Wild Things [Hardcover]

Charles Coleman Finlay (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Finlay shows himself to be a versatile writer of imaginative fiction in his first story collection. A Lake Erie couple must deal with the aftermath of their kinky proclivities in the unusual vampire story "Lucy, in Her Splendor." A wrestling fan finds Lovecraftian weirdness in "The Smackdown Outside Dedham." The literate, if only slightly fantastic, "Still Life with Action Figure" explores the relationship between an artistic father and son. A theocratic future in which men and women never commingle is the basis of "Pervert." Examining the meaning of freedom, "We Come Not to Praise Washington" is set in an alternative past in which George Washington died in 1793, Alexander Hamilton is the new "Washington," and Aaron Burr pleads that Thomas Jefferson be allowed to return from his exile at Napoleon's court. The brief, teasing "Footnotes" consists entirely of footnotes. The title story takes a different look at a character from Arthurian legend as well as the world of faerie. Solidly told and occasionally memorable, these 14 tales display an insightful knowledge of human nature. (Sept.)
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From Booklist

Finlay says he thinks of these 14 stories as apprentice work toward his novel The Prodigal Troll (2005), yet all are at least of journeyman quality. They show Finlay exploring a variety of genres, bringing freshness and intelligence to them all. His Lovecraft tribute artfully refrains from disclosing itself as such, especially stylistically, until the penultimate page. His zombie adventure ends not in horror or triumph but in dreadful doubt, especially for readers. Despite their military milieus and in-space settings, "The Seal Hunter" and "The Political Officer" are as focused on characters and interactions rather than slam-bang histrionics as any mainstream novel of suburbia. "Still Life with Action Figure," a particularly realist exercise, actually occurs in suburbia, where an artist son visits his artist father, who has resumed painting despite suffering from parkinsonism. The satires "Pervert" and "A Game of Chicken" take lively and imaginative aim at already shot-riddled targets (straight-male bashing and bioengineering, respectively), and "Wild Thing" exposes the fairy-addled backstory of the chivalric hero Perceval. In all, an absorbing, often-surprising collection. Ray Olson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 232 pages
• Publisher: Subterranean Press (October 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596060301
• ISBN-13: 978-1596060302
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,276,216 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A collection you don't want to miss, January 14, 2006

By 

John Joseph Adams (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wild Things (Hardcover)

If this book only contained Finlay's brilliant Nebula and Hugo Award-nominated reinvention of space opera, "The Political Officer," it would be worth buying for that story alone. But fortunately, the book's also got thirteen other compelling and finely-crafted tales, which run the gamut from humor to alternate history to swords-and-sorcery. This variety makes for an interesting reading experience, as if Finlay wanted to take the reader on a tour through all of what science fiction and fantasy has to offer. And Finlay seems equally adept at each of the subgenres he explores, so it's not a matter of him trying new things until he finds something that works; it's more like having written a great story in one subgenre, he goes looking for new kingdoms to conquer.