Laughter at the Academy

by Seanan McGuire

From fairy tale forest to gloomy gothic moor, from gleaming epidemiologist’s lab to the sandy shores of Neverland, Seanan McGuire’s short fiction has been surprising, delighting, confusing, and transporting her readers since 2009. Now, for the first time, that fiction has been gathered together in one place, ready to be enjoyed one twisting, tangled tale at a time. Her work crosses genres and subverts expectations.

Meet the mad scientists of “Laughter at the Academy” and “The Tolling of Pavlov’s Bells.” Glory in the potential of a Halloween that never ends. Follow two very different alphabets in “Frontier ABCs” and “From A to Z in the Book of Changes.” Get “Lost,” dress yourself “In Skeleton Leaves,” and remember how to fly. All this and more is waiting for you within the pages of this decade-spanning collection, including several pieces that have never before been reprinted. Stories about mermaids, robots, dolls, and Deep Ones are all here, ready for you to dive in.

This is a box of strange surprises dredged up from the depths of the sea, each one polished and prepared for your enjoyment. So take a chance, and allow yourself to be surprised.

Enjoy.

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Horror, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Fiction, Anthologies

442 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 31, 2019

About the author

Hi! I'm Seanan McGuire, author of the Toby Daye series (Rosemary and Rue, A Local Habitation, An Artificial Night, Late Eclipses), as well as a lot of other things. I'm also Mira Grant (www.miragrant.com), author of Feed and Deadline.

Born and raised in Northern California, I fear weather and am remarkably laid-back about rattlesnakes. I watch too many horror movies, read too many comic books, and share my house with two monsters in feline form, Lilly and Alice (Siamese and Maine Coon).

I do not check this inbox. Please don't send me messages through Goodreads; they won't be answered. I don't want to have to delete this account. :(

Reviews

[karen]

5/13

you guys, i might do it this time.

https://subterraneanpress.com/laughte...

*****************************

5/13 UPDATE - I TOTALLY DID IT!!!! EEEEEEEEE! please don't let the poorhouse get me before this pubs!

****************************

5/21 okay, NEW UPDATE!

i was feeling guilty about buying myself a $40 book until i realized this doesn't come out until HALLOWEEN! which means i won't even be charged for it for more than five months! surely in that time i will have $40 to spare, right? i mean, it's not that i don't have $40 to my name - i'm not that close to dying in the gutter. yet. but there are a lot of books and i want them all and i'm poor and still dealing with cancer-bills &etc and i shouldn't be buying myself fancy books. but wannit. SO! let's see how long it takes to stockpile $40 worth of loose change!

i have bought this container:



which means i am out an additional $1.09, but i bet i can still do it. THERE WILL BE UPDATES! BECAUSE THIS IS THE KIND OF THING THAT PEOPLE PAY FOR INTERNET ACCESS IN ORDER TO MONITOR! OR WAIT IN LONG LINES AT THE LIBRARY WITH BATED BREATH AND ANXIOUS HEARTS! OR PLACE FERVID BETS UPON AT WATERING HOLES ACROSS THE GLOBE! CAN KAREN ACCUMULATE $40 IN CHANGE? INTERNET-USERS, START YOUR ENGINES!

*****************************
6/23 new update!



nearly one month of tossing my spare change into this container and i already have $35.70! so there, book! i have almost earned you!

*****************************
8/6 NEW UPDATE!



this is $82 in change! i can buy TWO books if i want to! but i won't, because 'sensible spending' is my middle name, and i'm uneasy enough about buying even one of these, although this spare change project revealed to me all my secret wealth. SEEEEKRIT WEALTH!

*****************************
10/17 NEW UPDATE! OH NO!!!

You're receiving this email because you were kind enough to preorder Seanan McGuire's Laugher at the Academy direct from us. We have a short status update.

Last night, our printer emailed that three of their binding machines had gone down at once, and that a few of our titles would be delayed, Seanan's among them. We now expect to be start shipping copies of Laughter at the Academy in early November.

Please accept our apologies for this delay. We look forward to sending copies of Seanan's collection to everyone who ordered as soon as we possibly can.

*****************************
11/8 NEW UPDATE





it is HEEEEERE!!!

and of course i have no time to read it right now because i gotta keep hustlin to earn enough spare change to keep a roof over my head. is this how it feels to be in an o henry story? write me a better ending, bro!

*****************************
Table of Contents:

Laughter at the Academy: A Field Study in the Genesis Of Schizotypal Creative Genius Personality Disorder (SCGPD)
Lost
The Tolling of Pavlov’s Bells
Uncle Sam
Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust
Crystal Halloway and the Forgotten Passage
Homecoming
Frontier ABCs: The Life and Times Of Charity Smith, Schoolteacher
We Are All Misfit Toys in the Aftermath of the Velveteen War
The Lambs
Each to Each
Bring About the Halloween Eternal!!!
Office Memos
Lady Antheia’s Guide to Horticultural Warfare
Driving Jenny Home
There Is No Place for Sorrow in the Kingdom of the Cold
In Skeleton Leaves
Please Accept My Most Profound Apologies for What Is About to Happen (But You Started It)
Threnody for Little Girl, With Tuna, At the End of the World
From A to Z In the Book of Changes
#connollyhouse #weshouldntbehere
Down, Deep Down, Below the Waves

[Chelsea Humphrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short stories are not my forte, but I adore Seanan McGuire and think she's one of the most talented authors of our time. Naturally, I had to check this short story collection out. As is the case with most anthologies, some stories will resonate with the reader while others simply pass the time, and overall I think this was worth the effort spent in each world reading. I would have loved to have seen a few stories as full length novels, but I adored how Down, Deep Down, Below the Waves seemed to tie into the author's previous mermaid novels. Overall, an enjoyable collection from one of my top 10 authors.

*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy via NetGalley.

[Amy Imogene Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

This was such an impressive, immersive, and invigorating collection of short stories by one of the most talented authors in the game.

Concepts: ★★★★★
Writing: ★★★★★
My love for this author's work: could rattle the stars

Billed as a short story collection to introduce new readers to Seanan McGuire's tales, I want to edge back on that comparison and say that I found my prior knowledge of Seanan McGuire's stories and themes to be a pivotal part of the reading process. Don't get me wrong, it's an impressive cold introduction too. But these tales have echoes of Wayward Children, Into the Drowning Deep, and Middlegame. They are introduced by Seanan herself, with her asides placing the narratives in context for the collection. I loved watching the master at work exploring similar themes across multiple mediums and story lines.

A few of my favorite tales:

Lost - a lyrical and heartbreaking take on the Peter Pan myth of children disappearing to the pirate ships in the sky.

Uncle Sam - as a woman in America, this blood price thoughtlessly agreed upon by the Founding Fathers was...relevant.

Crystal Halloway and the Forgotten Passage - Wayward Children fans will recognize the echoes of the "doors to other realms" concept in this story of one girl's refusal to pick one world over the other—until the choice is made for her.

