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Wild Cards #31
Pairing Up
Superheroes and villains do battle over the human heart in this delightful anthology featuring all-new stories from a wide range of contributors, all set in the Wild Cards universe, where an alien virus mutates some and grants superpowers to others, created by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Game of Thrones .
An alien virus ravages the world, its results as random as a hand of cards. Those infected either draw the black queen and die, draw an ace and receive superpowers, or draw the joker and are bizarrely mutated.
Nevertheless, human nature reigns supreme. And one of the most enduring human drives is the search for love. Aces and jokers alike both want to find it, or have lost it . . . or perhaps just want to use it for personal gain. Crazy, unconventional, touching, strange, and oh-so-familiar, this is love, Wild Cards-style.
Within these
• A jewel thief seduces a popular actor just so she can track down a long-lost treasure.
• A teenager trapped in the body of a giant snail attempts to win his love à la Cyrano de Bergerac.
• A man discovers his purpose in life after meeting a beautiful butterfly woman.
• A young hero who has been awarded the hideous name of Hero McHeroface finds some solace in the arms of an astrologer hiding her own unique powers.
Pairing Up is the Wild Cards take on love—finding it, seeking it, losing it, or achieving it—as aces and jokers enter into the highest stake game of gambling on their heart's desire.
Featuring stories
Kevin Andrew Murphy • Christopher Rowe • Marko Kloos • Melinda M. Snodgrass • Bradley Denton • Walton Simons • Peter Newman • Gwenda Bond • David Anthony Durham • Edited by George R. R. Martin
An alien virus ravages the world, its results as random as a hand of cards. Those infected either draw the black queen and die, draw an ace and receive superpowers, or draw the joker and are bizarrely mutated.
Nevertheless, human nature reigns supreme. And one of the most enduring human drives is the search for love. Aces and jokers alike both want to find it, or have lost it . . . or perhaps just want to use it for personal gain. Crazy, unconventional, touching, strange, and oh-so-familiar, this is love, Wild Cards-style.
Within these
• A jewel thief seduces a popular actor just so she can track down a long-lost treasure.
• A teenager trapped in the body of a giant snail attempts to win his love à la Cyrano de Bergerac.
• A man discovers his purpose in life after meeting a beautiful butterfly woman.
• A young hero who has been awarded the hideous name of Hero McHeroface finds some solace in the arms of an astrologer hiding her own unique powers.
Pairing Up is the Wild Cards take on love—finding it, seeking it, losing it, or achieving it—as aces and jokers enter into the highest stake game of gambling on their heart's desire.
Featuring stories
Kevin Andrew Murphy • Christopher Rowe • Marko Kloos • Melinda M. Snodgrass • Bradley Denton • Walton Simons • Peter Newman • Gwenda Bond • David Anthony Durham • Edited by George R. R. Martin
433 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 11, 2023
26 people are currently reading
4581 people want to read
About the author
George R.R. Martin
1,509 books119k followersGeorge Raymond Richard "R.R." Martin was born September 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey. His father was Raymond Collins Martin, a longshoreman, and his mother was Margaret Brady Martin. He has two sisters, Darleen Martin Lapinski and Janet Martin Patten.
Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies, dramatic readings included. Later he became a comic book fan and collector in high school, and began to write fiction for comic fanzines (amateur fan magazines). Martin's first professional sale was made in 1970 at age 21: The Hero, sold to Galaxy, published in February, 1971 issue. Other sales followed.
In 1970 Martin received a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, graduating summa cum laude. He went on to complete a M.S. in Journalism in 1971, also from Northwestern.
As a conscientious objector, Martin did alternative service 1972-1974 with VISTA, attached to Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation. He also directed chess tournaments for the Continental Chess Association from 1973-1976, and was a Journalism instructor at Clarke College, Dubuque, Iowa, from 1976-1978. He wrote part-time throughout the 1970s while working as a VISTA Volunteer, chess director, and teacher.
In 1975 he married Gale Burnick. They divorced in 1979, with no children. Martin became a full-time writer in 1979. He was writer-in-residence at Clarke College from 1978-79.
Moving on to Hollywood, Martin signed on as a story editor for Twilight Zone at CBS Television in 1986. In 1987 Martin became an Executive Story Consultant for Beauty and the Beast at CBS. In 1988 he became a Producer for Beauty and the Beast, then in 1989 moved up to Co-Supervising Producer. He was Executive Producer for Doorways, a pilot which he wrote for Columbia Pictures Television, which was filmed during 1992-93.
Martin's present home is Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (he was South-Central Regional Director 1977-1979, and Vice President 1996-1998), and of Writers' Guild of America, West.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/george...
Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies, dramatic readings included. Later he became a comic book fan and collector in high school, and began to write fiction for comic fanzines (amateur fan magazines). Martin's first professional sale was made in 1970 at age 21: The Hero, sold to Galaxy, published in February, 1971 issue. Other sales followed.
