Thief of Always is an older book by famed horror aficionado Clive Barker, and it could be considered a type of children’s book. Written for those between the ages of 10-13, the story is fantastic for any age and is easily one of my favorite books by this particular author. Your typical premise; boy gets bored, creepy man takes him away, boy is no longer bored.

The Plot:

Harvey Swick is a 12 year old boy who is feeling rather depressed one dreary February day. Feeling depressed and on the verge of giving up, a strange man bursts through his bedroom windows. The man tells Harvey about a magical place known as the Holiday House; in this magical place all the holidays play on a loop in the course of one day, every day. Intrigued, he follows the man to the magical place. Once there, he finds that it’s more than he could hope for and is taken in by the magic of the house. After a while he starts to get home sick and attempts to go home; it’s at this time he begins to realize that there is a price for happiness.

Why It Qualifies:

This really short book deals with the “Paradox Twins” premise when Harvey finds out that one day inside the Holiday House is equivalent to 1 year in the real world. It also incorporates golems, a sentient home, a vampire, memory extraction, and a force field.

The Reason I like It:

It’s really dark, especially for the intended age group. It deals with the concepts of kidnapping and murder and captures the impatience of a child and counters it with very harsh consequences. The illustrations are typical Barker, creepy and well-drawn fitting perfectly with the theme of the book. I also think that this is his best work ever and I’ve read a few of his other works, the reason being is that it’s short and concise unlike his adult works that seem to be rather long winded and somewhat more difficult to get into.

Genre: Sci-Fi, Fable, Young Adults, Horror
Word Count: 38,592 (with title and chapter names included) ; 38,478 (without title and chapter names)
Original Publishing Date: January 1^st, 1992
Original Publisher: Harper Collins

Sarah Rexman is the main researcher and writer for bedbugs.org. Her most recent accomplishment includes graduating from Florida State, with a degree in environmental science.  Her current focus for the site involves researching how to eliminate bed bugs and the top bed bug medications.

Like The Gold Rush

Have you ever dreamed about being a prospector? I have. Sure, it may be a little bit more difficult (or maybe just more electronic) now that it was back in the gold rush days, but the idea of discovering something worth a fortune sure is attractive! This excellent story has that “prospector” feel to it which, along with many other plot twists, makes this a must read if you enjoy adventure stories.

Non-Spoiler Summary

Audee Walthers lives in the harsh environment of Venus. He owns a little business and gets by pretty well most of the time. However, he now needs a liver transplant which is quite expensive, so when a super rich tourist from Earth comes looking for someone to guide him and his young girlfriend to underground alien artefacts Audee steps up to the plate. Things are looking good for Audee, that is until he learns some dark secrets about his client at the same time his liver is about to give out. Sounds fun huh? But don’t worry – there are even more surprises in store for our lucky protagonist and they are not all bad… I think.

Some Interesting Tidbits

• Word count: 32,884 (55 pages)
• Did you know that this was Frederik Pohl’s first Heechee story? Yep. This was the start of a fantastic series of stories and novels that eventually included the multiple award winning book Gateway.

Where To Find The Merchants of Venus

• This story was first published in the July 1972 edition of Worlds of If.
• You can read "The Merchants of Venus" for free online at Baen eBooks.
• It is also included in the excellent anthology Platinum Pohl: The Collected Best Stories.

Craving More SF Stories Like This One?

If you liked "The Merchants of Venus" then you may also enjoy “The Hated” – about an astronaut who has returned from Mars and the psychological problems he is trying to work out – also by Frederik Pohl.

I Love Ants

I don’t know how much I would want to be transformed into a horrible vermin, but if I did have my choice I would choose to be an ant. Yep, I think ants are extremely cool! Ok, just thought you’d want to know that. Anyway, here is a great story about a man who doesn’t have any choice. It is kind of a sad and depressing story, but very beautifully written.

Non-Spoiler Summary

Gregor Samsa receives the shock of his life when he wakes up one morning – yep, he has been transformed! He doesn’t dare leave his room, and his family begins to worry about him. This is a distressing situation because Gregor is the only bread-winner in the family, and as his condition persists they all become more and more desperate. Finally they have no choice but to confine Gregor to the house and get menial jobs themselves. This is stressful but works out until his mother rents a room to 3 stuffy gentlemen. And once they discover what is really living in the house, things which are already bad take a turn for the worse!

Some Interesting Tidbits

• Word count: 22,086 (26 pages)
• Did you know that Franz Kafka was born to middle class German-speaking Jewish parents in Prague? Yep. You can learn more about this famous author on Wikipedia.

