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Hell on Earth #3.5 (When Hell Comes Calling)
Lilith Unbound
"Bound is the bewitching Lilith..." So begins an ancient incantation for protection against the demon Lilith. Lilith, the First Woman, the wife Adam discarded. Lilith, the goddess of storms, the night bird. Lilith, the succubus who haunts men's dreams. Lilith the child-slaying monster, the mother of demons. Lilith the feminist poster girl. Lilith the muse.The stories herein set Lilith free to explore all these aspects. Mike Resnick and Lawrence Schimel portray her as the ultimate shiksa. Nisi Shawl goes looking for her in the savannas of Africa. J. Robert King finds her in the changeling babies of a modern world. Ed Greenwood delivers her in a mysterious and seductive painting. T. L. Morganfield melds Lilith lore with Native American mythology. Jackie Kessler explores her succubus origins. Eirene Donohue twines a handful of Lilith themes into a tale of storm-chased young girl. Within these pages Lilith is a vengeful asteroid, a self-help guru, a divorce lawyer, and much, much more...
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
4 people are currently reading
180 people want to read
About the author
Elaine Cunningham
153 books537 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Elaine Cunningham is an American fantasy author.
Elaine Cunningham is an American fantasy author.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 29, 2008
Since it counts when it comes to small press books I wanted to note that I liked the quality of the book itself. There were a few odd formating issues, and the size of it made it awkward to read, but the paper was of a nice quality and the text was easy to read. It's my personal opinion that the cover is hideous, but then there's the whole 'don't judge a book by its cover' thing.
The anthology opens with the poem 1181 LILITH. I love how it opens with a touch of dark humor sets the stage for the poem and the anthology itself. I'm not expert on poetry, but the words seemed amateurish, if well polished. I still enjoyed it greatly. A part of me would like to see it in prose form. Four stars.
Trophy Wife was a well written, professional story. It's a funny story - I smiled at more then a few places and laughed out loud several times. I like the twist at the end, and how it touches on the whole of the Lilith myths. It didn't grab me in particular, but it was a good read. Four stars.
A Lover's Quarrel starts off rather dark, and ends with a bittersweet happy ending. The setting and the emotion of it drew me in, and I love how well built the magic system seemed to be. The characters had that spark of three-dimensionality, though the first mention of Gwen could have been done better, and what Lucas felt for Marianna should have been set up more. The number of 'L' names was a few too many for a short story, but it was still one of my favorites out of this anthology. Five stars.
The Shiksa was short and funny with a great little twist at the end. I wish that it was clearer when the story was taking place(Modern times? Some time in the distant past? Outside of time entirely?), and it took me awhile to work out who the narrator was(almost two pages). Not the most stellar story in the anthology, but still pretty good. Three stars.
Looking for Lilith is a well woven story, with a world described in a poetic way that drew in me so that I could almost visualize it. The point is more the beauty of the language and the flow of it then the story or characters. The tale that is told is like a dream or a poem, ending in a way that brings things full circle. There are answered questions of that sort that give good speculation material. It does start off a bit roughly, but by the end I didn't care. Four stars.
Alone is a striking version of the story of Lilith, Adam, and Eve, told with all the flare of a ancient myth. I love the way it weaves together the different mythologies into one story without truly alienating any of them. The use of pomegranate made me smile, and really all the mythological touches made my inner mythology geek very happy. There is a note of sorrowfulness and desperation throughout the story, and the ending is bittersweet at best. Four stars.
The L.I.L.I.T.H. System is a well written story that didn't really grab me. There's nothing work with it, in fact I quite like it and the message that it has. It made me smile, but it didn't make me fall in love with it or shake me or anything. It is very well done, and I do love the reveal at the end. Three stars.
The narration in The Cashier's Tale was all over the place and hard to follow, half the time I had no clue what was really going on. It doesn't help that the story jumps around with few connecting threads. When it does settle in to follow one path it does so in a jerky, put-together way that reminds me of fanfics more then anything. There were a lot of annoyances and pet peeves but there's a decent story in there. If only it wasn't bogged down by everything else. Two stars.
