superb writing technique. He’s a terrific storyteller who can write in a classy, elegant yet powerful narrative style, creating perfectly drawn characters and enticing plots.” – British Fantasy Society

In this beautiful collection from Subterranean Press, fans get something special.  It includes two novels written by Farmer,  Hadon of Ancient Opar and Flight to Opar, as well as The Song of Kwasin.  The last was written only in outline form when Farmer died, and so was finished by Chistopher Paul Carey and added into the mix.

“Fans of Farmer’s original series will appreciate this repackaging and enjoy the finale, both in tone and because of the closure it provides. Likewise, fans…will find the entire collection an accessible and enjoyable throwback.” – Publishers Weekly

“[John Crowley’s] trademark elegance shines through.” – Publishers Weekly

“[About Turns and Chances] The reader also gets a real sense of depth, of the world stretching away beyond the narrow confines of these pages, both in time and space.  It’s an impressive achievement.” – Joanne Hall

“These three reflective short-short stories employing Blaylock’s signature nostalgic prose are individually strong in technique.” – Publishers Weekly

This won the Hugo, folks. So you know it’s got something going for it…. Plus it’s signed by Stross. So it’s double-cool.

“Experienced SF readers will enjoy this intelligent look at the intricacies of time travel fiction.” – Publishers Weekly

The fact that this book is signed by both Robin Hobb and Megan Lindholm is pretty interesting, given that the two are actually the same person….

“An engaging, entertaining introduction to both sides of the author’s work.” – Booklist (Starred Review)

*     *     *

Remember, for every 10 dollars you donate on our Team Page, you get a chance to win these books and many, many more.

Or, if you want to see the other items that have been donated to Worldbuilders, or learn more about the fundraiser itself, you can head over to the main page here.

This entry was posted in Worldbuilders 2012By Pat7 Responses

7 Comments

  1. Lisa
    Posted December 26, 2012 at 4:30 PM | Permalink

    “The fact that this book is signed by both Robin Hobb and Megan Lindholm is pretty interesting, given that the two are actually the same person….”

    Even more interesting is the fact that written by both people, given the fact that they are indeed the same person

    • Posted December 26, 2012 at 6:42 PM | Permalink

      Wha?

      • SilverTpt
        Posted December 26, 2012 at 9:46 PM | Permalink

        Wow, Lisa is really on top of this! I had no idea until I looked it up.

        Robin Hobb is the second pen name of novelist Margaret Astrid Lindholm Ogden who produces primarily fantasy fiction, although she has published some science fiction. From 1983 to 1992, she wrote exclusively under the pseudonym Megan Lindholm.

        • Posted December 28, 2012 at 5:01 PM | Permalink

          Isn’t that what I said up above?

  2. jasonaroo
    Posted December 26, 2012 at 10:26 PM | Permalink

    How about if people donate a certain amount then you talk about the upcoming book #3 of the Kingkiller Chronicles….? Like how it’s going. Something you enjoyed about writing it recently. Or even perhaps if you are not enjoying the process. But something, at least. :)

    Would love to hear some tidbit of progress report…. I’m sure I am not alone!

    Great first two books in the series by the way. My favorite books of all time.

    -Jason

  3. rjleduc
    Posted December 27, 2012 at 9:21 AM | Permalink

    I wouldn’t mind winning a copy of The Dimension Next Door, Fellowship Fantastic.

    I am a big fan of Bradley P. Beaulieu’s Winds of Khalakovo and The Straits of Galahesh novels (added to the lottery in an earlier blog posting). I found his focus on Eastern cultures for his fantasy novels very different and refressing and they kept me up at night. Highly recommended! He is the kind of author I hope the game of books will help find his audience.

    If anyone wants to get a taste of his writing, he has a kickstarter going on called “Lest Our Passage Be Forgotten & Other Stories,” which is a collection of his short stories.

    For a mere $5 you can get an epack of not only this book, but also Winds of Khalakovo and The Straits of Galahesh which is ridiculous value compared to buying the last two on their own!

    He has been a big supporter of world builders (donating books and a novel critique). One of the things I would like to also see come out of worldbuilders is that it helps us find new authors, and the authors find new audiences.

    p.s. Pat: it was nice to meet you at World fantasy Convention in Toronto (I was the guy wearing the Eolian shirt). I loved the “Pat’s minion” t-shirt your assistant was wearing!

  4. JeremyM
    Posted December 28, 2012 at 11:11 AM | Permalink

    Pat you’re not alone in being a reluctant Brony. It started as being the only show of my nieces that didn’t drive me bat shit crazy. Then I started paying attention and realized it’s actually a good show, with good writing and good characters. I refuse to watch it on my own but when I’m watching her I always tend to steer her towards it.

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