If there isn't a story in this collection that doesn't ...
356076
If there isn't a story in this collection that doesn't grab you; you need to start from the beginning and read it again!
3331458
This is a classic collection of stories that won't disappoint. There's something for everyone in here ranging from authors who a treading new ground to those who give tips of the hat to classic horror authors. There was not a story here I didn't like.
1526824
Sometimes the best stories come from people without a major publisher backing them.  There are quite a few of those stories here.
1288748
You can tell some of the stories are missing from this collection, but it is a great price, for a large collection of some of my favorite childhood stories.

Sincerely,
Ira Carmel.
2245829
Not every story in this collection is great, but the ones that were were really impressive. Bury the Children in the Yard was strangely unsettling. I had a hard time falling asleep after I read it. My second favorite tale was Laundrymen. I really like stories that play with concepts that are more weird than scary and find a way to make them chilling. Music from the Slaughterhouse is the closest to a traditional horror story, and it's another really nice read.

Like the other reviewers, I was a bit bugged by all the similarities in character names. I tend to read short story collections in a single sitting, so this probably contributed to this. I'd jump straight from one story to the next and get a little confused. Maybe the letters J and M were repeated for a reason, but if they were, I missed it.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend this collection. Library of Trespass is the only story that fell flat, and the title story is a must read.
4751255
Great collection of stories you won't find anywhere else. Unknown, but good authors, with unique stories that take a left turn with no signal.
3880357
On the whole, this is an interesting collection of strange and bizarre stories. Most are written in first-person, and this makes it easy for the reader to get absorbed right into each quirky situation. I would describe these stories as "fantastical". There is always an attitude of bemused humor in the telling of the tales. The "impossible" is treated as being true and accepted in the telling of the tale -- a matter-of-fact attitude expressed by the first-person narrator. "Things fall apart" is the quote by W.B. Yeats printed on the page before the collection of stories begins. This is the thread that ties all these stories together.

I won't review each story, as this has been done well by others on Amazon. But, my favorite story is the title story: "The Miniature Wife". A man accidentally shrinks his wife to doll-size, and can't reverse the process. So, he tries to accommodate her by building her a doll house to live in. Things do not go well. Their relationship changes drastically. And, so it goes. Very creepy, and also funny.

"Cash to a Killing" is my next favorite, then "Pilot, Copilot, Writer". On my personal grading scale, all 18 of these stories merit a grade of between A+ and C, which (in my experience of reading short story collections) is excellent. Not all stories are winners, but none of them is bad. Quirky variations on tales of wolfmen, zombies, unicorns, murderers, hijackers, robots, other-worlds, end of the world, human oddities. Sprinkled in amongst the stories are several "Meritorious Life" encyclopedia-like entries. They are not short stories, but seem more like writing exercises . These are the weakest entries in this collection, with one exception: "William Corbin: A Meritorious Life". The encyclopedia entry gives a scholarly explanation of the origin of clowns. It reminded me greatly of a museum I visited in Culver City, CA -- the Museum of Jurassic Technology. Just as this museum presents the fantastical as "truth" (and you must do your own research to determine the real truth),  it is difficult to separate fact from fiction when it is presented in a scholarly format. That's what this particular entry does -- presents the wildly fantastic as truth. And, it's presented so seriously that you almost might believe it. (I don't believe that the other Meritorious Life entries are as successful.)

The writing is very good, the stories are engaging, odd, creepy, funny, etc. My main criticism of many of these stories is the author's chosen "ending". As some other reviewers have mentioned, they didn't think the stories were finished. The author is obviously very talented, so I also do not understand why he seemed to not supply adequate "endings" to some (not all) of these stories.
4658810
A collection of 15 stories of fantastical transformation, Clockwork Phoenix 2 walks the line between readability and art to build a collection which is haunting, inspiring, and glorious. As with most short story collections some stories are more successful than others, but as a whole these are all far above par. From a girl who was once a goddess's avatar to a lover made of glass to middle-aged Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the wildly different content disrupts the flow from one story to another, but be patient with the transitions and you'll be rewarded. Fantastical, beautiful, harrowing, and all of them vibrantly unique, the stories in Clockwork Phoenix 2 are a delight to read, and this collection is a resounding success. I recommend it.