In 1970 Martin received a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, graduating summa cum laude. He went on to complete a M.S. in Journalism in 1971, also from Northwestern.
As a conscientious objector, Martin did alternative service 1972-1974 with VISTA, attached to Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation. He also directed chess tournaments for the Continental Chess Association from 1973-1976, and was a Journalism instructor at Clarke College, Dubuque, Iowa, from 1976-1978. He wrote part-time throughout the 1970s while working as a VISTA Volunteer, chess director, and teacher.
In 1975 he married Gale Burnick. They divorced in 1979, with no children. Martin became a full-time writer in 1979. He was writer-in-residence at Clarke College from 1978-79.
Moving on to Hollywood, Martin signed on as a story editor for Twilight Zone at CBS Television in 1986. In 1987 Martin became an Executive Story Consultant for Beauty and the Beast at CBS. In 1988 he became a Producer for Beauty and the Beast, then in 1989 moved up to Co-Supervising Producer. He was Executive Producer for Doorways, a pilot which he wrote for Columbia Pictures Television, which was filmed during 1992-93.
Martin's present home is Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (he was South-Central Regional Director 1977-1979, and Vice President 1996-1998), and of Writers' Guild of America, West.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/george...
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
June 20, 2024
An actual Wild Cards anthology, as opposed to the normal 'mosaic novel' format. Each of the eight stories focuses on a romantic entanglement.
There are a couple of high points and no really atrocious stories but overall I found it to be a pretty mediocre set. Not one of the better Wild Cards volumes.
------------------------------
Trudy of the Apes
A jewel thief who can teleport small objects recruits Golden Boy to help her find lost treasure in 1950s Mexico.
To my surprise I found this one to be pretty dull, up until the banger of an ending. 3 stars
------------------------------
Cyrano d'Escargot
14yo genius Theodorus Witherspoon (the snail kid from Joker Moon) hires an actor to woo 27yo Peregrine on his behalf in the manner of Cyrano de Bergerac.
This was sweeter and funnier than I expected. And also creepy, as it involves the catfishing of a decent innocent who already has legitimate trust issues. But the story handles that with grace. 5 stars for the strong ending.
------------------------------
In the Forests of the Night
Professional tigerman bodyguard Khan (of Low Chicago) meets a woman (who turns out to be Jiniri of Three Kings) on an Amazon safari.
An absorbing, action packed entry in an interesting setting. 4 stars
------------------------------
The Wounded Heart
Fort Freak's Detective Black is a hero post-Kazakhstan and dating a hot but flighty, semi-famous actress ace. He's also wracked with PTSD and survivor's guilt and self-destructing at mach five. Fellow detective and greyhound joker-ace Rikki tries to put him back together again.
Interesting when it touches on Black's trauma. But the case that kicks some sense into him reeks of cop show episode-of-the-week. 3 stars
------------------------------
Echoes from a Canyon Wall
Interesting. The SCARE agency has been weaponized by the new president--the crimey, fascistic, stupid, belligerent real estate magnate Duncan J Towers--as his own personal brownshirts. SCARE sends an agent (new character Scorpion) to take Bubbles' little brother hostage and Committee deuce Ink is sent to protect him. Because this is the Wild Cards Valentines anthology, sparks fly.
The three-POV format is handled reasonably well and I enjoyed the introduction of a couple new aces to the universe. The plotting leans on weak contrivances to set up the faceoff. 3 stars
------------------------------
The Long Goodbye
Set during the time travel events of Low Chicago. In the brief period they have before he has to return to 2017, Jerry Strauss has an intense, doomed affair with Irina.
That's it, that's the story. The setting--a 1913 movie studio piloted by our 21st century time travelers--was the real star. 3 stars
------------------------------
What's Your Sign?
Two celebrity aces (new characters Hero McHeroface (really) and Stargaze) fake-dating for charity are driven to true love thanks in part to the intrusion of an ace stalker ().
By far the most syrupy story in the book. I felt like Fred Savage in The Princess Bride: "Eugh, they're kissing again. Skip to the Fire Swamp, that sounded good." 3 reluctant stars
------------------------------
The Wolf and the Butterfly
Two of the teen wildcards from Texas Hold'em reconnect in college in Reno. A red hatted group called the Tenth Pillar (think ProudBoys) uses a rage-fomenting ace power to turn tolerance rallies into riots.
A nice enough little story about a kid coming to terms with who he is; a look at how isolation and loneliness might make one susceptible to extremist indoctrination; and a comment on the current political climate. 4 stars
------------------------------
There are a couple of high points and no really atrocious stories but overall I found it to be a pretty mediocre set. Not one of the better Wild Cards volumes.
------------------------------
Trudy of the Apes
A jewel thief who can teleport small objects recruits Golden Boy to help her find lost treasure in 1950s Mexico.
To my surprise I found this one to be pretty dull, up until the banger of an ending. 3 stars
------------------------------
Cyrano d'Escargot
14yo genius Theodorus Witherspoon (the snail kid from Joker Moon) hires an actor to woo 27yo Peregrine on his behalf in the manner of Cyrano de Bergerac.
