- Paperback: 256 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins; Reprint edition (12 Jun 1998)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0061053481
- ISBN-13: 978-0061053481
- Product Dimensions: 23.1 x 15.2 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,528,531 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Synopsis
Elizabeth Hand's World Fantasy and Nebula award-winning short story, "Last Summer at Mars Hill" headlines this collection.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organise and find favourite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
There is no question that Elizabeth Hand writes beautifully; her imagery and choice of words make this collection of short stories a lovely read. For me, Elizabeth Hand ranks with William Gibson, Diane Ackerman, Neil Gaiman and Ellen Kushner for exceptional writing style.
The title story (Last Summer at Mars Hill) is my favorite, a poignant mix of coming-of-age and magic in a hippie commune, with the other stories ranging from the delightfully wicked (Engels Unaware) to the positively hair-raising (Prince of Flowers). Elizabeth Hand is at her best with the young, often female, protagonists, experimenting in a dark fantasy world tinged with malevolence, sexual overtones and the occasional quirky burst of innocence and joy.
Her full-length novels have, however, been of mixed fare, some exceptionally brilliant (Waking the Moon) and some difficult to get into (Winterlong, the Glimmering). Last Summer at Mars Hill I would rate at the top end of the scale, as it successfully captures an imaginative slice of her work, which should leave readers tingling and uncomfortably awake very late into the night.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
6 reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Incredible Writing
2 Feb 2001
Format:Paperback
I discovered this collection of stories after first reading Waking the Moon (also amazing). Elizabeth Hand uses words like an artist uses paints; they evoke textures and colors and feelings when you read them. Her descriptions are like none that I've ever read before - as well as her storylines. One or two of the stories presented didn't do much for me, but the rest more than made up for them. The title story and Snow on Sugar Mountain were favorites, the latter being particularly interesting (about the strange connection between a shapechanging boy and an ailing former astronaut). I also highly recommend her novels Waking the Moon and Black Light (read them in that order).
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
A collection of excellent stories
16 Nov 1998
Format:Paperback
I've always liked Elizabeth Hand's work. Her writing is the jazz of the science fiction world: intelligent, sophisticated, complex and stylistically thrilling, but at the same time requiring a lot of effort on the part of the reader. Don't bother trying to read these right before you go to sleep at night after a hard day. You will have to think and have some patience to make it through these stories, but they are well worth it. Her characters are usually well-sketched and interesting, and the stories, if occasionally falling prey to the postmodern habit of having little in the way of plot and leaving dangling strings, are unique and exciting. Much better than The Glimmering.
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful
(Short) Strange Trip
19 Jan 2000
Format:Paperback
I wish these stories were longer. In "Last Summer at Mars Hill", Hand continues her journey through Magic, twilight, and Mrs. Byrne's Dictionary. She speaks from different points of view in each story, exploring dark purposes and good, varied enough that the collection could have been written by four or five different writers. Her stories are palpable and audible, and quite frequently, as in the case of "Prince of Flowers", you can smell them too.
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
