Dr. Philip Edward Kaldon, an online friend, has just reviewed Writers of the Future Vol. 25. Dr. Phil is the author of the delicious “A Man on the Moon” in Vol. 24 and, because he was a published finalist and not strictly a winner, has the distinct luxury of being able to attend the workshop twice. Jealous? I am!

Anyways, he has just reviewed Writers of the Future XXV on his livejournal.

He picked Donald Mead’s “The Shadow Man” as the most beautiful story in the collection, and Fiona Lehn’s “The Assignment of Runner ETI” as his favourite.

As for the Phoenix?

“After the Final Sunset, Again” by Jordan Lapp
illustrated by Joshua J. Stewart
First story I read in the collection, because Jordan is an online friend. A Phoenix in the City story where one constantly wonders how the hell this all got started. (grin) We’ll call it my favorite urban fantasy story of the collection. Exceptionally well done.

So, I’m going to avoid review-o-mancy in this one, but I have to say that in an anthology as chock full of urban fantasy as this one is… hey…wait… Oh well, I’ll settle for the “Exceptionally well done.” Thanks, Dr. Phil!

Tags: reviews, Writers of the Future XXV

Spotted this review over at the Baryon Review

The volume opens with this years winning entry, “Garden of Tian Zi” by Emery Huang. It is a tale of a conglomerate run future and genetic engineering that also shows there can still be a human relationship. Donald Mead shows an unusual tale of the results of the bombing of Hiroshima in “The Shadow Man”. Gra Linnaea’s “Life in Steam” is a steampunk tale that shows the Church as inquisitor yet again. Fiona Lehn takes an alternate THE LONG WALK/RUNNING MAN tale and adds in charity, multicorps, and war in “The Assignment of Runner ETI”. Heather McDougal gives a western setting in a dying gold rush town where “The Candy Store” just happens to open. Jordan Lapp gives the story of a Phoenix in “After the Final Sunset, Again”. There are plenty of others between the covers to give you interest and leave you waiting to see what the writers do next.

All in all, a positive review. Congrats to everyone involved.

The Phoenix seems to be connecting with people at least enough that they mention my name in reviews (which is not bad seeing as how I’m the second-to-last story in the book). Man, that’s a great feeling!

Tags: reviews, Writers of the Future XXV

Spotted this review over at the Asimov’s forums done by John E. Rogers Jr.

Rogers covers every story in separate posts on this page and the previous one. His review of “After the Final Sunset, Again” is extremely favourable (yay!):

This Gaimanized theofantasy blazes along at the speed of a wildfire, slowing only when the flames of the story are cooled by the unnatural, though clever, extension of the main character’s life. The tale is advanced greatly by the author’s decision not to backfill. Let the readers add the remaining pieces of the puzzle as they see fit. We start with the raging coalescence of an actual Phoenix – a female, in human guise – swirling into being out of raw background elements – in an empty apartment somewhere in an unnamed American city. This creature, we learn, is designed to live but a day – self-incinerating at sunset, to be born afresh the next morning, with no recollection of her past deeds or fiery demise. Her mission is to proceed immediately into the bowels of the city, save as many people as she can from accidental death, and take other life-improving steps for mankind. To make her way in the world, the Phoenix borrows memories and life lessons from the minds of the (mostly) unsuspecting tenants in the neighoring flats.

However, after millennia of uninterrupted 24 hour cycles of birth-service-death, something unusual happens to our particular Phoenix. During her birth. she encounters another supernatural force and – for the first time – begins to resent her accelerated mortality. What she does to stave it off is the meat of the tale.

A real standout.

In his summation, he breaks out with some further praise:

From the fantasy quarter, I give the top nod to Lapp’s “After the Final Sunset, Again.” Like Linnaea’s story, this one dared to reach further, take more chances. McDougal’s “The Candy Store” was also memorable – for its hybridized vision and its warmth.

Colour me overjoyed!

Tags: reviews, Writers of the Future, Writers of the Future XXV