Customer Reviews

ROAR Volume 1

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

 

 

A collection of average, furry stories. All clean. All have a sci-fi theme, all but a couple are well-written. The standouts:

A Close Port of Call: I kinda knew what the lion wanted from this zebra from the getgo, but it's so fun to watch it happen. I get the feeling it's the first part of an erotic story, but for the sake of Roar the second half wasn't included.

A Song for Pandora: A very cool alternate reality. Mysterious, strange and suspenseful. The surprise ending wraps everything up in an unexpected way, making it a satisfying read.

The Journal: Beginning: Another story that has to continue somewhere. A man is chosen to be a god. How can you go wrong with that kind of setup?

Relativity: The best story in the collection. Has an Arthur C. Clarke feel to it. A subservient cat makes the discovery of a lifetime: an alien spacecraft.

Warm Exodus: I love and hate this story. It's very heavy-handed storytelling, especially the dialogue, which comes very close to ruining the experience. But I like the ending. It's happy in a bittersweet way--one of the only stories to show an emotional ending, and that makes it much stronger than the rest of the story.

It's a decent collection, but there aren't many memorable stories in it.

It's been a few years since reading Fred Patten's "Furry! Best Anthropomorphic Fiction Ever" and I felt it was time to find more anthropomorphic anthologies (anthro-ologies?) to dive into. Let's get to the stories, my favorites with a * (Didn't intend on this review being so long!):

"A Close Port of Call" I didn't finish this one and I'll explain why below. (Hope you can forgive me for that)

"The Clockwork Mind" What is free will? How do you explain it and distinguish it from the mere appearance of free will? These are the questions the eccentric and impassive fox Professor Hobbes asks his students and especially himself. On a trip to see his dying father he meets someone who gives him a new perspective and soon he struggles with a decision that could change everything in his life. (Spoilers? This one is more sad and controversial but will make you think)

* "A Song for Pandora" Cassie's strange dreams are unsettling, but what do they concern? The past? The future? Herself or someone she knows? What's the deal with the information that no one is supposed to know and why can no one know it? Will the ferret ever find the answers? If you like having your mind bent this one should do the trick. I liked the ending too.

"Dog Eat Dog" Vaughn the husky hires a ringtail mercenary to cripple a tough new competitor in the energy business race. Can he get the job done with both of their reputations and lives in tact? Not everyone will like the ending.

* "Violet" Middle-aged feline Violet and her second husband Mason seem to have the perfect marriage, but why won't she let him meet her children? What does she have to hide? Or maybe it's him who has the secret. I loved this one. It's simple, heartwarming, and bittersweet.

"Hyperstream" In order to rescue his brother, Cassius the jaguar's only choice may be to take a risk. Can he move fast enough to save him? Can he trust the voice in his head? I liked the concept here and wanted more content.

"The Journal: Beginning" An under respected human scientist is let in on a secret, and then accidentally uncovers the real secret behind it... along with a monumental mystery. I wanted to read more but found no mention of where I could finish the story in another book, online, etc. If you give someone a sample you should tell them where to get the rest.

"Graveyard Shift" A cold-hearted fox is paid to settle matters and bring peace with his double-barreled shotgun. But how many must die before the cycle of violence will stop? Not exactly a sci-fi story but it's okay.

"Relativity" Wanted: spaceship pilot who can make corrections in ship's course when needed while human passengers in stasis. Must be able to handle long months in solitude and little recognition for hard work.... A cat named Rajit might be the first of his kind to go down in history if he can pull off one little stunt.

"Kerner's Bad Day" Uptight scientist + telepathic, grumpy dragon = disaster. Said scientist - said dragon = murder? Would've liked more time with these characters before saying goodbye.

* "Warm Exodus" Now leaving the "villages" behind, prepare to enter the "metropolis" of stories. Enhart the wolf has had it with his older brother's treatment of him--putting him down, embarrassing him in front of girls, making him feel like dirt--and he's ready to leave his tribe behind in exchange for a new life. Then one rainy night on a hunt he finds something unusual and inhabits both a blessing and a curse, propelling him into a long journey through an unfamiliar land. Accompanied by his older brother, they quickly rush to their destination before something terrible can happen not just to Enhart but maybe the whole universe. Will Asmodan finally make amends? (Spoilers: you may want a box of tissues at hand)

Alexander Wood has a vivid imagination of civilizations and transportation in the future, both on the ground and off, and in my opinion including the things that seemed trivial added to the realism. It was like he was with the characters the whole way and simply told what he saw. Though this is 70 pages long, it's by no means a waste of space. It's weird, yes, but feels original. Had the same issue with "Port" though which affected my enjoyment and left a bad taste with me.

"The Firelight (A Parable)" The introduction says it all: Sometimes, it isn't enough to fight for what you've lost. Short but thought-provoking.

Now for the overall review, starting with the negatives since I aim to be positive.

The first story, "A Close Port of Call," and the second-to-last "Warm Exodus" are both light gay romance stories. In the first, once I realized the male zebra morph was attracted to the male lion morph I sighed and hoped it wouldn't continue. However, it did, so I didn't. In my opinion, putting these stories in the book, especially "Port" at the beginning, was a mistake, even though "Exodus" was very good. They just don't feel like they belong here. Not all furries are gay or bisexual (gasp?)--don't know if I'm really a furry--and if people like me jump in, unwarned, and think that the whole book exclusively features this content, they may not be as forgiving and stop reading. (If I had found this book in a library instead of buying it online I may have quickly put it back. I'm still considering whether I'll keep it or give it away; don't want my friends and family to find it and get the wrong idea.)

Goodridge has risked losing readers in the first few pages of the first book of the anthologies and probably furthered the stereotype of homosexual furries. I'm not a homophobe but I just can't stomach gay fiction of any kind. If Overo and Wood had changed the genders of one of the two love interests I would have felt better and been glad to finish the first one. Although I would think that most furries are aware of the stereotype and might overlook this, he could have saved them for a different anthology and opened his arms to more readers. Just because it's called Bad Dog Books doesn't mean everyone will expect this.

Second, as issues of taste and not talent, there are several light and strong swear words around, including the F word three times in "Dog Eat Dog." For violence, there's not much except in "Kerner's Bad Day" and lots of blood loss in "Exodus." The suggestive content is the most descriptive in that one too, but not explicitly. Not for kids, as should be apparent.

Third, some of the spelling and grammar could use cleaning up in places like pages 196 and 214.

Now for the positives. The grammar is usually great and many characters are likeable. I enjoyed the preface of the story and laughed at the editor's straight-faced rapid-fire humor, especially his remarks about a shrimp fork and landmines. "Violet" is probably one story I'll remember and recall with fondness from time to time, and "Exodus," which is quite original and dramatic, also might pop up on occasion. The eye-catching illustration on the cover of the book by Rukis (from "The Clockwork Mind") looks great and probably was a subconscious reason I wanted to buy this.

In summary (finally) I'd have to compare this book to a salad of diverse ingredients. Not everyone will like everything and some will be turned off by the you-know-what, but I enjoyed parts of it, and if you think it's for you I say take the risk and see what you think. I still think Goodridge should remove "Port" or ask the author to edit it (and Exodus, especially).

I'm glad people like Goodridge and Patten are making these types of books, and I hope to see more. I have my own "morph" story in the works so, who knows, you may see that here one day too. After all, we sci-fi writers just want to stretch our imaginations and yours too.