In the middle of the desert is a town where everyone just wants to be free. But it’s a town with a difference – it’s colonised by free automatons. And all they want is to be left alone.
I thought that this was a great short story that emphasised the fight for survival and freedom. Which, considering all of the Western themed stories I’ve been reading lately seems to be a bit of a theme. A great theme though. Particularly when this is combined with automatons and science fiction…
This was a wonderfully intense and brilliant short story. I was hooked from the very beginning and found it difficult to look away. Probably lucky that this was a short story, because my productivity would have gone down the drain if this was any longer. At least being so short, I was able to be fully immersed without jeopardising all of the adult things that I needed to be doing…
The cruel turning on the lead character in this story at the end was a little heartbreaking. After all, the saviour is then spurned. And finds himself an outcast when all he did was save everyone…
Title: Wrecking Party Author: Alastair Reynolds In: Dead Man’s Hand (John Joseph Adams) Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this) My Bookshelves:Cyborgs, Weird western Dates read: 29th August 2020 Pace: Slow Format: Short story Publisher: Titan Books Year: 2014 5th sentence, 74th page: It’s like a disease.
A series of wrecks of the trains have left the town confused and angry. But when the local sheriff is told the truth by his friend… it’s seriously unexpected and more than a little dangerous.
I’m not sure if I just wasn’t paying overly much attention when I was reading this. Or whether it’s just not my kind of story. But, regardless, I did have to keep flicking back through this story to check out what on earth was happening. And although I love this premise, I really wasn’t all that hooked by it. Which was, honestly, a bit of a pity.
One of the things I did really love about this short story was the idea of cyborgs and this kind of massive conspiracy that reared its ugly head throughout this story. It was somewhat brilliant, and probably why I’m so disappointed that I didn’t get so hooked into this from the very beginning – the premise and conspiracy theory theme was just dang awesome.
This was a nice and easy read, but definitely one that I will try and revisit when I’m not in such a funky mood I think. Just to make sure that it was my mood and concentration which made me score this kind of low… or if the writing was really just not my style…
Title: The Man With No Heart Author: Beth Revis In: Dead Man’s Hand (John Joseph Adams) Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Cyborgs, Weird western, Westerns Dates read: 22nd August 2020 Pace: Medium Format: Short story Publisher: Titan Books Year: 2014 5th sentence, 74th page: Finally, he had something worth betting on, Ray could tell.
Ray is a betting man. But when he decides to follow the mechanical spiders to try and find out where he truly comes from… all bets are off.
This short story honestly gave me a little bit of a Harry Potter déjà vu. It was such a fun, pleasant feeling. Not that the ting that gave me the Harry Potter déjà vu was all that fun and pleasant, but I love anything that thrusts me back into that world. In this case, it was the idea of “follow the spiders” that had me picturing Ron and laughing. There really was no other actual similarities. But I definitely was filled with thoughts. Happy. Positive. Bright thoughts.
This short story is honestly incredibly light and easy. It also has a great sense of hope throughout. Luckily, there is a happily ever after at the end of the story. At least, it felt like a happily ever after to me. It just finished off that feeling of completeness and hope that the rest of the short story had.
I absolutely loved the idea of alternate realities / worlds and the descriptions throughout this story. Then, there is a brilliant idea of gatekeepers and the idea that the lead character is heavily embroiled within this world. Unexpectedly so. But, still enjoyably so.
This small mining town is about to have a gunslinging visitor. She’s not what they’d normally expect or want in their little town. But she might just be their saviour.
I love that this story is a final stand… Wild West Style. The fact that it involves zombies and cyborgs just makes it so, so, so much better. And more enjoyable. And just all-round amusing.
This short story had both a great, happy ending. And a kind of tragic one. In one part, there were survivors and hope for a future. But, in the other. It was seriously a story of a last stand. One which almost had that comfort and bitter sweetness of death featured. In a way that makes you wonder if death wasn’t actually the worst thing.
One of my favourite things about this short story though, aside from the great writing and the fun storyline… it was the fact that somehow Strout was able to mix cyborgs and zombies in with a story of the wild west. And gunslingers. And just, in general, a great and slightly unexpected journey.
