Earth, Air, Fire, Water (Tales from the Eternal Archives, 2) [Paperback]

Margaret Weis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1999

Tanya Huff
Bruce Holland Rogers
Nina Kiriki Hoffman
Michelle West
Jane Lindskold
Kristine Kathryn Rusch
...and other "Keepers of the Eternal Archives"unleash the dazzling--and dangerous--powers of earth, air, fire, and water...

* All-new, original stories by top science fiction and fantasy writers
* Edited by New York Times bestselling author, Margaret Weis
* Second in the Eternal Archives anthology series, the "secret knowledge" of the universe series, which began with Legends (1/99)

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: DAW (November 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0886778573
• ISBN-13: 978-0886778576
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,330,743 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Author of Net Impact, a spy thriller which incorporates real-world conspiracy theories, GREENSWORD, a dark comedy about global warming, and Forced Conversion, a military science fiction novel set in the near future. Also author of a variety of short fiction in the science fiction, fantasy, thriller, horror, steampunk, romance, and comedy genres, including stories in the Dragonlance and Transformers universes and in a variety of DAW themed anthologies. World's top-ranked player of RPGA Classic roleplaying game tournaments from 1985-2000. See my writing and gaming resumes at www.donaldjbingle.com., including a listing of the more than thirty anthologies in which I have stories. Some of my previously published stories have been collected by theme in my Writer on Demand TM series and published on Kindle, including Tales of Gamers and Gaming, Tales of Humorous Horror, and Tales Out of Time. My award-winning short memoir, Father's Day, is also available on Kindle, as is Gentlemanly Horrors of Mine Alone, the ninth story in Mike Stackpole's Chain Story Project.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Average entry in the anthology market, July 22, 2000

By 

M. Barber "geek girl" (south-central PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Earth, Air, Fire, Water (Tales from the Eternal Archives, 2) (Paperback)

The stories in _Earth, Air, Fire, Water_ generally fall into the category of quickly read, easily forgotten. The collection is good for a little light reading, but not for the serious-minded. The "eternal archives" thread that attempts to bring the stories together comes off as stiff and formal rather than stately and grand, evoking annoyance instead of awe. The stories are categorized by element; air is sadly lacking, with only one tale to its credit.

Two stories stand out from the pack: "Dvergertal" by Nancy Varian Berberick and "Strange Creatures" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Berberick's tale draws heavily upon Norse mythology to give the reader a tale of a strong woman trapped in her brother's household (with his shrewish wife) until the arrival of a mysterious stranger. Rusch's entry brings Irish lore to the present day in a small coastal town plagued by a series of animal killings. The remainder of the stories are equally mixed between the standard fantasy settings and modern day locales.

_Earth, Air, Fire, Water_ is a nice collection of stories, but it's nothing earth-shattering.