Word Puppets by Mary Robinette Kowal - Fable

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Publisher Description

Celebrated as the author of five acclaimed historical fantasy novels in the Glamourist series, Mary Robinette Kowal is also well known as an award-winning author of short science fiction and fantasy. Her stories encompass a wide range of themes, a covey of indelible characters, and settings that span from Earth's past to its near and far futures as well as even farther futures beyond. Alternative history, fairy tales, adventure, fables, science fiction (both hard and soft), fantasy (both epic and cozy)—nothing is beyond the reach of her unique talent. WORD PUPPETS—the first comprehensive collection of Kowal's extraordinary fiction-includes her two Hugo-winning stories, a Hugo nominee, an original story set in the world of "The Lady Astronaut of Mars," and fourteen other show-stopping tales.

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12 Reviews

3.5

Nari Bellypott

Created 8 months ago

“I was disappointed with this anthology, and it took me a couple weeks to push through it because I wasn’t very eager. I don’t necessarily think the stories were bad, but I think short stories don’t contain enough for me to become invested, and if I do become invested, there isn’t enough material to satiate. The foreword was by Patrick Rothfuss and I somehow expected him to be vouching for another author like himself. Pat’s writing is FAR more my wheelhouse: he is lyrical and his description and dialogue is florid and magical. MRK, in this collection, is not. Her voice is modern, pared down, the type of writing you see chosen for movies and shows because there’s so much to build on. Just foundational, and not much complicating another artist’s vision if they try to adapt later. Perhaps that is just because these are bitty micro stories and I’m used to one thousand page tomes, but the fact remains that I prefer complicated and I want dense, and this is not that. It is certainly a groaning table of tapas containing disparate ideas, though! The stories: The Bound Man - fantasy story about a prophesy and an ancient hero. Contains trolls. Was derivative and nothing impressive. 0/5 Chrysalis - science fiction, an alien race hires documentarians to record their lives before they metamorphose. Neat concept. 2/5 Rampion - fantasy, Rapunzel re-frame. Wasn’t complete enough to be included; I was shocked at how short it was. 1/5 At the Edge of Dying - another fantasy. This one is a powerful concept and would make a good basis for a larger world. 4/5 Clockwork Chickadee - talking toy birds. Ruthless protagonist. I really enjoyed this one. 4/5 Body Language - scifi story about a puppeteer who aides the police (and police AI) to save a young boy who is held hostage. I feel the author’s love for puppetry, but it wasn’t a great story. 3/5 Waiting for Rain - scifi wine story. I thought this one was lovely. 5/5 First Flight - science fiction about a 100 year-old time travelling lady. She’s honestly lovely, and this was my favourite story out of the bunch (I teared up). 5/5 Evil Robot Monkey - science fiction story about an engineered intelligent chimp. Forgettable. 0/5 The Consciousness Problem - science fiction, cloning, identity, mental health. 3/5 For Solo Cello, op. 12 - science fiction. Great concept and dilemma. I’m on the protagonist’s side and I wish him the best. 4/5 For Want of a Nail - science fiction about AI and the value of life. 3/5 The Shocking Affair of the Dutch Steamship Friesland - a Sherlock Holmes story from the perspective of an unwitting player. There was no mystery; it’s a whodunnit with no detecting. Why write a Holmes story where he doesn’t have to solve anything? Thanks, I hate it. 0/5 Salt of the Earth - science fiction, revenge. I also support this protagonist. 3/5 American Changeling - urban fantasy about a family of changelings on a mission to unlock the portal to Faerie. 2/5 The White Phoenix Feather: A Tale of Cuisine and Ninjas - extraordinarily silly. It took me awhile to figure out how I stood with this one. As a chef, I get it— but did I like it? 3/5 The last three are all set in the Author’s Lady Astronaut universe which envisions the exodus from earth directly after the space race in the ‘60s. I have not read the main series. We Interrupt This Broadcast - I actually forgot this story as I was reading it— I feel I might have needed Calculating Stars knowledge for this one, because it seems to have hit other reviewers quite differently. 0/5 Rockets Red - fireworks, Mars, Moms. Feel good. 3/5 The Lady Astronaut of Mars - seems to be thirty years after MRK’s Lady Astronaut series. I loved it, and if it lead into what she has now I’d probably pick them up because the idea of a 60 year old astronaut appeals to me, and this was a stellar prologue. Alas, it might be where she’s goes in the future but she’s not gone there yet. 5/5”