Delta : A Story in Verse is clever, and very pretty to look at, but impossible to follow and completely senseless. It's overworked - there's too much going on at once, too many ideas. It dances around and there doesn't seem to be much of a point, or I could be missing the point. There's a fine line between missing the point and the point being impossible to reach. An artist should know when to stop painting because adding too much paint can ruin the picture. The same goes for a writer and editing. This one should have stopped well before its fifteen page length. Points for originality though, it is refreshing to see something really, truly different. And there is a story buried under the confusion. Three stars.
Death of the Madonna's story was slow and meandering, and seemed to have only the thinnest connection to the subject of the anthology. A technically sound but overall disappointing story that asks questions it never answers, and ends on a flat note. The characters are flat as well, and I couldn't connect to any of them. It is also far too long for how little actually happens in it. Three stars.
Screech Owl Serenade's prose feels rough, like it has been edited in a hurry. The story is bizarre, and not in a good way. I was intrigued and drawn along by the mystery right up until I figured out what was going on around page 5, then I became bored because this type of story makes no sense and doesn't interest me in the slightest. It wouldn't have been bad if he had kept Lilith in the villain role, but the author tries to redeem her with flimsy motivation that isn't clearly explained. It seems like almost all of the Lilith mythology was ignored, to the point that any female creature of myth could have stood in for her without changing a thing. And the ending would have been worlds stronger if Verse Twelve had been hacked off. Two stars.
Where Dreams May Go Had flat characters, the style of narration is annoying, and the pacing drags on. Information seems to be given out of order, and it doesn't even have an ending - the story just stops. I like the concept of Lilith in the guise of a painting, and that she takes a succubus role in stealing inspiration, and I like the addition of Naamah. Still this is definitely one of the weakest stories. Two stars.
I'm not sure how to approach What I Did This Summer. My reaction to it is one of complete and utter W.T.F. It's awful. The language is offensive, and I'm a hard one to offend, and the characters are beyond flat - if they have rational reasons for doing what they do then it doesn't show at all. The 'shouting' is painful to read; the whole thing reads like it was written by a complete amateur though the author's bio says otherwise. One star.
I love the seamless integration of mythologies and use of Native American mythology in So Weeps the Thunderbird. The story is both sad and beautiful, a love story with a tragic aspect and a somewhat happy ending. The prose isn't the strongest, but I can forgive that for the three dimensional characters and the way the story is weaved together. Four stars.
Exiles's vision of Lilith shows her as a free woman, living in harmony with nature after escaping the destructive nature of society. It's a well crafted story of sorrow and regret, presenting the characters in a new way. Five stars.
The Girl in the Mirror iss a story that certainly covers well trod ground, but it covers it well. A sad story with a happy ending. I like how Lilith appeared - not good or evil, but simply as someone who provides inspiration and encouragement for the main character. Four stars.
When Hells Comes Calling has an interesting take on Lilith and the garden. Yet to me it managed to be both anti-man and anti-woman at the same time. It isn't strong, but enough to annoy. And the ending doesn't ring true. Two stars.
When the Wind Blows has too much detail about unimportant things. The main character is wallowing in too much teen angst for me to really care about her. The story isn't bad, but the connection to Lilith mythology is barely there. Take this story out of the context of this anthology and you wouldn't even see it. Two stars.
Mother of Vampires is fun, cute, and something I didn't expect. A humorous story that hits all the right notes. Four stars.
The Right Thing tells the story of a struggle that's both old as time and very modern. It could have had a good message if it hadn't been so preachy. It hits a few pet peeves of mine, and it just ends - no resolution, not even a hint. It wasn't terrible, it just promised a lot then didn't deliver. Two stars.
Confirmation is easily my favorite story in the whole anthology. It's a story that takes you places that are uncomfortable - forces you to confront something that is taboo. It's equal parts unsettling and enthralling, a well told story set in a well built world. Five stars.
A Day at the Fair is another story that dates itself, and we get treated to a list of the author's favorite musicians. It actually wasn't bad - a rather nice little glimpse into the world and history of that story's Lilith. Three stars.
