Review
The author has marvelous figures of speech; I don t think I ve seen it as thick and apt since the early career of Roger Zelazny. Death is a central theme; one of the stories, A Cup of Time, has death agents reminiscent of the Incarnations in my novel On A Pale Horse. That s not to suggest it is any copy of mine; the death agent here is a luscious young-looking woman. (It can be hard to tell a woman s age, especially when she s immortal.) The lead story, Escape Velocity, sets the tone: folk are kept alive interminably, and some really want to escape that fate. That is, to die. It makes perfect sense to me. So the adventure is how he manages to escape to death. Touched made me remember Olaf Stapleton s Odd John. Some are slice of life (or death) pieces, with human insights... But for an experience in description and emotion, this is good. --FeBlueberry 2005 Hipiers.com newsletter
In this collection of seventeen stories written by Gregory Banks, death is constant death of individuals, cultures, worlds and always there is mystery. The mystery of what lies beyond death is present, of course. And the narrators of these stories usually have a positive optimistic view of death a faith either spiritual, cosmic or magical, that all things are working together. But there is mystery in these stories. Often the puzzle or conundrum surrounds the actual cause or generative force that causes the death. There is also the long wait that accompanies dying. Whether the person waiting is a dying man who is continually revived, a faithful best friend beside a respirator, a long-dead son awaiting a spiritual reunion with his now-dead father, or a dying person who doesn t quite understand that death has occurred or is in fact taking place... ...Many of the stories touch on healing of some kind, healing created by a group, healing for a group, unwanted healing. The characters are normal everyday folks most probably African-American but their races generally do not matter. They face something common to all people: death and dying when racial identification, wealth and politics take a back seat to finality. Race, wealth, and politics aren t dismissed, mind you, the viving people at the nursing home are definitely powerful figures backed by a powerful government. But for the most part, in these slice of life supernaturally-tinged stories, death is a lonesome valley that these characters usually travel alone... ...A collection of stories about death could be troubling and haunting to some. But it is the most common of human journeys. And Greg Banks has written about it with hope, faith, love and joy. I highly recommend this book. Especially for those spiritual and psychological types who ponder the importance and meaning of death and the journey of the dying. --Carole McDonnell, author of Wind Follower
In this collection of seventeen stories written by Gregory Banks, death is constant death of individuals, cultures, worlds and always there is mystery. The mystery of what lies beyond death is present, of course. And the narrators of these stories usually have a positive optimistic view of death a faith either spiritual, cosmic or magical, that all things are working together. But there is mystery in these stories. Often the puzzle or conundrum surrounds the actual cause or generative force that causes the death. There is also the long wait that accompanies dying. Whether the person waiting is a dying man who is continually revived, a faithful best friend beside a respirator, a long-dead son awaiting a spiritual reunion with his now-dead father, or a dying person who doesn t quite understand that death has occurred or is in fact taking place... ...Many of the stories touch on healing of some kind, healing created by a group, healing for a group, unwanted healing. The characters are normal everyday folks most probably African-American but their races generally do not matter. They face something common to all people: death and dying when racial identification, wealth and politics take a back seat to finality. Race, wealth, and politics aren t dismissed, mind you, the viving people at the nursing home are definitely powerful figures backed by a powerful government. But for the most part, in these slice of life supernaturally-tinged stories, death is a lonesome valley that these characters usually travel alone... ...A collection of stories about death could be troubling and haunting to some. But it is the most common of human journeys. And Greg Banks has written about it with hope, faith, love and joy. I highly recommend this book. Especially for those spiritual and psychological types who ponder the importance and meaning of death and the journey of the dying. --Carole McDonnell, author of Wind Follower
Product Description
An elderly man desperate for the right to die with dignity. A young woman trapped in a city that's seemingly alive. A man living on borrowed time...literally. The short, sweet tale of a savior of childhood souls.
These are just a few of the stories found in Phoenix Tales: Stories of Death & Life (Second Edition), the new revision of the highly acclaimed short story collection from Gregory Bernard Banks. Compared to authors such as Roger Zelazny and Harlan Ellison, Banks takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotion, combining the colorful storytelling style of the Golden Age of science fiction with thoughtful exploration of the contemporary issues of today. These stories will take you on a wondrous and emotional journey through tales of both the fantastic and the mundane, and may leave you appreciating life just a little bit more.
Read "Phoenix Tales" today!
These are just a few of the stories found in Phoenix Tales: Stories of Death & Life (Second Edition), the new revision of the highly acclaimed short story collection from Gregory Bernard Banks. Compared to authors such as Roger Zelazny and Harlan Ellison, Banks takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotion, combining the colorful storytelling style of the Golden Age of science fiction with thoughtful exploration of the contemporary issues of today. These stories will take you on a wondrous and emotional journey through tales of both the fantastic and the mundane, and may leave you appreciating life just a little bit more.
Read "Phoenix Tales" today!
