Great Collection of Short Stories
346654
I've read many works by Robert Silverberg over the years, and I just recently finished this one. I like his books a lot, mainly for the unique and imaginative characters and settings that he uses. This book is no exception. There are many, many short stories here. An amazing callideoscope of stories. Some are longer than others. He does a good job of giving each character a unique voice, and even does well when writing from the standpoint of a female character, which is an ability of Silverberg's that I admire.

Another thing that makes these stories interesting to read is that they convey a lot of moralistic themes. Although the stories were written many years ago, the backdrop of a lot of them have world problems that are still relevant today. Items like overpopulation, destruction of natural resources, etc. Some of the stories highlight things that more closely pin these stories to the 60's. When I read about free love, unconstrained drug use, and people occasionally saying "groovy", I chuckle a bit. But it makes the stories no less remarkable. I enjoyed each and every one.

There is a lot of experimentation in these stories, you can tell. Some are written in first person, some in third. Some play out in a linear way, while others jump back and forth in nonlinear fashion.

My favorite two stories were "Entropy's Jaws" and "Many Mansions". Both deal with time travel, one in a more serious sense and the other in a whimsical fashion. "Many Mansions" is one of the most unique things I've ever read. It bounces around all over the place, gathering this strange momentum of thrill and hilarity.

I also really enjoyed "Push No More", about young teen boy who gains telekinesis. I kind of saw the end coming, unfortunately, but it was still good.

There are a lot of imaginative settings and characters here, such as "This is the Road". The only stories I didn't like were the few that were written in a stream-of-consciousness fashion, that seem to be made up of random events that don't tie together too well. But I was still entertained, throughout. Definitely recommended!
417547
This is a nice collection of short stories, some detective stories, some  not, some murders, and various other crimes. I like Max Bittersohn and  Sarah Kelling, so stories featuring them are always great. I also like  Peter Shandy, and he's here too. But there are several other short stories,  some light-hearted and some a little more serious. This is a great  collection.
814298
A nice collection of short stories. I especially liked the ones with a collective conscious.
Some stories also leave you with a sense of: What will happen next?
4501996
Excellent collection of short stories! The author has a knack for writing from so many different perspectives (e.g., male, female, an expectant mother, a dutiful daughter, an army recruit, a stranger within a foreign country, etc.). It is hard to believe all the stories were written by the same person! Yet despite the diversity of perspectives each story provides an emotional connection. The first sentence of "Pinocchio" is perhaps the most entertaining opening line to any story ever written! Many of the stories are so thought provoking that I did not want to read more than one story per day so as to savor each one. My only complaint is the book is too short, however it is definitely worth the price. It needs a sequel!
4846736
Excellent collection of really interesting short stories - fascinating
1972586
If you're looking for new books to read, try the Writer's of the Future.  This set of short stories is a great read.  I look forward to finding novels and other short stories by many of these authors.  There were many great things about this compilation.  I enjoyed the alien Romeo and Juliet in the Stars that Make Dark Heaven Light, by Sharon Joss.  There are great twists and turns in Between Screens, by Zach Chapman.  Unrefined, by Martin Shoemaker really shows what it takes to be a leader.  There is an interesting twist in Half Past by Samantha Murray.  You can gain an understanding of why we save those who can't save themselves in The God Whisperer, by Daniel J. Davis.  Give this short story compilation a try, it's well worth the time and effort.
1344051
A great bunch of short stories. I was only going to have a quick flick through the book before returning later. As it turned out, I was so gripped I ended up reading the whole book in one sitting.

Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys short horror stories.
4812346
What a great book of short stories. I find myself feeling the lives of each short story.
2830578
Great collection of short stories here. Some very emotive that took me back to my youth. Some very dark and will have you saying " I wasn't expecting that"

All in all a very enjoyable read. I just wished there was more. Some of the ideas were amazing. Without any spoilers there was one in particular that would make a great novel.

This is not just for a fantastic cause it's a fantastic read.
2515033
I found this to be a great collection of short stories, and I think those who are interested in life in the Soviet Union/Russia of the 20th Century will also find it to be a compelling read.  The author clearly knows how to  handle the short story genre (although the "novella" piece at the  end of the book was my personal favorite - great development of characters  in this particular piece!), and his experiences living in Russia have  obviously influenced the way his stories ring true.
If you like short  stories, and you're interested in the sociology/psychology of life in the  Soviet Union/Russia, you'll really like this collection.  I did.
3910041
Wonderful collection of short stories, part of a triptych based before, during and after various apocalypses.  Well curated.  A great way to get exposed to new writing.
2700556
A wonderful collection of short stories, connected thematically. I was so intrigued by the authors use of historical documents ( letters, newspaper items, etc.) as the inspiration or starting point for each story. Not every story is a gem, but each is interesting and vivid, even heartbreaking. Highly recommended.
1077355
Disclaimer: I'm not sure if I got this as a freebie, a giveaway, purchased it, or one of my AMAZON PRIME loaners but it was next on my kindle to read list: I stayed up late nights over the weekend to read this book... each story was diverse enough from the others so that they didn't bleed into each other's theme. Great collection of stories, well written, I'm going to read it again soon to catch the bits I know I missed as I was not expecting most of the twists!
4764910
Great collection of short stories and a bargain at 99 cents!  Very good writing and depth of story and characters in nearly all of these spooky tales - my personal favorite was "the pick" - very different and an enjoyable read.  Worth buying.
3945382
While the stories themselves are short, the overall collection is the length of a normal sized book. The Author tells stories that range from horrific to hilarious and really show the versatility of the author.  It would be hard to describe or summarize this collection into a particular genre as the stories vary greatly.  I think the variety of the stories really show cases the author's talents and I would be interested in reading more by this author.
4541942
I believe it takes a special talent to be able to produce a good short story, particularly these days when there are not many publishing outlets for them. This collection then, is especially welcome since it brings together short stories from many famous authors. Like any collection, however, it contains stories that are good, and stories that are bad, and some that are a little of both. It's to the credit of the editor that he has produced this work, and I recommend it to those who enjoy reading shorter works from some of their favorite authors. Despite some of the shortcomings of this collection, I am looking forward to the next edition of this work, if only for the continuation of the last story in the collection.
4405493
I enjoyed all the short stories in this intriguing and well written collection. From the hell hound to the dark heart, readers are going to find this author has a way of telling a great story and they might be amazed by the twisted endings inside the covers of this book. CS Valentine is definitely an author worth looking into.