Thursday, May 24, 2007

Firebirds Rising, edited by Sharyn November (2006)

It's been a long time since I've read an anthology, especially one of fantasy and science fiction. I was lead to this by a middle school student I know, who was looking for information on Tamora Pierce and Angie Sage. Tamora had a short story in this. I found myself liking most of the stories I read, but surprisingly did not like the one about librarians - In the House of the Seven Libraryians by Ellen Klages, seven librarians stay behind when the library moves to a new, modern building. They keep up their work even without any readers, and occasional new books appear, like the Harry Potter books, but they continue living in the old library style. I still love the physical book and like to hold them and read them (and buy and keep them!) But librarianship has moved way beyond that, and this story felt to retro, mourning the passing of the old ways.

Some authors were known to me, like Sharon Shinn - in her alternative world, where they celebrate Wintermoons. I know I read a whole series by Patrica McKillip a long time agao. Tanith Lee, Alan Dean Foster, Charles de Lint, are names I recognize from years ago. But the most interesting stories came from the writers I didn't know - Tamora Pierce, Alison Goodman, Kara Dalkey.

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