Lovedeath

Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I've read in a long time
Review: Almost every collection of novellas is met with a preface that says something along the lines of "Novellas are great to write but impossible to sell" which might be a good thing, because when novellas get published they are some of the best work of the particular writer.

These five novellas are some of the most intense literary experiences going. The first one is a simple father-daughter outing colored by the fact that one of his children is dead. Everything in the story is tinged with the father's fear. The second story "Dying in Bangkok" is ostensibly an AIDS story, but AIDS plays a small part of it. The demonic prostitutes could be a metaphor for the dangers of unchecked sexuality or they could just be the attraction of death itself. It's a grimy story that keeps you reading.

The Teeth WOman story proves that some of the best writing is done angry. After the requisite slam on Dances with Wolves, this story gets going with Sioux legend and mythology given its due. The gee shucks romanticism of Dances with Wolves (and several other "Indian" books) cannot compare to the oft-times disturbing tale of sex and redemption. Reading this book is like reading Singer after watching romanticized crap like Fiddler on the Roof.

"Flashback" is an interesting take on memories and reliving them, but it's too cyberpunk. Making the Japanese the villains tends to date this story as well. The depressing ending is just kind of a wash.

But "The Great Lover" really makes up for it. WWI horror told with precision and gut-wrenching detail. It makes you feel like you are there in the trenches watching people die by the thousands, waiting for the machine gun blast that will turn you into a pile of rotten meat. The best war stories leave the reader shell-shocked, and this is one of the best.

The only other book by Dan Simmons I've read was SOng of Kali and I find this one to be far superior.

Rating:
Summary: Dan Simmons is a master story teller.
Review: If you have ever read a story that continues to haunt you well after you have finished it, and you like that feeling. This book is for you. I felt a need to share stories from this book with people I know.

Rating:
Summary: Don't read this right before going to sleep
Review: This is an excellent book. I've read many of his other books and this is my favorite. The stories just stay with you for days. Don't read it before you sleep because you will have twisted dreams. If you're a fan of Dan Simmons, read this book!