Customer Reviews

Phases

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

 

 

In this collection, the author has gathered an interesting collection of stories in many styles (hence the Moon "Phases" title). The stories include hard SF and fantasy, futuristic warfare, quieter "character" tales, and revisits the world of Paksenarrion to tell the story of a minor character.

Moon gives a brief note with each story to indicate her inspiration or the circumstances in which it was written, which adds additional interest. The writing is well done - concise, well characterised, and draws the reader in. This is a must-read for fans, and will appeal to most readers of SF/FAN.

This collection of Elizabeth Moon's short stories contains some which have been published before, but also has her own history of how the stories came about.

Fans of Moon will not be disappointed in the collection. It contains numerous stories which were published obscurely or have not seen publication until "Phases". Those unfamiliar with Moon or her short fiction will be extremely happy with her concise style and excellent writing. Her fiction truly conveys the reader into the story and its characters.

This collection of short stories by Elizabeth Moon is not too bad. The Paksenarion short made me intrigued enough to actually want to check out one of those books sometime in the future.

All in all, it is fairly ordinary, and fans of hers will probably enjoy it even more I would presume. Nothing outstanding, but a couple of good pieces to go with a couple of dodgy stories.

Phases : Bargains - Elizabeth Moon
Phases : ABCs in Zero-G - Elizabeth Moon
Phases : A Delicate Adjustment - Elizabeth Moon
Phases : Too Wet to Plow - Elizabeth Moon
Phases : Gut Feelings - Elizabeth Moon
Phases : The Generic Rejuvenation of Milo Ardry - Elizabeth Moon
Phases : New World Symphony - Elizabeth Moon
Phases : Just Another Day at the Weather Service - Elizabeth Moon
Phases : Politics - Elizabeth Moon
Phases : In Suspect Terrain ["Suspect Terrain"] - Elizabeth Moon
Phases : The Happy Frog - Elizabeth Moon
Phases : Horse of Her Dreams - Elizabeth Moon
Phases : Knight of Other Days - Elizabeth Moon
Phases : Aura - Elizabeth Moon
Phases : Those Who Walk in Darkness - Elizabeth Moon


Horse magic more valuable than your basic fireball.

3.5 out of 5


Space ambos.

4 out of 5


Murder and embryo nicking.

3 out of 5


Farm flood.

2.5 out of 5


Wormy legal problems.

3 out of 5


Repeat attempt changes problems.

3.5 out of 5


Suitable local music.

4 out of 5


UFO fun.

3 out of 5


Screwed up landing equals dead marines.

3.5 out of 5


Rocky last stand.

3.5 out of 5


Human curse.

3 out of 5


Parade role deal.

3.5 out of 5


Bruja, Templar and bone.

3.5 out of 5


Tattoo realisation.

2.5 out of 5


Benevolence for a beaten boy means a bond.

4 out of 5

I'm a great admirer of short stories as they are typically lighter fare and don't take as long to read obviously. This collection though contains some pure entertainment stories but mostly challenging works on a variety of subject matter.

Thus it required a lot more effort to read than I expected. However, the effort is more than worthwhile. They are all good stories, some very good and many of them will give you something to think about long after you've finished the collection.

For any fan of Elizabeth Moon, this is a must read! There are several hard-to-find stories in here, and Moon shows her depth and varying perspectives as she moves through each one. The commentary about the stories is valuable -- I highly recommend this one!