Book #27 of 2017: Gamer Fantastic
Gamer Fantastic edited by Martin H. Greenberg
Rating: Liked (Hated-Disliked-Okay-Liked-Loved)
A collection of short stories about (wait for it) gamers and games. Mostly D&D, though a few were about LARPs or video games.
As almost always happens with these short story books, the first couple stories were great, and the last one was great as well. All the ones between them ranged from meh to okay. When I finish a collection of short stories, I always say that next time I'll just read the first and last couple, but I never follow through on that (I always think that this might be the time that there's a good one in the middle and I'll miss it).
The first story, Escapism, has to do with using virtual reality as an escape, though it has a wonderful twist -- not at all what I expected from the story. The second one, Gaming Circle, had a great twist as well, it surprised me in a fun way. The last story, Game Testing, might have been my favorite of the book. It was about the connection gamers can make with each other, and how a family can be chosen instead of the people you're born to (I'm smiling just thinking about the main character and her story!).
Those three stories were worth the price of the book, though it makes me grumpy to say so -- why aren't all the stories in it that good?
Currently reading: Blood of Ten Chiefs, a collection of Elfquest stories. I had loved Elfquest in college, so I was curious to see if the stories will hold up now.
Rating: Liked (Hated-Disliked-Okay-Liked-Loved)
A collection of short stories about (wait for it) gamers and games. Mostly D&D, though a few were about LARPs or video games.
As almost always happens with these short story books, the first couple stories were great, and the last one was great as well. All the ones between them ranged from meh to okay. When I finish a collection of short stories, I always say that next time I'll just read the first and last couple, but I never follow through on that (I always think that this might be the time that there's a good one in the middle and I'll miss it).
The first story, Escapism, has to do with using virtual reality as an escape, though it has a wonderful twist -- not at all what I expected from the story. The second one, Gaming Circle, had a great twist as well, it surprised me in a fun way. The last story, Game Testing, might have been my favorite of the book. It was about the connection gamers can make with each other, and how a family can be chosen instead of the people you're born to (I'm smiling just thinking about the main character and her story!).
Those three stories were worth the price of the book, though it makes me grumpy to say so -- why aren't all the stories in it that good?
Currently reading: Blood of Ten Chiefs, a collection of Elfquest stories. I had loved Elfquest in college, so I was curious to see if the stories will hold up now.