Tuesday, April 07, 2015

GoodReads Review: Otherwere

Otherwere: Stories of TransformationOtherwere: Stories of Transformation by Laura Anne Gilman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An entertaining and varied collection of short stories, running the gamut from serious to silly to reflective to scientific. These are all contemporary / urban fantasy stories, but with the imaginative types of were-creatures presented, no tale feels repetitive.

Highlights for me were Shariann Lewitt's "Sharewere" (where the shapechanging involves artificial intelligence!) and Greg Cox's "... So Tears Run To A Predestined End." In general, I especially enjoyed the more humorous stories. Two stories didn't work for me. R.A. Salvatore's "The Coach With The Big Teeth" could have achieved the same effect in three pages, unless you're an avid sports fan. Adam-Troy Castro's "The Way Things Ought To Be" has an interesting premise based on were-politics, but its execution is too militant unless you agree with the outlook presented.

Overall, this is a solid anthology with several strong stories. Recommended.

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