Earth: Giants, Golems and Gargoyles

by Rhonda Parrish (Editor), Jane Yolen, Chadwick Ginther

We come from dust, and to dust we return…

Earth is steady. Solid. Reliable. It is the source of life and the thing which sustains it. But it’s not always serene and peaceful. It takes a lot to stir the earth but when it does, things get dramatic. Quakes swallow cities. Oceans rise. Mountains crumble. Earth is not weak, and it knows no pity.

Learn the strength of Earth and its creations in these eighteen stories, including: rusting dragons; mysterious summer jobs; magical inheritances; and dryads engaged in a bitter war.

Featuring: Jane Yolen; Chadwick Ginther; Kevin Cockle; Damascus Mincemeyer; Laura VanArendonk Baugh; Catherine Macleod; Mara Malins; Steve Toase; Suzanne J. Willis; Blake Jessop; Buzz Dixon; David L. Craddock; Rose Strickman; Gregory L. Norris; Tamsin Showbrook; Sarah Van Goethem; Tim Ford; and V.F. LeSann.

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Anthologies

260 pages, Paperback

First published August 13, 2019

About the author

Rhonda Parrish has the attention span of a magpie. Not only can she not focus on a single project at a time, but she also fails at sticking to one genre or even one type of writing (she does manage to stay true to one hockey team, though – Let’s go Oilers!). Perhaps best known for her work as an anthology editor – the Ottawa Review of Books called her “Canada’s best-known and most prolific speculative fiction anthologist” – Rhonda also works as a short story writer, novelist, game writer and a poet. She has been honoured to be included in a handful of ‘Best of’ anthologies, earn a coveted starred review from Publisher’s Weekly and be shortlisted for several awards including the Rhysling Award, the Aurora Award, the Dwarf Stars Award and Alberta Book Publishing Awards.

Most of her work falls under the speculative fiction umbrella but she has also penned paranormal non-fiction and non-speculative work.

In an effort to impose some order in her chaos, these days most of her short fiction and poetry is published directly through her Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/RhondaParrish .

More information about her, updates and calls for submission are posted on her website http://www.rhondaparrish.com/home/.

Reviews

[T.B. Caine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given a copy by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I don't read that many short story collections, and after this one I think I might have to pick up more of Rhonda Parrish's works. She definitely has a talent for picking out great stories. So many good twists or surprise endings. Definitely pick it up if you like collections, fair warning the meh stories are the first few, so don't be dissuaded by my first few reviews!

Grin of Stone: I don't really vibe with this one so this was meh for me.

The Enforcer: I like the idea of this one, but the overuse of swearing was just too much. I'm not prudish, but it was an f-bomb or "shit" every other paragraph. It became a bit grating.

Wings of Stone: Eh. (I swear the best stories are literally all after this.)

Soil, Native and Otherwise: My favorite. The twist towards the end was incredible and I loved every second of this story.

Land Girl: Fun story that felt a little bit X-Men-y towards the end? Sign me up.

The Stone Alphabet: I was confused at first, but once I realized we were getting fast flash-fiction groupings I enjoyed it a lot more. I might have to re-read this one just to fully appreciate it.

Winner Takes All: Card game gone crazy. I really liked it, though I feel the ending could have had better pacing. As the last few pages just felt a bit too much of a slog for my taste. I loved the build-up though.

Kiln Fired: This felt so good to read. Once I realized where the story was going I loved it even more.

Goblin Harvest: I was honestly confused for most of this one on who was who. There are like two groups of people and goblins and I just struggled to tell whether the goblins were on our side or the enemy. Or a mix of both. I really enjoyed the ending though.

The Poacher and the Priestess: probably the happiest ending in this collection. A few really good twists in here.

Mike's Massive Penis: This one felt just right. It is a comedy short story and it doesn't overstay its welcome at all.

Where Green Things Grew: A badass story involving woman? Incredible. I liked the development of our main protagonist in this one, it felt unique to say the least.

