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Otherworld Stories #9.4 -Learning Curve
Evolve: Vampire Stories of the New Undead
New Vampires have evolved, and they are coming for you! Kelly Armstrong, Tanya Huff and twenty-two other dark fantasy and horror writers come together to re-imagine the future of vampires in this new collection of all-original short fiction – one of the most unusual and original vampire anthologies ever assembled.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
25 people are currently reading
1343 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Kilpatrick
159 books255 followersNancy Kilpatrick was a Canadian author who wrote stories in the genres of dark fantasy, horror, mystery, erotic horror, and gothic subculture.
She is most known for her vampire themed works.
She is most known for her vampire themed works.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
March 17, 2011
(Originally appeared at http://sleeplessereader.blogspot.com/...)
There was a time I liked vampires. Incubus, Succubus, Spike. Then it came. You know what I’m talking about. At times, I feared that I would go stark raving mad if I had to hear about or read another story with either “sparkles” or “Sookie” in it.
I bought Evolve several months ago at a vendor’s table here in town. The cover art is what struck me to pick it up. The cover is stunning, capturing the “demon inside” part of the vampire myth. I enjoy a good anthology on occasion, as it exposes me to authors that I have never heard of, and yet write things I might enjoy. Evolve has added several authors to my “must read” list.
While the anthology is classed as “horror and dark fantasy,” it really isn’t what I’d class as horror. Don’t get me wrong; there are some horror stories. In particular, I made the mistake of reading “All You Can Eat, All The Time” by Claude Lalumiere before supper. However, most of the stories focus on the day-to-day culture of vampires in our society. A few were quite funny.
Many sported “Canadian Endings” (not happy ever after, not even happy right now; just plain acceptance of life and circumstances), which I enjoyed seeing. No surprise since nearly all of the authors are Canadian-born. I enjoyed the touches of Canadiana, such as Kevin Cockle’s “Sleepless in Calgary.”
I didn’t enjoy all of the stories. I’m not a fan of present tense nor second person (i.e. You walk into a room), unless it’s in a choose-your-adventure novel. Still, I enjoyed plenty of the stories, with “Learning Curve” (Kelley Armstrong) and “The New Forty” (Rebecca Bradley) at the top of my list. It was great to see Tanya Huff contributing to the anthology as well.
I highly recommend picking up this collection if you are a fan of vampires and want to see a new take on the supernatural beings.
There was a time I liked vampires. Incubus, Succubus, Spike. Then it came. You know what I’m talking about. At times, I feared that I would go stark raving mad if I had to hear about or read another story with either “sparkles” or “Sookie” in it.
I bought Evolve several months ago at a vendor’s table here in town. The cover art is what struck me to pick it up. The cover is stunning, capturing the “demon inside” part of the vampire myth. I enjoy a good anthology on occasion, as it exposes me to authors that I have never heard of, and yet write things I might enjoy. Evolve has added several authors to my “must read” list.
While the anthology is classed as “horror and dark fantasy,” it really isn’t what I’d class as horror. Don’t get me wrong; there are some horror stories. In particular, I made the mistake of reading “All You Can Eat, All The Time” by Claude Lalumiere before supper. However, most of the stories focus on the day-to-day culture of vampires in our society. A few were quite funny.
Many sported “Canadian Endings” (not happy ever after, not even happy right now; just plain acceptance of life and circumstances), which I enjoyed seeing. No surprise since nearly all of the authors are Canadian-born. I enjoyed the touches of Canadiana, such as Kevin Cockle’s “Sleepless in Calgary.”
I didn’t enjoy all of the stories. I’m not a fan of present tense nor second person (i.e. You walk into a room), unless it’s in a choose-your-adventure novel. Still, I enjoyed plenty of the stories, with “Learning Curve” (Kelley Armstrong) and “The New Forty” (Rebecca Bradley) at the top of my list. It was great to see Tanya Huff contributing to the anthology as well.
I highly recommend picking up this collection if you are a fan of vampires and want to see a new take on the supernatural beings.
January 3, 2011
Do you like vampires? No, do you REALLY like vampires? This is a collection of 24 short stories, all dealing with vampires and how they have changed in modern fiction. Editor Nancy Kilpatrick is a little obsessed with vampires, and her prologue is worth reading.
