Customer Reviews

The Gabble and Other Stories

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Reviewer Blue Tyson gives short and sweet recaps and ratings for each story; this list identifies their sub-series of the Polity Universe. The book is available new from amazon.co.uk for the right shipping price.

Softly Spoke the Gabbleduck (Cormac/Gabbleduck)
Putrefactors (Spatterjay)
Garp and Geronamid (Spatterjay)
The Sea of Death (n/a)
Alien Archaeology (Cormac/Gabbleduck - 5 out of 5 for this one)
Acephalous Dreams (Polity)
Snow in the Desert (n/a)
Choudapt (n/a)
Adaptogenic (Spatterjay)
The Gabble (Cormac/Gabbleduck)

I'm not a fan of short stories. I like to get into a juicy thick book which pulls me into the world the author has created. Having said that, this one was better than I expected, because they are all written by Neal Asher and all set in the Polity universe. All the short stories are linked in some way to the books Asher has written beforehand, so there is something to bind things together. In fact, many of the stories could have been expanded to become full novels in their own right.

The short stories are also interesting for showing a side of The Polity we rarely see- normal citizens. The last story in particular focuses on two humans and their adventure on understanding the creatures they are studying. The eventually prevail, and it's an ending I did not expect. I love it when there's a conclusion which makes sense, yet is still unexpected :)


So if you are a fan of Neal Asher and his Polity universe, dont worry about the short stories. You'll enjoy this. :)

Mr. Asher never ceases to entertain me, and this book is no different. I really never cared for short stories, but after having become so familiar and engrossed in the polity universe, it's very cool to have these collections that help flush out different species and locales from within the larger stories.

Thanks Neal, keep 'em coming.

I prefer the novels, but I will take anything I can get from Neal Asher. I had to order my copy from the UK - there seems to be some problem with Amazon in the US. The stories vary in length and location but all have sharp edges and make you wish for more. The protagonists do not always survive.