Title: Hellfire on the High Frontier Author: David Farland In: Dead Man’s Hand (John Joseph Adams) Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Cyborgs, Weird western, Westerns Dates read: 23rd June 2020 Pace: Fast Format: Short story Publisher: Titan Books Year: 2014 5th sentence, 74th page: The cigar clenched between his teeth smelled of sulfur.
Morgan is hunting a murderer and a skinwalker. Then, after accepting help from a stranger, he is sent on a journey. To try and stop another murderer, one that he has little hope of surviving.
I really liked the book ending of this story – it started with Morgan on a hunt for justice. And ended with him on another hunt for justice. Two totally different culprits, but that same need for justice that made me wonder what was going to happen next almost from the very first moment. I loved that sense of justice – it’s always a great driver for a story in my mind – justice is almost impossible to truly get, but always desired.
Morgan is a great lead character. You spend the whole time hoping and wishing that he’s going to get his happily ever after. But you’re kind of resigned to something that’s not going to be so happy… it’s a weird dichotomy. You know that there will be a tragic ending because this story has great emotional foreshadowing, but you also hope against hope that you’re wrong. Since Morgan is just such a beautiful, relatable character.
This is a great reminder that there is no justice, only money. Particularly in the Old West which is run by gunslingers and gamblers. Demons and ghouls. And emotionless cyborgs.
Title: Burning Up Flint Author: Laurann Dohner Series: Cyborg Seduction #1 Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Cyborgs, Erotica, Science fiction romance Dates read: 23rd May – 23rd June 2020 Pace: Medium Format: eBook, Novel Publisher: Ellora’s Cave Year: 2010 5th sentence, 74th page: Her eyes opened so she could stare up in wonder at Flint as he climbed over her and pinned her under his body, caging her between his hands spread on the bed next to her arms.
Flint is tall, gorgeous and dangerous. He’s a cyborg-the absolute ultimate alpha male. He takes what he wants and holds what is his. Mira is his now. He takes her aboard his ship and has her branded with his mark. He captured her, owns her, and she will serve his every need.
Mira is instantly drawn to Flint, fascinated by his seductive appeal. The sex between them is smoking hot. Until she finds out he is a breeder, contracted to a dozen cyborg women, and she is no more than a possession.
Mira won’t share her cyborg and she belongs to no one-not even to a man who has captured her heart. She doesn’t know if cyborgs feel… anything. Can Flint love her? Mira is determined to find out, no matter how much trouble she makes for the big guy.
As with some of the more erotic romances I’ve been reading lately, I finished this with mixed feelings. Mostly because it was a little too pushy and filled with moments in which Mira didn’t actually have a choice. Actually, my favourite part of this story was when she threatened to jump, because she was at her wits end. It was the only moment of real fight that she displayed and FINALLY made the stupid, pig headed male in this story sit up and pay attention to what she was saying. And yet, for all of that pushiness that I was really uncomfortable with, I did, ultimately enjoy this story…
This is my second series by Dohner that I’ve started. And although she definitely seems to like the alpha male trope, this one definitely took that to the next level. Flint literally kidnaps Mira because he’s decided he wants her. There is literally no choice. I mean, it all ends well, they fall in love and ya da ya da ya da. But, really, the whole I’m going to kidnap you and own you… not what I would call a healthy, happy beginning to a relationship. Not really sure that there is a happy healthy ending either, but that’s a little less clear…
I think the reason that I enjoyed this story so much, even though it was filled with aspects that I seriously didn’t agree with… was the fact that Dohner is an awesome writer. She manages to draw you in from that very first moment and make you feel emotionally bonded with both of the characters… even the ones that aren’t exactly of the mould that I would like. There is just something about Dohner’s writing that works for me…
Although I have many, many issues with this story. I still really enjoyed it. Major guilty pleasure here. And just because of that, and the brilliance of Dohner’swriting… I’m actually looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series. a nice way to curl up late at night and make my self weirdly uncomfortable.
Earth and Skye 