Man-Underground had an interesting take on Lilith and an easy to read style of writing I really liked, but felt a little disjointed. The leaps of logic weren't huge, but enough to make me pause. Three stars.
Reconciliation is a touching story of Lilith and Eve, and the most unique take on Lilith in the anthology. It rounds out the anthology with a hopeful note that many of the other stories lack. Four stars.
Just as it began with a poem it ends with a poem. Nocturne is well done with dark, intriguing language. The perfect note to end the anthology on. Four stars.
On a whole it's a good mix of stories. Some good, some bad. For an anthology of feminine power, or an anthology about Lilith, you probably won't regret picking this up one. Some of the stories definitely aren't for the prudish or faint of heart, though I've seen worse on HBO.
The anthology opens with the poem 1181 LILITH. I love how it opens with a touch of dark humor sets the stage for the poem and the anthology itself. I'm not expert on poetry, but the words seemed amateurish, if well polished. I still enjoyed it greatly. A part of me would like to see it in prose form. Four stars.
Trophy Wife was a well written, professional story. It's a funny story - I smiled at more then a few places and laughed out loud several times. I like the twist at the end, and how it touches on the whole of the Lilith myths. It didn't grab me in particular, but it was a good read. Four stars.
A Lover's Quarrel starts off rather dark, and ends with a bittersweet happy ending. The setting and the emotion of it drew me in, and I love how well built the magic system seemed to be. The characters had that spark of three-dimensionality, though the first mention of Gwen could have been done better, and what Lucas felt for Marianna should have been set up more. The number of 'L' names was a few too many for a short story, but it was still one of my favorites out of this anthology. Five stars.
The Shiksa was short and funny with a great little twist at the end. I wish that it was clearer when the story was taking place(Modern times? Some time in the distant past? Outside of time entirely?), and it took me awhile to work out who the narrator was(almost two pages). Not the most stellar story in the anthology, but still pretty good. Three stars.
Looking for Lilith is a well woven story, with a world described in a poetic way that drew in me so that I could almost visualize it. The point is more the beauty of the language and the flow of it then the story or characters. The tale that is told is like a dream or a poem, ending in a way that brings things full circle. There are answered questions of that sort that give good speculation material. It does start off a bit roughly, but by the end I didn't care. Four stars.
Alone is a striking version of the story of Lilith, Adam, and Eve, told with all the flare of a ancient myth. I love the way it weaves together the different mythologies into one story without truly alienating any of them. The use of pomegranate made me smile, and really all the mythological touches made my inner mythology geek very happy. There is a note of sorrowfulness and desperation throughout the story, and the ending is bittersweet at best. Four stars.
The L.I.L.I.T.H. System is a well written story that didn't really grab me. There's nothing work with it, in fact I quite like it and the message that it has. It made me smile, but it didn't make me fall in love with it or shake me or anything. It is very well done, and I do love the reveal at the end. Three stars.
The narration in The Cashier's Tale was all over the place and hard to follow, half the time I had no clue what was really going on. It doesn't help that the story jumps around with few connecting threads. When it does settle in to follow one path it does so in a jerky, put-together way that reminds me of fanfics more then anything. There were a lot of annoyances and pet peeves but there's a decent story in there. If only it wasn't bogged down by everything else. Two stars.
Delta : A Story in Verse is clever, and very pretty to look at, but impossible to follow and completely senseless. It's overworked - there's too much going on at once, too many ideas. It dances around and there doesn't seem to be much of a point, or I could be missing the point. There's a fine line between missing the point and the point being impossible to reach. An artist should know when to stop painting because adding too much paint can ruin the picture. The same goes for a writer and editing. This one should have stopped well before its fifteen page length. Points for originality though, it is refreshing to see something really, truly different. And there is a story buried under the confusion. Three stars.
Death of the Madonna's story was slow and meandering, and seemed to have only the thinnest connection to the subject of the anthology. A technically sound but overall disappointing story that asks questions it never answers, and ends on a flat note. The characters are flat as well, and I couldn't connect to any of them. It is also far too long for how little actually happens in it. Three stars.