The vampires in this novel run the gamut from bluesy Faustian demons (Soulfinger) to not-quite-altruistic medical personnel (How Magnificent is the Universal Donor). A few of them are even smouldering-hot Byronic heroes (though none of them quite sparkle.) In one of the most memorable stories (An Ember Amongst the Fallen), vampires are the dominant race, and keep human-like creatures as chattel for food. About
One of the traits I noticed in this anthology--and I don't know how representative it is--was the motif of vampire as amoral superhero. Most of these vampires have many, many, many powers and very few (if any) weaknesses. Some, but not all, are affected by sunlight, but even those who burn to a crisp at dawn make up for it with super-human strength, speed, and occasionally telepathy. These vampires are often oh, so arrogant, and ladle contempt upon the human race.
That's one of the hard things I have with vampire fiction in general. I am a human, as are most of my friends, and I don't really like reading about people who consider us nothing but snack machines. It's almost as bad as reading a viewpoint character who thinks that women are good for sex and nothing else--I can understand that some people really feel that way, but ew. Do they really need to be in the spotlight? I want my fiction to be pleasurable.
And that's the other problem I had with this anthology. Most of the plots are variants of "Vampire meets human, human dies in grotesquely violent fashion." I can only read so many accounts of people having their ribs crushed, eyes popped out, necks bitten open, etc. without wanting to set the book on the shelf and not look back. But this book was a gift from the publisher, so I decided to power through. I had to take several breaks to read lighter fare, so the anthology took me almost a month to finish.
Some of the stories entranced me despite their gore, namely "Come to Me" and "All You Can Eat, All the Time," the former for its cultural allusion and the latter for an interesting narrative. I also liked "The New Forty" and "Mamma's Boy" because they didn't depress me like the others, and "Sleepless in Calgary" because I found it clever.
So if you really, really like vampires, if you're the sort of person who thinks that "Plants vs. Zombies" should have more brain-chewing, who can watch the Saw movies back to back and eat popcorn while you're doing it, who thinks that open-heart surgery is fine entertainment--this might be your book. As for me, I learned that I don't really like vampires as much as I thought. They're snooty, amoral, superheroes, and their eating habits make me want to hurl. After I wash my hands, I want to look at pictures of cute baby animals.
The vampires in this novel run the gamut from bluesy Faustian demons (Soulfinger) to not-quite-altruistic medical personnel (How Magnificent is the Universal Donor). A few of them are even smouldering-hot Byronic heroes (though none of them quite sparkle.) In one of the most memorable stories (An Ember Amongst the Fallen), vampires are the dominant race, and keep human-like creatures as chattel for food. About
One of the traits I noticed in this anthology--and I don't know how representative it is--was the motif of vampire as amoral superhero. Most of these vampires have many, many, many powers and very few (if any) weaknesses. Some, but not all, are affected by sunlight, but even those who burn to a crisp at dawn make up for it with super-human strength, speed, and occasionally telepathy. These vampires are often oh, so arrogant, and ladle contempt upon the human race.
That's one of the hard things I have with vampire fiction in general. I am a human, as are most of my friends, and I don't really like reading about people who consider us nothing but snack machines. It's almost as bad as reading a viewpoint character who thinks that women are good for sex and nothing else--I can understand that some people really feel that way, but ew. Do they really need to be in the spotlight? I want my fiction to be pleasurable.
And that's the other problem I had with this anthology. Most of the plots are variants of "Vampire meets human, human dies in grotesquely violent fashion." I can only read so many accounts of people having their ribs crushed, eyes popped out, necks bitten open, etc. without wanting to set the book on the shelf and not look back. But this book was a gift from the publisher, so I decided to power through. I had to take several breaks to read lighter fare, so the anthology took me almost a month to finish.
Some of the stories entranced me despite their gore, namely "Come to Me" and "All You Can Eat, All the Time," the former for its cultural allusion and the latter for an interesting narrative. I also liked "The New Forty" and "Mamma's Boy" because they didn't depress me like the others, and "Sleepless in Calgary" because I found it clever.
So if you really, really like vampires, if you're the sort of person who thinks that "Plants vs. Zombies" should have more brain-chewing, who can watch the Saw movies back to back and eat popcorn while you're doing it, who thinks that open-heart surgery is fine entertainment--this might be your book. As for me, I learned that I don't really like vampires as much as I thought. They're snooty, amoral, superheroes, and their eating habits make me want to hurl. After I wash my hands, I want to look at pictures of cute baby animals.
February 3, 2013
As a whole, EVOLVE delivers what it promised. Editor Nancy Kilpatrick has managed to cater to all tastes. From action to introspective monologues, from laugher to tears, from violence to love EVOLVE covers all grounds with some of the most memorable interpretations of the vampire lore and mythology that I have ever read. Yes, there are some weak links in the armor, but as a whole EVOLVE is one finely tuned mechanism, perfectly balanced between prose, plot, characters and concept. A must-read for vampire enthusiast and also recommended for those who have lost hope that the vampire could be entertaining in the future.
