Synopis:
From outer space to inner space, from realms of the never-were to those of the here-and-now and the soon-to-be, the twenty-four authors in this fifth and final collection of science fiction and fantasy by writers featured on the Aurora Award-winning podcast The Worldshapers plunge readers into fantastic worlds filled with unforgettable characters.
Teenagers are disappearing in a mysterious grove, and no one knows why—not even those who escape it. The god of love finds magical arrows just don’t cut it in the modern world of digital matchmaking. A prisoner discovers he has been stripped of thirty-five years of memories as punishment for a crime he cannot remember. Far from being a refuge from humdrum reality, dreams become a trap for one young man when he encounters those who dwell there. A man who hunts angels for a living has the tables turned on him by the last angel he corners. Talking beasts from the island of a certain infamous doctor arrive in London to make their way in the world of men, only to be caught up in the ongoing Martian invasion . . .
Shapers of Worlds Volume V showcases stories by Brad C. Anderson, Edo van Belkom, J. G. Gardner, Olesya Salnikova Gilmore, Chadwick Ginther, Evan Graham, M. C. A. Hogarth, M. J. Kuhn, L. Jagi Lamplighter, Kevin Moore, Robin Stevens Payes, James S. Peet, Omari Richards, Lawrence M. Schoen, Alex Shvartsman, Alan Smale, Richard Sparks, P. L. Stuart, Brad R. Torgersen, Hayden Trenholm, Brian Trent, Eli K. P. William, Edward Willett, and Natalie Wright. Every story is illustrated with an original black-and-white drawing by Wendi Nordell.
Review:
Watching the rise and growth of the independent short story scene has become one of my favorite pastimes over the past few years. From the anthologies on Kickstarter raising incredible sums of money to the authors challenging themselves to write and publish a new short story every week, it feels like a subtle rebirth of the short story is upon us.
Into this milieu steps Shapers of Worlds Volume 5, the last of the series, a collection of short stories from authors who have appeared on the Aurora Award-winning podcast The Worldshapers. Published by Shadowpaw Press and edited by Edward Willett, this is undoubtedly one of the most wide-ranging collections of shorts I’ve personally come across. There’s science fiction and fantasy of all stripes here, and it was a joy to open the book up, never quite knowing what I’d find hiding behind the next page.
I’ve always found reviewing collections like these a challenging task. The obvious truism for almost any collection, that’s even more true here, is that for every individual reader some stories will work and others won’t. The promise of a wide-ranging collection like this is that no matter who you are, there will be at least a handful of stories you find entertaining and moving. The peril with such a wide-ranging collection is that it’s much more likely you’ll bounce off a few, too.
The ultimate question is whether the collection is worth your time and attention, and my feeling here is an unambiguous yes. There are a couple of good reasons.
First, this is a wonderful introduction to an enormous number of talented storytellers. There were at least a handful of names within this collection that I’ve wanted to read but haven’t yet tried due to the enormity of my TBR. Because (as near as I can tell) there was no overarching theme or guidance to the stories, Shapers of Worlds provides an unfiltered look at each author’s style, which is a true gift. I definitely added a few names of authors to keep an eye on here.
Second, a collection like this places its finger on the pulse of the cultural zeitgeist. Though there was no overarching theme, it’s clear what is on the mind of many artists. Particularly among the science fiction crowd, there’s a clear concern about the role of technology in society, particularly around the growth and use of artificial intelligence.
But finally, and maybe most importantly, this collection was fun to read. Most of the stories are actually short, unlike some anthologies I’ve read where the stories grew and expanded until they were pushing into novella lengths. It meant that the book was easy to pick up during short breaks, and each story was a completely new adventure. I thought the book would take me a lot longer to read than it actually did.
In short, I enjoyed my time within these pages, and if you pick it up, I hope you do as well.
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