The Best of Glen Cook

Dread Empire #different short stories

by Glen Cook

The best short fiction of legendary author Glen Cook (The Black Company, the Dread Empire) is collected into a new hardcover volume.

For over forty years, Glen Cook has been among the most well-known, influential, and widely respected authors in science fiction and fantasy. Through classic series such as The Black Company, Garrett P.I., the Dread Empire, Starfishers, Darkwar, and more, his gritty, down-to-earth style left an indelible impression on his readers around the world, forever shifting the genre landscape and carving out his place as a pioneering icon.
 
The Best of Glen Cook collects eighteen of his greatest stories—as chosen and introduced by the author himself—including a new, never-before-published Black Company novelette. With works set in all of his most famous series, these tales of science fiction and fantasy offer both the perfect way for longtime fans to trace Cook’s history and for new readers to become familiar with one of the finest genre authors of the twentieth century.
 

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Collections, Fiction

552 pages, Hardcover

First published November 12, 2019

About the author

Glen Cook was born in New York City, lived in southern Indiana as a small child, then grew up in Northern California. After high school he served in the U.S. Navy and attended the University of Missouri. He worked for General Motors for 33 years, retiring some years ago. He started writing short stories in 7th grade, had several published in a high school literary magazine. He began writing with malicious intent to publish in 1968, eventually producing 51 books and a number of short fiction pieces.
He met his wife of 43 years while attending the Clarion Writer's Workshop in 1970. He has three sons (army officer, architect, orchestral musician) and numerous grandchildren, all of whom but one are female. He is best known for his Black Company series, which has appeared in 20+ languages worldwide. His other series include Dread Empire and and the Garrett, P.I. series. His latest work is Working God’s Mischief, fourth in the Instrumentalities of the Night series.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/glencook

Reviews

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stories included in this Slightly Scrumptious Collection Cooklection (SSC™):

① Sunrise (SF, precursor to Shadowline): ★★★
② The Devil’s Tooth (Fantasy): ★★★★
③ In the Wind (SF): ★★★★½
④ Quiet Sea (Fantasy/SF): ★★★★
⑤ Ghost Talk (Fantasy): ★★★½
⑥ Call for the Dead (Fantasy): ★★★★
⑦ Soldier of an Empire Unacquainted with Defeat (Fantasy, set in the Dread Empire world): ★★★★★
⑧ Filed Teeth (Fantasy, set in the Dread Empire world): ★★★★★
⑨ Darkwar (Fantasy/SF, set in the Darkwar world): ★★★★★
⑩ Enemy Territory (SF): ★★★½
⑪ The Waiting Sea (Fantasy): ★★★
⑫ Severed heads (Fantasy, set in the Dread Empire world): ★★★½
⑬ Winter's Dreams (SF, set in the Dragon Never Sleeps universe): ★★★★
⑭ The Good Magician (Fantasy/SF, tribute to Jack Vance's Dying Earth Cycle): ★★★★
⑮ Shadow Thieves (Fantasy, a Garrett, P.I. story): ★★★★
⑯ Shaggy Dog Bridge (Fantasy, a Black Company story): ★★★★½ (review)
⑰ Bone Eaters (Fantasy, a Black Company story): ★★★★★★★★★½ (review)
⑱ Chasing Midnight (Fantasy, set in the Black Company world): ★★★★





[Pre-review nonsense]



Because:

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with all anthologies some really good, some just ok. It is so difficult for anthologies, especially ones that span decades of an author's work, to deliver consistent great stories. I knew that going in so I was not to disappointed when some of the stories seemed to drag a bit or just weren't as good as others. I found the ones that did not deal with his existing main book series to generally be the more enjoyable and original of the set but all in all it was a fun and diverse read. If you enjoy sci-fi/fantasy more oriented towards military conflict or lone warriors you will enjoy this collection of works.

[Terence · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first came across the name “Glen Cook” back in the late ‘70s or early ‘80s when I saw a review of his novel Swordbearer in the old Dragon magazine. I’m not sure whether it was that book or The Black Company where I first read and fell in love with his work, though. In any case, over the ensuing years I’ve managed to read nearly everything except for the Instrumentalities of the Night series and the later Garrett novels.

In the character of Croaker, Cook managed to create my hands-down favorite SF character. Only CJ Cherryh has come close in creating favorites. And he’s written some of my “always in the top ten” books, including (of course) The Black Company series (esp., the first three) and The Dragon Never Sleeps (which turns out to be Cook’s choice for his best according to his intro to “Winter’s Dreams,” and I have to agree with him).

This collection gathers 18 stories. I’ve read many of them in different venues as it turns out but having them collected in one volume is nice.