Frontier ABCs - Miss Cherry singlehandedly keeps intergalactic peace, all the while teaching the new generation. Respect your teachers.

We Are All Misfit Toys - Definitely not a favorite for the content, but I respect the concept, as this story of artificially intelligent toys vs parents is chilling and graphic.

In Skeleton Leaves - Another Peter Pan inspired tale, and I don't even care—this one of Wendys and Pans. There must always be a Wendy, and there must always be a Pan...and some things must cycle through.

Outside of these, there were stories on mermaids, militarized underwater hybrids, homecoming games, Wizard of Oz, disease control, bio-warfare, stories told through Tweets, stories told through goblin office memos, and more. This collection runs the gamut, but as a fantasy reader I was drawn to the tales most heavily inspired by fantasy.

Thank you to Subterranean Press via NetGalley for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Blog | Instagram

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our friend, Forrest Gump, once said that life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you'll get. Well, opening up an anthology/short story collection by an author you've never heard of, let alone read, is kind of the same thing. No idea what to expect. No idea which direction it goes in other than some vague reference to fantasy. Apparently, though, McGuire has published some two dozen books about seven different fantasy worlds and has wide ranging interests from zombie apocolypses to candyland as well as a twisted fascination with the life of dolls. Who knew?

There are a quite a number of stories in this collection and not all of them captured my interest (simply not my cup of tea). But, there were some really creative stories that are worth the price of admission.

“We Are All Misfit Toys in the Aftermath of the Velveteen War” is the story of what happens when the learning dolls go to war with the adults and take the children with them as hostages. As silly as it sounds, it is quite a trip.

“Down, Deep Down, Below the Waves” is the story of the future of the all-female submarine fleets where the women are modified to become more mermaid than human. It seriously could be the start of a whole series.

“The Lambs” is the story of robots set to function in public schools undercover to ferret out bullies, an idea unique in its implementation because these are not like secret terminator robots, but secret recording teddy bear like children who play back recordings at graduation time.

“Lady Antheia’s Guide to Horticultural Warfare” is the story of an invasion by plant people who want to rule the universe because they can.

[Fiona Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

This new collection from Seanan McGuire is a good one! Touted as doors opening to new worlds - ie, none of these stories are set in her ongoing universes - there's nevertheless enough familiarity here to satisfy her fans. That said, if her writing doesn't already float your boat, this isn't the collection that'll change your mind. I wavered between 3 and 4 stars for this one - in the end I let personal enjoyment sway me higher.

It's worth mentioning that Seanan McGuire also writes as Mira Grant - typically for her harder sci-fi or more horror-centric work. A couple of these stories blur that line, which usually stays rock solid between the two. However, overall - this is a good collection, with a nice variety of stories, while maintaining her strongest themes; we've got cheerleader squads with a lot more behind the cheering than just team spirit, science taken to the ethical limits, and literal doorways to other worlds.

There's some that stood out more than the others:
Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust - wraps up a bit abruptly but it's a great noir-ish take on Dorothy and Oz

Homecoming - takes a little bit to find it's feet but it's a strong and unique concept; one that used mythology to write something genuinely touching.

Frontier ABCs - one I'd love to see expanded to a full-length novel. Charity Smith keeps her promises, so you'd better hope you do too.

All in all, this collection would make a good introduction to the writing of Seanan McGuire; there's a lot that pops up here that recurs thematically in her work, and enough variety that there should be something to suit most readers.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly, this is McGuire's first traditional collection of short fiction. She has published a large body of very good work in a relatively short span, and it seems she's been around forever. It's also surprising that none of the stories here are part of any of her many series, Indexing or October Daye or Velveteen or InCryptid or the Grant/Baker books or... Anyway, what we do have are twenty-two nifty stand-alone stories that encompass fantasy, horror, and science fiction that's by turns happy and sad, uproarious and thoughtful, and always very creative and literate. There are stories set in the worlds of the Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, Pinocchio, and Lovecraft's mythos, stories that feature robots, cheerleaders, dolls, and mad scientists, a fundraiser to make it all Halloween all of the time, and just on and on and on. The Lambs is a great robot story that Asimov would have loved, and Driving Jenny Home is the most poignant ghost story I've read in a very, very long time. My first five-star read of the year.

[Carole (Carole's Random Life) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

I liked this book even if it wasn't my favorite. I felt like I was reading this book forever. That has more to do with how I tend to read short story collections than the writing contained in these stories. A collection like this one that contains over 20 stories has a lot of natural stopping points and I do tend to stop after finishing a story. I do think that this was a great way to see how Seanan McGuire's versatility.

This collection had a little bit of everything. If you are looking for a mermaid story, you will find it. A story about a little girl and the world's last tuna? It is here. There is a haunted house story, a story set in Neverland and another in Oz. There is even a story about a war with toys and another about a very special dollmaker. The writing was as varied as the stories. There was a story that was writing as a series of tweets, another as a series of office memos, and another as a crowdfunding proposal.

As is the case with most short story collections, I found myself enjoying some stories a lot more than others. There were some stories that I didn't care for much at all, some I loved, some I thought were okay, and a few that just confused me. I am easily confused so that doesn't really mean much.

I would recommend this book. I think that this was an overall enjoyable collection with some pretty outstanding stories. I haven't read a lot of Seanan McGuire's work but I do plan to read more in the near future.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Subterranean Press via NetGalley.

Initial Thoughts
I finally finished this book. I feel like I have been reading it forever but I think that is due to the fact that I find short story collections really easy to set aside after finishing a story. This book has over 20 stories so that I a lot of putting the book down. I liked some of the stories a whole lot, some were okay, some I didn't care for, and some just confused me. Of course, I am easily confused so that may not mean anything. All in all, I am glad that I read this one.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laughter at the Academy is my first introduction to Seanan McGuire and what an introduction! The book is a collection of single author short stories - the first for McGuire. Prefacing each story is a brief peak into origin of the tale and subsequently our author. We have mad scientists, gremlin scientists(!), Neverland, Oz, the destruction of the human race, and on and on. With genres ranging from space opera to crime procedural to steampunk and so much more. Each story is crafted with a deft expertise that kept me hooked. Oh, did I forget to mention cheerleading valkyries? Because there are cheerleading Valkyries! This book just keeps on giving.

McGuire cut her teeth in the world of fanfic and her love and reverence for the genres she explores, for the characters and the worlds that her characters inhibit is in full display.

With each story I found myself diving into characters that felt whole and lived in. Recognizable yet unique. And I have to say I was floored by how well developed these characters felt within the limitations of short story framework. Nothing - characters, settings, or plot - ever feels short changed or rushed. More often than not I found myself wanting to spend more time in these worlds and with these characters.

It's hard to pick a favorite story, it seemed with each I found myself saying "This is it! Nothing is going to top this one!" only to have the next swiftly rise to the top.

