The Garden Planner and Record Book (Record Books)

Book Description

Color combinations, cuttings taken, ponds planned can be recorded in the first half, and the second half is a seasonal diary of plot performance. At-a-glance listings of seasonal tasks complement practical tips and advice on cultivation and planting.

Average customer rating:

A welcome surprise
Touching and Thought Provoking
Confronting the shadows
Good book but something is missing...
A beautiful book that lingers in the mind

The Ash Garden
Dennis Bock
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0375727493
Release Date: 2003-01-07

Amazon.com

The unprecedented impact, ideology, and geographic scope of the Second World War continue to attract new novelists who hammer the history out a little thinner each time, highlighting lesser-known massacres or sifting through minor characters to discover a representative but undiscovered guide. Dennis Bock's poignant book The Ash Garden personalizes the epic bombing of Hiroshima through Anton Böll, a German émigré physicist, and Emiko, a Japanese victim of the bomb. Bombmaker and bombed, they balance this incisive, symmetrical novel and its sustained inquiry into remorse and forgiveness.

One of 25 Hiroshima Maidens relocated from post-war Japan to America for corrective plastic surgery, Emiko remains in the U.S. as a student, then as a filmmaker. The novel is at its best with her, from the heavy losses that surround her recovery in Japan to the awkwardness of immigrating to the nation that is both her tormentor and her savior. Meanwhile, Anton, her opposite number, doesn't just return home from war, he returns having irrevocably changed war. Stubbornly proud of his work and estranged from his isolated, ailing wife, Anton offers no home to remorse, and his conflicted legacy takes a lifetime to heal. Heal it does, though, just as Anton and Emiko meet and begin to discuss their roles in the bombing. The climax may be too much for readers impatient with a Dickensian full-cast ending: like those of John Irving, Bock's symmetries are delightful to discover at the halfway point but disappointingly conspicuous by the novel's close. --Darryl Whetter

Book Description

Emiko Amai is six years old in August 1945 when the Hiroshima bomb burns away half of her face. To Anton, a young German physicist involved in the Manhattan Project, that same bomb represents the pinnacle of scientific elegance. And for his Austrian wife Sophie, a Jewish refugee, it marks the start of an irreparable fissure in their new marriage.

Fifty years later, seemingly far removed from the day that defined their lives, Emiko visits Anton and Sophie, and in Dennis Bock’s powerfully imagined narrative, their histories converge.

Download Description

Triangulating the fates of three separate people, this debut novel reveals the true costs of the August 1945 nightmare unleashed in a blinding flash by the Enola Gay.

Customer Reviews:

A welcome surprise.......2007-04-07

I bought this book second hand without having read anything about it (it had a nice cover). I really enjoyed it, not so much for the interaction between Anton and Emiko, but for the description of Anton's relationship with his wife Sophie. The other reviews focus on the negative part of the Professor's relationship with his wife, but it seems to me that the relationship was more complex than the surface comments of the characters. Since there is no omniscient narrator whom the reader must accept as authoritative, we are left with only the revealed thoughts and dialogue of the characters. As any person may not fully understand or be able to convey their true motivations and emotions, their surface words and acts must be subject to interpretation. Overall, simply describing Anton's and Sophie's marriage as a union of shared loss and guilt reduces the inherent dimensionality of the characters. Although one could not describe their marriage without references to their individual and shared disappointment and guilt, Anton's relationship with his wife would be more accurately described as a multifaceted reflection of the ebb and flow, and generally changing nature, of love over the course of a lifetime. I liked it more than I thought I would.

Touching and Thought Provoking.......2006-07-28

The Ash Garden, told from two different perspectives, tells the very personal story of a scientist that helped build the atomic bomb, and that of a young Japanese girl who was only six years old when the bomb was detonated on her home town of Hiroshima. The novel switches between the two viewpoints and traces how the bomb affected each of them and how their lives became intertwined.

Anton is an Austrian scientist who escaped Europe during WWII to pursue science in a manner that the Germans were not. He found himself a part of the Manhattan Project and built the atomic bomb that was ultimately dropped on Japan bringing an end to the war. While he continues to contend that the bomb saved lives by showing the world what America was prepared to do he is not without regret. He saw first hand what the bomb did to the innocent civilians and the lives that it took. Much to his wife's disappointment, he is never the same again and spends his career after the war educating college students and reliving his role in the devastation.

Emiko was six when the bomb was dropped on her hometown. She lost her parents and younger brother and suffered severe scarring herself, making her an outcast among the other children of Hiroshima. As a young teenager she is chosen to travel to America as one of 25 other young girls where doctors believe that they can fix their damaged and scarred skin. She finds a life of filmmaking develop from the opportunities provided her in the United States and ultimately seeks out Anton to be a part of the documentary she is making on this part of WWII that is so significant to them both.

