Review:: Stainless Steel Visions, by Harry Harrison

Title: Stainless Steel Visions

Author: Harry Harrison

Format: Hardcover

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

I picked this up because it contains a Stainless Steel Rat short story. What I ended up with was a mixed bag. I was definitely underimpressed with many of the stories, while a few were enjoyable. The Stainless Steel Rat story itself was nice, but couldn't make up for the volume.

Review:: The Stories of Eva Luna, by Isabel Allende

Title: The Stories of Eva Luna

Author: Isabel Allende

Format: Hardcover

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Isabel Allende's style works well for short stories; many of her novels feel like short stories entwined into a longer piece of fiction. In many ways, The Story of Eva Luna is Allende at her best: sensual and startling, heavy with magical realism, and handling serious issues with beauty and gravity. Unfortunately, I felt like many of the stories were fleeting, leaving me with no impact. The ones that did, though, were well worth my time.

Review:: The State of the Art, by Iain M. Banks

Title: The State of the Art

Author: Iain M. Banks

Series: Culture, #4

Format: Paperback

Rating: ★★★★☆

The State of the Art left me cold... in a good way. Frequently bizarre and often haunting, Iain M. Banks uses the Culture setting to weave a variety of compelling (and dark) tales.

Review:: Looking for Jake, by China Miéville

Title: Looking for Jake

Author: China Miéville

Format: eBook

Rating: ★★★★☆

China Miéville is best known for his novels, but in short stories he's able to play with his craft in ways that wouldn't work in longer fiction. He left me wanting and unfulfilled time and time again, but simultaneously positive there was no other way for things to end.