Delicate Creatures

Rating:
Summary: NOT FOR SMALL CHILDREN
Review: A wonderful, thoroughly worthwhile book but with some very real mention of torture and other terrors that may be profoundly upsetting to the small - buy it for yourself, but please read carefully in it's entirety before you give this to a child- and know the trauma threshold of the child in question. The tone of the jacket and opening pages is not representative of the work throughout.

Rating:
Summary: A parable for all ages about strength to change the world
Review: Delicate Creatures a beautifully illustrated fantasy story, written by the versatile and talented author J. Michael Stranczynski of television (Babylon 5) and comic book (Rising Stars) fame. A fairy tale existing parallel to human world, Delicate creatures is not a picturebook for very young children but rather a parable for all ages about the strength to change the world that lies in the smallest, most fragile, and most fleeting of things. The artwork of Michael Zulli and Steve Firchow wonderfully showcases a truly engaging fairytale destined to become a modern classic. Delicate Creatures is enthusiastically recommended for anyone who has ever thrilled to the tales of the Brothers Grimm or gone along on a wonderland adventure with Alice.

Rating:
Summary: A Darker Type Of Fairy Tale.
Review: Delicate Creatures shatters whatever preconceived notions you might have about Fairy Tales. Starting with a breezy introduction, where we get to know the various Fairies and Sprites inhabiting the walls of a Castle in an anonymous foreign land, the story quickly moves into darker territory, dealing with the real-life terrors of war and genocide. The darker aspects of the tale are dealt with honestly, but delicately enough that younger readers will be able to deal with them. There were parts of the story that brought a lump to my throat; I think that parents and children reading together would find a lot to discuss about Delicate Creatures, particularly the themes of love and loss. The story is told in prose, with occasional illustrations by Artist Michael Zulli. Zulli's art is fantasic and the lush colors (By Steve Firchow) make the pictures come to life. The story, by Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski, is gut-wrenching at times, but in true Fairy-Tale fashion, things turn out ok in the end. I believe all involved have created a new classic, one that will hopefully be discovered by Parents and Children alike in years to come.

Rating:
Summary: A Vastly Underrated Classic
Review: Even if you've been following the diverse goings-on of the profilic author J. Michael Straczynski over the decades, you may not know about DELICATE CREATURES. A parable on the roots of Faerie which is as ancient as the oldest woods, and as modern as issues of internal security, DELICATE CREATURES is a superb prose novel finely illustrated by Michael Zulli, known in Sequential circles for his standout work for Neil Gaiman's SANDMAN. Released by Image Comics, by way of its Top Cow imprint, it all but vanished follwing its initial release in 2001.

Known best as the creator, chief scripter, and major domo of the epic televised SF saga, BABYLON 5, Straczynski is a writer's writer, one of the grandmasters of the field. From the impossible task of attempting THE NEW TWILIGHT ZONE in the 1980s, and the eerie wanderings of MIDNIGHT NATION, to the finest tales seen in THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN since the Lee-Ditko-Romita originals, Straczynski is simply the very best at what he does.

DELICATE CREATURES, however, is a particular treat, being
Straczynski's first work delving into the genre of Classic
Fantasy. Never content with simply doing what has been done,
the author concocts a contemporary parable which places the
origins of Faerie as much in the thwarted anxieties of Humanity,
as in the familar truths behind myths and legends spun
just beyond the camplight.
From its finely attuned plot to its wicked character play, DELICATE CREATURES is humble finesse from an author responisble for some of the most brilliant moments in all of Fiction. So concentrated is the simplicity of Straczynski's delivery, so smoothly executed with such charm, that the sheer bounty of his story greets you with a firm grasp on your attention, even as the ethical impact of this work evokes sobering questions.
Here is a master storyteller examining the desperate adult sensibilities which fuel our most enduring need to experience childlike wonder. In achieving this, Straczynski addresses the
real matter-at-hand; why aesthetic expression is so essential
to the well-being of all who live.