Anton and Emiko's lives parallel in many ways that the two do not initially realize. Throughout this novel we learn of the devastation and tragedy that both suffer as a result of the dropping of the bomb. At the same time, we also learn of the good that comes out of the event that shapes their lives.

Considered by some to be the modern counterpart of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, the book can definately be considered a commentary on the negative aspects of scientific development and how mankind does not always benefit from our cutting edge progress. Wound throughout the science and historical narrative is a deeply touching story. Human vulnerability is at it's height with these characters and Bock has written them in such a way that the reader can see straight into their hearts. Despite jumping around from one perspective to the other a bit incoherently at times, this book is highly recommended.

Confronting the shadows.......2005-12-28

Sometimes, chance encounters with books lead to discoveries you wouldn't want to miss. Finding "The Ash Garden" has been one such experience. It is a superbly written, subtle, yet complex human interest story placed against the backdrop of historical events. Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, the atom bomb's devastating short term impacts reverberate through the story. The lingering long term effects, politically and emotionally, connect the three protagonists: the German scientist, having left Europe to participate in the bomb's development, the documentary film journalist who survived the attack as a child, seriously scarred, and the scientist's wife, a refugee from the Nazi regime. Bock succeeds in creating a deeply moving portrait of the three people whose lives are dramatically connected through these events. They also draw them to each other, almost despite themselves.

Each section is written in the distinct voice of one of the protagonists, thereby allowing each to express his or her perspective on the events over a period of fifty years. The narrative moves between present and past, each episode providing another building block for us to understand their lives' complexities. We are exposed to their emotional conflicts and follow the often detached scrutiny of their respective behaviours and attitudes. Their recollections of the historical events naturally differ, so do their assessments of their human emotions, whether love, betrayal, guilt, shame, selfishness or atonement. Yet, the story builds gently and none of what is shared overwhelms the reader. Bock writes with great empathy for the characters, exploring their personalities without passing judgement on their action or inaction at the different stages of their lives.

Bock has described his interest in writing fiction as "raising big questions" of human society. Major topics that escape clear black and white answers. For example, the scientist joined the Los Alamos team because building the atom bomb " was the only way to end the war". Yet, during his research mission to Hiroshima to "scientifically assess the bomb's impact", he is exposed to the human suffering of innocent civilians. In "The Ash Garden", Bock proves himself a master in exploring the grey zones between right and wrong, innocence and responsibility. The narrative moves towards the anticipated and necessary confrontation between the victim and the scientist, in her view co-responsible for her suffering. The outcome is everything but clear-cut or obvious, but consistent within the story and the intentions of the author. A deeply moving and beautiful book with important messages for us all. [Friederike Knabe]

Good book but something is missing..........2003-08-01

The author of this book is definitely a good writer, and it was only after finishing and reflecting on what I'd read that I realized that something was missing.

The story has a lot of potential: Anton, the man partially responsible for the development of the atom bomb, and Emiko, the girl scarred (physically and psychologically) by the same event come together after many years.

The author did not expose how/why, or even if, these people had changed because of their meeting. The side story of Anton's relationship with his wife also seemed unsatisfying, as Anton never has an epiphany about what he'd missed, just as he never openly admits to his guilt over Hiroshima. It is also unclear how Emiko is changed by finding out about their strange connection. One gets the feeling that it's already too late for her in some ways, but if so, then what are we to take away from this story?

In the end, I felt that the author did not delve deep enough to show us the true impact of the meeting between Emiko & Anton. Their deepest selves remain hidden from the reader, which is a pity...

A beautiful book that lingers in the mind.......2002-10-14

I read The Ashgarden twice; Dennis Bock has a beautiful style and the storyline flows.
The book is filled with lyrical passages as the one when, after Sophie's death, Anton remembers how 'she had tended her garden like weather massaging the land'. It's interesting too how Bock compares the skins of Emiko and Sophie: Emiko's burns were 'like patterns on the skin ... tattoos of fire, and Sophie's skin, revaged by Erythematosis, was 'like small bits of smouldering fire ... wishing to be released from her body'. It's reinforcing the idea that Sophie, in a mystical way, was connected with the awful happenings in Hiroshima in August 1945.
I agree with previous reviewers that Bock's characterizations have flaws, and that the scene with the children playing in the snow is somewhat distracting from the story. (But the description of the snow landscape reads like a painting!)
Similarly I didn't feel the relationship between Sophie and Stephano, the Italian from Pescara, was convincing enough to be included. However, the deepening relationship between Anton and Sophie is a touching one, and altogether this book is worth to own, to read again and again. Hopefully Bock will bring us more books in the future.