A few of my favorites...

Lost is an absolutely beautiful story about siblings, growing up, and letting go giving a twist to the world of Neverland. It's simple in its story telling but effective, guiding you through mystery, loss, sadness, and bittersweet happiness.

Uncle Sam dives into urban legend wrapped in the origins of united states and tied together with the age old question of "why do women go to the restroom in pairs". This story is one where I feel McGuire's skill with characters shine. This group of friends sitting around celebrating, their well tread and gentle ribbing and camaraderie has been lived by all of us. The ending, while admittedly slightly predictable, is eerie and well handled. Absolutely gave me chills.

Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust... Allow me to fan girl a bit. Within the first 3 paragraphs I was sold. By the end I wanted more, 12 books and a TV series, plskthx. I love this story and world with an intensity usually reserved for my cat. Dorothy 'Dot' Gale is a bad ass. She is the Wicked Witch of the West and a Princess of Oz. Set in, we'll Oz, but it's not the Oz of yesteryear. This Oz is gritty, segregated, and drug filled. I really, really, really, want to see this brought to life... Someone call Netflix!

Office Memos gives us Gremlin scientists, what can go wrong? Lots. And then lots more. Written in the style of inter office memos and private emails we follow the ever escalating mishaps of Eustacia ni’Aiodhan, Gremlin Scientist. From explosions to accidental building invisibility and accidental gender reversal this story is a delight!

Overall, this is a wonderful collection of short stories. One that I know I will go back to time and again. If you love fantasy, well crafted and strong female characters, unique twists to familiar and new worlds then you will adore Laughter at the Academy and Seanan McGuire!

This book was provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and balance review.

[Kathryn S (Metaphors and Miscellanea) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Most of all, this book is for all those fools who laughed at me in the academy. I may not be raising the dead yet, but I still know where my shovel is."

It’s no secret that I think Seanan McGuire is pretty great. I’ve only read a few of her books, but I’ve massively enjoyed them all. I knew she was great before I started on this collection, but boy howdy, she has outdone herself. Twenty-two short stories, all filled with her signature wit, wistfulness, and love for all things strange and disturbing.

I would offer a summary if I could, but of course, short stories don’t lend themselves to that sort of thing. On my blog post (you can find it HERE), I've included a full listing of stories, along with my brief thoughts on each of them. I'd transfer them all here, but formatting for Goodreads posts is a royal pain, especially when incorporating lots of block quotes and things like that, and I'm a little too lazy.

In general, though, there are quite a few running themes and common topics, including, but not limited to: fairytales (especially Peter Pan), childhood and growing up, science (and the limits thereof), experiments (including ones on your so-called friends), magic, ethics, mythology, ghosts, warfare, the future of life on Earth, the ocean and fish/mermaids, AI, pollution, and dolls. There is an abundance of feminism and plenty of positive queer representation. The styles range from conventional stories to text interspersed with field guide notes to a literal crowdfunding campaign that tells its own story, because let’s face it: nothing Seanan does is conventional. In other words, it’s everything I could have asked for in a book. And, with all the eeriness and magic, it’s perfect for this time of year.

While not every story was perfectly to my liking, every single one was highly original and well-executed, and I did enjoy them all, just in different amounts and capacities. In a short story collection, you’re bound to have at least one or two you don’t like as much as the others, because if there was no variety…well, it wouldn’t be a very good collection, would it? There is definitely variety here, and while there are some common themes, nothing feels redundant. In the preface, the author mentions that this is a combination of some of her best stories and some that, while maybe not her best, are still her favorites. I completely understand why–even if the execution isn’t flawless (though it is pretty dang close, as her writing is beautiful and incredibly well-suited to the kinds of stories she tells), the originality more than makes up for any minor stumbles (and, again, there aren’t many).

I could keep going on about how much I loved it, but I guess the most important part here is just that this is a stellar collection, and perfect for the most obsessed fan, the casual reader, or even someone totally new to Seanan’s work.

"This is where, by format, I should offer up some extended metaphor, like “follow me into the forest” or “let’s go walking in the fields together, you and I,” but my metaphors are in my fiction, and tend to be pretty weird."

In short: read this book. Revel in the weirdness and wonder. And Happy Halloween!

TRIGGER/CONTENT WARNINGS: pretty much all of them, honestly. No racism that I can recall, I guess. I’m sure I’m forgetting some, but they include depression, suicidal ideation, domestic abuse, allusion to child abuse, lots of death, violence/gruesome moments, sexism, homophobia/transphobia

Thank you to Subterranean Press for providing me with an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

[Elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

As my first dalliance into the expansive works of Seanan McGuire, I was glad to see that she had assembled this collection with new readers of hers in mind. I was debating whether I should start with her Wayward Children series, but I’m happy I went with the short stories. This way, you really get a full sampling of the types of stories she likes to tell.

The ARC that I received didn’t number them, but I counted 21 in total, if I’m not mistaken. Totally could be, though, it wouldn’t be the first time. Each story has a short preamble at the beginning, explaining for which publication it was originally written and her thought process conceiving it. I appreciated these and felt like it helped me get in a proper mindset, especially if you’re planning to read multiple stories right after one another. I had to take breaks after reading many of them. There was often so much to digest and process that it can be difficult to just power through in one sitting.

This is just a testament to her writing, though. It’s very fitting that she’s releasing this collection on Halloween. I didn’t know quite what to expect going into this, but I was delighted with how grim and twisted they could be. Maybe delighted isn’t the right word...it feels weird to be so happy with something generally unhappy, isn’t it? I was satisfied, how about that? ‘Deeply satisfied’ feels more akin to how I felt after each work of fiction.

One of the things I liked the best was the abundance of female ‘villains’, for lack of a better word. McGuire doesn’t typically make it as simple as good and evil, but there are some truly sinister women in these stories and I loved it. It reminded me of what Gillian Flynn had said about her own female villains, “Women have spent so many years girl-powering ourselves to the point of almost parodic encouragement [that] we’ve left no room to acknowledge our dark side.” I want more interesting women in fiction, which includes scary, ruthless and even the dreaded ‘unlikeable’. I can’t wait to read more from this author who has truly embraced writing her own dark side.

*Thanks to Subterranean Press & Netgalley for an advance copy!

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories written by Seanan McGuire. I can say that I truly appreciated McGuire's ability to write some spectacularly haunting and twisted but relateable, and that is what made them so haunting, tales. The stories show a dark side to humanity for both the villains and the people who allow the villains to promulgate their evil deeds.

This is not my normal pick in reading material and not for the light hearted reader. That being said, it was extremely well written, spooky, imaginative and flawlessly original. The collection of stories highlights the shadowy and murky side of humanity. Lets just say, I'd never want Seanan McGuire set on causing world inhalation, by these stories, she could pull it off.

I received this ARC copy of Laughter at the Academy from Subterranean Press. This is my honest and voluntary review. Laughter at the Academy is set for publication October 31, 2019.

