"From a darkly humorous tale of the power of words (
Death and the Librarian) to a never-before-published response to events of September 11 (
Ilion), Friesner's 12 stories illustrate the author's acutely sensitive vision of wonder in the everyday world... Known primarily for his 'Star Wars' novels... Zahn's short stories also deliver strong plots and memorable characters... Zebrowski's many novels (e.g. Macrolife) mark him as a visionary as well as a master of hard sf. The ten short stories collected in
In the Distance provide a benchmark of his creativity... the author expands his concept of the human condition to embrace the stars. Part of Five Star's continuing commitment to showcasing the short fiction of the genre's most prominent author's, these three volumes belong in most libraries where short sf is popular."
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Library Journal (December 2002) (
Library Journal 20020615)
"...Part of Five Star's continuing commitment to showcasing the short fiction of the genre's most prominent authors, these three volumes (
Death and the Librarian and Other Stories/ Star Song and Other Stories/ In the Distance, and Ahead in Time) belong in most libraries where short sf is popular."
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Library Journal (December 2002) (
Library Journal 20050301)
"Four more titles in Five Star's new series (
God Is an Iron and Other Stories/ Generation Gap and Other Stories/ The Lady Vanishes and Other Oddities of Nature/ Suppose They Gave a Peace and Other Stories) of short fiction by noteworthy sf authors offer a variety of tales that illustrate the depth and staying power of the genre...Most of the stories in these volumes have only appeared in periodicals. Libraries wishing to augment their sf or short fiction collections should consider any of them."
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Library Journal (June 2002) (
Library Journal 20050301)
"Something that has always struck me about Rand?s work is the unmistakable whimsical quality of his tales. Tall tales, almost, with characters larger than life. Even his science fiction stories are more fantasy at heart. Rand writes about people, and with a wry humor that has the knack of making even the most absurd seem feasible. His writing is infused with a sense of hope, an unmistakable optimism that, in the end, it really will be all okay.
The Lucky Nickel, a saloon in the wild (and in this case) fantastic west, suddenly find itself invaded by a rowdy group of fairies, seeking gold to replenish that which was lost by their king. The saloon regulars find themselves squeezed beneath a magic piano, watching helplessly, but not hopelessly, as the fairies tear up the joint.
Mick, Tom Dooley, Banky and Casper, along with a mermaid, circus strong man, and newspaper reporter, abruptly find themselves prisoners in Mick?s saloon, while the fairy folk party and plot robbery. Various attempts at escape and mediation occur, with results that are usually as unexpected as they are humorous.
I'll the first one to admit I don?t much care for humor for the sake of humor, especially silly humor, like that one might find in "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" for example. But Rand isn?t writing humor, he?s writing a story that?s humorous. To me, that?s a discernable distinction.
If a whimsical, humorous fantasy in a western setting sounds interesting to you, look no further. You'll chuckle more than a few times, root for the right side, and end up entertained and feeling a bit lighter for a while."
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SFReader.com, March 2005 (
Doody Enterprises )
"...can be summed as different but interesting...but the plot captured my attention and in each of their own way, each of the characters is quite charming. If your looking for for a bit of humor with your fantasy, then Fairy Brewhaha at the Lucky Nickel Saloon makes a good choice."
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Romance Reviews Today, March 2005 (
Romance Reviews Today )