Garden, Ashes: A Novel (Eastern European Literature Series)

Average customer rating:

a dream worth reading
if Bob Dylan could be a novelist from Serbia
Poem pretending to be a novel & vice versa, being none & all

Garden, Ashes: A Novel (Eastern European Literature Series)
Danilo Kis
Manufacturer: Dalkey Archive Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 156478326X

Customer Reviews:

a dream worth reading.......2003-07-21

It's heaven hell and purgatory - that is the three distinct metaphorical division of the book. you will find that sometimes bad is better than good and it is better to live in dream than in reality. The grey area between dream and reality in this book is unlimited. The author talks about his father - sometimes his father is like Don Quixote and on other occasions his father is the little tyrant without the crown. It is very close to a modern day Don Quixote. The transalation by William Hannaher is great and worth reading. I will recommend reading this book

if Bob Dylan could be a novelist from Serbia.......2000-02-07

For some reason I think of Bob Dylan in a distant way when I read this book, maybe because of the way it melts into the distance and then you squint your eyes and it all kind of falls into this pastoral, painful dream and then you realize you're gazing into the pages, like there is some kind of map staring back at you, a secret map that his father has written for you, he's whispered the code in your ear and all you can do is hope it'll come alive like Galatea

Poem pretending to be a novel & vice versa, being none & all.......1998-02-06

Garden, Ashes proves that after Borges someone could go beyond words, beyond meaning; defying & sculpting at the same time, celebrating & mourning, living & dying... garden & ashes

The English Garden: Woman of Valor/Apple of His Eye/A Flower Amidst the Ashes/Robyn's Garden (Inspirational Romance Collection)

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Wonderful inspirational romance reading

The English Garden: Woman of Valor/Apple of His Eye/A Flower Amidst the Ashes/Robyn's Garden (Inspirational Romance Collection)
Jill Stengl , Gail Gaymer Martin , DiAnn Mills , and Kathleen Y'Barbo
Manufacturer: Barbour Publishing, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Historical | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Fiction | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1586603892

Book Description

For generations, the garden has been a place to find the peace and quiet the soul desires - and, perhaps, the love the heart longs for. In 1631, Helen - A Woman of Valor - enters Marston Hall to care for three children. While the children test Helen's strength and patience, encounters with the horseman unnerve her. Can the garden help bring each one to a gentle understanding? The Victorian garden of Hampton Manor is an escape for Sarah - from the demands of society...and her mother. When she falls in love with the orchard keeper and becomes the Apple of His Eye, can these two social opposites find hope for a future together? With London under German attack, Margaret encounters an endearing Royal Air Force pilot whose beautiful garden sketches stir her soul. As the war rages, can love become A Flower Amidst the Ashes to refresh her heart? In Robyn's Garden, disabled children are taught about nature - and Robyn learns a difficult lesson from a visiting American. He has taken something she has to have back. Can she trust him with it...and her heart? Four women, four eras, one common theme: Joy and rest are found in God's careful nurturing and pruning. Come, experience His peace in the garden!

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful inspirational romance reading.......2002-03-13

The English Garden is an anthology of Christian romances by four very talented writers. The four novellas are set in or around a garden theme and span from medieval time to modern day. Great reading for a lazy spring afternoon as you relax in the warm sun.

DiAnn Mills, in her marvelous easy-to-read style, weaves a tender romance between Margaret Walker and Lieutenant Andrew Stuart. Set in the midst of Germany's air raids on London during World War II, A FLOWER AMIDST THE ASHES blends an engaging story of two people caught in the realities of war with authentic historical and cultural accuracy.

In ROBYN'S GARDEN, Kathleen Y'Barbo tells of the struggles of Robyn Locksley and Travis Gentry to understand each other and blend their American and English cultures. Memorable supporting characters make their journey through an English garden to each other one you won't soon forget.

Gail Gaymer Martin offers a delightful glimpse of Victorian English society in her APPLE OF HIS EYE. You'll love Sarah Hampton as she wins the love of her life, "Big John" Banning, in spite of the fact that he's not of her social class.

Jill Stengl's A WOMAN OF VALOR portrays Helen Walker's journey through trying circumstances and personal phobias to Oliver. Set in medieval times, Helen's courage and unfaltering faith is inspiring.

All four of these novellas, though set in four different eras, provide wholesome romantic stories to affirm God's perfect plan for each of us in His garden that we call life. I'll certainly be watching for other titles by these talented writers.

