Soulmates

by Mike Resnick and Lezli Robyn

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Soulmates is a collaborative collection (is it an anthology if it's only 2 authors? Not quite sure) authored by Mike Resnick and Lezli Robyn. The 9 short stories were all previously published between 1999 and 2011 but are gathered here in one volume for the first time. 7 of them are collaborations, the two others are solo, one for each author.

Originally released in 2016, it's 210 pages and available in ebook and paperback formats.

I'm very fond of short fiction collections because there's almost always a story which fits whatever reading mood I'm in and if the story I'm reading doesn't satisfy, there's another one coming in a few pages. Happily all these stories appealed. They range from SF pulp formula story (Report From the Field), to sentimental fantasy (Benchwarmer), to homage (Anne-droid of Green Gables). All 9 are competently written and eminently readable, all are worth a look. I can't easily put it into words, but I realized after I finished reading that they left me with a distinctly nostalgic vibe.

Whenever I see collaborative fiction, especially when I'm familiar with one of the authors, I always wind up trying to see where/how they collaborated and find myself wondering about their writing process. Sometimes it's easy, this time it wasn't. I don't have a clue about their collaborative process, but the writing is seamless.

I enjoyed this collection very much. The stories ranged from about a 3-5 star range, and average 4 stars for the book.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.