Short story collections are tricky to sum up sometimes. In the case of fantasy, science fiction, or horror collections, often I find that an anthology feels more like it was rounded up like cattle to slaughter than a carefully selected group of stories about a particular theme. Warriors from Tor was thankfully in the latter category.
Warriors was put together and edited by George R. R. Martin (author of the bestselling Song of Ice and Fire series that began in 1996 with A Game of Thrones), and Gardner Dozois (acclaimed editor and novelist who has won fifteen Hugo Awards for his editorial work in science fiction and fantasy). I've read many of GRRM's works, including some of his Wild Cards anthologies and have been waiting to see who lives and dies in the next book of his Song of Ice and Fire series for 5 years along with everyone else. And I really enjoyed Wizards: Magical Tales from the Masters of Modern Fantasy a few years ago, which was edited by Dozois. So I suspected that Warriors would be just as good.
Man, was I wrong. Warriors was an amazing collection of stories from all eras and genres, from ancient Rome and Carthage to a future where soldiers jack into giant robots on a battlefield far away and everything between. These stories impressed me with their depth, their eloquence, and the ability to surprise me from time to time. I loved Wizards, but Warriors beats it hands down. It helps that the 735 page book could be used as a weapon to bludgeon a poor, unsuspecting wizard while they were trying to remember or cast a spell...
When I first saw this behemoth, I wondered if they'd sent me a dictionary by mistake. Its size alone presented a daunting challenge of carrying it around. That said, I think I added a bit of muscle as I lugged it around.
It would be impossible to cover all of the great stories in this collection in a single review. Instead, I'll focus on a few that really captured my attention.
Robin Hobb is an author who I had often heard about, but never read until recently. I read Dragon Keeper and just finished Dragon Haven a few days ago, both of which were excellent. So when I read her short story "The Triumph" I already knew she was an excellent writer. But it's one thing to write about a fictional world of your own making and quite another to write accurately enough about a historical period that you can enjoy the story without getting mired in historical details or inaccuracies.
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Article comments
1 - Bill Sherman
Lansdale is a master colloquial writer who has produced a lot of great violent horror and suspense fiction over the years. I'm not surprised to read that his tale is one of the collection's best as the theme plays to his storytelling strengths.
2 - craig childs
Just a word about Joe Lansdale. I've been reading Lansdale for about a year now. I recommend starting with his recently released "Best of Joe R Lansdale" Short Story Collection. Well worth the $10 on Amazon. He'll blow you away.
3 - Fitz
@Bill & @craig - Thanks for the feedback on Lansdale - I'm going to have to pick up that short story collection now. :)