Black Cats and Broken Mirrors [Paperback]

Martin H. Greenberg (Editor), John Helfers (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1998

From dark felines crossing your path to shattered looking glasses, Black Cats and Broken Mirrors dares to ask the question: "What if some of those long-treasured superstitions are actually true?" Join Jane Yolen, Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, Michelle West, Charles de Lint, Nancy Springer, Peter Crowther, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Esther Friesner, and more as they explore the lighter and darker sides of our fears in this original anthology featuring stories ranging from urban fantasy and magical realism to horror!

Editorial Reviews

From AudioFile

This compilation of 15 supernatural and fantasy tales dealing with magic and superstition is well narrated and differentiated. Characters are read with appropriate voices, pitch, and tone that draw the reader into the tales, which are sometimes reminiscent of that old radio show "The Shadow Knows." The reedy voice of dying Front Page McGuffin, star reporter, tells the tale of his inability to die with thin, raspy words. The narrator's voice in "Caretaking" bubbles up from the wishing well she's fallen into in response to her mother's wish. This exceptionally well-done audio could have been edited for language and gore. G.D.W. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: DAW (June 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0886777887
• ISBN-13: 978-0886777883
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,415,342 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Only a Few Shine, August 9, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Black Cats and Broken Mirrors (Paperback)

As with many short story collections, only a few will shine. Namely, Auspicious Stars by Jane Lindskold and Soul Cages by Carol Rondou. A neat idea is presented in Caretaking by Nina Kiriki Hoffman and How It All Began by Esther Friesner. Maybe not worth the full price tag but a good library checkout.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Diversity can be a good thing., October 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Black Cats and Broken Mirrors (Paperback)

Typical of anthology books in that everyone went out of their way to be different. At one extreme, Esther Friesner explains how all superstitions got started. At the other, one writer invents a whole new superstition about dirt and death. Some of the stories are filler, but there are enough outstanding works to pick up the slack.

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Black Cats and Broken Mirrors, December 23, 2000

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Black Cats and Broken Mirrors (Paperback)

Four Words: DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY! The title is an excuse for a poorly organized anthology. While the stories share a common theme of superstition, most are poorly written and a few are downright disgusting ("Dead Tired" comes to mind!). There are a few good standouts ("How It all Began", "Whirlwinds"). If you really want to read this, visit the library.