My Ratings: 5 stars
Written by: Seanan McGuire
Print Length: 442 pages
Publisher: Subterranean Press (October 31, 2019)
Genre: Paranormal | Urban Fantasy

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Laughter-at-Ac...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/laug...

[Lisa Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant collection of short stories by the talented Seanan McGuire. The topics and themes and tones are varied, and the stories range from humor to horror and everything in between. A story about terrifying dolls is my favorite (despite the recurring nightmares this story caused), but I also loved the too-timely story about viruses destroying humankind, a sci-fi Western, and a GoFundMe campaign to bring on eternal Halloween. I can see myself dipping back into this book from time to time and revisiting the stories as the mood strikes. A must-read for fans, but really, for anyone who appreciates the weird and unexpected in their short fiction.

[Mallory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I should preface this review with admitting that Seanan McGuire is one of my favorite authors ever. It may not be the right fit for everyone, but like most of her work this book of short stories was completely up my alley. Seanan has a way with writing urban fantasy so it feels like magic invades our dreary worlds and I love it. She also has a knack for being brutally honest and using science to show us where we messed up. I have to say the story ‘The Tolling of Pavlov’s Bells’ was a little bit messed up to read as it is about humankind being too selfish to quarantine which leads to everyone becoming infected and dying. It felt prophetic and more than a little depressing but I still greatly enjoyed it. I’m not sure I could pick a favorite story. Of course I loved some more than others, but a favorite is so difficult. I loved ‘#connollyhouse #weshouldntbehere because I didn’t think I could like a story told all through tweets but I did. I loved ‘Driving Jenny Home’ as it was an excellent ghost story. I loved ‘In Skeleton Leaves’ as it was a different look at Neverland.

[Carrie (brightbeautifulthings) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at Subterranean Press. Trigger warnings: Literally everything. Death, parent/child death, suicide, torture, body horror, severe illness, severe injury, explosions, guns, needles, abduction, blood, spiders, mental illness, grief, war mentions, car accidents, drunk driving, bullying, some ableist/sexist/homophobic language.

Laughter at the Academy is a short story collection spanning nearly a decade of Seanan McGuire’s work and blending horror, fantasy, and science fiction. All the stories are independent of her other series (Wayward Children, October Daye, etc.) but occasionally circle back to similar topics. Readers familiar with her work as both McGuire and Mira Grant will recognize doorways to other worlds, ghostly hitchhikers, epidemics, haunted houses, and murder mermaids. The collection also branches into new territory, from dinosaurs and spooky dolls to fairytale retellings in Oz and Neverland.

It’s hard to talk about a story collection, harder still when that collection has more than twenty stories in it, but I’ll do my best, knowing there isn’t time to cover everything. In sum, this is a very good collection, and fans of her work as either McGuire or Grant will find something to enjoy about it. There’s hardly a story in it that I didn’t like; however, there were also very few that I loved, which may be a product of trying to invest myself in twenty-two distinct worlds in, like, three days. My bad. Hands down, my favorite story (and the one I wept the most over) was “Driving Jenny Home,” which is similar to her Ghost Roads mythology. I never knew I needed a ghostly lesbian hitchhiker story in my life, but I totally did.

So many of the stories remind me of other McGuire/Grant things I’ve read. “Crystal Halloway and the Forgotten Passage” is a clear offshoot of Wayward Children, but it’s sad enough that I’m glad it didn’t get its own novella. “The Tolling of Pavlov’s Bells” is a condensed, more brutal version of Kingdom of Needle and Bone, and “#connollyhouse #weshouldntbehere” and “Down, Deep Down, Below the Waves” combined could make up In The Shadow of Spindrift House. “Laughter at the Academy” has mild Final Girls undertones, and “Each to Each” is the distant cousin of Into the Drowning Deep. Far from feeling derivative, the stories are a comforting tread into familiar topics, and I like seeing which ideas stay with a writer so much that she never really moves past them. McGuire is in her element here.

She ventures into new (to me) territory with a couple of solid horror-ish tales about creepy dolls with “We Are All Misfit Toys in the Aftermath of the Velveteen War” and “There Is No Place for Sorrow in the Kingdom of the Cold”, with the latter being more developed. I especially liked “Lady Antheia’s Guide to Horticultural Warfare”, which is sort of like Little Shop of Horrors meets The Day of the Triffids, if the main character was the carnivorous plant. (As always, I’m on the side of the monsters.) I also really enjoyed “Homecoming”, a Viking-esque afterlife story, and “Threnody for Little Girl, With Tuna, At the End of the World”, a sad but poignant tale about grief and the end of the world.

I’m on the fence about the fairytale retellings. Of the two Peter Pan ones, “In Skeleton Leaves” is stronger than “Lost”, and like the Oz story, “Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust”, it feels less like a short story than something that’s been excerpted from a larger piece. So many of McGuire’s stories feel like they want to be novels, and if/when she ever gets around to writing those, I’m there. There’s a ton of potential for world and character building.

A couple of the stories play around with formatting: “Bring About the Halloween Eternal!!!”, “Office Memos”, “From A to Z In the Book of Changes”, and “#connollyhouse #weshouldntbehere”, which swap traditional narrative for things like memos or tweets. I’d like to teach them in a classroom about genre. Of all of them, I think “#connollyhouse #weshouldntbehere” works best, since the limited character count and staccato format lend themselves easily to suspense and the gradually building horror of the story. (But I’ll also admit I have no idea what was going on in “From A to Z In the Book of Changes”). If you’re a McGuire/Grant fan, it’s not to be missed. If you’re not, you might be once you’ve finished.

I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.

[Allyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rtc but just know that this is now a favorite and I need all the spooky things from Seanan McGuire now

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laughter at the Academy is a collection of 22 short stories written by Seanan McGuire, these stories have all been published before but this is the first time they've been collected together and each has an introduction from the author explaining why she chose to include it in this anthology. None of these stories are linked to existing series (like October Daye or Incryptid) so you don't need to be familiar with Seanan's other books to enjoy them.

This really was a fantastic collection of stories, it includes everything from urban fantasy, science fiction and horror through to a couple of retellings and even a steampunk story thrown in for fun. There are hints of Peter Pan and the Wizard of Oz alongside stories of multiverses and mermaids so it really does have something for everyone.

As with any short story collection some stories will resonate more than others but overall there were far more hits than misses and there were a lot of worlds or characters that I'd love the chance to spend more time with. My particular favourites were The Tolling of Pavlov's Bells (a story about a scientist who is fed up of trying to explain the risks of bioterrorism), Crystal Halloway and the Forgotten Passage (which reminded me a little of the Wayward Children series), Please Accept My Most Profound Apologies for What Is About to Happen (But You Started It) (about a social misfit who loves dinosaurs) and Down, Deep Down, Below the Waves (the story of a grad student who has been carrying out an unexpected experiment).

