Mash Up - Gardner Dozois

Pride and Prejudice meets Macbeth by way of Moby Dick and a dollop of the speculative, in this hugely entertaining anthology where authors such as John Scalzi get inspiration for short stories from the first lines of famous works of literature. Edited by hugely respected anthologist Gardner Dozois, the collection includes stories by John Scalzi, Tad Williams, Elizabeth Bear and many others. 

My thoughts:

A collection of stories inspired by first lines, and I will do it as always do. Talk a bit about every story. So let us begin.

Fireborn (Rootabaga stories) by Robert Charles Wilson

Set in the future where a war tore mankind apart, I guess. It was interesting and good, and I'd read more from this author. Though I have no idea where that first line is from. 

The evening line (Pride and Prejudice) by Mike Resnick

The story is from Resnick's world, and frankly the whole story was meh.

No decent patrimony (Edward II) by Elizabeth Bear

A son talks about his dead father. Set in a world where the rich can live forever. Interesting premise. Would make a good movie when I think about it

The Big whale (Moby Dick) by Allen M Steele

A Moby Dick story about a PI. Good story and was set in the actual world of it so...

Begone (David Copperfield) by Daryl Gregory

A man is usurped by another. Great story, I should try more from this author.

The red menace (The communist manifesto) by Lavie Tidhar

An alternative history where Soviet became Soviet first in the 30s. Maybe they did not kill 50 mil of their own people then, one can always hope. It was a scary world filled with bombs.

Muse of Fire (Henry V) by John Scalzi

A man and his strange girlfriend. I liked the twist of it all.

Writer's block (Paul Clifford) by nancy Kress

A writer with a messy life, that takes a turn for the worst. This one got interesting.

Highland Reel (McBeth) by Jack Campbell

A historical about the Highlands. Awesome story, my fav of them all.

Karen Coxswain (Huckelberry Finn) by Paul Di Filippo

A captain in hell tells her story, and I was bored.

The Lady Astronaut (The wizard of oz) by Mary Robinette Kowal

People settled on Mars and an Astronaut gets another chance. Nice story, I liked how it all tied together.

Every fuzzy beast of the earth, every pink fowl of the air (Bible) by Tad Williams
Amazing story about the creation of the world...ok so this is my second fav of these stories. it was fantastic and funny. Hilarious.

Decleration (the decleration of independence) by James Patrick Kelly

Kids wants to live in virtual reality. I did not really get it

Some good, some funny, some kind of meh,  some, well you get the point. They were all different genres.  I also liked how it was a  fast read

Conclusion:
A good anthology 

Paperback, 432 pages
Published June 7th 2016 by Titan Books
Anthology
For review

Old Mars - Edited by George RR Martin and Gardner Dozois

Burroughs’s A Princess of Mars. Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles. Heinlein’s Red Planet. These and so many more inspired generations of readers with a sense that science fiction’s greatest wonders did not necessarily lie far in the future or light-years across the galaxy but were to be found right now on a nearby world tantalizingly similar to our own—a red planet that burned like an ember in our night sky . . . and in our imaginations.

This new anthology of fifteen all-original science fiction stories, edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, celebrates the Golden Age of Science Fiction, an era filled with tales of interplanetary colonization and derring-do. Before the advent of powerful telescopes and space probes, our solar system could be imagined as teeming with strange life-forms and ancient civilizations—by no means always friendly to the dominant species of Earth. And of all the planets orbiting that G-class star we call the Sun, none was so steeped in an aura of romantic decadence, thrilling mystery, and gung-ho adventure as Mars.

Join Michael Moorcock, Mike Resnick, , and others in this brilliant retro anthology that turns its back on the cold, all-but-airless Mars of the Mariner probes and instead embraces an older, more welcoming, more exotic Mars: a planet of ancient canals cutting through red deserts studded with the ruined cities of dying races.

My thoughts:

Here are my thoughts then on 15 novellas in this anthology.

Martian Blood by Allen M Steele

There is life on Mars. We invade. I liked this story

The Ugly duckling by Matthew Hughes

A good story about an archaeologist on duh, Mars.

The wreck of the Mars Adventure by David D Levine

Captain Kidd takes his ship and sails to mars. Yes, that was one for the imagination.

Swords of Zar-tu-kan by S.M.Stirling

A kidnapping. A rather meh story.

Shoals by Mary Rosenblum

It started off a bit boring, but then the Martians came and it turned good.

In the tombs of the Martian Kinds by Mike Resnick.

Another one that picked up after a while, and one that I would read more about.

Out of Scarlight by Liz Williams

There had been Martians there once? or not? Good

The dead sea-bottom scrolls by Howard Waldrop

Old Mars. A travel log. meh

A man without honor by James SA Corey

A story entirely in cursive. Whyyyy?

Written in dust by Melina M Snodgrass

I get why there are Martians in every tale. It's old school, before we knew that there are no Martians. Still at least some could live underground or something so I could believe

But hey, still good story about memories, I got off track.

The lost canal by Michael Moorcock

Note to self. Do not stop reading in the middle of a short story, it's hard to get back into it.

THE SUNSTONE, by Phyllis Eisenstein

Another archaeologist finds his way. Good.

KING OF THE CHEAP ROMANCE, by Joe R. Lansdale

A girl finding danger on the ice. Weird old Mars

MARINER, by Chris Roberson

How unlucky can a man be? Ok

THE QUEEN OF NIGHT’S ARIA, by Ian McDonald

Finally a bit of war. We have been way too friendly so far, and humans are not that nice.

Conclusion:

Some good ones, some I wanted more of, some ok ones. You know, the usual find in an anthology. There are always styles you like, styles you do not care for, and styles you did not know you would enjoy, and did.

These are not about Mars now. Instead we have to believe that we knew less about Mars, back to the time where Mars could have held all kinds of wonders. Martians, cities, you name it.

Interesting read, and well, I am all Marsed out now.

Paperback, 512 pages
Published September 25th 2015 by Titan Books (first published October 8th 2013)
Anthology, Science fiction
For review