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Stephen Case
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Trees and Other Wonders: Collected Fiction Kindle Edition

by Stephen Case (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 9 ratings
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Trees grown to support the Moon. A hill that speaks. War in the halls of the gods. A buoyant palace. A woman who kills with a word. Also time travel, zombies, and a haunted spaceship. This volume collects ten of Stephen Case’s previously-published fantasy and science fiction short stories as well as two appearing here for the first time. From space opera (“The Glorious Rebellion”) to urban fantasy (“Barstone), from Lovecraftian horror (“Starlight, Her Sepulchre”) to science fantasy (“The Story of the Ship that Brought Us Here”)—this is literary and surrealist fiction at its best for fans of the likes of Neil Gaiman, Gene Wolfe, R. A. Lafferty, and Jorge Luis Borges.

Table of contents:
1. The Stone Oaks
2. My Bicycle, 4500 AD
3. The Story of the Ship that Brought Us Here
4. Barstone
5. What I Wrote for Andronicus
6. Bonus Track 1: A SHOT IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD
7. The Silver Khan
8. Starlight, Her Sepulchre
9. Read this quickly, for you will only have a moment . . .
10. The Glorious Revolution
11. Bonus Track 2: LIGHT AND NOISE AND PAIN
12. Driving East
13. Afterword

Please note that the stories "What I Wrote for Andronicus" and "A SHOT IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD" contain language that may not be suitable for all audiences.
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  1. Print length
    214 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    May 8, 2013
  4. File size
    511 KB
  5. Page Flip
    Enabled
  6. Word Wise
    Enabled
  7. Enhanced typesetting
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  8. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00CPS3C3C
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Stephen Case (May 8, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 8, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 511 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 214 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 9 ratings

About the author

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Stephen Case

Stephen Case

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Stephen Case gets paid for teaching people about space, which is pretty much the coolest thing ever. He also occasionally gets paid for writing stories about space (and other things), which have appeared in Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Daily Science Fiction, Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show​, Shimmer, and elsewhere. His novel, First Fleet, is a science fiction horror epic (think H. P. Lovecraft meets Battlestar Galactica) published by Axiomatic Publishing and available on Amazon. Stephen holds a PhD in the history and philosophy of science and will talk for inordinate amounts of time about nineteenth-century British astronomy. His first work of nonfiction, Making Stars Physical: the Astronomy of Sir John Herschel, was published in 2018 by the University of Pittsburgh Press. He lives with his wife, four children, and two illegal backyard chickens in an undisclosed suburb of Chicago. Follow him on Twitter @StephenRCase or at www.stephenrcase.com.

Customer reviews

5 out of 5 stars
9 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's fantasy stories enjoyable and engaging. They describe them as imaginative worlds that draw readers in. Readers praise the writing quality as fantastic and consider it a must-read for fiction fans.

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FantasyReadability
5 customers mention "Fantasy"5 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the fantasy stories in the book. They find the worlds imaginative and fun. Readers praise the collection of short science fiction and fantasy stories from an up-and-coming author. The power of the stories comes from wonder, with familiar yet intriguing characters and places that captivate readers.

"This is an excellent collection of short sci-fi and fantasy stories...." Read more

"This is a great first anthology of great science fiction and fantasy from up-and-coming author...." Read more

"...has managed to write about people and places that are familiar enough to capture interest but just beneath the surface lurks an entirely alien..." Read more

"Trees and Other Wonders is full of escapes to imaginative worlds that draw you in and keep you guessing. A must-read for lovers of fiction." Read more

4 customers mention "Readability"4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find the stories satisfying, fun, and thought-provoking. The writing is fantastic and imaginative, making it a must-read for fiction lovers.