If you're a Seanan McGuire fan then you're sure to love this collection, and even if you're new to her work then this would be a brilliant place to start. She has such an incredible imagination and always manages to throw in surprising twists that turn things upside down. I would love to know where she gets her ideas from!

[Marzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

How long have we waited for a collection of short fiction by Seanan McGuire? So long, and yes, I know there is a collection of her short fiction as Mira Grant, but that's Mira fiction (Rise: A Newsflesh Collection and watch out, because it's full of zombies.) This collection, as Seanan McGuire, doesn't have stories from any of her series universes. You will find no Velveteen, no Toby Daye, no InCryptid, and no portals for Wayward Children. But you will find some of my favorite stories she's written over the past decade, from the heart-searing "Threnody for Little Girl, With Tuna, at the End of the World" to the chilling "Down, Deep Down, Below the Waves," an entirely satisfying Lovecraftian tale that strips out everything I loathe about Lovecraft's world and leaves me with the creepy-scary things I love about it. Of course, we aren't short on horror here, because it's still Seanan, though it isn't the science-y horror of Mira Grant. There are still places you shouldn't go to, like the Connolly House. (No, really, don't go there, really don't... go... don't... Come, Come, Come) There is the story of Dot (that would be Dorothy) in her role as the Wicked Witch of the West, Princess of Oz, Crossover Ambassador, and her falling out with the Undying Empress, Princess Ozma, her ex, who called Dot a political liability. There are twenty-two stories in the volume, which is a generous 376 pages in length. Longtime readers may recognize them, though the author has polished them further for this edition. The collection is already sold out in a limited hardcover edition with beautiful illustrations from Subterranean Press. But you can still enjoy it in ebook format if you didn't get in early on pre-orders, which are becoming a must for SubPress's Seanan McGuire titles.

Laughter at the Academy releases October 31 (so apropos), but readers should note that a series of printing press repairs have slightly delayed the hardcover edition. Anyone who has ever held one of the spectacular limited editions from Subterranean Press in their hands will know that a short delay means nothing once you're holding a gorgeous volume in your hands. The paper! The illustrations! I'll happily wait for mine to arrive.


I received a Digital Review Copy of this book from Subterranean Press in exchange for an honest review.

[zerogravitas · Rating 1 out of 5]

The first story opens with 5 introductions & forewords, then a good dose of talking heads. Then dives head on into the cringest cliches about scientists that ever cringed. There's the schizotypal genius something something syndrome, which is mad genius disease. But there's no need to worry, there are no more geniuses in our world, only science fearing knuckledraggers, a very popular but strangely unfeared phenotype in America. The first specimen of a mad scientist we meet is a dead particle physicist full of cybernetic implants. Umm what's one to do with the other, no idea. It's a really cliche book and it's also dumb.

Here's a sample from beloved humorist Joel Stickley approximating how this book sounds, full text here:

"Doctor Slithingly watched the readout on the computer screen and rubbed his hands together.
‘Excellent,’ he muttered, his voice a thin, rasping hiss. ‘Excellent!’ He laughed to himself in a chilling falsetto. ‘Soon my plan will come to fruition. Soon I will destroy them all!’ The room resounded with the sound of his insane giggling."

[J.A. Ironside · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great collection of shorter fiction by one of my favourite authors. In most anthologies, there are stronger and weaker stories as well as those which suit your taste more or less. However I don't think there was a weak story here at all. Some engaged me more than others; some blew me right out of the water whilst others worked on my mind quietly in the wee small hours, but all of them were skilfully crafted and McGuire has clearly taken the opportunity over the years to play with the form and experiment. There are recurring themes - friendship, family, human arrogance and indifference, children learning to actualise themselves and become authors of their own fate etc - which she also explores in her long form fiction. I don't think this is ever repetitive however. There's always a new slant of light on an idea the author has held for some time, a peeling back of layers that forces you to examine things anew. The stories are as follows;

Laughter at the Academy

I love McGuire's Filk songs and this is an extension of one of my favourites 'What a Woman's For'. Geniuses are dying or committing suicide in strange circumstances? Could there be a link? The person who investigates is in for a rude (and short lived) awakening.

Lost

A bit Peter Pan, a bit early shades of Wayward Children. This tells the story of the children who get lost because that's where they really belong. Poignant and haunting.


The Tolling of Pavlov's Bells

Another staple of McGuire's fiction (though more often in the custodianship of her alter ego Mira Grant) mad scientists. Specifically, female mad scientists. And this one's not to be trifled with. Because if you're not going to listen to facts and studies, she'll give you a practical demonstration you're unlikely to survive.

Uncle Sam

This was actually pretty creepy. A sort of urban legend explaining a seemingly normal piece of behaviour. Why exactly do girls go to visit the bathroom in pairs? And what are the consequences for taking a piece of folklore lightly?


Crystal Halloway and the Forgotten Passage

There are several stories here that deal with the great adult-child divide; both how we have difficulty understanding each other's perspectives and how we lose a sense of magic and adventure as we grow up. On the surface this is deceptively sweet, but the message packs a punch. You can see early iterations of Wayward Children here, I think.


Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust

I dragged my heels reading this one. I am not a fan of Oz or Peter Pan retellings. Particularly as there are so many of each and on one hand you have authors who are clearly claiming the story for a marginalised group (which is absolutely fine btw but it can't be the whole point of the story) and author's on the other side wanting to keep the original with just a few modernised tweaks. And the reason such retellings bug me is that the writers invariably forget that story is king. And this is where I point out that McGuire DID NOT do that. This is first and foremost an excellent story. This is Oz as I want it to exist. It's fantastically, effortlessly queer. Wry, funny, dark. I loved every second of it and was disappointed when it was over. I really want a full novel set here. I would read the sh!t out of that.


Homecoming

Being from the UK and having little interest in American Football, I was taken by surprise by this one. A mixture of Norse mythology and modern sport, examining the truth behind heroism. Not all heroes fall whilst fighting a typical war. Some die fighting other battles. And there's a choice where
you go when the game is over.

Frontier ABCs

I really enjoyed this one. A sharp, weird western style sci-fi adventure with a kick ass, clever heroine determined to shape the next generation into something better.


We are all Misfit Toys in the Aftermath of the Velveteen War

Dolls. Gaaahhh I hate dolls! This was disturbing and disconcerting (and brought back epically vivid and psychedelically coloured dreams of my sister's china doll collection from childhood). It does engage with our desire as parents and cares to find an easy way to make children fit a certain mould and hit a prescribed standard of normal. The reality being that abdicating responsibility for that or indeed for questioning what's normal and whether that truly has any bearing on 'acceptable', results in disastrous consequences. This is not one for the faint of heart. Or for anyone whose sister has a freaky doll collection.