This was sweeter and funnier than I expected. And also creepy, as it involves the catfishing of a decent innocent who already has legitimate trust issues. But the story handles that with grace. 5 stars for the strong ending.
------------------------------
In the Forests of the Night
Professional tigerman bodyguard Khan (of Low Chicago) meets a woman (who turns out to be Jiniri of Three Kings) on an Amazon safari.
An absorbing, action packed entry in an interesting setting. 4 stars
------------------------------
The Wounded Heart
Fort Freak's Detective Black is a hero post-Kazakhstan and dating a hot but flighty, semi-famous actress ace. He's also wracked with PTSD and survivor's guilt and self-destructing at mach five. Fellow detective and greyhound joker-ace Rikki tries to put him back together again.
Interesting when it touches on Black's trauma. But the case that kicks some sense into him reeks of cop show episode-of-the-week. 3 stars
------------------------------
Echoes from a Canyon Wall
Interesting. The SCARE agency has been weaponized by the new president--the crimey, fascistic, stupid, belligerent real estate magnate Duncan J Towers--as his own personal brownshirts. SCARE sends an agent (new character Scorpion) to take Bubbles' little brother hostage and Committee deuce Ink is sent to protect him. Because this is the Wild Cards Valentines anthology, sparks fly.
The three-POV format is handled reasonably well and I enjoyed the introduction of a couple new aces to the universe. The plotting leans on weak contrivances to set up the faceoff. 3 stars
------------------------------
The Long Goodbye
Set during the time travel events of Low Chicago. In the brief period they have before he has to return to 2017, Jerry Strauss has an intense, doomed affair with Irina.
That's it, that's the story. The setting--a 1913 movie studio piloted by our 21st century time travelers--was the real star. 3 stars
------------------------------
What's Your Sign?
Two celebrity aces (new characters Hero McHeroface (really) and Stargaze) fake-dating for charity are driven to true love thanks in part to the intrusion of an ace stalker ().
By far the most syrupy story in the book. I felt like Fred Savage in The Princess Bride: "Eugh, they're kissing again. Skip to the Fire Swamp, that sounded good." 3 reluctant stars
------------------------------
The Wolf and the Butterfly
Two of the teen wildcards from Texas Hold'em reconnect in college in Reno. A red hatted group called the Tenth Pillar (think ProudBoys) uses a rage-fomenting ace power to turn tolerance rallies into riots.
A nice enough little story about a kid coming to terms with who he is; a look at how isolation and loneliness might make one susceptible to extremist indoctrination; and a comment on the current political climate. 4 stars
------------------------------
February 17, 2024
As an anthology, I only dislike one of the collection. Good way to revisit this fictional world.
February 25, 2024
This is an anthology of eight original stories set in the Wild Cards universe, unified with the theme of love, lust, or romance. Trudy of the Apes by Kevin Andrew Murphy is set in Mexico in 1957, where Golden Boy is starring in a Tarzan film. It's a cute caper about treasure hunting but leaves a few too many loose ends. Cyrano d'Escargot by Christopher Rowe is set in 1981 and is a humorous (if a little predictable) retelling of the Cyrano tale with a giant genius snail boy overly fixating on Peregrine. In the Forests of the Night by Marko Kloos is set in 2010 and is a story that revisits the Chicago crime arc with sex, violence, and drug running, featuring Khan and Maryam. The Wounded Heart by Melinda Snodgrass is set in 2013 and checks in on the Fort Freak crew; it's a funny, happy tale with a Lovecraftian triangle. My favorite story is Echoes from a Canyon Wall by Bradley Denton, set in 2019 at the Grand Canyon. This story is illustrated on the book's cover and follows the adventures of Juliet Ivy and Amazing Bubbles' younger brother, Freddie. It could have been an offensive or distasteful story but is very deftly and carefully written and ends up being quite touching. The Long Goodbye by Walton Simons is the shortest piece in the book; it opens in 2020 but mostly takes place in Chicago in 1913 thanks to the time-travel arc from the Chicago crime arc. It's okay, not a lot happens, it's kind of a bittersweet thing. The longest story is What's Your Sign? by Gwenda Bond and Peter Newman. I really liked it. It's very predictable and trite and a summary of it would also describe any number of Hallmark Channel films, but it's really sweet and poignant and funny and extremely well-written. The final story is The Wolf and the Butterfly by David Anthony Durham, set in Reno in 2023. It's a political or social exploration or metaphor centering around a young man with a Steppenwolf kind of ace and Adesina, the adopted daughter of Bubbles. It revisits the Texas-band-show arc from a few years back and has several new and delightful characters. Altogether another fun, fine, memorable volume, still fresh even though it's almost eighty years since the virus landed. And I still haven't seen The Jolson Story.
May 23, 2023
Wild Cards: Pairing Up, edited by George R.R. Martin, will be published on July 11, 2023. Bantam Books provided an early galley for review.