"...Everything else was bonus. Good stuff and I hope one day to see more." Read more

"...Fun an thought-provoking reading. I want more!" Read more

"...A must-read for lovers of fiction." Read more

"Fantastically written! Great, imaginative stories that are a satisfying read...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Matthew P Upshaw
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Collection of Sci-Fi & Fantasy
    Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This is an excellent collection of short sci-fi and fantasy stories. A common theme on the fact that many involve trees in some way, shape, or form, but beyond that, they are all very different. You guaranteed to find one or more stories you absolutely love (or 3 or four like me). Starlight, Her Sepulcher and A Shot In the Back of the Head made this whole book worth the purchase for me. I would have paid the purchase price for just those two stories. Everything else was bonus. Good stuff and I hope one day to see more.
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  • JV
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastically written! Great, imaginative stories that are a satisfying read.
    Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This is a great first anthology of great science fiction and fantasy from up-and-coming author. These stories encompass a breadth of worlds and cultures, all with their own richness and compelling characters. Stephen Case goes to great length to not explain every mystery, and nor should he; the power of these stories comes from wonder. They resonate with the deepest part of ourselves and our imaginations.

    Personal favorites include The Stone Oaks, The Silver Khan, and The Glorious Revolution. Enjoy what this anthology has to offer!
    One person found this helpful
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  • bark
    5.0 out of 5 stars Here Be Dragons and other assorted surprise guests
    Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Stephen Case has managed to write about people and places that are familiar enough to capture interest but just beneath the surface lurks an entirely alien history. Fun an thought-provoking reading. I want more!
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  • More Like Home
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Fiction-Lovers Dream
    Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Trees and Other Wonders is full of escapes to imaginative worlds that draw you in and keep you guessing. A must-read for lovers of fiction.
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  • Joni Mince
    5.0 out of 5 stars Trees and Other Wonders: Collected Fiction by Stephen Case
    Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I really enjoyed this book of trees! Fantasy is fun and the stories "took me away". My cousin is the author and I am impressed!!
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  • Mrs. Mica
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great, Versatile Collection of SF/F
    Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2013
    "Trees and Other Wonders" by Stephen Case is a collection of 12 SF/F short stories and novelettes, 10 of which are reprints from respected SF/F magazines and 2 of which cannot be found anywhere else in print. Several of the magazines which these stories appear in are pay only, so the anthology is a good value. The majority of the 12 stories represent a solid range of science fiction and fantasy which showcases Stephen Case's versatility as a professional genre writer.

    1. The Stone Oaks
    "The Stone Oaks" is a fantasy novelette that tells the story of a nun apprentice who quickly finds that her task of magically strengthening the abbey's ancient oak grove is fraught with mystery and danger. When soldiers arrive to investigate the grove, they set into motion a series of tragic events that play on the apprentice's - and our - naivete.

    For a story told in first person, "The Stone Oaks" is not heavy on introspection or internal dialogue, and its strength lies in showing rather than telling, mostly in the form of delightful, poetic descriptions of magic. Case's careful foreshadowing keeps the ending a surprise, and the falling action, after the big reveal, is a bit of a tease and leaves plenty of room for follow-up stories. That being said, "The Stone Oaks" delivers on the big mystery and leaves the reader with the impression that there is an open, dangerous world outside of the safe confines of the abbey.

    2. My Bicycle, 4500 AD
    "My Bicycle, 4500 AD" is a short, concise, fun piece with an edge of the absurd. I love the idea of a anti-zombie bicycle-stealing time traveler. The comedic buildup allowed me to guess the ending just in time to truly enjoy it. It's a sign of a good flash piece when the protagonist goes unnamed, but you don't notice until afterward.

    3. The Story of the Ship that Brought Us Here
    "The Story of the Ship that Brought Us Here" give fairy tale and epic fantasy archetypes an invigorating scifi makeover dressed in gorgeous prose. With a Sleeping Beauty whose mother is a tree and a prince not-so-charming who inhabits three bodies simultaneously, it's no wonder that this short story feels very big for 6,000 words.

    I love the high SF ideas, from the planet that sleeping beauty comes from, to the envoy who comes to fetch her, to the prince's title of "The Prince of the Fair Worlds and the Glorious Clusters." The build up at the end loses me a bit and makes me wish that that the end was longer, and that it was only the beginning of a larger story.