The Lambs

And now for a story that looks at that rite of passage for your childhood and teen years: Bullying. What if there was a way to nanny-cam the entire teenage experience? To really winkle out the truly vicious bullies - the ones who torment others into taking their own lives? Of course sacrifices must be made for that to occur. This was dark and satisfying, and just a bit uncomfortable.


Each to Each

Studies have shown that women tend to do better in close confined proximity with each other, suggesting that all women space operations or even submarines, are a viable option for the future. And that's before you start thinking about enhancing a human body to fit its environment. The future of the human race rests in the hands of these women marines.


Bring about Halloween Eternal!!!

Crowdfunding can be a hit or miss affair, even if you're attempting to corporialise a dark deity. I found this one very funny, and then I stopped and really thought about it, and realised I was also sort of creeped out lol!


Office Memos

I was highly amused by this one. I would love my own interdepartmental memos to be this interesting - or maybe I wouldn't! I laughed. A lot.


Lady Antheia's Guide to Horticultural Warfare

Steampunk meets a vague War of the Worlds type feel. But with sentient plants. I liked it a lot, but it wasn't a favourite. Still a damn good story.


Driving Jenny Home

Based on one of my favourite folk songs, this is an incredibly sad story of grieving, identity and being unable to move on. An Unquiet Grave for the modern era.


There is no place for Sorrow in the Kingdom of the Cold

More dolls. I may have to go into hiding. I loved the richness of the detail and the imagery in this one. There's a lot to unpack here; a sort of modernised Persephone retelling; a revenge tale; a story about making the leap from being a child to being an adult, with a child of your own. And on top of that an exploration of compartmentalising emotions, asking whether there's a value in emptiness. This was very clever.



In Skeleton Leaves

McGuire crosses blades with some of the more nonsensical and sexist parts of Peter Pan in this one, filling in the larger plot holes in a way that is as satisfying as it's disturbing. There's a price for never growing up. There's hints of Lord of the Flies here too.


Please Accept my Most Profound Apologies

This takes the form of a long letter explaining why the world as you know it is about to end. No spoilers but also, dinosaurs.


Threnody for Little Girl, with Tuna, at the End of the World

I loved this one, even though it's easily the bleakest and most poignant story in the collection. The world is slowly dying and hope takes the strangest of shapes. An ode to environmentalism that also acknowledges that while the world is set up the way it is, while most of us are still comparatively poor, we will eat first and think of conservation second.



From A TO Z in the Book of Changes

An interesting experiment with form. This takes your typical ABC form and turns it into a primer for world ending disaster.


#connollyhouse #weshoudntbehere

Haunted house story told in tweets! This was funny, creepy and mind bendy in exactly the right way. I can see the form annoying some people but push through and er watch the numbers.



Down, Deep Down, Below the Waves

Final entry in this carnival of dark delights, a novella length episode told in a way that no doubt Lovecraft would not have approved of - which is highly in its favour; this is the Lovecraftian tale we deserve. Once again touching on female 'mad' scientist but with a fishy twist, this is bizarrely still a story of friendship and family. The ocean call you home...


I've been blessed with excellent short story collections this year but this is definitely one of my favourites. I highly recommend this whether you're already a Seanan McGuire fan or you're a fan-in-waiting. This is short fiction at its finest.

[Stefani Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

***I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley and Subterranean Press!***

As with all short story collections that I read, I prefer to review them by the story. Inevitably I will love some of them and not care for others and this collection was no different. I am a big fan of the author but some of these stories were a miss. I also noticed that there were some formatting issues with the ARC, which meant that sometimes I didn’t get the complete story. On the whole, this collection was a solid four stars with a lot more hits than misses.

Laughter at the Academy: 2 stars. I am not sure if it was the formatting issue or if the story was really supposed to be that disjointed. We got a little snippet of something “official” about the disorder in question, and then we would jump into a scene, right in the middle of a sentence. A scene that is totally unconnected from the previous scene. If that if how it was supposed to be, I didn’t like it. The snippets were good, but I never felt I got a full story.

Lost: 5 stars. This was a very short story but wow it packed a wallop. It was inventive and whimsical. It was riveting and profound. It was fantastic.

The Tolling of Pavlov’s Bells: 5 stars. This is probably one of the more twisted stories I’ve read in quite a long while. It carries very heavy themes in complacency as a species, being too convinced of our own individual superiority to listen to people superior in knowledge than us. The desire for things to be the same and to be easy than to listen to harsh lessons. It was profound and deeply, deeply twisted.

Uncle Sam: 2 stars. The formatting issue was present here too, the story started mid sentence and I could tell there was more to it that I didn’t get. I didn’t really like this one. The story was slightly interesting but I didn’t really invest in the narrative for some reason. It was a bit obvious where it was going and the political assumptions in it were rather annoying. For example, “well obviously, even though many people think X thing, we all know that Y is true.” Well no, Y isn’t objectively true in the real world. If it’s objectively true in this world then fine, or if it’s true to those people then fine, but telling me that it’s true without more context was annoying. The ending was obvious, which also was irritating.

Crystal Halloway and the Forgotten Passage: 3 stars. This story was okay. I would have liked a tiny bit more history on the story. I know it’s a short story but just thrusting someone into a fantasy world with no warning is a bit jarring, give me something to explain the things that are going on. The ending was good, I liked the conclusion a lot. Overall, it was fine but not as good as some of the others.

Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust: 4 stars. I love the land of Oz and stories about Dorothy’s adventures. This was definitely a darker story but I loved it. There wasn’t too much action, which disappointed me a little but the world introduced there was amazing.

Homecoming: 2 stars. I can honestly say I remember nothing about this story, even though I took notes. That says something I think.

Frontier ABCs: 4 stars. I can honestly say that I had no idea where this was going and it was a delightful little ride to find out.

We are all Misfit Toys in the Aftermath of the Velveteen War: 5 stars. Holy crap this story threw me for a loop. I had to take a break from the book for a day or two because it just sent me reeling. It’s something so profound that I could imagine happening in our world. I have often said, “How do you prepare the world for a child’s toy saying they don’t want to be turned off because they are scared of the dark?” I love the complexities offered to humanity by AI and this story explored that beautifully.

The Lambs: 2 stars. Another exploration of AI and its uses in humanity but there was a problem here. I just didn’t buy it. I did not buy that this would be a reasonable alternative to the way things are right now. As a parent, I can’t imagine anyone seeing the technology presented and thinking “Yes, that’s a good idea for handling unruly, bully children”. And so, I didn’t enjoy the story because I couldn’t buy the premise.

Each to Each: 4 stars. Not too much to say about this one in particular other than it was really great.

Bring About the Halloween Eternal: 5 stars. Part of good sci-fi is using new formats to tell a story. This one used the backdrop of a GoFundMe project to tell the story and I loved that idea. It was playful, unique and wonderfully constructed.

Office Memos: 4 stars. I really loved this one because it takes the form of a bunch of company emails to narrate the story. Having been on the receiving end of many such mundane office emails I found it thoroughly enjoyable.