Troll Seal: A really cool concept and potentially a nice starter for a series. I mean I'd totally read more of Janet's adventures.

The Giants: A horror story using Giants. It doesn't get explicit but there is a lot of tension in it and it is done very well.

A Golem's Progress: This one is sad/happy. I liked it but the 2nd person POV was hard to get into at first, but once you get into the swing of it, it feels very nice.

Maggie of the Moss: A great one. The ending felt so satisfying, if a bit bittersweet.

Children of the Colossus: Again, a great twist. This collection has so many twists and all of them were a lot of fun to read.

Earthbound: This one was cute, I didn't get a lot of "earth" vibes from this one. The ending had me worried, but the interactions between our two characters pulled it through for me. So I did enjoy it.

[Barbara Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Parental discretion advised for a mostly family-friendly anthology which can be read in one very long day or spaced out to a series of evenings.
Grin of Stone: A Political Rant by Jane Yolen is exquisite.
The Enforcer by Chadwick Ginther is strange but satisfying.
Wings of Stone by Kevin Cockle: NICE
Soil, Native and Otherwise by Damascus Mincemeyer: eerie
Land Girl by Laura VanArendonk Baugh has information about dry stone walls.
The Stone Alphabet by Catherine MacLeod: Macabre.
Winner Takes All by Mara Malins: If You caught the earlier episode where Samos created the dragon, you'll be interested to see what happened afterward.
Kiln Fired by Steve Toase: the wyrm turns
Goblin Harvest by Suzanne J. Willis: an interesting post-apocalyptic tale.
The Poacher and the Priestess by Blake Jessop: a nice Japanese fable.
Mike's Massive Penis by Buzz Dixon: you will probably chuckle at the end.
Where Green Things Grew by David L. Craddock: Druidic justice.
Troll Seal by Rose Strickman: Art as magic.
The Giants by Gregory L. Norris: troubling.
A Golem's Progress by Tamsin Showbrook: an alternative England with golems.
Maggie of the Moss by Sarah Van Goethem: a tale of disappearance
Children of the Colossus by Tim Ford: an interesting fable.
Earthbound by V.F. LeSann: a treasure hunt.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cat Bowser · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy and am leaving a review voluntarily.

I am loving these book anthologies based around the elements. It really makes you consider all the different forms and creatures tied to these concepts, across different cultures. I adore that there’s always such a wide range.

I do think I found the creatures related to earth a bit less interesting than the other elements though. Not that the stories aren’t good—they are! The authors really took this concept and ran with it! I think it just boils down to personal taste and earth has always been last in my ranking of the elements.

But I still think you’ll find wonderful tales in here and as always, there’s a wide variety with characters and creatures that go from good to evil and all the shades of grey in-between.

I still plan on adding a physical copy to my shelf. You should too as it is definitely a collection you’ll revisit!

[Melanie S · Rating 4 out of 5]

wonderfully inventive

Rhonda Parish continues her collection of elementally themed short stories with Earth: Giants, Golems, and Gargoyles. It's a challenging undertaking; 'earth' being not only one of the four cardinal elements, but also the planet on which we live, the soil which grows and nourishes all life, and the raw material of human construction (bricks, pottery, mined minerals, etc.) It's pretty difficult to encapsulate al that in a few short stories, but this anthology succeeds moderately well. Equally divided between magical, earth-religious, and future-tech points of view, the stories cluster around themes of permanence, retribution, and alt/reality. Sometimes the characters are human, at other times strange creatures of earth, stone, wood, and spirit interact with each other and with humanity. Although I found the anthology's theme unfocused and barely able to hold up under the wide latitude of interpretation, the creativity, imagination, and remarkable associations put forth by this group of authors is mind-blowing entertainment, not to mention food for thought. I truly enjoyed each story on its own, and for that reason, i'm recommending this anthology to fans of the magical, the mystical, and the elemental. There is something here for each of earth's children - you need only dig in and mine the literary gold.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kat M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this anthology, the stories were well written and I enjoyed reading the book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Enforcer
Frank works for a necromancer but he's away on a mission. When he passes the local cemetery he notices that headstones are missing. He goes in only to be attacked by something large wearing tombstones. It's a gollum. He surrounded by it and touches what he thinks feels like a casket. He pulls it open and crushes the skull. The gollum disappears. Someone was stirring up trouble in his Necromancer's city. He needs to find who and take care of the problem. After all that is why he was created. Will he find who is trying a takeover?