I have been on-board with the Wild Cards anthology since its debut in 1987 (when I was in my final year of college). Stories set in an ever-growing super-hero world always interested me. It is so nice to see this series continue into its thirty-sixth year and its thirty-first volume. But for those who this might be their first encounter with the franchise, no worries. There is a two-page introduction at the start to get you up to speed.
The eight short stories in the collection do share a unique theme - one involving pairings. But they each stand on their own as the move through the timeline of the Wild Cards history. I have a thing for actors and Hollywood, so "Trudy of the Apes" by Murphy and "The Long Goodbye" by Simons both posed an interesting alure with characters I had read about previously. "What's Your Sign" by Bond and Newman is also a sweet tale about a couple of aces coming together in a most unexpected way. And there was something so universal with Rowe's "Cyrano d'Escargot" which takes a unique twist to a familiar scenario.
All in all, a strong collection of tales about finding love among those with powers.
I have been on-board with the Wild Cards anthology since its debut in 1987 (when I was in my final year of college). Stories set in an ever-growing super-hero world always interested me. It is so nice to see this series continue into its thirty-sixth year and its thirty-first volume. But for those who this might be their first encounter with the franchise, no worries. There is a two-page introduction at the start to get you up to speed.
The eight short stories in the collection do share a unique theme - one involving pairings. But they each stand on their own as the move through the timeline of the Wild Cards history. I have a thing for actors and Hollywood, so "Trudy of the Apes" by Murphy and "The Long Goodbye" by Simons both posed an interesting alure with characters I had read about previously. "What's Your Sign" by Bond and Newman is also a sweet tale about a couple of aces coming together in a most unexpected way. And there was something so universal with Rowe's "Cyrano d'Escargot" which takes a unique twist to a familiar scenario.
All in all, a strong collection of tales about finding love among those with powers.
April 24, 2023
This new anthology comes in at 400+ pages, so there is a lot to read. There are 8 stories set in the Wild Cards universe with a range of characters including a jewel thief and a giant snail. Relationships between characters is the connection between the stories. I enjoyed all the stories but ‘In the Forests of the Night’ was my favorite because of the pacing, story, action, adventure and ending. I received an Advanced Uncorrected Proof thru Goodreads Giveaways. Thank you.
June 6, 2024
Wild Cards: Pairing Up is an anthology, and not a mosaic novel.
What this means is that the stories follow a general theme, but do not connect with each other in any way. I prefer the Wild Card mosaic novels. I especially enjoy the mosaic novel series that follow diverse casts over grand arcs.
Pairing Up has a romance theme. I saw another person describe it as "Valentine's Day Wild Cards." This is accurate. All of the stories feature hetero romances, and several of them are meet-cutes with insta-love.
I don't like the romance genre, no matter who's doing it. And I especially dislike meet-cutes and insta-love.
Wild Cards: Pairing Up is not for me.
If that was the only issue, I'd rate it with three stars. So why two stars?
Two reasons:
1. Most of the stories feature established characters from previous plot arcs. Characters from Joker Moon, Texas Hold 'Em, and Low Chicago appear, among others. There's no backstory for any of these stories. No reminder of what came before. I struggled to remember content that I read more than two years ago. If you've never read a Wild Cards novel, don't start with this one.
2. The stories are sloppier than usual. Quality of writing and content always varies in Wild Card novels, but it's worse in this one. The first story especially does not explain the main character's ability well. Overall, it feels like a rough draft that snuck past the editor. The other stories are better- but some of them not by much.
I'd recommend passing on Wild Cards: Pairing Up unless you're a stubborn completist like me.
What this means is that the stories follow a general theme, but do not connect with each other in any way. I prefer the Wild Card mosaic novels. I especially enjoy the mosaic novel series that follow diverse casts over grand arcs.
Pairing Up has a romance theme. I saw another person describe it as "Valentine's Day Wild Cards." This is accurate. All of the stories feature hetero romances, and several of them are meet-cutes with insta-love.
I don't like the romance genre, no matter who's doing it. And I especially dislike meet-cutes and insta-love.
Wild Cards: Pairing Up is not for me.
If that was the only issue, I'd rate it with three stars. So why two stars?
Two reasons:
1. Most of the stories feature established characters from previous plot arcs. Characters from Joker Moon, Texas Hold 'Em, and Low Chicago appear, among others. There's no backstory for any of these stories. No reminder of what came before. I struggled to remember content that I read more than two years ago. If you've never read a Wild Cards novel, don't start with this one.
2. The stories are sloppier than usual. Quality of writing and content always varies in Wild Card novels, but it's worse in this one. The first story especially does not explain the main character's ability well. Overall, it feels like a rough draft that snuck past the editor. The other stories are better- but some of them not by much.
I'd recommend passing on Wild Cards: Pairing Up unless you're a stubborn completist like me.
April 17, 2023
Decided to rate each of the 8 stories individually and average them . it came to about 4 stars, which feels about right for this collection. Overall I really enjoyed it, but some stories definitely shone more than others. I'll keep each one short so this isn't ridiculously long.