“Sunrise” – This story is set in the future history of Cook’s Confederation (from the Starfishers series) and returns readers to Blackworld, a nearly tidally locked world around a fierce white star where temperatures reach Venerian highs on the sunward side. It takes place centuries after the events of Starfisher when Blackworld has lost contact with the rest of the galaxy and its cities are destroyed one by one as the terminator slowly creeps across the planet. Cook’s characters are rarely the best and the brightest and this story’s protagonist is a mediocre musician who “enjoys” the immortal life granted to this society’s artists who has to decide whether life is worth living.

“The Devil’s Tooth” – This is a standalone story set in a fantasy world that Cook never developed further (in print). It’s hero is Fastenrath-by-the-Sword who must undertake a typical fantasy quest for an unscrupulous magician. I can see why Cook didn’t get anywhere with this. It’s not a bad story but it’s not inspired and pretty much by the book.

“In the Wind” – Another story set in the Confederation universe, it follows the fate of the son of one of the characters from the Starfishers trilogy. Cook often focuses on soldiers’ lives and how war affects them and it’s no different here. The narrator, the son’s wingman, recounts the young man’s brief but brilliant career and how it shapes both their lives.

“Quiet Sea” – More tales from Confederation. This one takes place on a waterworld that lost touch with the outside universe until a Confederation soldier crash lands on the planet. He survives for several years, assimilating into the planet’s culture, until humanity’s greatest enemy arrives on the planet. The conflict between Confederation and the Sangaree is a tragic one of misdirected ambitions, ignorance and irrationality, which Cook brings out in the story.

“Ghost Stalk” – This tale is set in the world of the Dread Empire, Cook’s other fantasy series. I never was much taken with these books with the exception of the titular Empire of Shinsan, and I always enjoyed those chapters centered there (esp. Reap the East Wind) or “Soldier of an Empire Unacquainted with Defeat,” included in this collection. The world is a fantasy analog of medieval Europe where a Western civilization is shaken by a prophet clearly based on Mohammad and Arabia who unleashes a holy war. Both cultures are the offspring of an earlier empire that fell centuries before. “Ghost Stalk” is about the crew of the Vengeful Dragon, who become a Flying Dutchman of this world’s seas, condemned by their sins to a living hell on earth.

“Call for the Dead” – This is the second Vengeful Dragon story and is about as bleak and depressing as the first one.

“Soldier of an Empire Unacquainted with Defeat” – This story is about Tain, former soldier of Shinsan, who’s trying to escape his past with that empire’s legions with limited success. I would like to see more of Tain’s story, both his life as a soldier and subsequent to this tale.

“Filed Teeth” – This is another Dread Empire short set in the aftermath of the El Murid Wars (the holy war mentioned above) about an expedition to steal a dragon’s blood. It’s Cook’s usual somewhat cynical view of the world and people and their motivations. But, also typical of the author, it focuses on the humanity of even the darkest of villains.

“Darkwar” – This is the short story that inspired the Darkwar series of novels, a science-fantasy series about a species that harnesses arcane energies to power space ships and their encounters with a more technologically based human empire. I haven’t read the series in a long time but I do remember enjoying it.

“Enemy Territory” – This story is about genetically engineered soldiers in the aftermath of a war they were created to fight. Again it deals with Cook’s interest in soldiers and their lives, both physical and mental, and how society treats them.

“The Waiting Sea” – Similarly, this story is about a WW2 vet who nearly dies in a U-boat attack. There’s a fantastic quality about the story since the protagonist feels that he was distracted by sirens and thus was responsible for the disaster that nearly killed him. Over the decades, he avoids getting anywhere near the ocean until finally he’s convinced to go on a fishing trip and the sirens finally catch him. Or is it all in his head?

“Severed Heads” – Another tale set in the Dread Empire universe about a young woman who’s – trigger warning – raped by a sorcerer looking to produce an heir and her effort to steal the resulting son back. The son will be a major character in the Dread Empire novels.

“Winter’s Dreams” – This story is the only other tale set in the universe of The Dragon Never Sleeps and the only reason a reader could be sure of that is because of Cook’s introduction. There’s no mention of the Guardian ships or of the Web that connects explored space, and I think it’s meant to take place centuries if not millennia after the novel’s events when this world, at least, has lost contact the everyone else and has devolved to the point where much of the technology is considered magic.

“The Good Magician” – This one is a stab at writing a story set in Jack Vance’s Dying Earth milieu. It’s not Vance but Cook comes pretty close to capturing that master’s spirit in this tale of a rather mediocre magician who nearly gets in over his head when attempting to join the ranks of first-tier wizards. Rhialto the Marvelous and Ildefonse, along with a few other familiar names, make an appearance here.

