Twember

by Steve Rasnic Tem

Twember is Steve Rasnic Tem’s first ever collection of science fiction stories, gathering together the very best of his SF from across a distinguished career, drawing on work from 1980 right through to the current day. With four stories that originally appeared in Asimov’s and others from Interzone, Destinies, and elsewhere, Twember showcases Tem at his best. The book also features two brand new pieces written especially for this collection.

“Steve Rasnic Tem is a rare treasure, waiting to be discovered by many more of the world’s most sophisticated and mature readers.” – Dan Simmons, author of Hyperion

“…a near-perfect short story.” – Scientifically Bookish (of A Letter for the Emperor)

“A heartbreaking story of the loving ties between family members, and of mortality, postponed yet never repealed. And of hope.” – Lois Tilton, Locus Online (of Visitors)

CONTENTS
1.Introduction
2.A Letter from the Emperor
3.Twember
4.The Day Before the Day Before
5.Pathetic Fallacy
6.Forward
7.Visitors
8.Cubs
9.Forty-three Thousand Sunsets
10.Ephemera
11.At Play In The Fields
12.The Long Afternoon of the Human Race

Genres: Collections

183 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 4, 2013

About the author

Steve Rasnic Tem was born in Lee County Virginia in the heart of Appalachia. He is the author of over 350 published short stories and is a past winner of the Bram Stoker, International Horror Guild, British Fantasy, and World Fantasy Awards. His story collections include City Fishing, The Far Side of the Lake, In Concert (with wife Melanie Tem), Ugly Behavior, Celestial Inventories, and Onion Songs. An audio collection, Invisible, is also available. His novels include Excavation, The Book of Days, Daughters, The Man In The Ceiling (with Melanie Tem), and the recent Deadfall Hotel.

Reviews

[Althea Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re: just the story, "Twember"

A strange apocalypse... 'Icebergs' of detritus randomly appear and slide across the landscape, leaving mixed-up flotsam of different times in their wake. No one knows why or how this is happening... the changes they leave are dismissed by authorities as 'cosmetic.' However, the 'changes' have wreaked destruction on one family... A mood piece, full of angst and ennui... I very much liked it.

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Volume 7 of the Imaginings series from Newcon Press in the UK published October 2013.

The Imaginings series consists of single author collections of stories and are published two or three times a year. The hard cover version of the books are limited usually to between 100 and 125 copies and are signed and numbered by the author.

This book contains the following stories:

1. Introduction - 9
2. A Letter from the Emperor - 10
3. Twember - 27
4. The Day Before the Day Before - 45
5. Pathetic Fallacy - 59
6. Forward - 75
7. Visitors - 79
8. Cubs - 97
9. Forty-three Thousand Sunsets - 105
10. Ephemera - 115
11. At Play In The Fields - 143
12. The Long Afternoon of the Human Race - 159

The books in the series so far consist of:

#1 Jan 2012 Cold Grey Stones – Tanith Lee SOLD OUT
#2 April 2012 Last and First Contacts – Stephen Baxter SOLD OUT
#3 Sept. 2012 Stories from the Northern Road – Tony Ballantyne
#4 Dec 2012 Objects in Dreams – Lisa Tuttle
#5 April 2013 Microcosmos – Nina Allan
#6 July 2013 Pat Cadigan
#7 Oct 2013 Twember – Steve Rasnic Tem
#8 Apr 2014 Strange Visitors Eric Brown

Future books of which the authors that are announced thus far:

Jon Courtenay Grimwood
Paul McAuley
Paul di Filippo
Adam Roberts

[Roslyn]

I entered the wrong book here - it's not the collection of stories that I read, but just the short story itself, 'Twember'.

Mysterious, strange, heartbreaking, beautiful.

[Lianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een kort science-fictionverhaal, dat een angstaanjagende toekomstbeeld geeft. Rare fenomenen die door onderzoekers en overheid worden beoordeeld als onschuldig, maar zeker niet zo ervaren worden.
Het laat mij nadenken over de wijze waarop er in de moderne wereld met kritiek op allerlei zaken wordt omgegaan. Niet iedereen die een vraag stelt is meteen een complotwappie.