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Beauty for Ashes Part V: The Garden of God (Beauty for Ashes, Five)
George H. Warnock
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N8P1W6

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The Ash Garden

ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0641570481

Product Description

A scientist stealing across the Pyrenees into Spain, then smuggled into America . . . A young woman quarantined on a ship wandering the Atlantic, her family stranded in Austria . . . A girl playing on a riverbank as a solitary airplane appears on the horizon . . . Lives already in motion, unsettled by war, and about to change beyond reckoning—their pasts blurred and their destinies at once defined and distorted by an inconceivable event. For that man was bound for the desert of Los Alamos, the woman unexpectedly en route to a refugee camp, the girl at Ground Zero and that plane the Enola Gay. In August of 1945, in a blinding flash, Hiroshima sees the dawning of the modern age. With these three people, Dennis Bock transforms a familiar story—the atom bomb as a means to end worldwide slaughter—into something witnessed, as if for the first time, in all its beautiful and terrible power. Destroyer of Worlds. With Anton and Sophie and Emiko, with the complete arc of their histories and hopes, convictions and regrets, The Ash Garden is intricate yet far-reaching: from market streets in Japan to German universities, from New York tenements to, ultimately, a peaceful village in Ontario. Revealed here, as their fates triangulate, are the true costs and implications of a nightmare that has persisted for more than half a century. In its reserves of passion and wisdom, in its grasp of pain and memory, in its balance of ambition and humanity, this first novel is an astonishing triumph.

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Ash Garden
Dennis Bock
Manufacturer: HARPERCOLLINS CANADA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000SHS0E8

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The Ash Garden
Dennis Bock
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers Canada, Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NUC32K

Bookclub in a Box Discusses the Novel The Ash Garden, written by Dennis Bock

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Bookclub in a Box Discusses the Novel The Ash Garden, written by Dennis Bock
Marilyn Herbert
Manufacturer: Bookclub-In-A-Box
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Discusses the novel, "The Ash Garden"

THE COLLECTED GHOST STORIES: Canon Alberic's Scrapbook; Lost Hearts; The Mezzotint; The Ash Tree; Number 13; Count Magnus; Oh Whistle and I'll Come to You My Lad; Treasure of Abbot Thomas; School Story; Rose Garden; Tractate Middoth; Casting the Runes

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THE COLLECTED GHOST STORIES: Canon Alberic's Scrapbook; Lost Hearts; The Mezzotint; The Ash Tree; Number 13; Count Magnus; Oh Whistle and I'll Come to You My Lad; Treasure of Abbot Thomas; School Story; Rose Garden; Tractate Middoth; Casting the Runes
M. R. James
Manufacturer: Edward Arnold and Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000TGG2KW

Amazon.com

This is a standalone sequel to Archangel, set 150 years later in proverbially interesting times. Samaria is industrialized; the Manadavvi and Jansai are wealthier; the Edori are marginalized, their roaming lifestyle disrupted; and Jovah seems to be turning a deaf ear to his angels' prayers for abatement of increasingly destructive storms. In the midst of all this, Archangel Delilah is incapacitated and replaced by shy, unworldly Alleluia. Alleya must pacify the tribes, calm the weather, make Jovah hear her, forge a reconciliation with Delilah, and find her angelico in order to get married--there's a Gloria due in four months. Unfortunately, the tribes don't want to be pacified, the weather is uncooperative, Jovah is remote, crippled Delilah wants nothing to do with angels, and Alleya's mate is identified only as a "son of Jeremiah.&qupt; If you're stockpiling vacation reading and love a bit of romance (or Anne McCaffrey's writing!), pop Shinn's work in the pile.

Customer Reviews:

Samaria-150 Years Later.......2005-03-23

Jovah's Angel is the "sequel" to Archangel, with a believable evolution of Samarian society after 150 years. The citizens are more industrialized now, but nowhere near the technology level of their ancestors, whose knowledge has been lost throughout the centuries since Samaria's founding. The characters of Caleb the scientist, Alleya the reluctant Archangel replacement, and Delilah, the fallen and broken former Archangel, are all fully developed, and their stories are rich and compelling. Another great read from Sharon Shinn. Too bad she can't write them as fast as I can read them.

Loved it even more than "Archangel"!.......2005-01-04

Although I was bummed at first to find the characters in "Archangel" weren't in this one (except in historical references), I grew to love the new characters even more! And the plot is even more interesting in "Jovah's Angel"--the author fleshes out the world of Samaria so now I have a clear vision of it.

This book actually had some parts that made me laugh outloud, whereas I never giggled once in "Archangel." Highly recommend this book!

Very Good for a First-Time Shinn Reader.......2004-09-27

Having never read the Archangel, I had no preconceived notions regarding this book. I had no expectations though the reviews from Amazon made me borrow it.

I must say that it was a captivating book to read. The characters slowly grew on me and made me care about what was to happen to them. The book switches periodically between the perspectives of two people, the mortal Caleb and the angel Alleya.

I think the author developed these characters well, creating unique personalities that people can relate to. The ending was a surpise though I can't say that I have not heard it before, I believe I have read another book with the same type of idea and of course, watched a blockbuster movie that dealt with the same idea.

Dealing with religion is often a tricky subject, and in certain parts of the book, it felt as if I was not reading a novel but a philosophy book. However, these ideas were nonetheless interesting and added to the uniqueness of this book.