“Shadow Thieves” – A short story set in the world of the Garrett Files, a fantasy noir series inspired by Hammett, Chandler and those ‘30s & ‘40s era films about tough-minded but gold-hearted private dicks and their molls. I enjoyed the Garrett novels; they’re not too serious and fun to read. They’re reminiscent to me of Steven Brust’s Jhereg novels; the protagonists are very similar characters.

“Shaggy Dog Bridge” and “Bone Eaters” are tales of the Black Company in the period when they had left the Lady’s service but before they had settled in the Plain of Fear, when the Lady’s legions were hunting them across the empire. It’s always a pleasure to ride with the company, and these are two good examples of Cook at his best.

“Chasing Midnight” – Like The Silver Spike, “Chasing Midnight” doesn’t directly concern the Black Company but rather a character introduced earlier (in this case in “Bone Eaters”) and the aftermath of the Company’s presence in their life.

If you’re a fan of Cook this is a must read, if not necessarily a must have. If you’re new to Cook, it is representative of his work. Be warned, Cook is the father (or grandfather) of grimdark fantasy. As mentioned above, stuff like rape, murder and very evil things happen which may make some people uncomfortable reading.

Recommended.

And outside of the Black Company novels & shorts, other Cook works I would recommend would include the aforementioned The Dragon Never Sleeps, A Matter of Time and The Tower of Fear, a standalone fantasy.

[Ethan Jarmush · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glen cook. That’s his name and don’t you forget it.

He used the word “Retard” and it’s derivatives 5 times across the 18 short stories. Honestly I expected more.

The black company short stories were of course welcome additions, love coming back to that world. There was a scene where Croaker was literally mid diarrhea and the Lady came to him in crow form and was like “ha found you”. That shit was funny.

[Redsteve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weirdly, although I've read over 40 books by Glen Cook, until now, I've read exactly zero of his short stories. Sadly, although I liked this collection of his SF and fantasy stories (published netween 1973 and 2019) well enough, I like his full-length novels better; his style may work better in a longer format. Most of the short stories herein are in the same settings of various of his books. "Shaggy Dog Bridge," "Bone Eaters," and "Chasing Midnight" are in the world of the Black Company (midway in the first trilogy); "Ghost Stalk," "Call for the Dead," "Severed Heads," "Soldier of an Empire Unacquainted with Defeat," and "Filed Teeth" in that of the the Dread Empire; "Shadow Thieves" is a Garrett P.I. story (an homage to "The Maltese Falcon" set very late in the series); "Sunrise" and "In the Wind" in the Starfishers SF universe, and "Darkwar" was the short story that eventually was expanded to the SF Darkwar Trilogy. Only the single Garret story and the first two Black Company tales actually feature characters from the books. This collection also includes a few stories that stand independent of Cook's other writings: "The Devil's Tooth" (intended to be the first in series of Dying Earth-type stories that never took off), "The Good Magician" (and tribute to Jack Vance's own Dying Earth cycle), "Quiet Sea," (SF), "Enemy Territory" (SF), "The Waiting Sea" (his attempt at Lovecraftian Weird fiction), and "Winter's Dreams" (fantasy). Solid 3 stars.

[Marcus Cokcetin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collects Part 2 of the On The Long Run arc, consisting of “Shaggy Dog Bridge”, “Bone Eaters” and “Chasing Midnight”.

[Karen Hannum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most are excellent, some just good.

[Lucas Sipe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Glen Cook is one of my favorite fantasy/ sci-fi authors - his Black Company series revitalized my interested in literature years ago. But this collection of short stories by Cook is a poor, poor effort. They are often derivative, overlapping, crude, and boring.

To Cooks credit, a few of the stories are interesting. The first one is neat and "Soldier with an Empire Unacquainted with Defeat" were both solid stories. Darkwar was interesting and a few others had their moments. Cooks writing isn't anything to write home about (it never was) but that wasn't an issue in those stories.

The other 12-15 stories, however, all might have been written by a robot on a conveyor belt. A rough, grizzled veteran who isn't a good guy confronts something spooky, often associated with a female. If you've read one such story from Cook, You've read them all. There's little new, little compelling, and little worth reading. Worst of all,any of the stories are boring and the world building falls flat. This is especially true for the Black Company stories - neither of the three (more like 2.25) are worth reading or remembering.

Lastly, and I don't usually think about Cook like this, but the stories could often devolve into needless cruelty/ crudeness. Rape is treated in a few of the stories and Cook lacks the writing chops/ thematic depth to turn such scenes into anything other than crude, exploiting prose. The most egregious example is the story whose entire narrative is built around rape. It's shallow. Normally, I don't care about what is depicted in text but the fetishizing of rape/ assault that is becoming more and more common (Collen Hoover) is something to be aware of. Cook is slimy unable to write about it in a way other than his war style which implicitly shrugs shoulders at the act, as his characters often warn us. There's no reflection, thematic exploration, or insight into anything with Cook.

