Sum Cubed: An Anthology of Speculative Romance by Jody Wallace (Editor)
© 2007 Zumaya Embraces ISBN 1-934135-36-5 244 pages Paperback
$14.99
(U.S.)
Someone, somewhere, somewhen.get it? Sum cubed.
Over the years I have bemoaned the lack of good fiction with a
Pagan-friendly slant. That is no longer a problem (just look in the
"Young
Adult" section in any major bookstore). Now, at last, there are appearing
collections of short stories with a Pagan slant. There are times when you
just don't want to dive into a full length novel. I know from personal
experience that I can find all kinds of excuses to "just read to the end
of
the chapter.okay, just one more chapter.what do you mean dinner burned? I
haven't been reading that long, have I?"
This anthology is a result of the competition for the Zircon Award for
Short
Speculative Romance. Stories have been submitted in each of the past
three
years (and I hope for many more to come). Not all of them, obviously, are
included in this volume (which I hope means that this is only the
beginning
of a long-running series to come). The advantage to an anthology like
this
is that get to experience work with a variety of topics and styles, from a
number of authors.
These are romances with a twist. They aren't all bodice rippers, at least
not in a conventional sense. They aren't all Pagan-slanted, but that
wasn't
a requirement. Still, they offer a world (actually several) which may
seem
familiar to many of us.that world just around that dark corner.through
that
hedge...on the other side of conventional.
This is, definitely, an adult-themed book. There is raw ***uality, as
well
as understated sensuality and, although many Pagan families have more
relaxed and tolerant attitudes about what is appropriate for their
children
to read, I would suggest putting this book in your bedroom, away from the
eyes of non-adult readers.
As with many offerings from smaller presses nowadays there were a few
technical glitches, but nothing of major im****tance, and certainly nothing
t6o detract from the over excellence of the stories.
If you enjoy romance with an edge; if you like speculative stories with
some
romance, this book is for you. Zumaya is rapidly becoming one of my
favorite smaller presses, and I heartily suggest you go to their website
(www.zumayapublications.com) and check out all their offerings.
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