I’ve been chipping away at this collection, picking up a story here and there when I have a few minutes. When there are so many stories, it’s inevitable that some will stand out more than others, but what stood out the most to me is the incredible imagination and versatility of this author. The stories are all so very different from each other, even the last three that are loosely connected. There’s a lot of thought and emotion in these stories, and I’m glad to have gotten such a thorough sampling of this author’s talent.

Rather than rate all 19 stories, which is my usual custom, I’ll just list my favorites:

“Body Language”
Kowal is a professional puppeteer, and she puts a neat, futuristic twist on the profession in this story. With its originality and the A.I. (I can’t resist a good A.I.), this story was super up my alley.

“Waiting for the Rain”
I really liked the family dynamic and plot twist of this one. The idea of weather as a utility that could be taken away if you can’t afford it was really interesting.

“First Flight”
This one was great. I loved how time travel worked, and that the older the time traveler was the further they could go back in time.

“The Consciousness Problem”
My favorite of the collection. Lots of emotion packed into this one, and I loved how the main character’s memory issues figured into the cloning plotline.

“The White Phoenix Feather”
The cleverness, humor, and wild inventiveness of this one really made me smile.

Don’t skip the intro by Patrick Rothfuss, as you learn some pretty cool things about the author straight off. My favorite thing I learned is that when she was writing her Regency novels (which I am definitely going to check out) she made a Jane Austen spellcheck dictionary to flag words she needed to look up to make sure they were used during the period. As Rothfuss put it, “She is my kind of crazy.”

Shout out to Lisa, whose review brought this collection to my attention. It’s a winner. ( )

One of the most enjoyable books I've read lately, MRK is a master of the short story, and the introduction by Patrick Rothfuss is hilarious. I don't usually comment on the introduction, but this one was very entertaining. It boggles the mind how swiftly Kowal pulls the reader into her stories and her worlds. Wonderful! ( )

A truly original and eclectic mix of stories that dabble in fantasy, mystery, and science fiction. Kowal won an award for "The Lady Astronaut of Mars," but most of the stories in the collection are also fantastic and original. I also think her Sherlock Holmes mystery was enjoyable, and I wouldn't object to more of that in the future. It was more fun than Anthony Horowitz's House of Silk. Just saying, Mary. ( )

Great collection of Mary's worlds. Nice touch with the characters and worlds. Covers several of her worlds. ( )

Good collection, excellent range. ( )