A trio for reviews for Patricia A. McKillip’s gorgeous DREAMS OF DISTANT SHORES.

Patricia A. McKillip at Westercon 64 in the Fairmont San Jose Hotel on Saturday 2 July 2011 (Stephen Gold/Wikimedia Commons)

At FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION, Charles de Lint delights in the collection.

DREAMS OF DISTANT SHORES, while recognizably McKillip in all the ways that matter, offers some new colors to the palette of her storytelling. There’s not a wrong note here, from the opening story, the claustrophobic “Weird,” where a couple are hiding in a bathroom from some monstrosity outside their apartment building and tell stories to each other about the odd things in their lives, to the gorgeous “Something Rich and Strange” that closes the book with its meditations on oceans and faerie and human relations with both, and of course with one another.

THROUGH
RASPBERRY COLORED GLASSES praises McKillip’s craftsmanship with a 5 star review.

Journey through time and place in this collection of short pieces by Patricia A. McKillip. There are 5 short stories, 2 novellas, and a nonfiction piece. All of which are excellent.

I think my two favorite pieces were the first story in the collection, “Weird” and another piece entitled “The Gorgon in the Cupboard." "Weird” keeps you guessing as to what’s going on. “The Gorgon in the Cupboard” is a story about artists, models, and muses.

All the stories struck me as treasures, though. I loved her use of language. Even in the novella “Something Rich and Strange,” the language sets the tone. You can feel the distraction of the characters.

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This book is appropriate for people who enjoy fantasy. There are a variety of settings and themes to enjoy. And if you like the behind the scenes look at things, the essay and the afterword are very interesting. All in all, I give this book 5 stars for excellence in craftsmanship.

Stacy Renee at LAZY
DAY LITERATURE participated in the weekly Stacking the Shelves meme.

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by TYNGA’S REVIEWS that features the books we bought, borrowed, were gifted, and were given for review.

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DREAMS OF DISTANT SHORES by Patricia A. McKillip – A collection of stories by one of my favorite fantasy authors. I am reading this right now and falling in love with her writing all over again. Thank you so much, Tachyon!!!

For more info on DREAMS OF DISTANT SHORES, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Thomas Canty