Compilations of reviews: HERE [http://templelibraryreviews.blogspot....]
Compilations of reviews: HERE [http://templelibraryreviews.blogspot....]
October 22, 2010
Read only Kelley Armstrong's "Learning Curve" about a non-confrontational lezzie vampire Zoe Takano (first introduced in Broken). Very short - 5 pages or so. Someone is stalking Zoe and she has to teach the stalker a lesson. I would like to know more about this stalker. Very mysterious.
July 31, 2022
Let the Night In • (2010) • poem by Sandra Kasturi
♦Learning Curve by Kelley Armstrong read 8/10/2015
Chrysalis • (2010) • shortfiction by Ronald Hore
Mother of Miscreants • (2010) • shortfiction by Jennifer Greylyn
A Puddle of Blood • (2011) • shortstory by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Resonance • (2010) • shortfiction by Mary E. Choo
The New Forty • (2010) • shortfiction by Rebecca Bradley
Red Blues • (2010) • shortfiction by Michael Skeet
The Drinker • (2010) • shortfiction by Victoria Fisher
Sleepless in Calgary • (2010) • shortfiction by Kevin Cockle
Come to Me • (2010) • shortfiction by Heather Clitheroe
An Ember Amongst the Fallen • (2010) • shortfiction by Colleen Anderson
Mamma's Boy • (2010) • shortfiction by Sandra Wickham
The Morning After • (2010) • shortfiction by Claude Bolduc
All You Can Eat, All the Time • (2010) • shortfiction by Claude Lalumière
Alia's Angel • (2010) • shortfiction by Rhea Rose
When I'm Armouring My Belly • (2010) • shortfiction by Gemma Files
A Murder of Vampires • (2010) • shortfiction by Bev Vincent
The Greatest Trick • (2010) • shortfiction by Steve Vernon
Soulfinger • (2010) • shortfiction by Rio Youers
Bend to Beautiful • (2010) • shortfiction by Bradley Somer
Evolving • (2010) • shortfiction by Natasha Beaulieu
How Magnificent is the Universal Donor by Jerome Stueart
The Sun Also Shines On the Wicked • (2010) • shortfiction by Kevin Nunn
♦ Quid Pro Quo by Tanya Huff
♦Learning Curve by Kelley Armstrong read 8/10/2015
Chrysalis • (2010) • shortfiction by Ronald Hore
Mother of Miscreants • (2010) • shortfiction by Jennifer Greylyn
A Puddle of Blood • (2011) • shortstory by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Resonance • (2010) • shortfiction by Mary E. Choo
The New Forty • (2010) • shortfiction by Rebecca Bradley
Red Blues • (2010) • shortfiction by Michael Skeet
The Drinker • (2010) • shortfiction by Victoria Fisher
Sleepless in Calgary • (2010) • shortfiction by Kevin Cockle
Come to Me • (2010) • shortfiction by Heather Clitheroe
An Ember Amongst the Fallen • (2010) • shortfiction by Colleen Anderson
Mamma's Boy • (2010) • shortfiction by Sandra Wickham
The Morning After • (2010) • shortfiction by Claude Bolduc
All You Can Eat, All the Time • (2010) • shortfiction by Claude Lalumière
Alia's Angel • (2010) • shortfiction by Rhea Rose
When I'm Armouring My Belly • (2010) • shortfiction by Gemma Files
A Murder of Vampires • (2010) • shortfiction by Bev Vincent
The Greatest Trick • (2010) • shortfiction by Steve Vernon
Soulfinger • (2010) • shortfiction by Rio Youers
Bend to Beautiful • (2010) • shortfiction by Bradley Somer
Evolving • (2010) • shortfiction by Natasha Beaulieu
How Magnificent is the Universal Donor by Jerome Stueart
The Sun Also Shines On the Wicked • (2010) • shortfiction by Kevin Nunn
♦ Quid Pro Quo by Tanya Huff
March 23, 2010
Vampires fans, this is a must read. Not quite what I would call an anthology, this is more like tid bits, but enough to tempt your pallet. Evolve is stuffed full of shorts that all have one thing in common, good writing about the fabulously fanged. This is great book to keep on your nightstand to grab, read a story...and then tuck in. Quick and to the point. Sometimes I would wish they were longer...so I'll probably go out and grab more books by that particular author. I was also introduced to a lot of authors I haven't been exposed to before and that was tremendous, because expanding my literary repertoire is always fun, especially since I have been so genre narrowed lately. Who me?