Trudy of the Apes - 3
I liked this one fine, but it was a little boring for a jewel heist story.
Cyrano d'Escargo - 4.25
The writing was a lot better than the first story, imo and I liked the characters a lot more.
In the Forests of the Night - 3.5
I loved the characters in this and I liked the idea of the story but execution fell a bit flat for me personally
The Wounded Heart - 3
This one was fine. Story was good and I liked it but it's just not very memorable
Echoes from a Canyon Wall - 4.5
Would be 5 stars but age gaps where one person is 18 and the other is nearly 30 are icky. Even if the older one is the woman.
The Long Goodbye - 5
This one was really solid and I enjoyed reading it. Honestly, it is probably a low 5, but I don't think it's a 4.75 either, so 5 it is
What's Your Sign - 5
My favorite one out of the collection and also the longest (though I loved reading it so much it definitely didn't feel like the longest)
The Wolf and the Butterfly - 4.5
I wish it was longer cause it's so good and I felt like if we had more time with the characters, this could easily have been my favorite.
Trudy of the Apes - 3
I liked this one fine, but it was a little boring for a jewel heist story.
Cyrano d'Escargo - 4.25
The writing was a lot better than the first story, imo and I liked the characters a lot more.
In the Forests of the Night - 3.5
I loved the characters in this and I liked the idea of the story but execution fell a bit flat for me personally
The Wounded Heart - 3
This one was fine. Story was good and I liked it but it's just not very memorable
Echoes from a Canyon Wall - 4.5
Would be 5 stars but age gaps where one person is 18 and the other is nearly 30 are icky. Even if the older one is the woman.
The Long Goodbye - 5
This one was really solid and I enjoyed reading it. Honestly, it is probably a low 5, but I don't think it's a 4.75 either, so 5 it is
What's Your Sign - 5
My favorite one out of the collection and also the longest (though I loved reading it so much it definitely didn't feel like the longest)
The Wolf and the Butterfly - 4.5
I wish it was longer cause it's so good and I felt like if we had more time with the characters, this could easily have been my favorite.
September 18, 2025
Stories about romance between wild cards. i enjoyed visiting with some characters I already knew and meeting some new ones. This is maybe the first Wild Card book I would call "cozy," even though there's a fair amount of intrigue and fighting. Easy and fun read.
July 10, 2023
No spoilers in this review. I received an advanced copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway, yes people do actually win. This book was my introduction to George R.R
Martin's "Wild Vards" book series, and won't be my last. The storeis in this anthology keep the readers interest and fro those of us who are new to the series explains the "Wild Cards" universe sufficiently to enjoy the stories. I really enjoyed the book and will go and start the series from the beginning. This book is good for the new reader to the series being the stores are short enough for the reader to decide if the series is for them. I highly recommend this book.
Martin's "Wild Vards" book series, and won't be my last. The storeis in this anthology keep the readers interest and fro those of us who are new to the series explains the "Wild Cards" universe sufficiently to enjoy the stories. I really enjoyed the book and will go and start the series from the beginning. This book is good for the new reader to the series being the stores are short enough for the reader to decide if the series is for them. I highly recommend this book.
July 10, 2023
George R. R. Martin Presents Wild Cards: Pairing Up: An Anthology
George R.R. Martin (Editor), Melinda M Snodgrass (Contributor) Kevin Andrew Murphy (Contributor), Marko Kloos (Contributor), Bradley Denton (Contributor) , Peter Newman
(Contributor), Gwenda Bond (Contributor), David Anthony Durham (Contributor) Christopher Rowe (Contributor)
448 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication July 11, 2023
This edition
Format
448 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication
July 11, 2023 by Bantam
ISBN
9780593357866 (ISBN10: 0593357868)
Language
English
1957: Trudy of the Apes by Kevin Andrew Murphy
The story of movie stars, and golden heroes. It's a remarkable story showing the history and connection between movies and wild cards. I loved the multiple connections to historic golden day film stars and movies of the day. The connections to Mexican mythology with the wild cards makes the story multilayered. I think Trudy Pirandello is a great character with many more stories to come I hope.
1981: Cyrano D’Escargot By Christopher Rowe
This story has a connection to the Cyrano romantic character. The Wild Card twist shows the nature of acceptance of those afflicted by the wild cards virus. With many references to authors, and film stars the story shows how the burgeoning 80’s society allows technology to help and hinder those afflicted by the virus.
2010: in the Forests of night by Marko Kloos
Khan has an adventure in South America that may shape the future of the Wild Cards epidemic. It shows the nature of blessing and damnation that the virus brings to its victims.
2013: the wounded heart by Melinda Snodgrass
The aftermath of battle is the hardest struggle. We place high expectations on heroes, that they can face overwhelming odds and circumstances and come home whole and sane. Even in the world of wild cards heroes pay a cost for their heroics. Great nostalgic story of past wild card events.