Lady Antheia’s Guide to Horticultural Warfare: 3 stars. This one was okay. It had some formatting issues at the beginning, so I missed out on the beginning of the story. It was a solid story, I just didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as the others.

Driving Jenny Home: 5 stars. This particular story broke my heart. I cried all over my Nook. The sadness was palpable, the conclusion inevitable and all I could think at the end of it was “I’d do the same thing for the person I loved.”

There is no Place for Sorrow in the Kingdom of the Cold: 5 stars. I can honestly say I’ve never read a retelling of Pandora’s Box, so this was a first and it hit the nail on the head. I loved every word and wanted the story to be longer.

In Skeleton Leaves: 4 stars. Speaking of retellings, Peter Pan anyone? This was also wonderful. I felt so sad for the characters and the ending I did not see coming, though I probably should have I was just too wrapped up in Wendy’s narrative to see it.

Please Accept My Most Profound Apologies: 5 stars. I have to say, I really love stories that are narrated as a letter from the bad guy, explaining themselves to the unfortunate sap who finds their manuscript before the end of the world. This was great and made my heart race in anticipation.

Threnody for Little Girl, With Tuna, at the End of the World: 3 stars. This one was an interesting concept and I liked the backdrop of the Monterey Bay Aquarium since it’s also one of my favorite places on earth. But in the end it was a little bland.

From A to Z in the Book of Changes: 3 stars. I liked this one, but it was just too disjointed for me. It seemed like unconnected threads that never came together to form a whole.

#connollyhouse #weshouldntbehere: 5 stars. I said earlier I loved playing with new mediums, this was a horror story told through someone’s Twitter timeline. I really liked that idea but wasn’t sure how effective it would be. Oh my God was it effective. It literally made my jump and feel uneasy sitting in my living room and continuing reading. It was superb. Probably the best one in the book.

Down, Deep Down, Below the Waves: 4 stars. We ended the book with the formatting cutting off a page or so from the beginning of this final story. It was deliciously twisted and well told.

Read this and other reviews at Written Among the Stars

[Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a collection of short stories written by popular fantasy author Seanan McGuire. Some of the genres in this anthology include fantasy, horror, and steampunk.

I liked all the stories in this anthology. The story with the epidemic was very scary. I liked the story that was similar to Peter Pan, where the kids get to go on flying ships and stay young. Glad the author included different genres to fit everyone's tastes.

I received an ARC copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Brok3n · Rating 4 out of 5]

The scope of Seanan McGuire

Laughter at the Academy is a collection of 22 short stories by Seanan McGuire. This collection is not even close to comprehensive. She has published literally hundreds of short stories. Many of them she gives away for free on her website. The stories in Laughter at the Academy are distinguished from the hundreds of other stories she has written in that they are unattached. Most of her other stories belong in one of the other universes she has created for the several series she's written. Thus we have Incryptid stories, October Daye stories, Velveteteen stories, and many others.

The effect of putting together a book of unattached stories is that McGuire's creativity in all its gruesome and weird variety is exposed. The stories are not all good. In fact, some are dreadful, some are tedious, and some are dreary. But some are splendid, and there are some that you may hate, but you will find it hard to deny that they are spectacular art.

The collection reminds me in a way of the TV show "Monty Python's Flying Circus". Stay with me, here. When it appeared on TV it was unlike anything that had been seen before (or since, in my opinion). Sometimes it was great. More often it was simply dreadful. But if you want creative people to experiment and take risks, you have to budget for a lot of bad with the good.

I think my favorite stories in this collection were "Homecoming", "Office Memos", and "There is no Place for Sorrow in the Kingdom of the Cold". Homecoming reimagines Valhalla and Fólkvangr, the places where heroes go after death in Norse mythology. When she wishes McGuire can be very funny, and "Office Memos" shows it. As for "Kingdom of the Cold", well, I'm not too proud to admit that I can enjoy a good revenge fantasy. Then there is the splendidly titled "Threnody for Little Girl, with Tuna, at the End of the World". The story itself is rather dreary, but the title is so great that I forgive it. The worst story in my opinion is "Down, Deep Down, Below the Waves". It concerns four biology grad students at Harvard, and it is entirely clear that McGuire has not the slightest concept of what life is like for a grad student in the sciences at an elite university, what their concerns and priorities and interactions are.

In the Acknowledgments McGuire writes, "These are some of my best stories, and some of my favorite stories, and a few of my weirdest thrown in for good measure. It is the scope of me, and it’ll be a few years before we can do this again." That is truly an excellent summary. I give it four stars not because it is a book of perfect stories, but because it is a perfect book of stories by an extraordinary story-teller.

Blog review.

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an INCREDIBLE collection!
Seanan McGuire is one of the foremost practitioners of speculative fiction of our times. I may even claim her to be amongst one of the all-time greats. And this, her first collection of stories that shine and cut like diamonds, was simply outstanding.
Did I like each and every story? Nope. But I found so much of wealth in the dark humour, macabre, horror and wonder that those minor stuff got easily overlooked.
Thoughts about listing my favourites almost resembled rewriting the list of contents. So I would refrain from such an endeavour. Instead, I would suggest only one thing.
Read this book, if you like dark and speculative fiction. It would be one of the best reads that you have ever had.
The hardcover remained unattainable. Hence I consumed the e-book. But I do hope that in future a paperback version of this awesome collection would be released. That would be a treasure.
Highly recommended.

[Sam (she_who_reads_) · Rating 5 out of 5]

All killer, no filler

[Amy (Other Amy)]

2021 Advent Calendar

Here we go! After a false start with Enchanted Night (which turns out to be a novella rather than a collection; how did I miss that?), I have begun my short story Advent calendar. I will be reading a story a night (theoretically) and reviewing as I go, though I may give myself amnesty to finish the review the next day. Traditionally, these would be stories available online, but because I did no planning for this whatsoever until Karen inspired me to jump in yesterday, I will be reading out of collections and anthologies I already own. Goodness knows I have enough of them. I expect though that I will jump around a bit, so I will include the full list on each. (Perhaps not the reviews though. I don't know. I'm making this up on the fly!) (Then again, there are 22 stories right here... I'm sure this will be clearer tomorrow!)

12/1 (make up): "Laughter at the Academy" in Laughter at the Academy by Seanan McGuire. This is a reread for me, but I was pleasantly surprised that I had misremembered which of her stories had this title. I'm always here for a good villain. The world building in this one is a bit wonky for me; I have a hard time sometimes wrapping my mind around what exact sci-fi disaster we are walking into. But once settled, this one flows smooth and delicious. I had fun.

12/2: "Lost" in Laughter at the Academy by Seanan McGuire. Also a reread! But this one, in contrast, is clear and simple as a bell ringing out. I've read it about five times now over the past few years, and it breaks my heart cleanly every time. Love this story.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of good stories in here. It’s interesting reading short Seanan after so many of her long series.

