Customer Reviews

The Year's Best Australian Science Fiction & Fantasy, Volume 2

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

 

 

A pretty good collection of tales. The standouts, for me, are 'Running' - not with bulls, but something MUCH, MUCH bigger. 'Skein Dogs', about two intelligent dogs and their somewhat surprising caregiver, echoes of Stapledon's Sirius here, indeed, and the excellent 'Red Priest's Homecoming' - if you think of a hero somewhere between Solomon Kane and the vampire hunter in Steakley's Vampire$ you are somewhere in the vicinity. The story is set in 13th century Italy, and it is great.

Dann's Marilyn Monroe story? Basically, could not give a crap. A couple like that drag the collection down.

Year's Best ASF&F Two : Running - Martin Livings
Year's Best ASF&F Two : Matricide - Lucy Sussex
Year's Best ASF&F Two : The Passing of the Minotaurs - Rjurik Davidson
Year's Best ASF&F Two : Dreaming With the Angels - Jack Dann
Year's Best ASF&F Two : Johnny Cash - Ben Peek
Year's Best ASF&F Two : The Red Priest's Homecoming - Dirk Flinthart
Year's Best ASF&F Two : Once Giants Roamed the Earth - Rosaleen Love
Year's Best ASF&F Two : Fresh Young Widow - Kaaron Warren
Year's Best ASF&F Two : Watch - Stephen Dedman
Year's Best ASF&F Two : Riding the Crocodile - Greg Egan
Year's Best ASF&F Two : Skein Dogs - Leanne Frahm


Running with big Japanese monsters, Pamplona style.

4.5 out of 5


A female antique dealer has a macabre time in Paris, work and healthwise.

3.5 out of 5


A really interesting story about a dwindling race of minotaurs, and their visit to a city at a ritual time. Conspiracies and exploitation plots swirl around these strangers.

3.5 out of 5


Alternate Marilyn dead too. BFD.

2 out of 5


Presidential demons, and those that have to clean up after them.

4 out of 5


Yes, I have mentioned this once before. I just found out there is another, so there is some method to the madness. One or two other writers might have this happen too. :) Hey, Flinthart is Australian, so
more leniency there. He has a good name for a hero himself, let alone making them up.

If you think of a hero somewhere between Solomon Kane and the vampire hunter in Steakley's Vampire$ you are somewhere in the vicinity. The story is set in 13th century Italy, and it is great, very much in the pulp adventure mode, with a cool different setting.

The Red Priest left his family to go off to be a monster hunting hero, not really the done thing in high society. He comes back with a crew, tracking something bad. A young man of a highly placed family
does not quite realise what is going on, and the Red Priest has to convince him.

i.e. Here Be Monsters.

Personally, while I may be biased to the local, I think this story rocks.

4.5 out of 5


Oceanography monster goddess mad. Best to avoid fishing.

3 out of 5


Claymaking and undertaking.

3.5 out of 5


Dying man tries to protect family from lurking monster. Totally wrong approach.

4 out of 5


A couple of then 10K year old posthumans decide to attempt to contact some aliens known as the Aloof for obvious reasons. This inspires others to some innovation.

4 out of 5


Heightened intelligence experiments on animals work well, but have some side effects. However, sometimes a dog just wants to be a dog, with shades of Stapledon's Sirius.

4.5 out of 5