2019: Echoes from a Canyon wall by Bradley Denton
Learning to accept yourself is a hard thing. Learning to accept your Wild Card, a whole different matter. From the outside view of the struggle and the inner monologue this story shows the levels of acceptance.
2020: The Long Goodbye By Walton Simons
A look at the beginning of the film age. We see two of our beloved characters interact with the glitz and glitter of silent film. A nostalgic story showing the historical nature of Wild cards, how it creates a connection between Era and genre. A wonderfully sentimental story of connection between love and grief.
2021: What's your Sign?Gwenda Bond and Peter Newman
A sweet introduction of Two new wild cards. The originality of the series I'd remarkable. This new set of characters is a whole new line of thought. A great introduction to new life in the series. The use of modern media fundraising is a new concept too. This series always grows with new concepts.
2023: the wolf and the butterfly David Anthony Durham
Great new character and love interest for a beloved character. The coming of age of one of our childhood wild cards.
I am continually amazed at the creativity of the authors. This new twist on wildcards powers is significantly fresh and new. I hope to see the character's development.
George R.R. Martin (Editor), Melinda M Snodgrass (Contributor) Kevin Andrew Murphy (Contributor), Marko Kloos (Contributor), Bradley Denton (Contributor) , Peter Newman
(Contributor), Gwenda Bond (Contributor), David Anthony Durham (Contributor) Christopher Rowe (Contributor)
448 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication July 11, 2023
This edition
Format
448 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication
July 11, 2023 by Bantam
ISBN
9780593357866 (ISBN10: 0593357868)
Language
English
1957: Trudy of the Apes by Kevin Andrew Murphy
The story of movie stars, and golden heroes. It's a remarkable story showing the history and connection between movies and wild cards. I loved the multiple connections to historic golden day film stars and movies of the day. The connections to Mexican mythology with the wild cards makes the story multilayered. I think Trudy Pirandello is a great character with many more stories to come I hope.
1981: Cyrano D’Escargot By Christopher Rowe
This story has a connection to the Cyrano romantic character. The Wild Card twist shows the nature of acceptance of those afflicted by the wild cards virus. With many references to authors, and film stars the story shows how the burgeoning 80’s society allows technology to help and hinder those afflicted by the virus.
2010: in the Forests of night by Marko Kloos
Khan has an adventure in South America that may shape the future of the Wild Cards epidemic. It shows the nature of blessing and damnation that the virus brings to its victims.
2013: the wounded heart by Melinda Snodgrass
The aftermath of battle is the hardest struggle. We place high expectations on heroes, that they can face overwhelming odds and circumstances and come home whole and sane. Even in the world of wild cards heroes pay a cost for their heroics. Great nostalgic story of past wild card events.
2019: Echoes from a Canyon wall by Bradley Denton
Learning to accept yourself is a hard thing. Learning to accept your Wild Card, a whole different matter. From the outside view of the struggle and the inner monologue this story shows the levels of acceptance.
2020: The Long Goodbye By Walton Simons
A look at the beginning of the film age. We see two of our beloved characters interact with the glitz and glitter of silent film. A nostalgic story showing the historical nature of Wild cards, how it creates a connection between Era and genre. A wonderfully sentimental story of connection between love and grief.
2021: What's your Sign?Gwenda Bond and Peter Newman
A sweet introduction of Two new wild cards. The originality of the series I'd remarkable. This new set of characters is a whole new line of thought. A great introduction to new life in the series. The use of modern media fundraising is a new concept too. This series always grows with new concepts.
2023: the wolf and the butterfly David Anthony Durham
Great new character and love interest for a beloved character. The coming of age of one of our childhood wild cards.
I am continually amazed at the creativity of the authors. This new twist on wildcards powers is significantly fresh and new. I hope to see the character's development.
Read
February 14, 2024A new Wild Cards book I'd completely forgotten was coming out until I saw it in the library. There's no grand story running through this one, let alone forming part of a multi-book sub-series, just a theme of love and lust, which is pretty fucking loose (puns somewhat intended) when, even before other superhero worlds got less uptight, Wild Cards' superhumans were never exactly shy on that front. If anything, this feels a little tamer than usual; you can justify it sticking to coupling, rather than anything more baroque, with the link to the title's obligatory cards-related phrase, but that doesn't explain why all the lead pairings here are straight. Still, the lack of a big arc, the discrete stories taking in various times and places, mean that to some extent this could make a pretty good introductory sampler; you don't need to know what Theodorus Witherspoon will do in later life to appreciate a story about a teenage giant snail trying the Cyrano approach to romancing a winged supermodel, or be familiar with any of the players to get the heart of a tale about a half-tiger bodyguard unsure what instincts to trust. The big exception is co-editor Melinda Snodgrass' The Wounded Heart, which ostensibly includes all of the information you need about why cop Franny Black has PTSD and why his new relationship with actress Abigail Baker might not be the best idea, but where I suspect if you weren't already there for the previous stories and invested in their histories, this moving epilogue might be more of a gruelling epi-slog. True, you could argue something similar of Echoes From A Canyon Wall, which ties in to enough moving parts from continuity that I'd forgotten half of them, but while the stories are both good about unostentatious reminders, it's more the mood (romantic thriller) and intuitive stakes (that would be a spoiler) which make the difference. The longest story, What's Your Sign? by Gwenda Bond and Peter Newman, checks in on the franchise's recently established UK outpost, and unlike some of the entries in recent books, does feel very recognisably British. Perhaps that's part of why a central metaphor that could have been unforgivably corny (Stuart's power is fuelled by people's belief in him - but he doesn't believe in himself!), and a familiar fanfic plot (it's a fake relationship for the cameras - but then they start to like each other for real!) nevertheless combine to produce something genuinely moving.