Wings of Stone
Beth is so focused on her work that she let all else slide. But here she is with her grandfather. He's frozen and looks like stone. She's going to go back or try to. Will she be able to do it?

Where Green Things Grew
Hikola is standing at the lone tree at the centre of the Fallowgrounds. She's there with her nephew Jaranim. She asks him if he'd like to know his mother, the druidess. Then an invasion occurred. The druids were called to protect but they were overtaken. Now Hikola, her sister and her mother took up vengeance. But in doing so they gave up so much more. Was it worth it?

Troll Seal
Janet has inherited her aunt's house. It's been three months since her death so now she is there to clean. So many ceramics..inside and out. In the basement she found several other ceramics. One circled by gargoyles. But they looked fierce and more terrifying than all the others. On the third day she met Stephen, the gardener. She tells him about her find and he tells her he saw when it was made. Her aunt called it her troll seal, something meant to keep a troll in prison. After she played a new composition to mourn her lover's passing she finds that trolls are real and the gargoyles are guardians. Now the troll has given her three days to make him real so he can exist outside the house. Will she do it? Or will she make sure he doesn't get out?

Earthbound
Rasikh is a a grouchy dragon but Caja needs him. So off he goes with a frozen turkey as an offering. He is a dragon rider without a dragon. He wants to go after a commodity that is very necessary but needs help and that's where the dragon comes in. They make a plan. They start the plan. The banter between them is growly and insulting to the other. Then they find what they were looking for. Only the fight they were hoping to avoid is happening. They are caught and it looks like they might not make it. But Caja is stubborn and manages to get them out. Will they have enough of what they need?

There are many other stories in this book that are short but exciting to read.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an anthology of short stories by various authors, featuring giants, golems and gargoyles.

There were a couple of stories here that I really liked, but for the most part, I didn't really connect with these stories. Some of them seemed crude, and some of them seemed a little bit bizarre and silly. I liked the concept, but I preferred the unicorn anthology.

Thank you to Booksprout and the author for a free copy to review.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mary T · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the stories are varied and very good. There are a few stories that really stood out:
'Where Green Things Grew' by David L. Craddock was so very deep.
'Mike's Massive Penis' by Buzz Dixon light-hearted and funny.
'Kiln Fired' by Steve Toase revenge.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ana Cordoba · Rating 4 out of 5]

The different interpretations for earth elements that appeared in this collection were very imaginative and interesting. Each story was crafted around the environment in a way that was different and unique to the writer. Hope to see more stories like the ones in earth in next collection.