April 21, 2022
Learning Curve - Zoe is weird.
January 31, 2018
Anthology of what’s supposed to be 25 new generation (though a lot of the stories are about older vampires and quite a few are depressing) vampire short stories written by Canadian authors. There’s also a very comprehensive history of the vampires on TV and the movies for the introduction.
I got this for the Kelley Armstrong Otherworld story 9.4 Learning Curve, but scanned a few pages of each and read what interested me. Here’s what I thought. About each. There are a few good stories.
1) Let the Night in. Sandra Kasturi. 1 star. More of a short strange essay than a story.
2) Learning Curve. Kelley Armstrong. Otherworld 9.4. 3 stars. A scene about Zoe Takano. Also reviewed as a separate book.
3) Chrysalis. Ronald Hore. 2 stars. A young girl with strange parents becomes ‘of age’ in a new high school.
4) Mother of Miscreants. 4 stars. Jennifer Greylyn. A popular author is the mother of all vampires writes a book about vampires and is confronted by one of her ‘children. A different kind of vampire.
5) A Puddle of Blood. Silvia Moreno-Garcia. 4 stars. A vampire on the run hides out in Mexico where she finds a helpful friend. Intriguing.
6) Resonance. Mary E Choo. 3 stars. An older vampire resists having to relocate her life. Melancholy. There wasn’t a pause between changes of scene which confused me.
7) The New Forty. Rebecca Bradley. Temutma world short story. 2 stars. An older vampire reminisces about the old days while watching a young vampire on a TV talk show.
8) Red Blues. Michael Skeet. 2 stars. If you like jazz this is for you. Very musically detailed as a vamp uses his guitar to patiently seduce a customer in his bar.
9) The Drinker. Victoria Fisher. 2 stars. Weird, not quite a vampire story. More an addiction story.
10) Sleepless in Calgary. Kevin Cockle. 2 stars. Boring inner thoughts from a lonely, depressed white collar worker who’s’ slowly becoming a vampire.
11) Come to Me. Heather Clitheroe. 2 stars. An unhappy young woman in Tokyo sees a fox where there shouldn’t be one.
12) An Ember Amongst the Fallen. Colleen Anderson. 1 star. Sickening story about humans used as cattle for vampires.
13) Momma’s Boy. Sandra Wickham. 1 star. Short story about a woman having a vampire’s baby.
14) The Morning After. Claude Bolduc. 1 star. Very weird.
15) All you can Eat, All the Time. Claude Lalumiere. 1 star. Like, what?
16) Alia’s Angel. Rhea Rose. 1 star. Pass.
17) When I’m Amouring My Belly. Gemma Files.1 star. Ditto: pass.
18) A Murder of Vampires. Bev Vincent. 2 stars. Detective working on a murder case in a world where vampires are newly outed.
19) The Greatest Trick. Steve Vernon. 2 stars. Vampire running for political office.
20) Soulfinger. Rio Youers. 2 stars. His blues music touches your soul.
21) Bend to Beautiful. Bradley Somer. 1 star. Male human and male vampire.
22) Evolving. Natasha Beaulieu. 1 star. Vampire wannabe at a club meets a girl.
23) How Magnificent is the Universal Donor. Jerome Stueart. 2 stars. Never like hospitals before. Now I know why.
24) The Sun Also Shines on the Wicked. Kevin Nunn. 3 stars. Vampire doctor experimenting with how to walk in the sum.
25) Quid Pro Quo. Tanya Huff. Vicki Nelson’s mythos. 4 stars. Could tell from the beginning that this has a well-developed story background. Vickie’s boyfriend Mike has been kidnapped to force her make the kidnapper a vampire.
I got this for the Kelley Armstrong Otherworld story 9.4 Learning Curve, but scanned a few pages of each and read what interested me. Here’s what I thought. About each. There are a few good stories.
1) Let the Night in. Sandra Kasturi. 1 star. More of a short strange essay than a story.
2) Learning Curve. Kelley Armstrong. Otherworld 9.4. 3 stars. A scene about Zoe Takano. Also reviewed as a separate book.
3) Chrysalis. Ronald Hore. 2 stars. A young girl with strange parents becomes ‘of age’ in a new high school.
4) Mother of Miscreants. 4 stars. Jennifer Greylyn. A popular author is the mother of all vampires writes a book about vampires and is confronted by one of her ‘children. A different kind of vampire.