EarlGrey Tease

Created 8 months ago

“I was disappointed with this anthology, and it took me a couple weeks to push through it because I wasn’t very eager. I don’t necessarily think the stories were bad, but I think short stories don’t contain enough for me to become invested, and if I do become invested, there isn’t enough material to satiate. The foreword was by Patrick Rothfuss and I somehow expected him to be vouching for another author like himself. Pat’s writing is FAR more my wheelhouse: he is lyrical and his description and dialogue is florid and magical. MRK, in this collection, is not. Her voice is modern, pared down, the type of writing you see chosen for movies and shows because there’s so much to build on. Just foundational, and not much complicating another artist’s vision if they try to adapt later. Perhaps that is just because these are bitty micro stories and I’m used to one thousand page tomes, but the fact remains that I prefer complicated and I want dense, and this is not that. It is certainly a groaning table of tapas containing disparate ideas, though! The stories: The Bound Man - fantasy story about a prophesy and an ancient hero. Contains trolls. Was derivative and nothing impressive. 0/5 Chrysalis - science fiction, an alien race hires documentarians to record their lives before they metamorphose. Neat concept. 2/5 Rampion - fantasy, Rapunzel re-frame. Wasn’t complete enough to be included; I was shocked at how short it was. 1/5 At the Edge of Dying - another fantasy. This one is a powerful concept and would make a good basis for a larger world. 4/5 Clockwork Chickadee - talking toy birds. Ruthless protagonist. I really enjoyed this one. 4/5 Body Language - scifi story about a puppeteer who aides the police (and police AI) to save a young boy who is held hostage. I feel the author’s love for puppetry, but it wasn’t a great story. 3/5 Waiting for Rain - scifi wine story. I thought this one was lovely. 5/5 First Flight - science fiction about a 100 year-old time travelling lady. She’s honestly lovely, and this was my favourite story out of the bunch (I teared up). 5/5 Evil Robot Monkey - science fiction story about an engineered intelligent chimp. Forgettable. 0/5 The Consciousness Problem - science fiction, cloning, identity, mental health. 3/5 For Solo Cello, op. 12 - science fiction. Great concept and dilemma. I’m on the protagonist’s side and I wish him the best. 4/5 For Want of a Nail - science fiction about AI and the value of life. 3/5 The Shocking Affair of the Dutch Steamship Friesland - a Sherlock Holmes story from the perspective of an unwitting player. There was no mystery; it’s a whodunnit with no detecting. Why write a Holmes story where he doesn’t have to solve anything? Thanks, I hate it. 0/5 Salt of the Earth - science fiction, revenge. I also support this protagonist. 3/5 American Changeling - urban fantasy about a family of changelings on a mission to unlock the portal to Faerie. 2/5 The White Phoenix Feather: A Tale of Cuisine and Ninjas - extraordinarily silly. It took me awhile to figure out how I stood with this one. As a chef, I get it— but did I like it? 3/5 The last three are all set in the Author’s Lady Astronaut universe which envisions the exodus from earth directly after the space race in the ‘60s. I have not read the main series. We Interrupt This Broadcast - I actually forgot this story as I was reading it— I feel I might have needed Calculating Stars knowledge for this one, because it seems to have hit other reviewers quite differently. 0/5 Rockets Red - fireworks, Mars, Moms. Feel good. 3/5 The Lady Astronaut of Mars - seems to be thirty years after MRK’s Lady Astronaut series. I loved it, and if it lead into what she has now I’d probably pick them up because the idea of a 60 year old astronaut appeals to me, and this was a stellar prologue. Alas, it might be where she’s goes in the future but she’s not gone there yet. 5/5”

M.E. Kalous

Created about 1 year ago