Coming into this collection, I had not read the original Clockwork Phoenix and worried that I would miss something for being new to the anthology. Rest assured, this volume stands alone, although it can take a little while to divine from the title and the stories just what it is meant to be. For me, the uniting theme that emerges is transformation. In "Once a Goddess," a woman transitions from goddess's avatar to ordinary human; in "Angel Dust," a stone statue comes alive; in "Never Nor Ever" Tweedledum and Tweedledee meditate on death. Transformation--be it a change role, shape, or place or the cycle of life, death, and rebirth--is a broad and weighty theme. But this theme may not be intentional--Allen never indicates one way or the other, instead commenting on the style of the stories, which he describes as "adventures both in how they read and what they said." This too unites the collection: all the stories are imaginative and brave both in style and in content, and so the 15 wildly disparate tales nonetheless feel at home together in a single volume.

Indeed the joy and the danger of this collection is the great distance between each story. Each one is a sight to a magical world (even if it looks like modern America) in which a great event (read: change, read: magic) is not only possible, it may be happening right now. From comic book settings to a steam-powered spaceships to Middle Eastern villages; from child superheros to magicians to mirror-making lesbian nuns; steampunk and mythpunk and epistalory--the setting, content, and style of each story is unique. And while the quality of the stories varies, there are no duds. "Once a Goddess," "At the Edge of Dying," "Never Nor Ever," and "each thing i show you is a piece of my death" were my favorites, but each selection is a joy to read. The magical worlds and transformative events of each story make them wondrous and eye-opening twice over. However, the transition between these different worlds can be disorientating. The danger of short story collections is the temptation to finish a story and jump right into the next, which is exacerbated here by Allen's skillful arrangement. Hurry onto the next story in Clockwork Phoenix 2 and you'll forget to appreciate the previous and have a difficulty adjusting to the next, and the collection may feel cobbled together. Better to force yourself to pause at the end of the story and let it sink in.

But do that, and Clockwork Phoenix 2 is wonderful. Unfamiliar to the series, confused by the title, I came to it knowing only that I liked two of the authors. I was entirely unsure what I was getting into, but Clockwork Phoenix 2 delighted me. Pacing myself and reveling in the phoenix-like transformations and imaginative styles that unite the collection, each story came alive. They are vivid, fantastical, magical; some are escapist, many are dark and twisted; each story is a pleasure to read and the collected volume is an absolute success. This is one of the better short story anthologies that I've read, and I'm pleased that I had the chance to do so. For something unusual, magical, and transformative, seek out Clockwork Phoenix 2. I recommend it enthusiastically .
2011963
This collection contains stories that will satisfy your longing for impossible events, unexpected truths, and dazzling stories of things that can only exist on the page. The stories here come from many different sources: online literary journals, print genre magazines, and venues in between. The authors range from people as well-known as Stephen King to authors you have probably never heard of. Give it a try and discover new authors, new places to read fantasy, and stories that will leave you breathless.
107353
Like all anthologies, this collection is a bit hit and miss.  There are truly enjoyable moments while others that are somewhat meh, but over all, there is more excellent than mediocre.

There is not a super obvious flow between these stories, and as such it took me quite a while to figure out why theyd been grouped together.  Yes, they are all vaguely xmas-y and kinky, but thats not really enough to tie six stories together into a cohesive whole.  Near the end I finally realized that while some are very d/s or bdsm heavy, and others have mere flavors of kink, they are all inherently about control.  When to hold onto it and when to let it go, when it needs asserting and when you can allow someone else to take the reins.

As this is a collection of previously available single titles, you might want to check your e-book archives to make sure you aren't purchasing works youve already acquired.  But honestly, at the bundled price its well worth it, even if you do already have one or two of the stories.

One final note unrelated to the actual review:  I have to say, I think potential readers of this collection could benefit from the addition of a trigger warning in the book blurb, as two of the six stories (All He Wants and One Gold Heart) deal with the aftermath of rape.

