Customer Reviews

The Earth Strikes Back: New Tales of Ecological Horror

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Compiled in 1994, most of these stories deal with the effects of pollution; acid rain, poisoned seas and whatnot. I would have liked to see a little more earthquake and perhaps something fungal, but this is an excellent collection of lovely bedtime stories for those who don't dream....

My Copsa Micas by Dan Simmons - A story of reckless pollution and disturbing dreams.

Harvest by Norman Partridge - Cancer destroys a man's family and his sanity as well.

Toxic Wastrels by Poppy Z. Brite - The two adult wastrel children of a town's major polluter finally suffer a poetic justice. (this was one of my favorites, just the thought of a brain scampering down a flight of stairs and out into the swamp gave me chills!)

The Forest is Crying by Charles De Lint - A man regains his faith when visited by an angel from the future who helps him with her past.

I Remember Me by Thomas Tessier - When memory fades, what will you do when no one else is capable of reminding you?

Ground Water by James Kisner - A man's insistent request to be hooked up to the City's water supply has a very grisly twist.

Cages by Ed Gorman - What would you do to help your drug addicted and crazy parents out?

Where It's Safe by John Shirley - Even all the money in the world can't keep you safe.

Expiration Date by William Relling Jr. - Does our planet have one?

The Dreaded Hobblobs by Gary A. Braunbeck - What if they moved next door to you? Even worse, what if they had plans for you?

Cancer Alley by Nancy A. Collins - Guess who's coming to the next town meeting?

Binary by Roman A. Ranieri - A young boy's rescuer takes revenge for those that caused his death.

Tyrophex Fourteen by Ronald Kelly - A deadly burning gas is accidentally released and the company will do anything to cover their tracks.

Torrent by Mark Rainey - It won't quit raining, and the rain can kill...

Toxic Shock by Rick Hautala - A twist to the old abortion debate.

Please Stand By by Thomas F. Monteleone - Would you keep your mouth shut for enough money?

Double-Edged Sword by Barry Hoffman - (my favorite story in this collection) So you spray gases for the military, but what if you fall victim too?

The Fur Coat by Richard Laymon - How far will an animal activist go?

Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200 by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro - How competitive will our world get?

Genesis II by Hugh B. Cave - After its all over, will you be able to start again?

The book's concept is noteworthy but hideously, virulently abused. The stories within are hackneyed and wayward. They lack the ability to demand the attention of the reader. This is a very, very BADLY ORGANIZED VENTURE. Sounds harsh? I am apathetic. Throw a toxic-waste-infested gardenia at my Honda Civic; the impact would be more substantial than anything in the pages of this compilation.

The title says it all--I mean, you just can't expect works of literary value from a book that has "Earth Strikes Back" for it's title, can you?
Completely worthless, the book exists just to push some very pro-eco propaganda. While I agree that we do need to take a better care of earth, writing stories about gruesomely murdering people wearing fur or anti-environmentalists turning into puddles of toxic waste isn't a very good way to get the point across. The writing is very, very bad--it's not just a lack of interesting plot or characters,...--it's that bad, trust me. And the subject matter--written in the right way, even the most blatant propraganda can be convincing and even interesting, but this is unbearable. The only reason I bought this book was because it was selling at a meager price =..., but I now regret having spent even that much on it. Don't read this--it's a complete waste of time and money.