Where To Find Metamorphosis

• This famous story was first published in 1915 as Die Verwandlung.
• You can read a fantastic English translation of "Metamorphosis" online for free at Project Gutenberg.
• It has also been collected in many anthologies, like the excellent Franz Kafka: The Complete Stories.

Craving More SF Stories Like This One?

If you liked "Metamorphosis" then you may also enjoy “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” by F. Scott Fitzgerald – about a strange child who is born as an old man and then ages backwards throughout his life.

Description:

Dawn Theocratis has been stuck for years. Her career is paused, her heart is stone and her dreams no longer breathe. Enter Bredmeyer Deed, co-worker.

When Dawn and Bredmeyer are assigned to fix the portal of the Director of Investigative Research, they witness an unprecedented system failure; apparently, each and every communication is revised, edited, changed before it reaches their computer screens. Are they living in a world of synthetic news? Are they in danger for discovering the truth?

Newly awakened, Dawn begins to question the world around her. Yet only when she explores the universe within her does she find the answers she seeks. Where will her hard-won knowledge lead her?

Where you can find it:

"The Deceptive Smiles of Bredmeyer Deed" is an eBook available on Kindle, Nook, iPad, and PCs at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

Praise:

“This [novella] paints a picture of a world where Multi’s rule, people are segmented into classifications by virtue of their health and genetic status, news feeds are strictly monitored, and environmental damage is to be managed at all costs. Need I say the obvious? Scutti’s sci-fi future is both fabricated and eerily familiar as we walk with Dawn through her world and sub-world. This is a love story, a quest, a peek into the next millennium, and believe it or not— it is about hope. The alluring Bredmeyer Deed, with all his weaknesses and strengths, takes us on his journey as he faces down the challenge of a lifetime during the year 3017. I would highly recommend this book to fans of Aldous Huxley, Harlan Ellison, and Ray Bradbury.” – Lori Malvey

Author Bio:

Susan Scutti’s stories and poems are published in anthologies and journals, including CURA: A Literary Magazine of Art and Action, The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry, The Christian Science Monitor, New York Quarterly, and Tamarind. In November 2011, Ravenrock Press produced her novella (with artwork by Sarah Valeri), "The Deceptive Smiles of Bredmeyer Deed". The Commute, her poetry collection, was published by Paper Kite Press. Susan grew up in New Jersey and lived in Alaska as well as the Boston area. Now she makes her home in New York City, where she often walks along the Hudson River.

Definitely from 1953!

Ok, there are some strange parts in this story which definitely give away its age. The parts about not knowing what would happen to men psychologically as they journey into space, or how computers can’t think for themselves but only follow directions, and especially how a man tries to spank his younger female assistant! Anyway, all this quirkiness aside, it turned out to be a pretty cool story. Just hang in there because the ending is really cool!

Non-Spoiler Summary

Ever since the war, when Knight served under his childhood friend Captain Cullin, the two have not gotten along. A big reason for the rift is that Cullin believes men are better soldiers when they obey orders absolutely and show no initiative for themselves. Knight disagrees, and after he is out of the military he goes to work on the smartest computer in the world. Well, guess who thinks that it would make a pretty darn good soldier? Yep, Captain Cullin – who is so obsessed with the fact that he makes some very drastic choices to secure the perfect soldier. But will he change his mind when he sees the end results? Perhaps.

Some Interesting Tidbits

• Word count: 21,682 (47 pages)
• Author Tom Godwin wrote a bunch of science fiction stories and novels during the 1950s and 1960s. You can learn more about this author at Wikipedia.

Where To Find The Gulf Between

• This story first appeared in the October 1953 edition of Astounding Science Fiction.
• You can read "The Gulf Between" for free online at Webscription.
• It is also included in the excellent Baen collection The Cold Equations.

Craving More SF Stories Like This One?

If you liked "The Gulf Between" then be sure to check out Tom Godwin’s ultra-famous story “The Cold Equations” – about a pilot who finds a stowaway girl on his Emergency Dispatch Ship.

YOU KNOW THE STORY

If you have ever watched cartoons, then you have seen the story of Jekyll and Hyde. You know: A kind, refined gentleman that is pleasant as can be, who suddenly turns into a big ugly brute that goes around making everyone miserable. It’s amazing that a story can become a part of culture. Even people who haven’t read the story know the story. Robert Louis Stevenson’s tale has been adapted into dozens of movies, broadway musicals, comic books, and even has songs written about it and bands named after it! Now THAT is some memorable writing!

So, I’m a little ashamed to admit that I am one of those who have never read the story! I’ve been in the mood for a good Halloween read, and this one hit the spot.