[Teri Ruscak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Earth: Giants, Golems and Gargoyles,
Rhonda Parrish.
Another awesome anthology including: rusting dragons; mysterious summer jobs; magical inheritances; and dryads engaged in a bitter war featuring such authors as: Jane Yolen; Chadwick Ginther; Kevin Cockle; Damascus Mincemeyer; Laura VanArendonk Baugh; Catherine Macleod; Mara Malins; Steve Toase; Suzanne J. Willis; Blake Jessop; Buzz Dixon; David L. Craddock; Rose Strickman; Gregory L. Norris; Tamsin Showbrook; Sarah Van Goethem; Tim Ford; and V.F. LeSann.
I loved the whole shebang, and hope you do too!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Iseult Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a collection of 19 short stories, all with the theme of earth elementals and focusing on giants, golems and gargoyles.
I was a bit disappointed in this collection as most of the stories failed to appeal to me. I was surprised how similar the stories were. Now, you may say that this is a themed collection, however I was surprised how many stories referenced Frankenstein and his monster, a creature I don’t associate with earth as an element. I enjoyed the setting for many of the stories, but thought the plot felt incomplete, as if it was a chapter from a longer work. When I read the description of the collection, I imagined much more unusual and diverse forms of earth elemental than appeared in the stories. However, there were several stories in the middle and later part of the collection that sparkled like diamonds in the rough.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nina Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Earth: Giants, Golems, and Gargoyles by Rhonda Parrish is an anthology of short stories all by different authors. Each and every one of these short stories have some type of paranormal or supernatural creature that is featured in the story. What I really enjoyed about this particular anthology is that the stories in it are so very different from one another. All together, I really enjoyed reading each and every one of the stories in this anthology. I recommend this anthology to anyone who is looking to read a series of quick entertaining tales that each feature a different topic but is focused primarily on something that is paranormal and unique. Earth: Giants, Golems, and Gargoyles is a series of wonderful and unique paranormal short stories.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an anthology of short stories and a few longer stories with the common topic EARTH. The characters tend to be paranormal.
I have mixed feelings about this collection of stories, as it spans a wide variety - which is good. You will most probably find something that you like in the mix. But because of the wide range, there might also be quite a few stories you are not so keen on.
If you want to risk that - the anthology is a good way to explore new authors and a slightly different genre from what you normally read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the first couple failed to grab me, I'm so glad I kept reading! There was a great variety, from Jane Yolen's poem to golems and RPGs and goblins and dragons and forest creatures; there were humorous stories, others were thought-provoking, adventurous, wistful, even sad. And then there's the one that really stood out as something completely different: The Stone Alphabet, with the ultimate in short fiction, reminding me very much of Ray Bradbury's slightly dark, weird stories.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful anthology full of dark, twisted, whacky, thrilling, fantastical, lighthearted, magical stories ranging from necromancers to children kidnapped by wood spirits. Although each story was entertaining, my favorites were Mourned by Catherine MacLeod and Land Girl by Laura VanArendonk Baug. This book truly has something for everyone, and it was a pleasure to be introduced to so many great writers I might have never crossed paths with otherwise.

[Jemima Pett · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are short stories embracing the earth and all those things that legends have drawn out of it. As is the way with anthologies, some are better than others, but these are all high quality and I enjoyed most of them. The one based on an Irish farm in the Land Girl era of World War 2 grabbed me most. I really enjoyed that and may look for more from that author. Most had more of a classic fantasy setting, and a few strayed into scifi. An excellent anthology for dipping into.

[Pat Eroh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love anthologies when they contain great stories and this one does! There are stories of some magical and mystical things and I love them all. Yes, some more than others but these stories are all pretty wonderful

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Scarolet Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Earth: Giants, Golems and Gargoyles by Rhonda Parrish this is an awesome story that I have read. This is book number two in this awesome series that I have enjoyed reading very much. I highly recommend this story to everyone who likes reading about Sci-Fi and fantasy in their stories.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

The earth is big and beautiful but when something happens it can be awful to those living in earth. This has 18 very different stories which you will enjoy and love. Each will take you on very different adventures. Sir back and enjoy

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Urszula · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like short stories. But the set is OK. Some stories are really good and other definitely could be better. All together pleasurable experience.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Janice Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the stories in this book. Each one has a different take on creatures of the Earth. Some leave you with smiles and others with sadness, but all are worth the read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Liz Burke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book of short stories that have been taken to the extreme about Giants,Golems, Vampires and such. I really can't say I enjoyed.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Krissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the collection of stories! Whether giant, golem or others. They are a lot of fun to read and I loved them all!! Definitely a great book to read!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Heather W · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good collection of nineteen fantasy short stories, all with the theme of earth elementals and focusing on giants, golems and gargoyles.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cleocutie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great set of fantasy books. I like how they are all tied together by a common element, but are very different stories

[Heather Bennett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Earth: Giants, Golems and Gargoyles has several interesting stories and a few odd ones. Some are well written with good characters.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this short story collection. I liked some of the stories more than others, but lots of them were pretty interesting.