June 6, 2023
I have not read any other books in the Wild Cards series, so some of my critiques might not be justified/valid
Trudy of the Apes (3)
Cyrano d’Escargot (4)
In the Forests of the Night (4)
The Wounded Heart (3)
Echoes from a Canyon Wall (3)
The Long Goodbye (3)
What’s Your Sign? (4)
The Wolf and the Butterfly (4)
Trudy of the Apes (3)
*Just didn’t make a whole lot of sense. What was she going to do with that treasure? How was she going to convert it to money? She can easily pickpocket. Why not use some of the diamonds she already has and live in luxury?
*Not really a love story or a great conclusion/ending
Cyrano d’Escargot (4)
*Should have had a better answer to “Why do you want to do this?” than a line from Shakespeare’s Henry the Sixth – “Because she’s beautiful and therefore to be wooed; she is a woman, therefore to be won.” (offensive)
*I wanted Trevor to end up with Peregrine
*Theodorus Witherspoon – alludes to him being someone extraordinary when he grows up, but never tells what he grew up to be
*Liked Mr. Bomar’s speech
In the Forests of the Night (4)
*Decent. Okay. I don’t know why Khan and Maryam had to fight if Khan’s boss wasn’t the main target. The fight just seemed unnecessary, especially because they made up right away.
The Wounded Heart (3)
*Captain Harvey Kant a joker = definitely a Batman reference
*Confusing about what exactly happened in Kazakhstan.
*Not a great ending. Could have had a 6 months later and Franny and Rikki together then
Echoes from a Canyon Wall (3)
*Who thought of this?
*At the end, Freddie blames himself. You can’t really blame Freddie. He had NO IDEA.
*Freddie should not love Juliet more than Michelle or Adesina
*Again, not really a romance story. Just a dysfunctional love triangle
The Long Goodbye (3)
*Enjoyed that Irina named her son Jerry (nice tie together)
*I do not understand the point of going back in time and just plagiarizing other people’s films and not even being remembered for those films
*Also, how did they keep the people who worked for them from preserving some of those films or the memories of those films, which could alter the future?
What’s Your Sign? (4)
*Reachers - ?
*Pygmalion = too flat + kind of obvious
*Ending = a bit rushed, cliche, boring
The Wolf and the Butterfly (4)
*Thought Loulou was pretty obvious
*Was not expecting the wolf to eat trauma
August 19, 2025
I can't remember the last time I read a WILD CARDS book this fast. This was just a straight up anthology. Stories of Aces (and a few Jokers) in love. No connecting storyline. No chapters broken up and spread out over the length of the book. Just one story ending and another beginning. These were all fun if inconsequential stories. Some of these read as sequels to other stories or lost chapters from other books. CYRANO D'ESCARGOT follows a young Theodorus Witherspoon from JOKER MOON as he tries to court Peregrine. THE WOUNDED HEART is a sequel to the Wild Cards graphic novel SINS OF THE FATHER and THE LONG GOODBYE reads as a lost chapter of LOW CHICAGO.
Overall, the stories were enjoyable. Nothing earth-shattering or genre defying but a safe entry to launch the Wild Cards return to Bantam books. (Although the cover art absolutely sucks compared to the TOR Publishing years.)
Overall, the stories were enjoyable. Nothing earth-shattering or genre defying but a safe entry to launch the Wild Cards return to Bantam books. (Although the cover art absolutely sucks compared to the TOR Publishing years.)
November 4, 2023
Pretty good; mixed bag.
Last story (Adesina, of Bubbles) might have been a favorite. One thing to know about Wild Cards is it progresses more or less in real-time. So Adesina, a plot device 20 years ago, and a character motivator 10 years ago now has agency.
Others of the unconnected stories are smattered throughout the full, rich history of the series. All the way to early Golden Boy to offshoots of the one and only time travel story ever in Wild Cards (so far). Some of the longer stories dragged, but all in all, a decent mix. Hopefully a sampler to decide which characters get to be prominent in a meaningful, multi-book arc. Which in my opinion hasn't happened in years... maybe since the Rox trilogy.
