Front Lines

by Denise Little (Editor)

War—what is it good for?

It’s good for 19 all-new tales from the battlefield...

Nineteen all-new tales that look at war from the perspective of everyone from human to alien, pixie to toy. From epic intergalactic struggles for the future of humankind to the microcosm of a single abandoned toy soldier in a boy’s backyard; from a chemical experiment gone horribly wrong to a young recruit who may hold the key to “understanding” the enemy; from a half-mortal knight trying to avert a war with the Elfin Host to a Battle of Trenton fought against seven-foot tall Saurians, Front Lines brings together a diverse array of imaginative explorations of the phenomenon of war.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Anthologies

314 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 6, 2008

About the author

Denise Little is an editor for Tekno Books.

Reviews

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, we are given twenty-one different stories by different authors but with one theme uniting them all – in this case, being on the front lines in a war, whether against human, pixie, or “thing” and settings are all over the universe, from the intergalactic to a little boy’s backyard. According to the introduction, “this book isn’t about…what it means as a society to fight a war….it’s all about the life of the people on the front lines of battle.” What I find interesting about the book, is that more than half the writers are women. Surely a unique perspective in a hard science fiction book. Some of the authors in this anthology include Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Laura Resnick, Jody Lynn Nye, Jim Fiscus, J. Steven York. The stories are thought provoking, funny, poignant, and sad. Everything an anthology should be.

Like all anthologies, there were some stories I liked, some I didn't care much for, but not because of the writing. Each story is well crafted and well-written. Overall, the tales were very good.

If you don't have a lot of time to invest in reading, anthologies are a good place to go. Each story is complete and is good for a quick read when you don't have time for a novel. I recommend this one for anyone interested in speculative fiction from the perspective of someone on the “Front Lines”.

[Powwow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I seriously cannot recommend “Front Lines” highly enough! I not only enjoyed this book… I will be reading it again. I was transported far beyond my own life… finding all that sci-fi/fantasy readers need. There is more than one “must read” story in this book. But don’t miss “In thought” by Peter Orullian. This author is amazing… as I read his story I stopped to ponder… what is it that generates such an intricate imagination? Orullian’s story is a creation beyond what we can fathom, but he somehow made it believable. More than that, it is emotionally charged! His main character (John) is living a life nobody ever will… but still you relate to him, even bond to him… as he faces catastrophic dilemmas. In the end as decisions are made and forces that threaten are dealt with, he becomes profoundly human… and you are left emotionally affected. I would buy this book just to read that one story.

[Donald J. Bingle]

Sometimes you don't even know you are on the front lines of a battle. Check out my story in this anthology.