Customer Reviews

From the End of the Twentieth Century

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At LAST a collection of Ford's far-flung short masterpieces! Ford, to me, is like osetra caviar: nobody knows the name, and only true caviar devotees know it's the best. And boy, is this the best. Gaiman hits it in the foreword: Ford is a writer's writer, and you can't pin him down to one particular spot. The collection is rife with brilliant masterpieces, little jewels where the title alone will get you (i.e., "Scrabble With God", "Secret Hamlet Man"), or his retelling of the Orpheus story in a blues setting ("Here To Get My Baby Out of Jail") or a Thomas Dylan-like verse piece about the dreams of satellites ("All Our Propogations"), a long verse version of the Illiad in different cinematic styles ("Troy: The Movie"), and another one of the Shakespearean Wars of the Roses history cycle with showtunes and Gilbert & Sullivan ("A Little Scene to Monarchize"). Do yourself a favor: buy it, horde it, and dole out the pieces one at a time when you need a REALLY good read.

And believe me, I'm an editor, no one EVER raves about how a book is edited--but in this case, I simply can't help myself. Paul J. Giguere's sinuous and sensual editing shapes every story. I'm sure John M. Ford is a fine writer and all, but truth be told, this book wouldn't be this book without the bountiful talents of young Mr. Giguere. I'm no science fiction fan, but I'm founding the Paul J. Giguere Editing Fan Club and Ogling Society, and I expect many readers will join--the second they can tear themselves away from this divine work! In fact, I may dedicate my life to following the teachings of heartthrob and dreamboat Paul J. Giguere. Anyone know if he's single? A girl can hope...