Last story (Adesina, of Bubbles) might have been a favorite. One thing to know about Wild Cards is it progresses more or less in real-time. So Adesina, a plot device 20 years ago, and a character motivator 10 years ago now has agency.
Others of the unconnected stories are smattered throughout the full, rich history of the series. All the way to early Golden Boy to offshoots of the one and only time travel story ever in Wild Cards (so far). Some of the longer stories dragged, but all in all, a decent mix. Hopefully a sampler to decide which characters get to be prominent in a meaningful, multi-book arc. Which in my opinion hasn't happened in years... maybe since the Rox trilogy.
December 19, 2024
I kind of miss the mosaic novels of the past - especially the ones that went over three books.
Having said that this is still excellent. Eight stories set over the time continuum of the Wild Cards universe focusing on couples (hence the title) - love (mainly) and lust (a little bit). I can honestly say that all 16 main characters are likeable, some we have known for ages (e.g. Peregrine, Jack Braun), some more recent (e.g. Franny Black, Ink) and some new characters (e.g. Stella Sumner, Hero McHeroface). Highlight stories for me were the Wounded Heart (Melinda Snodgrass is underrated) and What's Your Sign? (new writers, I think, and new characters). Also I like the character progression of Adesina.
Having said that this is still excellent. Eight stories set over the time continuum of the Wild Cards universe focusing on couples (hence the title) - love (mainly) and lust (a little bit). I can honestly say that all 16 main characters are likeable, some we have known for ages (e.g. Peregrine, Jack Braun), some more recent (e.g. Franny Black, Ink) and some new characters (e.g. Stella Sumner, Hero McHeroface). Highlight stories for me were the Wounded Heart (Melinda Snodgrass is underrated) and What's Your Sign? (new writers, I think, and new characters). Also I like the character progression of Adesina.
August 1, 2023
George R. R. Martin has edited an anthology of tls from one of my favorite series. Wild Cards: Pairing Up (hard from Bantam). In this alternate timeline, the Wild Card virus was dropped in New York shortly after WWII and modified our history with Jokers and superhero Aces. These tales start in 1957 with a telekinetic thief who hooks up with Jack Braun, a super strong actor playing Tarzan and filming in Mexico, where she hopes to steal a lost Mexican treasure. The final tale takes place in 2023 where a man with a psychic wolf inside him, falls in love with a black girl with wings and together they help stop a man causing riots. I love this series.
August 7, 2023
This was not the strongest entry in the Wild Cards series. It's not bad, and some of the individual stories are engaging, but overall the core concept wasn't particularly strong to begin with, and some of the pair-ups are not as well executed as I could want.
In general, I tend to prefer the books with a stronger central plot, that individual writers can work with; lacking that, this volume felt like (well, and was) just a collection of short stories. And while that's not automatically a bad thing, it's not what I come to Wild Cards for.
Hoping that the next entry is better....
In general, I tend to prefer the books with a stronger central plot, that individual writers can work with; lacking that, this volume felt like (well, and was) just a collection of short stories. And while that's not automatically a bad thing, it's not what I come to Wild Cards for.
Hoping that the next entry is better....
May 16, 2023
Anthologies are the best reference material I know of to find and explore new authors and genre. The Wild Cards anthologies take it one step further, combining talents and imaginations to give readers some of the best reading experiences around. I have now read several of the Wild Card anthologies with the remaining ones on my TBR pile. My reading time is precious, the best recommendation I can give is that I keep returing to these series of antholgies for more. Try them for yourself.
April 20, 2025
Mixed set of stories, some very good, some only ok. The book overall felt distant from the Wild Cards universe - other than the framework of the Wild Cards virus, it had very little to do with any of the previous books. Perhaps this was on purpose, to make this more of a "stand alone" volume. However, it also means that there isn't a need to read this book unless completion of all the Wild Card volumes is important.
Want to read
May 19, 20232023.05.19 just received an Advanced Uncorrected Proof copy of this book from Penguin Random House publishing in a Goodreads Giveaway! I look forward to reading something different from the various authors. On my to read list ... will update this review, when I get to it. Thank you!
August 1, 2023
3.5 ⭐️ not bad! I think i enjoyed the first half more than the last. This collection lacked a little bit of the heart and essence of the Wild Card series but was nice to see a few references or cameos from some recent and og favorites.
February 4, 2024
This is not so much a mosaic novel as a themed anthology. All the stories in this volume deals with love affairs and couples. Coming together, breaking up, and everything in between.
And all of the stories are good!
Definitely a must for Wild Card readers, not just completists.
And all of the stories are good!
Definitely a must for Wild Card readers, not just completists.
November 12, 2023
I enjoyed the collection. There are no fewer than 3 derpy sweet batting out of their league young man main characters. Lol Some of the stories have depth, some are light, some lots of energy.
January 31, 2024
8 short stories. The last two were okay but not great. I liked this book better than the first Wild Card anthology. Recommended for every Wild Cards fan.
May 17, 2024
nice selection of short stories from different eras/arcs of the Wild Cards series
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