Reviews and recommendations for Michael Swanwick’s recently released collection NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT keep coming.

At IO9, Cheryl Eddy includes the book among her 15 Must-Read Science Fiction and Fantasy Books Arriving This August.

A second collection of short science fiction from the author of THE DOG SAID BOW-WOW, with tales that promise to include the Devil, time travelers, a horse with magic powers, and “a semi-repentant troll.”

Sam Lubell at SFREVU praises the collection.

Michael Swanwick is one of the best short story writers in the science fiction/fantasy field. He will be a guest of honor at this month’s Worldcon, MidAmeriCon in Kansas City. While he jokes that he has lost more major awards than any other science fiction writer, his display cabinet holds five Hugo awards, a Nebula, and a World Fantasy Award. Swanwick writes clear, elegant prose that is a joy to read, and excels at creating lifelike characters. Each story is a complete work of art.

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Perhaps the best reason to read short stories is the way they give a skilled writer many different canvases to display his talents. Not So Much Said the Cat tackles themes of love, identity, morals, and reality in varying settings and plots. Still, Swanwick’s style shines through in all of these and each story will make the reader think.

For RISINGSHADOW, Seregil of Rhiminee lauds NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT.

Ah, what a pleasure it was to read Michael Swanwick’s NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT. This magnificent collection was everything I hoped it would be and more, because it contained imaginative and well written stories. It wonderfully demonstrates Michael Swanwick’s strengths as an author and lets readers marvel at his vast imagination. It’s a collection that I can wholeheartedly praise and recommend, because it’s excellent.

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NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT is an excellent collection of imaginative and beautifully written stories that deftly explore various themes, issues and elements ranging from magic and robots to love and aliens. There’s something for everyone in this collection.

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I’m impressed by the author’s ability to blend science fiction with fantasy elements. He’s one of the few authors who succeed in combining these genres in a flawless way, because his stories are at their best wildly imaginative. He even manages to spice up some of his stories with a few horror elements.

I like the author’s storytelling skills, because he’s a masterful storyteller who takes his readers on a journey into fascinating places. He writes imaginative stories that offer plenty of food for thoughts.

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What makes these stories especially good and memorable is the author’s literary writing style, because he charms readers with his fluent and atmospheric prose. His prose is irresistibly beautiful, vibrant and vivid, but also strikingly effective.

If you’re a newcomer to Michael Swanwick’s fiction, you’re in for a special treat when you pick up this collection and begin to turn its pages. I’m sure that you’ll find each of the stories intriguing, because they’re well-created stories with lots of imagination.

I highly recommend Michael Swanwick’s NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT to speculative fiction readers. This magnificent collection is essential reading material to those who love quality and originality. The stories contained within its covers are simply marvellous and offer plenty of entertainment, excellent prose, memorable scenes and thought-provoking moments to readers. What more could you possibly hope to find in a speculative fiction short story collection?

Beelzebub celebrates all the kind words

For more information on NOT SO MUCH, SAID THE CAT, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more info on THE DOG SAID BOW-WOW, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Ann Monn