The Devil Delivered and Other Tales

December 24, 2012
Human evolution ties togetherâwith varying successâthe first two novellas in this collection from best-selling author Erikson (Malazan: Book of the Fallen series), while the third is a tall tale inspiring youngsters to engage their imagination. The opener, "The Devil Delivered", is the most successful of the three; set in a dystopian North America of depleted ozone, exhausted resources, and nuclear fall-out, an anthropologist discovers that the human-ravaged Earth appears to have a lot of life left in her. Here, Erikson delivers a stunning alternative view of how the survival of the species does not include room for a supposedly dominant exploiter-class. Moving from anthropology to social satire in "Revolvo", the author stumbles through a jumbled narrative that pokes fun at the inward looking, exclusionary world of art patronage. Erikson over-reaches with his vision of men, as they become artists, morphing into monsters and crushing civilization in the process. "Fishing with Grandma Matchie" is a Paul Bunyan-esque tale that, while entertaining, relies heavily on invented language that quickly loses its charm and spends too much time underlining its message of how children's imaginations are crushed by inflexible education. Erikson's writing, however, is strong throughout, and even the lesser stories reveal a riveting imagination.

August 1, 2012
A collection from Erikson (The Crippled God, 2011, etc.) featuring stories set outside of his established Malazan fantasy universe. Erikson co-created the Malazan setting some 30 years ago to use in a role-playing game and has since written 11 novels set there--from 1999's Gardens of the Moon to Forge of Darkness, due to be published later this year--among other works. (The setting's other co-creator, Ian C. Esslemont, has written his share of Malazan novels, as well.) But here Erikson takes a different tack, collecting three very different novelettes. None are connected to his fantasy series--indeed, they take place largely in various versions of North America--but all contain elements placing them squarely in the wider genre of speculative fiction. "The Devil Delivered" shows a tech-filled society facing an environmental apocalypse. "Revolvo" is a bizarre satire involving art and artists, set in an alternate Canada. In perhaps the most readily accessible story, "Fishin' with Grandma Matchie," a 9-year-old tells stories about his colorful grandmother, who lives at the bottom of a lake, rides a giant snapping turtle (and then a talking buffalo) and tangles with Satan. All three novelettes are skillfully executed--"Fishin' with Grandma Matchie," in particular, is a truly imaginative story in the folk-tale tradition--but they are a definite departure in subject matter and style from Erikson's Malazan output and, indeed, differ greatly from each other. As such, they may not hold the interest of some of Erikson's epic-fantasy-minded fans. That said, readers may find it refreshing to see the established fantasy author branch out. An intriguing change of pace.

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June 15, 2012

In the title story, an anthropologist travels through the independent Lakota Nation, compiling his observations from different eras as he observes signs of coming disaster. Set in an alternate Canada, "Revolvo" casts a scathing and darkly humorous look at the arts scene and its absurdities. Finally, "Fishing with Grandma Matchie" recounts a boy's writing assignment enlivened by his grandmother's tall tales. This collection of three novelettes by the author of the multivolume "Mazalan Book of the Fallen" series demonstrates Erikson's sheer talent for storytelling and his prodigious imagination. VERDICT Though this title is not for every taste, the author's fans and those who appreciate the novelette as a way to tell a big story in a small package should enjoy a different side of a writer known for his panoramic fantasy.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.