Category: Book Review


Unidentified Flying Objects 4

Filed Under: Book Review, Conventions, Published, Writing by Brent C. Smith — 1 Comment
November 11, 2015

Is out!

You can find it at Amazon here. You can also find it at most other online booksellers. I’m so excited to be sharing a Table of Contents with so many amazing writers!

Also, the anthology was reviewed at Tangent Online, which you can find here. Needless to say, I was over the moon at the awesome things C. D. Lewis had to say about my story.

In other upcoming news, my short story, “Scenes from a Solitary Life” will be appearing at Daily Science Fiction on Thanksgiving Day, 11/26. I’d love for you to stop by and have a read. I’m really proud of this one.

Just returned (well, not returned so much as transitioned into vacation at beautiful Rangeley, Maine) from the World Fantasy Convention in Saratoga Springs, NY. It was a fun two days of meeting other writers, listening to panels discuss fantasy and horror topics, and hanging out with old friends. Next year the convention is in Columbus, OH and I’m hoping to make that my 3rd WFC.

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What I’ve read – The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle: The Thing Beneath the Bed

Filed Under: Book Review by Brent C. Smith — Leave a comment
May 20, 2012

At first glance, this illustrated fairy-tale seems to be a children’s book, but as Rothfuss himself adamantly declares in the forward, it is not. This is a fairy tale for grown-ups that manages to twist in unexpected directions every time you think you have it figured out. Rothfuss’ knack for storytelling is just as on display in this short work as it is in his better known “The Name of the Wind”.

There’s not much else to say. If you are a fan of Patrick Rothfuss, then you will probably like this. If you are familiar with the author then you know that his sense of humor is a little warped and this book reflects that. It will appeal to anyone who ‘gets’ Rothfuss’ humor. I loved it, the only thing missing is his signature in the front of the book (someday…)

The reading time is under ten minutes, even enjoying the excellent artwork along the way which leads to my only gripe–the book is very highly priced for what it is. I’m not sure why that is–fans of Rothfuss will probably buy it–but the price seems to exclude other readers from discovering this story and this author, and that’s a shame.

Next up: The Edge of the World (Book 1 of the Terra Incognita series) by Kevin J. Anderson (at least until some more anthologies that I’ve ordered arrive).

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What I’ve read – Demons: A Clash of Steel Anthology

Filed Under: Book Review by Brent C. Smith — Leave a comment
May 20, 2012

I haven’t read all of this book. I’m running out of time and have other things to read. But I did jump ahead and read Elaine Isaak’s story–“Joenna’s Axe”. The story was nuanced and imaginative and the main character was deeply drawn and interesting. This story was definitely a diamond in the rough.

Next up: The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle: The Thing Beneath the Bed by Patrick Rothfuss.

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What I’ve read – A Little Purple Book of Peculiar Stories

Filed Under: Book Review, Odyssey by Brent C. Smith — 2 Comments
May 11, 2012

“A Little Purple Book or Peculiar Stories” is a collection of five short stories by Craig Shaw Gardener, another of the guest lecturers that will be at Odyssey this year.

I’m not sure what to say about this book other than it is well titled. The stories are enjoyable and peculiar – ideas that I don’t think would ever occur to me. Here’s a rundown:

One More Song Before I Go – A man walks out on his wife after an argument and into a musical that he can’t seem to escape. If you like short stories and you like musicals, this one has both.

The Sinister Cheesecake – Sherlock Holmes comes to Broadway to solve a mystery. The first person voice of this story makes it a very fun read.

God’s Eyes – An earth where aliens occupiers transform humans into alien hybrids and the human religion that has evolved to resist this. This was my favorite story of the collection.

How Much Would You Pay? – What if Heaven and Hell ran infomercials to gain converts?

A Planet Called Elvis – a detective story set on a planet where everyone is dressed up as Elvis and every activity is Elvis-themed. If you like Elvis, you’ll enjoy all of the references to his life and music in this story.

Peculiar.

Next up: Demons: A Clash of Steel Anthology – another book of short stories with one by another of the 2012 Odyssey lecturers – Elaine Issak.

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What I’ve read – Catching Fire

Filed Under: Book Review by Brent C. Smith — 1 Comment
May 5, 2012

The second book of the Hunger Games trilogy is, much like the first, a quick read. It doesn’t have quite the page turning suspense of the first book, but it does dig deeper into the world that Suzanne Collins has created.

I had a few thoughts as I read… I try not to give away any specific spoilers, but if you haven’t read this, you might want to stop here.

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