Time and attention will prove DELICATE CREATURES to be one
of the great classics of the times, and a hallmark piece of Fantasy
lore. As it stands now, it is a most unique entry from one of
the most unique literary artists around. On that point alone,
it merits a fresh look, and your immediate reading discretion.

Rating:
Summary: what we've come to expect from JMS - beautiful stories
Review: I bought this book because I was very curious about this "new twist" on fairy tales and I love JMS' other works: his run on "Amazing Spider-Man," Babylon 5, Rising Stars. . .and now, "Delicate Creatures." I didn't get a chance to flip through it before I bought it, I was expecting your typical graphic novel but the writing, coloring, and illustrations are more like a story book, giving it a long-lasting quality. I found the story to be very sweet in some areas, and in others rather sad. Emotions while reading weren't of the laugh or cry variety, more like a pleasant interest in the goings on of the characters and an inclination to see the story through to its finish. The artwork is beautiful, as are the colors - nothing in your face or too wispy. I would say this book is less a commentary on fairy tales and more a commentary on ideas. Fairy tales are ideas but the ideas in this book aren't just fanciful, they have a context in reality as well. I suppose this still doesn't answer the question, "Why should I buy this book?" 1)if you like any of JMS' other work and 2)if you want to read something with depth and grace. At first I considered giving this book 4 stars because I didn't feel like the story had any kind of earth shattering concepts, but in thinking that I realize I am a victim of hype. Also, I am very much interested in reading books of all sorts of philosophies so some things aren't new ideas to me (if you like this book you may be interested in terry pratchet's "hogfather"). I find no fault in this book, it is something I am proud to place on my bookshelf and share (if they're very careful with it) with my friends. If you're at all unsure after reading this review, I encourage you to seek this book out in your local bookstore and flip through it, maybe even find a comfortable chair and read it (it's not a very long read). I think you'll enjoy it.

Rating:
Summary: A wild new look at fairy tales by a brilliant author
Review: Let's take a quick count -- so far J. Michael Straczynski has revolutionized television sci-fi ("Babylon 5"), horror ("Midnight Nation") and superheroes ("Spider-Man" and "Rising Stars"). Why not tackle fairy tales next?

The story centers around a group of fairies who live in a house, unseen by its human inhabitants. New ones arrive and it's like they've always been there. Old ones disappear and they are mourned. It's a clever story, but not exactly groundbreaking...

Until the twist at the halfway point. I refuse to give it away, but the curveball Straczynski throws regarding something as simple as the setting takes this story down a path no one would have guessed, turning it from a simple children's story to a heartbreaking cautionary tale that can appeal to anyone with even a passing knowledge of the some of the real-life horrors that have been perpetrated in this world.

Good for kids, great for adults, "Delicate Creatures" is, simply put, a must-read.

Rating:
Summary: The Most Poorly Written Story I've Ever Read
Review: This is an amazingly bad story. It presents itself as a whimsical fairy tale, but ends up just being a cheap revenge tale; you know the kind, where the author sets up terrible atrocities so that you get the satisfaction of having the bad guys get slaughtered at the end. The story introduces all sorts of potentially interesting-sounding characters, which it then tells you nothing about and play no part in the story.

The story is a tour of every bad writing mistake one can make. The abused main character "Princess" for no understandable reason becomes all-powerful halfway through in order to get her revenge. The style jumps all over the place. It's full of cliches that dont even work together. And the writing is just embarrassing. Listen to this:

"[Trifle] said a word she had never said before to an Owner (leaving aside the fact that before today she had never said anything to an Owner). 'No,' she said."

This is a ridiculous attempt to be dramatic but it makes no sense. The author even realizes his mistake but instead of correcting it, he comments on it and leaves it there. And this kind of innocence-perceiving-horror is everywhere in the book, this "Daddy, why is that man pulling out a knife? Why is he plunging it into mommy's neck?" The story is just coarse and cheap and senseless. Do not buy it if you're older, and unless your intention is to traumatize, do not buy it for a child.