It was a highly entertaining book with several plot lines that will make you want to turn the page. Thumbs Up!

A great second story!.......2003-11-07

I picked up Archangel at a used book shop on a whim, and not since the first DragonRiders of Pern book I read have I been so enthralled. When I found out that there was a follow-up, I was delighted. When I first began reading, I was put off by the abrupt jump in time (Jovah's Angel is set 150 years after Archangel), but Sharon Shinn pulled through. Though the characters in Archangel were, for me, more memorable, this book held it's strong points, including the startling revelation of the reality of the God at the end. This wonderful sequel veered less away from the predestined love angle of the first book, which I approved of, but still had enough character interactions to satisfy. Overall, a highly recommended book that far surpassed typical second-story expectations and leaves readers yearning for the next two, The Alleluia Files and Angelica.

Blown Away!.......2002-08-22

Jovah's Angel focused a little more on the science fiction aspect of Samaria, a land inhabited by a post apocalyptic people. It takes place 200 some years after Archangel and explores the scientific side of how the orginal settlers came to this new world and who or what Jovah (their God) actually is. Deals a lot with faith, technology and a little romance.

I highly recommend this book along with Archangel, Alleulia Files and Angelica.

Customer Reviews:

Slim pickens in this edition.......2003-06-09

Note-see also my reviews of other hard to find-but far superior--First, Second, and Fourth Annual editions.
"Rachel in Love" by Pat Murphy. A chimp with a teenager girl's brain must fend for herself after her brilliant father/creator dies. A poignant exploration of the best and worst in human nature. B
"Dream Baby" by Bruce McCallister. A young volunteer nurse in Viet Nam begins having prophetic nightmares about soldiers getting butchered in combat. Scary, graphically violent. B

`"Flowers of Edo" by Bruce Sterling. Seemingly straight fictional account of East meets West in 1860's Japan explodes with a supernatural surprise at the end. As usual, Sterling conjures up intriguing characters and astonishingly vivid prose. A
"Forever Yours, Anna" by Kate Wilhelm. World-weary divorced graphologist falls in love with an unknown woman's handwriting. Moving character study with an elegant surprise finish. A
"At the Cross-Time Jaunter's Ball" by Alexander Jablokov. A tongue-in-cheek look at the love-hate relationship between artist and critic is the highlight of this meandering story about a man cut adrift in an ever-changing sea of alternate worlds. C
"Dinosaurs" by Walter Jon Williams. How will we evolve over the next six million years? That's the subject of this spellbinder about an eighteen-foot tall human diplomat who comes to a planet of inferior canine creatures to hammer out a peace treaty. Brilliant scientific speculation (humans bioengineer everything, including the furniture), and dialog crackling with trenchant social and political satire. A+
"The Temporary King" by Paul J. McAuley. Mysterious offworld traveler/adventurer drops in on a backwoods Earth village and stirs the pot big time. C+
"Perpetuity Blues" by Neal Barrett, Jr. Girl reared by degenerate uncle. Zzzz.
"Buffalo Gals, Won't You Come Out Tonight" by Ursula K. LeGuin. Girl reared by magic coyote. Zzzz.
"The Pardoner's Tale" by Robert Silverberg. Squid-like entities enslave Earth, save for a handful of artful hackers who can manipulate their intricate computer identification systems. While in Los Angeles, the cleverest of them all falls into an even cleverer trap. B
"Glass Cloud" by James Patrick Kelly. Kelly's aliens enslave humans far more subtly than Silverberg's, but just as surely. In the near future, a frustrated architect ponders his broken marriage, his future, and metaphysics under the growing influence of an inscrutable alien presence. B
"The Morning and the Evening and the Night" by Octavia E. Butler. The cure for cancer leads to an even more horrific disease, with which a tight-knit group of young afflicted must come to terms. As in Butler's "Bloodchild" from the Second Annual, cannibalistic gore stands in stark contrast to a tender exploration of the human condition. B
"Night of the Cooters" by Howard Waldrop. A few of H.G. Wells' Martians get off track and land in a sleepy Texas cow town. True to form, the cooters fire up their flame-throwers, but the Texans stay cool. Snappy narrative peppered with humorous Old West jargon. B
"Angel" by Pat Cadigan. A couple of misfits-one human, one not-team up to get more out of life. C
"Shades" by Lucius Shepard. A journalist is lured back to Viet Nam to meet the ghost of his former squad leader. The psychodrama is slightly less compelling than in his earlier Best contributions, but still good. B
"The Faithful Companion at Forty" by Karen Joy Fowler. A bit of whimsy about Tonto and his labor of love, The Lone Ranger. B
"Candle in a Cosmic Wind" by Joseph Manzione. Wow. The author's first published story is a tour de force of well-articulated hard science, dazzling plot, and fantastic characterization, revolving around a female Soviet soldier who is the sole survivor of an all-out nuclear war. Full of surprises! A+
"The Emir's Clock" by Ian Watson. God sends us a message, but not the one we want to hear. C
"Ever After" by Susan Patwick. As Dozois observes, we see the "gritty underside" of a fairy tale-a Cinderella story of deadly court intrigues and sinister magic. B
"The Forest of Time" by Michael F. Flynn. Thought-provoking alternate history: in a somber, balkanized North America, a faltering Pennsylvanian army captures a traveler from our world. The soldiers can't decide whether he's a spy, a madman-or an opportunity. A
"The Million-Dollar Wound" by Dean Whitlock. Soldiers in a surgically advanced near future can't get injured badly enough to buy a ticket home. C
"Moon of the Popping Trees" by R. Garcia y Robinson. With Indians on the verge of annihilation at Wounded Knee, a medicine man has relativistic visions of peace that baffle a local schoolteacher. C
"Diner" by Neal Barrett, Jr. Zzzz.
"All the Hues of Hell" by Gene Wolfe. Zzzz.
"Halley's Passing" by Michael McDowell. Sickeningly violent slice of a meticulous murderer's life. D
"America" by Orson Scott Card. The Lord reenacts his Incarnation to avenge the sins of Western man. Or something like that: paradoxically, this clearly and skillfully written narrative is a thematic hodgepodge of environmentalism, mysticism, anti-Catholicism and anti-capitalism. D
"For Thus Do I Remember Carthage" by Michael Bishop. Saint Augustine's long lost son returns from Cathay to confront him with what we know as modern scientific knowledge and gadgets. The dying Augustine bitterly rejects him and them. As with oh, so many stories in this volume, the point eludes me. C
"Mother Goddess of the World" by Kim Stanley Robinson. A lighthearted adventure about climbing Everest. Not nearly as good as Robinson's previous Best contributions. C

