Rogues by George R R Martin and Gardner Dozois (Editors)
| Rogues by George R R Martin and Gardner Dozois (Editors) | |
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| Category: Anthologies | |
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Reviewer: Luke Marlowe
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| Summary: George R R Martin and Gardner Dozois collect twenty one stories by world renowned authors into this weighty tome. All of the stories feature Roguish characters who live life in a morally grey world, and whilst overall the anthology is a mixed bag, there is something to appeal to everyone here | |
| Buy? Maybe | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 832 | Date: August 2014 |
| Publisher: Titan Books | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 9781783297191 | |
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George R R Martin is undoubtedly the biggest name in modern day fantasy, and Gardner Dozois an American science fiction author of considerable renown. Here, the two collect twenty one stories by a list of well known and hugely loved authors.
Rogues - Everybody loves them. Han Solo, Flashman, Byron, Robin Hood, the list is long and ever popular. The authors here use either their own characters, or create new ones, and the genres range from Fantasy to Thriller, with a few Sci-Fi and Steampunk tales thrown in for good measure. The stories vary in quality, but with such an eclectic mix, there is something here for every reader.
Authorwise, there are some truly brilliant writers thrown into the mix, with Neil Gaiman, Joe Abercrombie, Daniel Abraham and Paul Cornell being some of my favourites, and all of whom write excellent short stories in this anthology.
A particularly surprising addition is Gillian Flynn, author of such thrillers as Gone Girl and Sharp Objects. Here she writes a short, twisting tale that made me gasp out loud whilst on the tube, and hurriedly turning the pages to find a resolution.
Paul Cornell's tale is also one that grips, and this adventure of his character Jonathan Hamilton is a brilliant read. For those who haven't read any of Cornell's full length works London Rising or, my personal favourite British Summertime, he's an author well worth catching up on.
I've no doubt that many readers will be buying this book chiefly to read the new Game of Thrones story by George R R Martin, and whilst it reveals nothing about the fate of the characters in the series, it does reveal the back story of a long dead King, in a rather sad tale that builds Martin's outstanding world a little more.
With an anthology this large, some stories are always going to be better than others, and it's a testament to the writers that the quality is of a reasonably high level throughout. There genuinely is something here for everyone, and it's a shame that this book appears designed mainly to appeal to Fantasy readers, as the stories inside fit into so many other categories.
With the nights drawing in, Rogues is the sort of book to keep by an armchair, and to read on a stormy night. I'll certainly be leafing through it again, and I'm very grateful to the publishers for the copy.
For those gripped by the tales that are more modern in nature, Hunter's Run by George R R Martin, Gardner Dozois and Daniel Abraham is a novel by authors and editors featured in Rogues, and is a fast paced and thrilling sci-fi novel.
Additionally, I would always recommend anything published by Neil Gaiman - and Coraline is a scary, fun, and wonderful read.
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