Something Magic This Way Comes [Mass Market Paperback]

Martin H. Greenberg (Editor), Sarah A. Hoyt (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 4, 2008

In the earliest days of humankind, everything in the world seemed magical. Gods and demons, spirits and sprites were considered to be responsible for everything from life and death, to the turning of the seasons, to the abundance or failure of crops.

Today, much that was once attributed to magic has been explained by science, and in our technologically driven world, the question is whether there is still a place for magic. For twenty of fantasy’s finest imaginers, the answer is obviously, “Yes.”

So welcome to visionary, modern-day realms of magic where surprising things can still happen. From a Gypsy fortune-teller’s transforming prophecy…to a troubled teen seeking a haven from his family woes…to a mysterious gathering of cats at Cape Canavaral…and a kid out to spook his best friend into believing that werewolves are real…here are stories that will amuse you or send chills down your spine—or have you looking wistfully around the next corner, hoping to find a bit of magic all your own….

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

In 1995 Martin H. Greenberg was honored by the Mystery Writers of America with the Ellery Queen Award for lifetime achievement in mystery editing. He is also the recipient of two Anthony awards. Mystery Scene magazine called him "the best mystery anthologist since Ellery Queen." He has compiled more than 1,000 anthologies and is the president of TEKNO books. He lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: DAW (March 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 075640472X
• ISBN-13: 978-0756404727
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #550,803 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #50 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Anthologies

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars enjoyable fantasy collection, March 31, 2008

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Something Magic This Way Comes (Mass Market Paperback)

This fantasy collection focuses on modern day magic in a world filled with technology and science, but as pointed out in the "The Power of Magic" introduction by Sarah A. Hoyt when our computers have "some inexplicable event" we say "Gremlins". The entries are solid with no clinkers as expected by the top tier contributors Like Harry Turtledove and the Resnicks (Mike and Laura - separate stories). Irene Radford opens the anthology at the Beltane Renaissance Fair with the palm reader warning Gabrielle that her lifeline is broken three times and then abruptly cuts short in "More to Truth than Proof." Dave Freer ends the collection with his humorous "Regency Sprite" in which the trapped Fay cannot threaten nor offer reward to the drunken human. In between are well written tales such as a wife fleeing spousal abuse helping an elf fleeing hunters in Kate Paulk's "Raining the Wild Hunt". There are all sorts of entries in between as Carolina "Lighthouse Surfer" and his friends test "Orygun" waves and more in Daniel M. Hoyt's East coast meets West Coast tale. Throw in "Houdini's Mirror" by Russell Davis along with all types of magical species like Charles Edgar Quinn's "The Star Cats" and locations like Esther Friesner's "In a Dark Wood, Dreaming". Fans will appreciate the wide cut of this fine magical compilation.

Harriet Klausner

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The ordinary meets the extraordinary, September 30, 2010

By 

Chrijeff (Scranton, PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Something Magic This Way Comes (Mass Market Paperback)

The common motif of most of these 20 stories seems to be someone from our everyday mundane world going about his or her normal occasions and suddenly encountering something inexplicable and usually magical, be it the Wild Hunt, leprechauns, or sorcery. The authors include Sarah A. Hoyt (who also co-edited, her first attempt at that role), Harry Turtledove, Mike Resnick, Esther M. Friesner, Irene Radford, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Eric Flint, Dave Freer, and more. Among the entries I liked best were: Turtledove's "The Thing in the Woods," an O. Henry-esque short with an unexpected sting in the tail; "Something Virtual This Way Comes" (a classic gremlin invades the electronic nerve system of a modern building); "Tears of Gold" (after a magical event called the Changeover, a grieving widow learns that ther really is "a time to dance and a time to mourn"); "Angel in the Cabbages" (it's really a pixie, and it shows a shy young grocery clerk how to change her life); "Visitor's Night at Joey Chicago's" (in a Runyonesque world where magic works, a wizard's attempt to banish a pesky Otherthing from a bar gangs humorously agley); "Raining the Wild Hunt" (a woman fleeing an abusive husband meets an elf on the run from the Hunt); "Still Life, With Cats" (a traumatized combat journalist trying to settle down in the family mansion calls in a sorceress to help him deal with a plague of feral cats, only he doesn't know she is one); "Firebird and Shadow" (a 13-year-old Texas runaway finds herself caught between two sorcerers); "Night of the Wolf" (an ancient Celtic brooch has shape-changing powers); and "Regency Sprite" (a fashionable gentleman trying to deal with the desertion of his beloved helps and is helped by a faery). Altogether I marked 14 of the pieces as being good enough to read again, though as with all anthologies your mileage may vary. This is definitely a suitable read for anyone who enjoys seeing fantasy and the mundane cross paths.