    4. Barstone
    Told from the first person POVof a man who discovers that the park is actually the giant Tome's prone body, this cute little fantasy genre romance adds welcome diversity to Stephen Case's collection. With its mention of the laws of energy, you could almost peg the story as slipstream. The feel, though, is definitely that of fantasy.

    5. What I Wrote for Andronicus
    Lovers of mythology will enjoy "What I Wrote for Andronicus" for its epic Greek feel, as conveyed by Harold Half-Helm's first person POV. You don't have to be a mythology expert to love this story for its epic humor, though, which ranges from the obvious adult references to the subtle ending. If you had to cut down a tree older than the gods themselves, what would you fashion from its wood? This is another entertaining read that feels delightfully more expansive than its 4,700 words.

    6. Bonus Track 1: A SHOT IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD
    "A Shot in the Back of the Head" introduces us to a near-future where machines that can vaguely predict a person's death inspire panic in those who use them. In this case, two lovers who read each other's death predictions end up miserable and contribute to their self-fulfilling prophecies.

    Like most stories about fate, this one is a bit dramatic. Since the main character is a military sniper, there is a bit of cursing and a lot of moral ambiguity. I found the story interesting and was happy to see another set in the same universe later on in the collection.

    7. The Silver Khan
    "The Silver Khan" is a wonderfully crafted fantasy novelette that follows the first person narrative of a spy attempting the ferret out the mystery of the Silver Khan's flying castle. As we explore the castle grounds and the ominous silver statues, we get the impression of a larger fantasy world of which this 9,000 word novelette is only a sliver. When our spy solves the mystery, he gets a good old fashioned life-and-death conflict for his troubles, and we get a tight, action-filled ending that turns a few traditional fantasy elements on their heads.

    This fantasy-mystery is one of my favorites in the collection.

    8. Starlight, Her Sepulchre
    "Starlight, Her Sepulchre" is a straight-up horror SF that takes us to the far future where human soldiers who die war are regenerated in special ships, where this story takes place. The story follows a caretaker scientist on board who notices that a frequent visitor has developed an unhealthy obsession with a certain regeneration pod. You may think that this story does not take place on the front lines. We'll see if you feel that way by the end.

    9. Read this quickly, for you will only have a moment . . .
    "Read this quickly, for you will only have a moment . . ." is a thoroughly engaging fantasy flash story that plunges us in medias res by way of a conspiratorial love letter with jail break instructions. This wonderful example of flash fiction shows us the beginning and the end of the story all at once, while only technically showing us the middle. I often dislike open endings but this bittersweet one stole my heart.

    This is my favorite story in the entire collection, despite the tough competition.

    10. The Glorious Revolution
    "The Glorious Revolution" is another great story that appears to be fantasy at the beginning but then takes us into a bigger-picture SF conflict. This novelette is written in first person as an address to the main character's lover, who has more or less ended up on the opposite side of the revolutionary war. Our protagonist endeavors to explain his change of heart, having begun as a revolutionary spy and now standing on the side of the King. But when his lover and her soldiers arrive, it is not the typical clash of swords that you might expect, because the King and our protagonist know something that will change the course of the revolution.

    Sentient animals and interplanetary ships - this story is epic.

    11. Bonus Track 2: LIGHT AND NOISE AND PAIN
    "Bonus Track 2: LIGHT AND NOISE AND PAIN" brings us back to the near-future world of machines that can predict a person's death. Because of its placement in the collection, the story does not bother re-explaining the premise. Although this one also explores the theme of fate, it has a completely different set of characters and accomplishes a different feel that at some points venture into dark humor.

    12. Driving East
    Don't let "Driving East" through you for a loop with its real-life setup; it is definitely fantasy, what with the moon getting stuck in a tree. With a light, humorous tone (complete with a bit of cursing) and a great ending, the 3,000 word fantasy adventure tale wraps up the collection nicely.

    13. Afterword
    You know an anthology is good when you actually read the afterword, like I did!

    Enjoy. :)
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