Fantastic Survey of the Field!.......2001-07-21

Dozois is, and has long been, one of the best editors and anthologizers in all of SF. The anthology ranges over the many different sub-genres of Science Fiction, and I therefore cannot say I enjoyed all of his stories; nevertheless, all were well-written, and some of the stories were among the best I've ever read. I strongly recommend this and any other of Dozois' "Year's Best..." series.

Best Science Fiction Stories Of The Year

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Best Science Fiction Stories Of The Year

Manufacturer: Readers Union
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 052506494X

Product Description

Poul Anderson- THE BITTER BREAD; Hayford Peirce-MAIL SUPREMECY- HIGH YIELD BONDAGE P.J. Plauger-CHILD OF ALL AGES; Phyllis Eisenstein-TREE OF LIFE;Stephen Robinett-HELBENT FOUR;Robert Hoskins; Liz Hufford; Clifford D. Simak; Joan D. Vinge and Vernor Vinge

Best Science Fiction Stories of the Year: Fifth Annual Collection.

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Best Science Fiction Stories of the Year: Fifth Annual Collection.

Manufacturer: SFBC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I80IAG

The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Fifth Annual Collection (Year's Best Fantasy and Horror)

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A mix of diamonds and duds
Some Great Stories Make Up For the MANY Duds....
The current pulse of nonrealistic fiction.
Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, Fifth Annual
An outstanding entry in an excellent series

The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Fifth Annual Collection (Year's Best Fantasy and Horror)
Ellen Datlow , and Terri Windling
Manufacturer: St Martins Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0312078870

Amazon.com

The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror annuals are always a treat; read this one and The Year's Best Science Fiction Sixteenth Annual Collection edited by Gardner Dozois and you'll have a fairly complete overview of speculative fiction from 1998 as well as hours of great reading.

Datlow and Windling, renowned for crossing genre boundaries, gather stories and poems from mainstream magazines, literary journals, and Internet zines. There are vampires, a Lovecraft homage, enchanted birds and animals, shapeshifters, adult fairy tales, ghosts, and even a hunted muse. The best are Byatt's sensuous, enchanting "Cold"--about an ice princess who marries a glass-blowing desert prince--and Straub's novella, "Mr. Clubb and Mr. Cuff" (which won the Stoker award for Best Long Fiction in 1999), a black comedy of revenge gone awry. The reference material includes each editor's review of the year's best novels, collections and anthologies, magazines, related nonfiction, children's books, and art. There's also a roundup of 1998's film, television, and dramatic offerings by Ed Bryant, a brief essay on comics by Seth Johnson, and obituaries by James Frenkel.