Screech Owl Serenade's prose feels rough, like it has been edited in a hurry. The story is bizarre, and not in a good way. I was intrigued and drawn along by the mystery right up until I figured out what was going on around page 5, then I became bored because this type of story makes no sense and doesn't interest me in the slightest. It wouldn't have been bad if he had kept Lilith in the villain role, but the author tries to redeem her with flimsy motivation that isn't clearly explained. It seems like almost all of the Lilith mythology was ignored, to the point that any female creature of myth could have stood in for her without changing a thing. And the ending would have been worlds stronger if Verse Twelve had been hacked off. Two stars.
Where Dreams May Go Had flat characters, the style of narration is annoying, and the pacing drags on. Information seems to be given out of order, and it doesn't even have an ending - the story just stops. I like the concept of Lilith in the guise of a painting, and that she takes a succubus role in stealing inspiration, and I like the addition of Naamah. Still this is definitely one of the weakest stories. Two stars.
I'm not sure how to approach What I Did This Summer. My reaction to it is one of complete and utter W.T.F. It's awful. The language is offensive, and I'm a hard one to offend, and the characters are beyond flat - if they have rational reasons for doing what they do then it doesn't show at all. The 'shouting' is painful to read; the whole thing reads like it was written by a complete amateur though the author's bio says otherwise. One star.
I love the seamless integration of mythologies and use of Native American mythology in So Weeps the Thunderbird. The story is both sad and beautiful, a love story with a tragic aspect and a somewhat happy ending. The prose isn't the strongest, but I can forgive that for the three dimensional characters and the way the story is weaved together. Four stars.
Exiles's vision of Lilith shows her as a free woman, living in harmony with nature after escaping the destructive nature of society. It's a well crafted story of sorrow and regret, presenting the characters in a new way. Five stars.
The Girl in the Mirror iss a story that certainly covers well trod ground, but it covers it well. A sad story with a happy ending. I like how Lilith appeared - not good or evil, but simply as someone who provides inspiration and encouragement for the main character. Four stars.
When Hells Comes Calling has an interesting take on Lilith and the garden. Yet to me it managed to be both anti-man and anti-woman at the same time. It isn't strong, but enough to annoy. And the ending doesn't ring true. Two stars.
When the Wind Blows has too much detail about unimportant things. The main character is wallowing in too much teen angst for me to really care about her. The story isn't bad, but the connection to Lilith mythology is barely there. Take this story out of the context of this anthology and you wouldn't even see it. Two stars.
Mother of Vampires is fun, cute, and something I didn't expect. A humorous story that hits all the right notes. Four stars.
The Right Thing tells the story of a struggle that's both old as time and very modern. It could have had a good message if it hadn't been so preachy. It hits a few pet peeves of mine, and it just ends - no resolution, not even a hint. It wasn't terrible, it just promised a lot then didn't deliver. Two stars.
Confirmation is easily my favorite story in the whole anthology. It's a story that takes you places that are uncomfortable - forces you to confront something that is taboo. It's equal parts unsettling and enthralling, a well told story set in a well built world. Five stars.
A Day at the Fair is another story that dates itself, and we get treated to a list of the author's favorite musicians. It actually wasn't bad - a rather nice little glimpse into the world and history of that story's Lilith. Three stars.
Man-Underground had an interesting take on Lilith and an easy to read style of writing I really liked, but felt a little disjointed. The leaps of logic weren't huge, but enough to make me pause. Three stars.
Reconciliation is a touching story of Lilith and Eve, and the most unique take on Lilith in the anthology. It rounds out the anthology with a hopeful note that many of the other stories lack. Four stars.
Just as it began with a poem it ends with a poem. Nocturne is well done with dark, intriguing language. The perfect note to end the anthology on. Four stars.
On a whole it's a good mix of stories. Some good, some bad. For an anthology of feminine power, or an anthology about Lilith, you probably won't regret picking this up one. Some of the stories definitely aren't for the prudish or faint of heart, though I've seen worse on HBO.