NON SPOILER SUMMARY

Dr. Jekyll is a brilliant doctor who invents a potion that divides his personality. Oops!… I gave away the ending. The ACTUAL story is an account of events that lead up to Dr. Jekyll’s confession. Yeah, the tale we all know so well from Bugs Bunny cartoons… that all comes from the last 3 pages. That surprised me. But I found the story all the more intriguing by following the mysterious events that lead up to the final pages.

MY THOUGHTS

• I’ve always thought Jekyll & Hyde were symbols of good and evil. Not so. Jekyll was a man like all of us. Good and evil both resided in him. Hyde however, was pure evil. There was no personality of only good in this story. And I found that fascinating.
• Mr. Hyde, being the dark and sinister personality, thrived in indulging his every desire. He had no guilt. He had no restraint. He was gleeful in his wrongdoings. Ahhh… how would it be to not have a conscience? (Yes, I do realize the world would spiral out of control. But it must feel good don’t you think? To have no guilt?)
• I also found it fascinating how Mr. Hyde eventually overcame Dr. Jekyll. The evil personality was being exercised so frequently that it titled the scales. He had no good to balance himself… reinforcing the age old saying: “Moderation in all things.”
• I loved the visual and physical traits that were attributed to good and evil. Dr. Jekyll was a handsome, tall, thin man. He was distinguished, respected, and had good taste and many friends. Mr. Hyde was short, squat, hunch-backed, ugly, and people did not like to be in his presence. I find it interesting that we so readily judge what is good and what is evil simply by appearance. (I do it to books all the time.)

INTERESTING TIDBITS

• Page Count: 78
• Published: 1886
• Robert Louis Stevenson is also the author of Treasure Island, which he was inspired to write after making a treasure map for fun with his stepson. Read more about this famous author at Wikipedia.

WHERE TO FIND THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE

• You can read it for free at University of Virginia Library.
• I purchased the book at Amazon.com.

Not Really Science Fiction

So, this story isn’t really a SF story. It kind of falls more in the fantasy arena, although the ending could be considered a little bit more SF-ish. Oh well, it was nominated for a Nebula award so I’m thinking that makes it fair game. Anyway, it is a very cool story and one that I think most of you will probably enjoy so I’m reviewing it here – have fun!

Non-Spoiler Summary

In life Naeva was a powerful sorceress to the Queen, but she was betrayed and killed in a very unceremonious way. But hey, being dead doesn’t mean that one stops being useful! As Naeva is about to find out there will be all kinds of people who need her specialized knowledge for their own ends. There is the unscrupulous daughter, some crazy shamans and the man who lets her share his body. But Naeva’s favorite is Misa, the academic who wants more from Naeva than just her knowledge. Has Naeva finally found a home in this strange life-after-death? Maybe… at least until something more important occupies Misa’s world and changes everything.

Some Juicy Tidbits About This Story

• Word count: 18,925 (33 pages)
• This story was nominated for the 2011 Nebula Award for Best Novella.
• Special thanks to Jason Sanford for recommending this awesome story!

Where To Find The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers beneath the Queen’s Window

• This story first appeared in the Summer 2010 edition of Subterranean Online – where you can still read it for free.
• "The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers beneath the Queen’s Window" is also included as one of the stories in The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year Volume 5.

Craving More SF Stories Like This One?

If you liked "The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers beneath the Queen’s Window" then you may also enjoy “Stone Wall Truth” by Caroline M. Yoachim – about a woman whose job is to torture and then heal the enemies of her state.

More Alastair Reynolds

Last week I reviewed the first story in Alastair Reynolds “Diamond Dogs, Turquoise Days” book, so this week I thought I would review the second story: "Turquoise Days". It is another great story, and is completely different from "Diamond Dogs". Give it a try, I think you will like it.

Non-spoiler Summary in a Nutshell

Turquoise is one of a handful of planets that is home to the strange aliens known as the Pattern Jugglers. People (or other aliens) who swim with the Pattern Jugglers often have amazing experiences – such as their brain patterns and memories being recorded in the vast ocean network – and sometimes the Jugglers re-wire the swimmers’ brains with outstanding new abilities. Sounds cool doesn’t it? That’s what Naqi and her sister think, which is why they spend their lives doing scientific research on the Pattern Jugglers. All is going well until two things happen: her susceptible sister decides to throw caution to the wind and swim with the Jugglers, and a large spaceship enters orbit around Turquoise. The first event proves extremely sad, but it ultimately helps Naqi as seemingly benign visitors from another world slowly reveal their dark intentions. The question is will Naqi’s swim with the Pattern Jugglers help her solve her world’s greatest problem? Only Naqi (oh – and the few million recorded individuals) can tell.

Interesting Tidbits About This Story:

• Page Count: 150
• "Turquoise Days" placed 9th in the 2003 Locus Poll for Best Novella.