[Chrystopher’s Archive · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a writer a have a complicated relationship with short stories. I struggle to write them, trying to figure out the exact slice of story to slice thin enough and in exactly the right place to actually be a story.

An interesting realization I had quite late in this fantastically, weirdly delightful collection is that McGuire likes to structure the story around characters who have already made the decisions that are the backbone of the plot, and the story is the slow reveal of those decisions and their consequences being revealed to the reader.

Every single one of these stories, whether they followed this pattern or not, whether I loved them or not (and there were only one or two that I didn't) made me think, and feel, and admire the skill with which they were written.

A+++ collection.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

I've been a skeptic of short stories, I'll admit. So when I needed to complete a full SFF anthology for an annual reading challenge, I was dreading it. I kept trying different options, quickly bailing on each one as the months rolled by. Maybe it's just me, but short stories often feel too academic or pretentious, relying on heavy symbolism that clashes with my extremely literal mentality. They bring me right back to those soul-sucking hours of AP Lit. *gags*

Anyway, that was my attitude going into this. I finally landed on this collection of short stories written by Seanan McGuire. I recently dabbled in her Wayward Children series, so I already knew I enjoyed her writing style. By chance, I came across a comment that mentioned she had a collection of short stories, and it was truly my salvation.

As is no doubt the case with all anthologies (though I wouldn't actually know, since I never read them...), there are some great stories, some mediocre stories, and in McGuire's case, some outright weird AF stories. Regardless of the plot or subject (or lack of either in some cases), each story still kept me on the edge with her narrative tone. I did rate each and every one of the 20 stories, but I figure for the 2 people who might see this review, you probably don't actually care. So here are some highlights...

My favorites were (in no particular order):
• Crystal Halloway and the Forgotten Passage McGuire has clearly proven she can deliver good portal fantasy stories with her Wayward Children series, and this short story captured that same magic she's mastered.
• We are all Misfit Toys in the Aftermath of the Velveteen War Probably my favorite if I had to choose. It was near perfection for me. I will never sleep in a room of dolls again, which means I can no longer stay at my in-laws' house. Darn.
• Please Accept My Most Profound Apologies for What is About to Happen (But You Started It) McGuire excels at writing stories about the bullied kids enacting their revenge on their persecutors. I wasn't personally bullied, but I'm a sucker for some righteous justice. It was easy for me to love this one and another story, The Lambs , which had a similar theme.
• Bring about the Halloween eternal!!! This was one of hers that she originally wrote for another anthology called Help Fund my Robot Army!!! & Other Improbable Crowdfunding Projects, a collection where all of the SFF short stories are written in the form of Kickstarter campaigns. I know she didn't come up with the style idea, but I was so entertained by the premise that I immediately got myself a copy of that anthology to read. Voluntarily. That's an accomplishment if there ever was one!

Only two stories that I actively disliked:
Homecoming A weird purgatory where heroes and martyrs play in a homecoming football game? Boring.
Driving Jenny Home A sad emo story about a girl who is haunted by her girlfriend's ghost for a year after a tragic car accident. Coincidentally, the accident was on the evening of homecoming. Maybe I just have unresolved bitterness?

Now, I tried to do a mathematical approach to rating the whole anthology by rating each story, multiplying it by the number of respective pages, and then calculating a weighted average. But the final rating calculation didn't really feel like an accurate representation. Sometimes, math can't solve my feelings. So this gets a 4 from me. I really enjoyed it. It gave me hope that I might develop a healthy respect for short stories. I'd recommend it to anyone who already enjoys SFF short stories and/or anyone who already has a healthy appreciation of McGuire's other work.

TL;DR

5.0 —One of the best I've ever read. Will be burned into my brain. Couldn't care less about weaknesses (if any). Would recommend to everyone and their mother.
4.5 —Loved this read. Will remember it fondly. Few weaknesses. Would recommend to anyone.
▌4.0 —Enjoyed this read. Will remember it fondly. Minor weaknesses. Would recommend to fans of the genre.
3.5 —Somewhat enjoyed this read. Might be memorable. Notable weaknesses. Would recommend to fans of the genre.
3.0 —Somewhat enjoyed this read. Not very memorable. Notable weaknesses. Would recommend to people who like similar books.
2.5 —Neutral or Underwhelming read. Not very memorable. Significant weaknesses. Would recommend to people who like similar books.
2.0 —Underwhelming or unenjoyable read. Not very memorable or memorable for the wrong reasons. Significant weaknesses. Might recommend to people who like similar books.
1.5 —Unenjoyable read. Not very memorable or memorable for bad reasons. Major weaknesses. Probably wouldn't recommend.
1.0 —I wish I never wasted minutes of my life on this trash. I would go out of my way to convince others not to read it.

[Dev · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was worried that I would have already read a lot of these but I had actually only read a few so there was a lot of great new [to me] content here! There's a really good mix both in terms of length of story and subject matter that hits on many of what long time readers will recognize as Seanan's favorite subjects. If you're a fan of her writing then this is a must-read and if you haven't read much of her stuff or maybe only know her from Wayward Children then this is a great way to get a good feel for which other books of hers you might want to read.

Here's a breakdown of stories that are in this book, and whether I had read them before or not.

ALREADY READ [6]: Lady Antheia’s Guide to Horticultural Warfare, Each to Each, Homecoming, #connollyhouse #weshouldntbehere, The Tolling of Pavlov’s Bells, Crystal Halloway and the Forgotten Passage

NEW TO ME [13]: Laughter at the Academy, Lost, Uncle Sam, Frontier ABCs, We Are All Misfit Toys in the Aftermath of the Velveteen War, The Lambs, Bring About the Halloween Eternal!!!, Driving Jenny Home, There Is No Place for Sorrow in the Kingdom of the Cold, Please Accept My Most Profound Apologies for What Is About to Happen, Threnody for Little Girl, From A to Z in the Book of Changes, Down, Deep Down, Below the Waves

DID NOT READ [1]: Emeralds to Emeralds, Dust to Dust
DID NOT FINISH [2]: Office Memos, In Skeleton Leaves,

The one I didn't read is because I know that even Seanan can't make me care about the Wizard of Oz and the Office one was just boring and the Skeleton Leaves one was a Peter Pan retelling which are always very hit or miss for me.

[LauSo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the stories bored me to death, others completely stole my heart and ran away with it. Specially her two Peter Pan sort of retelling/reinterpretation (Lost and In skeleton leaves), her sort of Velveteen Rabbit inspired short story called The Velveteen War, and Crystal Halloway and the forgotten passage. Crystal Halloway and the forgotten passage is so bittersweet to read and the author said, and I agree with them, is also a sort of founding story for what her Wayward children came to be. It also reminded me a little bit of her fourth book in that series, which is actually my fav.
I really enjoyed reading this short stories collection, and I'm really glad I picked it up.