Life On The Border (Borderlands) [Mass Market Paperback]

Terri Windling (Editor), Sam Rakeland (Illustrator), Will Shetterly (Collaborator), Emma Bull (Collaborator), Charles de Lint (Collaborator), Kara Dalkey (Collaborator), Midori Snyder (Collaborator), Michael Korolenko (Collaborator), Craig Shaw Gardner (Collaborator), Bellamy Bach Ellen Kushner (Collaborator)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (July 15, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812508246
• ISBN-13: 978-0812508246
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,406,626 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For every young generation, there's always a place to run to . . ., May 16, 2007

By 

Michael K. Smith (South Louisiana) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Life On The Border (Borderlands) (Mass Market Paperback)

Some years ago, Windling thought up a highly original setting for "urban fantasy" stories -- a city after the return of Faerie to our world, a border region where magic sometimes works, technology is undependable, and runaway kids, both human and elf, are seeking their dreams. It's a little Haight-Ashbury, a little Oz, and a lot of fun for the reader. In this volume (one of several that have been published, plus a couple of novels), seven authors set their stories in Bordertown with varying degrees of success. "Nevernever," by Will Shetterly, an old Borderlands hand, is about Wolfboy, how he came to be what he is, and what he does when the opportunity arises to get even. A very good story. Kara Dalkey's "Night Wail," about banshees and dealing with death, is a bit of a downer but well written. "Alison Gross," by Midori Snyder, is about true love and dark magic. Charles de Lint's "Berlin," one of the two really good ones here, is about dragons and drugs and getting even. "Reynardine," by Michael Korolenko, about shape-changers and other horror tropes, just didn't do much for me. Craig Shaw Gardner's "Light and Shadow," a take-off (sort of) on THE MALTESE FALCON, is just dumb. Bellamy Bach's "Rain and Thunder," also a love story, is kind of the other side of "Berlin," and it's very, very well done. There's also a frame story by Ellen Kushner consisting of unmailed letters home written by a young human runaway, describing her arrival, her time in Oberon's House (not a nice place, and for not very obvious reasons), and how she survives. All in all, it's an above-average volume.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It Ain't Your Father's Fantasy Rags, March 28, 2003

By 

Dexter Kronopolis (The Crotch of Nevada, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Life On The Border (Borderlands) (Mass Market Paperback)

I have just finished this book for the third time and I still find it to be as fascinating and engaging as I did when I first read it in Junior High School, and again in High School. I am now 26 and though it may be a bit simple to read at this age, it still makes me feel the same as before. Fantasy readers are romantics at heart and so is this book. Underneath its somewhat common subject matter like magical elves and hollywood runaways are universal themes of angst, lonliness, rebelion, and needless to say, love. Does this sound familiar to those of us who were once teenagers? "Alison Gross" still gets me everytime. Honestly, my tag for the longest time has been "Skydeki", which is a half-bite off of one of the Rainbow Godesses in the short story of Alison Gross. Whenever people ask what it means I start on a diatribe about my love for this book, and all of its other great shorts. Please read this book if you're a teenager who enjoys fantasy writings. Even if you're 50, so long as you can remember a time when shirking your responsibilities and running away seemed like a great idea.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A highly enjoyable fantasy trip., July 31, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Life On The Border (Borderlands) (Mass Market Paperback)

Described as "where Elfland meets rock and roll", this is part of a collection of stories based on the idea of what if the world of magic, fantasy and elves returned to our world. The border is a place where the Elflands and the world meet; where neither magic nor technology reigns supreme. These 9 short stories introduce new characters and expand on some of the old favorites from the bordertown series. They are all very light reads, the kind of book you tote around for reading while you wait. You must have this book if you are a fan of Terri Windling's creation, the Borderlands.