[Keith W · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally score maybe 3.5

There are a few stories I really enjoyed in this collection and then a good handful that struggled to hold my interest. An early one I really enjoyed was kind of a science fiction take on The Black Company, where a pilot logs his missions in journals and has to do with non-human intelligence and how it might be overlooked during a conflict. There is a couple fantasy stories about a legendary ship that becomes a sort of ghost ship that I also thought was pretty neat, and a story about an ex high rank soldier of the Dread Empire who is trying to escape that life and live simply despite his past coming after him which was also pretty enjoyable. Another I enjoyed was about a sci-fi story about a highly advanced war ship crewed by a sorcerer race, which reminded me of Old Republic era Star Wars stories where the Jedi and Sith are engaging in ship to ship combat using battle meditation. The few black company stories in this anthology are at the end and were decent, but ultimately not a big deal to miss out on.

While I enjoyed all of the stories I mention and probably a few others that I forgot to mention, I don’t know if I felt like this anthology was a must read for me, but it did make me aware of Cook’s favourite novel he wrote, The Dragon Never Sleeps, which I will definitely try to read at some point down the road.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like Glenn Cook, but I was disappointed by this collection.

The Black Company and Garret P.I. are my favorite Cook series. I have tried to get into the dread empire, but find it just doesn't interest me. I have also tried to like his sci-fi and decided that it isn't going to work. Unfortunately for me, the Dread Empire and sci-fi predominate.

There was one Garrett story. Cook introduces it as a play on the Maltese Falcon. I think it usually bodes ill when an author is intentionally riffing on a well known story. Sometimes it works well, but I think it is usually going to fall somewhat below the original. It's a bit like cover songs. Once in a while, someone reinterprets an old song brilliantly and exceeds the original but most covers just sound like covers. That was mostly the case here. Trouble barges into Garrett's house and puts him and his entire crew (sidekicks are good, but Cook threw in so many that its crowded in the last Garrett books) are off chasing after an artifact. He egregiously overuses the word 'gimcrack.'

There are also two Black Company stories and one that is a bit of a spinoff. They weren't bad. I had been jonesing for some Black Company and this did not quite scratch the itch.

[Gilbert Stack · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent collection of short works by Glen Cook. Several of them were from his science fiction universe—one I have very little familiarity with. But they were all fun stories which I enjoyed reading. The best were from his fantasy worlds, showing off Cook’s famous, slightly dark, world view. There are pieces from the Dread Empire, the Black Company, and The Garrett Files, which make the book worth reading all on their own. But there are also a lot of tales that don’t fit into the big series but were great all the same.

One of the best things about a collection like this are the short author notes at the beginning of each story. It’s always nice to get a glimpse into the author’s thinking.

I will definitely read this collection again someday.

[Jess Big Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this was more of a pop. B-sides than Best of collection. About half of the stories are spin-offs of Cook's other works (Starfishers, TBC, Dread Empire, Garrett P.I. ) so if you're not familiar with those you may feel left out.
Overall most of the stories were okay, Devils Tooth, Soldier of an Empire Unacquainted with Defeat, Filed Teeth, Severed Heads, and the three TBC stories all stood out to me.

[Joel Glover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reasons you might get this:

1 - you love Glen Cook's prose (so the Dread Empire stuff will hit your spot)
2 - you love the Black Company (the shorts in here are good)

Reasons you SHOULD get this:

The Darkwar prequel - I think Darkwar is an underrated masterpiece, and seeing where it comes from is fascinating.
You love the Black Company: the shorts in here are good
You're a Garrett completist, which is reasonable, and the short in here is very worth it.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this because NEW Black Company stories. I will need to go back and re-read the other stories but I think I want to read his other novels first. As the BC stories weren't as good as the novels I don't want to prejuidice myself against the other stories. Still fantastic though. The books of the south are probably my most re-read fantasy series and it was nice to see these characters again. Even without Lady.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 This is a lot of book! I had read some of the stories before but there were some that I had not. Some of the ones set in the dread world were more tedious mainly because, I suppose, I have not read that series of book yet.

[William Snee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection of stories. I'm glad I found it.

[Serge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't love these as much as Cook's novels, but it's nice to finish off all the short stories set in the universes of his series. Some curious stand-alones, too

[Ancillar Bradingus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shaggy Dog Bridge (2024.02.23): 2.0: see review for Port of Shadows
Bone Eaters (2024.03.02): 4.0
Chasing Midnight (2024.03.15): 1.0

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

More short stories from Cook. There were only three that I hadn't read before.