Where You Can Find Turquoise Days:

• This story was first published as a Chapbook in 2002.
• You can read "Turquoise Days" in the book Diamond Dogs, Turquoise Days.
• It is also included in the amazing collection The Best of the Best, Volume 2: 20 Years of the Best Short Science Fiction Novels.

Craving More Science Fiction Short Stories?

If you liked "Turquoise Days" then you will probably also enjoy Oceanic by Greg Egan – about an ocean dwelling man living on the planet Covenant, and how the events of his life take him from religious zealot to non-believing academic.

Thanks Big Brother!

Over the years I have come to like certain types of stories and novels, and those are the ones I usually seek out. A lot of people recommend books to me that they think I will like, but often the opposite is true – I do not enjoy them. However, my brother hit a home run when he recommended Alastair Reynold’s Revelation Space books! I have only read a handful, but I have really liked all of them, and that is pretty unusual for me. Anyway, when I learned that Mr. Reynolds had written some shorter pieces set in this wonderful and strange universe I just had to jump in and see how they compared to his outstanding novels. As you will see I was not disappointed… not at all!

Non-spoiler Summary in a Nutshell

Richard Swift has lived for many years in the spectacular Chasm City, and has recently discovered that his childhood friend, Roland Childe, is still alive. Roland invites Richard to his home where he has assembled a strange group of gifted people including a math genius, an infiltrator, an Ultranaut captain and a cyberneticist doctor with a horrific reputation. Why this team of misfits? Because Childe’s space probes have discovered an alien tower on a distant planet – not just an ordinary tower mind you, but one which methodically slaughters all who do not play by its rules. Childe persuades the group to make the long journey across space and attempt to solve the puzzle of the artifact – which he has aptly named the “Blood Spire.” Once they arrive, and witness the carnage about the tower, it becomes clear that each team member’s talent will prove extremely useful. The team assembles and enters the Blood Spire only to discover that it contains a series of difficult mathematical puzzles which must be solved before continuing on. Every team member contributes something useful, but it is when they get the puzzles wrong that Dr. Trintignant’s strange talents are put to use. The question becomes: how much will the team members put up with before deciding that enough is enough? Quite a bit, it appears, and maybe even a little bit too much.

Interesting Tidbits About This Story:

• Page Count: 163
• "Diamond Dogs" was nominated for the 2002 British Fantasy Award for Best Short Fiction.
• Did you know that Alastair Reynolds earned a Ph.D. in astronomy? Yep. You can learn more about this amazing author at his web site.
• Special thanks to John for reviewing and recommending this story.

Where You Can Find Diamond Dogs:

• This story was first published in the 2002 anthology Infinities: The Best of British SF.
• You can also read "Diamond Dogs" in the book Diamond Dogs, Turquoise Days.

Craving More Science Fiction Short Stories?

• If you liked "Diamond Dogs" then be sure to check out more of Alastair Reynold’s awesome Revelation Space books – I highly recommend them.
• If you want a little taste of Alastair Reynolds style before committing to these longer stories, take a look at my review of his free story A Spy in Europa.

NON SPOILER SUMMARY

Calopodius went to war to win glory.  But after he loses his sight, he is afraid that glory will not befall him.  So he finds ways other than battle to make a name for himself.  Just before he went to war, he was married, and his young wife, Anna, is not too happy about the marriage, or about the lack of control she has over the rest of her life.  So she sets out to find Calopodius and to give him a piece of her mind, making quite a name for herself along the way.

MY THOUGHTS

Fantastic.  Eric Flint did an amazing job with imagery and the historical feel in Islands.  The characters were wonderful, not only Calopodius and Anna, but all the supporting characters as well.  Luke the caretaker, the general, and the soldiers Anna hires for protection are a group of colorful and delightful people that kept me laughing throughout the entire story.  And the more this story unraveled, the more I was drawn into the lives and the pending futures of each of them.

INTERESTING TIDBITS

• Word Count: 21,785
• Page Count: 57
• Published: 2004
• Did you know Eric Flint didn’t start writing seriously until he was 45?  He had his first sale in 1993, and is now a full time writer.  Learn more about him and his many writings at his website.
• It looks like Eric Flint spawned a book series related to this short story:
  • Belisarius I: Thunder at Dawn
  • Belisarius II: Storm at Noontide
  • Belisarius III: The Flames of Sunset

WHERE TO FIND THIS STORY

• You can read Islands online for free in The Warmasters.
• You can purchase The Warmasters at Amazon.com or eBay.

IF YOU ENJOYED ISLANDS, YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

A Memory of Wind, by Rachel Swirsky, about the last memories of a girl that is turned into wind because her father sacrifices her to a goddess.