**For the sake of full disclosure it must be stated that I received this book, free of charge, from Netgalley.**
2150515
I've read and re-read several stories in this collection several times - standouts include: "Train to Lo Wu", "Heaven Lake", and "Secret of Bats". Not only are these stories completely original, and moreso, completely convincing in their delivery, but they are also very easy to read - enough so that I have recommended this book to many who don't often read short stories, and they have all loved it very much. I really can't say enough nice things about these stories - clearly this collection is one of the standouts of the last few years, and is gaining popularity among readers. Some have remarked how there's not enough about Hong Kong here - they've missed the point, I'm sorry to say. Regardless of class, race or gender, these stories deal with subjects to which we all can relate - isolation, compassion, mistrust, love - and each story in this collection resonates as finely as the tines of a tuning fork. I would recommend it to anyone who likes fine writing, effective story telling, and strong subject matter.
4832512
In many compilations, one or two stories stand out among the rest. Not so in this book. Each story is poignant and beautifully written. I will certainly research each author so that I may read his or her individual works.
4075742
I'm not going to pretend that I loved, loved, loved every story in this volume. One of them, "The Horse in Our History" didn't work at all, in my opinion. But as I told the guys in my book club, at least two or three of them would find their way onto my list of 100 best-ever short stories. Disclaimer: I couldn't name more than ten or fifteen stories on that list, and the list probably has five hundred stories on it anyway. So much for the claim...

The standouts to me in this collection are "Two Things," "Woe to Live On," "Dream Spot," and "One United." "Returning the River" comes close, very close - very reminiscent of one of my favorite Wendell Berry stories. However, the writing is a pleasure to read all the way through. For example, in a scene in "Woe to Live On," Woodrell writes:

"It was a poetry moment: water, whiskey, no danger, a friendly sun in the sky, larks, laughter."

That sentence is a poetry moment all by itself.

The stories are dark, yes, but not of a despairing darkness. They are stories about regular people confronting their lives. Some live, but not all. The prose is elegant - not stylish, not always pretty, but elegant in its brevity. You will want to read many of the stories over, but you never have to read a single sentence over to figure out what the author is saying.

That's good writing.
4916402
This is a great collection. The writing is beautiful, but not showy and the stories are heartbreaking and funny and sometimes weird, but weird in a good way that makes you want to read the next story just to be amazed at the author's imagination. (I'm guessing I won't encounter another story about a world where runners carry statues as they race.)  For me all of the stories worked and I wished she had shown me more.
1449867
I fell in love with this collection. If you have not read it, I recommend you do so now.
2898301
The latest collection from the prolific and multifaceted Stephen Graham Jones contains mainly reprints, with two original stories. If youve never read his work, its a great place to jump in, especially now that the Halloween season is once again upon us. His stories tend to have a timeless quality, but the ones collected here in particular are notably fitting for the onset of the cold, dark corners of the year.

In this book youll read about vampires, werewolves, spirits, aliens, murderers, mad science, and zombies, among other things. Its obvious that Jones has an abiding love for horror, as most of these stories deal with long-standing genre tropes to some extent. That said, they're far from typical and he doesnt settle with simply rehashing whats come before (unless hes deconstructing something and reforming it into his own wild configuration).

Welcome to the Reptile House perhaps best exemplifies this, its cyclical structure weaving around seemingly disparate parts (supernatural abilities, tattoo culture, mortuary work), making its way to a conclusion that both comes as a shock and feels perfectly natural. It would be almost a disservice to mention the particular trope at play here. Suffice to say its quite possibly one of the best short stories dealing with it that you're ever likely to read.

The title story takes the haunted house concept and again brings a unique spin to an age-old theme. Its one of the more emotionally driven pieces in the collection (a quality that Jones does well with, which is no easy task considering the clipped prose style that characterizes his writing). In this story the characters are haunted by a past accident as much as the house itself is haunted, but make no mistake  Its truly not a place youd want to spend the night in.

The Dead Are Not takes an outsiders perspective on the ritualistic nature of funerals, and explores the possibility of other ways to say goodbye, or possibly not have to say it at all (providing, of course, you're privy to the secret words that must be spoken). If you could circumvent the great equalizer, what would be the cost? The chilling final words of this story may seem maddening in their ambiguity, but theres more than enough there for readers to draw their own conclusions.

If theres anything readers are likely to take issue with here, it is that ambiguity. Just as Jones isn't content to go the typical route as far as subjects and plotting are concerned, his stories tend to leave a lot open to individual interpretation.

As far as the reading goes, the collection is a balanced mix of deeply imaginative stories, emotional weight, out-of-the-box structure, and prose that will at times leave you breathless. Top that off with Alban Fischers inspired book design, the eerie yet inviting cover art by George C. Cotronis, and Luke Spooners subtly sinister illustrations, and After the People Lights Have Gone Off is a sure bet for the kind of book youll want to keep coming back to over the years. Recommended.
2644288
This is the second issue of this great series which offers short stories in translation. This collection is extremely well curated, and it is so exciting to be able to read all of these wonderful works of literature that I'd not be exposed to otherwise.