It's an invaluable source of introductions to authors you might not otherwise try, plus thought-provoking observations on fantasy in all its guises. You may not get to a convention this year, but if you've read Datlow and Windling, you'll know what a good one is like. --Nona Vero

Book Description

Over 250,000 words of the finest fantasy and horrorA. S. ByattCharles de LintKaren Joy FowlerNeil GaimanLisa GoldsteinStephen KingEllen KushnerPatricia A. McKillipSteven MillhauserMichael Marshall SmithPeter StraubJane YolenFor more than a decade, readers have looked to The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror to showcase the highest achievements of fantastic fiction. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling continue their critically acclaimed and award-winning tradition with another stunning collection of stories. The fiction and poetry here is culled from an exhaustive survey of the field, nearly four dozen stories ranging from fairy tales to gothic horror, from magical realism to dark tales in the Grand Guignol style. Rounding out the volume are the editors' invaluable overviews of the year in fantastic fiction, and a long list of Honorable Mentions, making this volume a valubale reference source as well as the best reading available in fantasy and horror

Customer Reviews:

A mix of diamonds and duds.......2003-07-07

I was really impressed with some of the fiction in this book. I really loved the stories Travels with the Snow Queen and Quiting Loup. I also loved Twa Corbies. But some were a little bit to be desired. I really thought that the whole feminist fairy tale theme was a little bit hard to swallow and a tad annoying but overall a good read.

Some Great Stories Make Up For the MANY Duds...........2003-01-17

This is actually one of the better "Years Best" that I've read so far. Again, I skimmed right past Windling & Datlow's Summations- They go on waaayyyy too long, as usual. Also as usual, Fantasy Editor Terri Windling monopolizes the bulk of the book with her choices. Horror Editor Ellen Datlow does get some payback, though: One of her choices, Peter Straub's "Mr. Clubb and Mr. Cuff", runs in excess of 50 pages. The titular duo is memorable, but the story goes on too long, and the style it's written in is difficult to stick with. The end is worth it, though.

The book opens with Kelly Link's "Travels With the Snow Queen" which I couldn't even finish; I hated it. Link appears again towards the end of the book with "The Specialist's Hat", an absolutely chilling ghost story with a drop-dead scary ending. I couldn't move on to the next story until the next day, because I was turning Link's story over in my mind all night. It was absolutely one of the spookiest stories I've ever read. Sara Douglass offers up the REAL secret behind those Gargoyles on Church roofs in "The Evil Within", a far-fetched but fun Horror tale, and Lisa Goldstein's "The Fantasma of Q____" is an interesting victorian tale with an neat twist at the end. Stephen King's contribution is pretty good; Not his best, but the end makes it worthwhile. One of the book's better tales is Terry Lamsley's "Suburban Blight", where an abandoned building hides a terrifying secret. "Inside the Cackle Factory", by Dennis Etchison, tells us just what happens to all of those washed-up stars we never see on TV anymore. John Kessel's "Every Angel is Terrifying" is a realistic story of escaped killers that takes a mildly fantastic twist at the end; It's extremely well-written, and creepy as hell. As always, there's a Dracula story (Sort of)- It's Mark W. Tiedmann's "Psyche", and it's a keeper. Drac himself is only peripherally involved, but his influence permeates the entire story. Jane Yolen, Norman Partridge, and Michael Blumlein all contribute interesting stories as well. I couldn't get through Christopher Harman's "Jackdaw Jack"- It was just awful. There's another Charles De Lint Newford story, which is excellent as usual, and Terry Dowling's story, "Jenny Come To Play" is just a nasty read; Although they're nothing alike, it has the same feel as "The Silence of the Lambs". And as usual, Terri Windling monopolizes the end of the book with dud stories that I can't get through. Windling tends to favor feminist fantasy stories that are all too much alike; I was actually offended by Carol Ann Duffy's ode to man-hating, "Mrs. Beast"; The less I say about this trash the better. If a man had written such an anti-female story, he'd be finished.

As I said, there are some GREAT stories here, but they're outweighed by the duds, and when one of these stories are bad, they're BAD. I'll read the other two volumes of "Year's Best" that I own, but I'll pass on buying new ones. Windling & Datlow's selections leave a lot to be desired, and I wish they would get a little more daring.....

The current pulse of nonrealistic fiction........2002-06-28

In their twelfth annual survey, Datlow and Windling have assembled a rewarding collection of genre (and extra-genre) fiction from English language sources of all kinds from 1998, with a little poetry thrown in as well. In a format based on Dozois's science fiction anthologies, Datlow and Windling's series has become an annual "event" for lovers of nonrealistic short fiction. The editors are open to just about anything and everything, as long as it has significant fantasy or horror elements, but they are more likely to reprint material by women writers, or about female characters. As far as biases go, that's not a bad one to have: some of the best fantasists working today are women.

