Who Would Like This Book:
If you love variety in your speculative fiction, "Starlings" is a treat - a vibrant mix of fantasy, sci-fi, playful poetry, and even a myth-inspired play! Jo Walton’s stories are clever, imaginative, and full of surprises, ranging from whimsical fairy tales to unique science fiction concepts (think a coin’s journey across a space station or a noir detective named Jesus). There’s thoughtful prose, some delightful weirdness, and a lot of heart in stories about identity, humanity, and magic lurking in the mundane. This collection is perfect for readers who enjoy story samplers, fans of literary experiments, and anyone who likes a little whimsy in their fantasy and science fiction.
Who May Not Like This Book:
If you prefer traditional short stories with tidy plots and clear resolutions, the eclectic mix here may not be for you. Some readers found the very brief “story beginnings” unsatisfying, lacking emotional depth or satisfying conclusions. If poetry or reading plays isn’t your thing, some sections may not hold your interest. The collection’s wide variety can feel a bit inconsistent, especially if you’re hoping for the same tone throughout. Those wanting strong character connection or classic storytelling may find this set too experimental.
About:
Starlings by Jo Walton is a collection of eclectic and playful short stories, poems, and a play that delve into various genres like fantasy, sci-fi, and noir. The stories range from retellings of classic myths to experimental narratives that explore themes of identity, humanity, and whimsy. The writing style is described as thoughtful, with prose that delves into deep reflections on life and existence, creating worlds that are both mundane and fantastical. The book features a mix of different storytelling formats, including poetry, plays, and experimental narratives, showcasing the author's versatility and creativity.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
The collection includes themes that may trigger or concern readers, such as ethical dilemmas, identity crises, and references to social issues.
From The Publisher:
"Starlings isn't really a short-story collection. It's something better: a written showreel, illustrating yet again that [Walton's] imagination stretches to the stars (or the starlings), and that she's endlessly inventive in finding new methods to express it."- NPR Books
An ancient coin cyber-spies on lovers and thieves. The magic mirror sees all but can do nothing. A cloned savior solves a fanatically-inspired murder. Three Irish siblings thieve treasures with bad poetry and the aid of the Queen of Cats.
With these captivating initial glimpses into her storytelling psyche, Jo Walton shines through subtle myths and reinvented realities. Through eclectic stories, subtle vignettes, inspired poetry, and more, Walton soars with humans, machines, and magic-rising from the every day into the universe itself.
Ratings (5)
Liked It (1) | |
It Was OK (2) | |
Did Not Like (2) |
Reader Stats (9):
Read It (5) | |
Want To Read (4) |
3 comment(s)
Starting to think I should just avoid anthologies altogether, since I didn’t find much to enjoy here, unfortunately, and skipped half the stories as they weren’t holding my interest. The Twilight stories were wonderfully whimsical and evocative somehow of Arthurian England, the space story put an inventive spin on living on another planet, and the story about Google was done well. A couple of the Godzilla poems were worth a read, but were nothing spectacular. The poem at the beginning and the ‘poem in translation’ were the best, and apart from that there seemed to be a lot of forced rhyme and description.
it feels weird to give jo walton two stars for anything
and some of these stories are very good, but most of them feel....smug
in her introduction, walton talks about how she isn't great at writing short stories, and then we get a book of...not great short stories
but she's still awesome
***3.0***
This was the first time I got to read a short story collection on Magical realism, Aliens and anthology (!?). I liked the stories but not all. Some were too complex or too simple for me to understand, that is I am used to very straight forward stories. I am a dumb person in that matter. Plus the author was new to me and I was getting used to the style.
The Stories I liked:
1.Three Twilight Tales
2.Jane Austen to Cassandra- This was Funny!!
3.Unreliable Witness
4.The Panda Coin
5.Joyful and Triumphant: St. Zenobius and the Aliens
6.What a Piece of Work- After reading this, I like to go to page 99 in google search, Just in case
7.What Would Sam Spade Do?
8.Tradition
9.What Joseph Felt
10.A Burden Shared
11.Three Shouts on a Hill (A Play)
12.Poetry -UMMM I am not sure, I felt that part a bit fleeting.
It was a good and a bit off my normal kind of read. But I am glad that I read it. It gave me a different perspective on reading and more open to a different style which was unknown to me.
If you have read Jo Walton before, I think you will like it much more than me. I surely look forward in reading more Jo Walton in future.
Happy Reading!!!
ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!
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Starlings?
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