- Paperback: 256 pages
- Publisher: NewCon Press; 1st paperback edition (11 April 2009)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1907069011
- ISBN-13: 978-1907069017
- Product Dimensions: 20.6 x 15 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 915,164 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Gift of Joy
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
The variety is only one of the pleasures on offer; others are the fully rounded, if not always likable, characters, and Whates's knack for taking stories in unexpected directions...it is satisfying, well observed and entertaining. -- The Guardian Newspaper, May 9, 2009
There isn't a single let-down in the book and several of the stories have already received accolades in their own right from anthologists, the British Science Fiction Association and the British Fantasy Society. This anthology has a feature that I always enjoy: author notes at the end of each story about their inspiration and history. There was a huge range of subjects, veering into fantasy and horror on occasion, telling tales of the present and the far future, of everyday life and of astounding concepts. What I most enjoyed about the book as a whole was the approachability of the characters, their ordinariness in the face of the extraordinary that made each journey into the unknown seem like a comfortable trip with an old friend. As a collection, 'The Gift Of Joy' is certainly worth taking the time to enjoy. -- SFcrowsnest, July 1, 2009
Ian Whates's The Gift of Joy is a Whitman's sampler of eighteen stories, some award winning, capable of being enjoyed in any order and suited for a variety of moods. It's difficult to read a story-collection these days without bumping into liaisons, motifs, themes, parallels, contrasts and other authorial extrusions. But this collection is an Irish stew, and much like that user-friendly dish, is capable of being sampled in full or in part, at quick pace or in slow crawl, in order or at random. Different moods calls for different foods, and this one is for a reader in the mood for something simple, varied and classic. -- Strange Horizons, September 9, 2009 --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
There isn't a single let-down in the book and several of the stories have already received accolades in their own right from anthologists, the British Science Fiction Association and the British Fantasy Society. This anthology has a feature that I always enjoy: author notes at the end of each story about their inspiration and history. There was a huge range of subjects, veering into fantasy and horror on occasion, telling tales of the present and the far future, of everyday life and of astounding concepts. What I most enjoyed about the book as a whole was the approachability of the characters, their ordinariness in the face of the extraordinary that made each journey into the unknown seem like a comfortable trip with an old friend. As a collection, 'The Gift Of Joy' is certainly worth taking the time to enjoy. -- SFcrowsnest, July 1, 2009
Ian Whates's The Gift of Joy is a Whitman's sampler of eighteen stories, some award winning, capable of being enjoyed in any order and suited for a variety of moods. It's difficult to read a story-collection these days without bumping into liaisons, motifs, themes, parallels, contrasts and other authorial extrusions. But this collection is an Irish stew, and much like that user-friendly dish, is capable of being sampled in full or in part, at quick pace or in slow crawl, in order or at random. Different moods calls for different foods, and this one is for a reader in the mood for something simple, varied and classic. -- Strange Horizons, September 9, 2009 --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Product Description
Eighteen stories, five original to this collection, which take you to distant futures and disturbing tomorrows, to strange new worlds and others that may seem uncomfortably familiar. Intelligent science fiction and subtle fantasy packed with excitement, surprises, humour, and warmth.
Includes the BSFA Award shortlisted title story.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I really can't say enough good things about this book! 'The Gift of Joy' is everything a story collection should be; inventive, intelligent and wonderfully eclectic! Its refreshing to read an anthology where the artificial walls between genres are torn down- space opera, urban fantasy, cyberpunk, you name it- I simply had no idea what would come next. As it should be.
What unites these varied tales is a common voice. Whates writes with evident enthusiasm. At their heart, these tales believe in humanity, despite our faults. His protagonists are often failed humans themselves; some struggling to be good, a few trying to forget the notion altogether. Yet all are portrayed with understanding. Skillfully so.
I would recommend this anthology not just to genre readers, but to someone who's looking to get into speculative fiction and doesn't know where to start. There's all manner of worlds in 'The Gift Of Joy' to explore and each with its own fascination.
I'll definitely be looking out for further releases from Ian Whates.
What unites these varied tales is a common voice. Whates writes with evident enthusiasm. At their heart, these tales believe in humanity, despite our faults. His protagonists are often failed humans themselves; some struggling to be good, a few trying to forget the notion altogether. Yet all are portrayed with understanding. Skillfully so.
I would recommend this anthology not just to genre readers, but to someone who's looking to get into speculative fiction and doesn't know where to start. There's all manner of worlds in 'The Gift Of Joy' to explore and each with its own fascination.
I'll definitely be looking out for further releases from Ian Whates.
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