The editors look at mainstream magazines like "The New Yorker" and "Ms." -- both of which had strong stories chosen for this book. From "The New Yorker" they selected Stephen King's "That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French," which in 20 tightly-written pages gives the reader the entire life of a woman who may be getting precognitive flashes about the crash of the plane she and her husband are on, or who may simply be fantasizing the crash as a death wish. I knew this woman completely by the end of the story (whose title refers to déjà vu). The "Ms." story was Lisa Goldstein's "The Phantasma of Q-----," with a moment of magic realism passing so quickly it's hard to catch. It is a strength of this series that it covers work in mainstream, genre and academic/small press sources.

A number of British and Australian magazines, anthologies and collections provide selections, with two superior tales well worth reading. The best thing in the book (and saved for last) is the superb modern fairy tale by A. S. Byatt, "Cold" -- sitting in a warm library, I was shivering at the frozen world depicted. A beautifully textured story, the best I've read in several years. It came from Byatt's collection, "Fire and Ice." Christopher Harman's "Jackdaw Jack" (from Ghosts and Scholars, a UK little magazine) is the best shocker in the anthology. Its pieces fall into place like a well-wrought jigsaw, and the end left me numb.

Among the other stories is an unclassifiable gem by Ray Vukcevich, "By the Time We Get to Uranus" (from the anthology, Imagination Fully Dilated). In the story's surreal world, a person's body slowly develops an astronaut's suit from the feet up, and eventually the person floats off into space. When this happens to a man's wife, he's concerned that his suit isn't developing as fast as hers, as they can't leave together. A metaphor for what separates the sexes these days, the story works and then some.

The stories I detailed here are my favorites, but others will find others they like as much or better. Some motifs of the book are hispanic magic realism, foreign fantasy in translation, and stories that are just very strange. I'm not a fast reader, and this long book took me a year and a half to finish. The extensive prefaces (in roman numerals) run over 100 pages before you even get to "page 1." Windling first documents fantasy for 1998; Datlow then does the same for horror, after which we get essays on the media, comics and obituaries for 1998. The prefaces are meant to be references more than essays, and I do use them as a reference, but they are slow going just to read (and some of the info is duplicated by approaching the genres separately). The shortlist of "honorable mention" stories at the end is also useful as a reference.

All in all, a class act by two dedicated anthologists who deeply care about the state of the contemporary nonrealistic story.

Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, Fifth Annual.......2001-12-12

Standout stories here are Holdstock and Kilworth's chilling "The Ragthorn", Cherryh's "Gwydion and the Dragon" and McGrath's gruesome "The Smell". Also worth mentioning are stories by Koja and Kushner, among others. There's the usual useful overview of the industry, and the usual stock of cutesy (De Lint) and nonsensical stories and bad free verse, but this edition contains more truly good work than many of the others.

An outstanding entry in an excellent series.......2000-11-20

I am working my way back through all of the Datlow/Windling annuals, and although I love all of them, this collection is definitely outshines some of its colleagues (such as the third edition, which is the least thrilling of the ones I have read so far). Many of the stories will cling to your memory, and the scope of genres is commendable. The editors have found works form many different countries and languages and brought them all together into a very good volume. My favorite entries include "The Ragthorn" a truly frightening story about scholarship, information and resurrection; "Our Lady of the Harbour" Charles de Lint's Newford version of the little Mermaid; "Call Home" a truly scary story about a little girl and the man who doesn't molest her; "At the End of the Day" a disturbing and surreal narrative about endings; "The Poisoned Story" an upside down retelling of Cinderella in Puerto Rico by my compatriot Rosario Ferre; "The Peony Lantern" a Japanese ghost story and "The Witch of Wilton Falls" about human monsters and adapting to unusual circumstances. If you have read other Datlow/Windling anthologies and you want to buy other ones, get this one first. If you have never read these anthologies, this is a great place to start.

Average customer rating:

Best Science Fiction Stories of the Year Fifth Annual Collection

Manufacturer: Ace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000E3BA3O

The Year's Best Science Fiction: Fifth Annual Collection

Average customer rating:

The Year's Best Science Fiction: Fifth Annual Collection
Gardner, Editor Dozois
Manufacturer: Bluejay
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OT13BM

Average customer rating:

THE YEAR'S BEST SCIENCE FICTION: FIFTH ANNUAL COLLECTION.
Gardner (ed.). Dozois
Manufacturer: Bluejay
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OT2QMW

Average customer rating:

Understanding Media as a Christian

Mythmakers: Gospel, Culture, and the Media
William F. Fore
Manufacturer: Friendship Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Theology | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0377002070

Customer Reviews:

Understanding Media as a Christian.......2007-07-24

Blends history, metaphor, theology, and everyday experience to help readers identify the mix of ingredients in the communications we receive from mass media. Invites us to watch wisely, think clearly, listen with judgment, and put all through the lens of the gospel. How shall Christians live faithfully in a world where news is managed, violence entertains, and religion is in competition with other forms of entertainment and information? The author is a visiting professor in communication at Yale.

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