August 3, 2015
1181 LILITH - 2 stars
Trophy Wife - 2 stars
A Lover's Quarrel - 3 stars
The Shiksa - 2 stars
Looking for Lilith
Alone
The L.I.L.I.T.H. System - 2 stars
The Cashier's Tale - 2 stars
Delta : A Story in Verse - 2 stars
Death of the Madonna - 2 stars
Screech Owl Serenade - 2 stars
Where Dreams May Go - 2 stars
What I Did This Summer
So Weeps the Thunderbird
Exile
The Girl in the Mirror
When Hells Comes Calling
When the Wind Blows - 2 stars
Mother of Vampires - 2 stars
The Right Thing - 2 stars
Confirmation
A Day at the Fair - 2 stars
Man-Underground
Reconciliation - 2 stars
Nocturne - 2 stars
1181 LILITH Marsheila Rockwell
TROPHY WIFE Elaine Cunningham
A LOVERS' QUARREL Jonathan Moeller
THE SHIKSA Mike Resnick and Lawrence Schimel
LOOKING FOR LILITH Nisi Shawl
ALONE J. Robert King
THE L.I.L.I.T.H. SYSTEM Lara Gose
THE CASHIER'S TALE Robin Bridges
DELTA: A STORY IN VERSE Lily Hoang
DEATH OF THE MADONNA Christina McCoy
SCREECH OWL SERENADE Lorne Dixon
WHAT DREAMS MAY GO Ed Greenwood
WHAT I DID THIS SUMMER Marcus Ewert
SO WEEPS THE THUNDERBIRD T. L. Morganfield
EXILES Nancy Schmidt
THE GIRL IN THE MIRROR Stephen D. Sullivan
WHEN HELL COMES CALLING Jackie Kessler
WHEN THE WIND BLOWS Eirene Donahue
MOTHER OF VAMPIRES Jennifer Greylyn
THE RIGHT THING Hannah Goodman
A DAY AT THE FAIR Clint Collins
CONFIRMATION Tracy Woelfel
MAN-UNDERGROUND Kate Riedel
LIFTING THE CURSE Lynn Hawker
NOCTURNE Lester Smith
Trophy Wife - 2 stars
A Lover's Quarrel - 3 stars
The Shiksa - 2 stars
Looking for Lilith
Alone
The L.I.L.I.T.H. System - 2 stars
The Cashier's Tale - 2 stars
Delta : A Story in Verse - 2 stars
Death of the Madonna - 2 stars
Screech Owl Serenade - 2 stars
Where Dreams May Go - 2 stars
What I Did This Summer
So Weeps the Thunderbird
Exile
The Girl in the Mirror
When Hells Comes Calling
When the Wind Blows - 2 stars
Mother of Vampires - 2 stars
The Right Thing - 2 stars
Confirmation
A Day at the Fair - 2 stars
Man-Underground
Reconciliation - 2 stars
Nocturne - 2 stars
1181 LILITH Marsheila Rockwell
TROPHY WIFE Elaine Cunningham
A LOVERS' QUARREL Jonathan Moeller
THE SHIKSA Mike Resnick and Lawrence Schimel
LOOKING FOR LILITH Nisi Shawl
ALONE J. Robert King
THE L.I.L.I.T.H. SYSTEM Lara Gose
THE CASHIER'S TALE Robin Bridges
DELTA: A STORY IN VERSE Lily Hoang
DEATH OF THE MADONNA Christina McCoy
SCREECH OWL SERENADE Lorne Dixon
WHAT DREAMS MAY GO Ed Greenwood
WHAT I DID THIS SUMMER Marcus Ewert
SO WEEPS THE THUNDERBIRD T. L. Morganfield
EXILES Nancy Schmidt
THE GIRL IN THE MIRROR Stephen D. Sullivan
WHEN HELL COMES CALLING Jackie Kessler
WHEN THE WIND BLOWS Eirene Donahue
MOTHER OF VAMPIRES Jennifer Greylyn
THE RIGHT THING Hannah Goodman
A DAY AT THE FAIR Clint Collins
CONFIRMATION Tracy Woelfel
MAN-UNDERGROUND Kate Riedel
LIFTING THE CURSE Lynn Hawker
NOCTURNE Lester Smith
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews