Customer Reviews

Magnificent Desolation

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A very enjoyable reading experience; a broad range of characters and plots, most a bit on the darker side of life but some happiness and sunshine mixed in for flavor. I recommend this book to anyone with a touch of macabre to their sense of humor, or a reader looking for something a few steps off the beaten path of so many standardized plots.

I enjoyed the stories in "Magnificent Desolation" in the same way I've enjoyed short story collections from Neil Gaiman or George R.R. Martin. Like those authors Robinson's short stories always feel like they're taking place in a world that I'd love to get to know better. His characters are vibrant and speak in voices that ring true, and the stories are always long enough to entertain but short enough to keep things interesting.

I've enjoyed the author's work for many years, and I'd say he's at his best in this format. I've lent this book out more often than most, and I have yet to find someone that didn't enjoy it. If you're a fan of short stories with a twist in the vein of the authors I mentioned above then I think you owe it to yourself to step into the mind of Mr. Robinson.

John Robinson's "Magnificent Desolation" is one of the best short-story collections I've read in some time. It ranks up there with "The Martian Chronicles" in its quality, and hooks you like many novels. Robinson has a unique writing style, one that is refreshing and fantastically juxtaposed to many modern literary works. Many of the tales in this book revolve around the genres of science fiction and fantasy, but yet still keep a grounded, realistic perspective. Robinson's stories never really solidly end and they leave the reader imagining the various paths the story could take. Most of these stories could be full length novels, and I believe that is what gives them their potency. This writing makes you think. Although it is a collection, this book should be read like a novel. Robinson has such a clear voice that completely immerses you into a story, and keeps you strapped in as you journey from world to world. It makes me sad that Robinson is still so small; a man of his writing ability should be able to be found in the local library or bookstore. I will definitely pick up all other works by John Robinson when they surface.