5) A Puddle of Blood. Silvia Moreno-Garcia. 4 stars. A vampire on the run hides out in Mexico where she finds a helpful friend. Intriguing.
6) Resonance. Mary E Choo. 3 stars. An older vampire resists having to relocate her life. Melancholy. There wasn’t a pause between changes of scene which confused me.
7) The New Forty. Rebecca Bradley. Temutma world short story. 2 stars. An older vampire reminisces about the old days while watching a young vampire on a TV talk show.
8) Red Blues. Michael Skeet. 2 stars. If you like jazz this is for you. Very musically detailed as a vamp uses his guitar to patiently seduce a customer in his bar.
9) The Drinker. Victoria Fisher. 2 stars. Weird, not quite a vampire story. More an addiction story.
10) Sleepless in Calgary. Kevin Cockle. 2 stars. Boring inner thoughts from a lonely, depressed white collar worker who’s’ slowly becoming a vampire.
11) Come to Me. Heather Clitheroe. 2 stars. An unhappy young woman in Tokyo sees a fox where there shouldn’t be one.
12) An Ember Amongst the Fallen. Colleen Anderson. 1 star. Sickening story about humans used as cattle for vampires.
13) Momma’s Boy. Sandra Wickham. 1 star. Short story about a woman having a vampire’s baby.
14) The Morning After. Claude Bolduc. 1 star. Very weird.
15) All you can Eat, All the Time. Claude Lalumiere. 1 star. Like, what?
16) Alia’s Angel. Rhea Rose. 1 star. Pass.
17) When I’m Amouring My Belly. Gemma Files.1 star. Ditto: pass.
18) A Murder of Vampires. Bev Vincent. 2 stars. Detective working on a murder case in a world where vampires are newly outed.
19) The Greatest Trick. Steve Vernon. 2 stars. Vampire running for political office.
20) Soulfinger. Rio Youers. 2 stars. His blues music touches your soul.
21) Bend to Beautiful. Bradley Somer. 1 star. Male human and male vampire.
22) Evolving. Natasha Beaulieu. 1 star. Vampire wannabe at a club meets a girl.
23) How Magnificent is the Universal Donor. Jerome Stueart. 2 stars. Never like hospitals before. Now I know why.
24) The Sun Also Shines on the Wicked. Kevin Nunn. 3 stars. Vampire doctor experimenting with how to walk in the sum.
25) Quid Pro Quo. Tanya Huff. Vicki Nelson’s mythos. 4 stars. Could tell from the beginning that this has a well-developed story background. Vickie’s boyfriend Mike has been kidnapped to force her make the kidnapper a vampire.
April 1, 2019
This wasn’t my favourite collection of short stories. Maybe I’m not all that much into vampire stories, maybe because these are just the type of vampire stories that I really love. The only two tales I really loved in this were by Kelley Armstrong and Tanya Huff. They weren’t necessarily bad tales, just not ones that I was completely enthralled by.
If you like the more traditional and darker aspect of vampires, I think that this is for you. Some of the stories were a little contemporary, but they weren’t that romanticised, humanised version that we all know and love in modern literature. Maybe if I had have read some of the vampire classics such as Dracula before this, I would have been a little more intently interested. But as things stand, I found this collection quite… meh. Not bad, not great. Definitely worth reading, but not one I’ll be rushing to reread anytime soon.
For individual reviews, head to: https://earthandskye.org/categories/s...
If you like the more traditional and darker aspect of vampires, I think that this is for you. Some of the stories were a little contemporary, but they weren’t that romanticised, humanised version that we all know and love in modern literature. Maybe if I had have read some of the vampire classics such as Dracula before this, I would have been a little more intently interested. But as things stand, I found this collection quite… meh. Not bad, not great. Definitely worth reading, but not one I’ll be rushing to reread anytime soon.
For individual reviews, head to: https://earthandskye.org/categories/s...
October 16, 2019
Disgusting and weird.
I don't care if the vampire craze is over, I still like them, and I got excited when I found this book at a writing conference. Especially when there's stories by a few people I know in it. But this was a strange collection of stories. One was downright disgusting, most didn't make sense, and only a few were actually interesting.
I don't want to give anything away, but the stories that stood out to me were:
Mamma's Boy by Sandra Wickham--short and creepy, I liked it.
A Murder of Vampires by Bev Vincent--more my reading style. I liked the main character, and the mystery.
How Magnificent is the Universal Donor by Jerome Stueart. I enjoyed this story.
An Ember Amongst the Fallen by Colleen Anderson--The title does nothing to warn you what this story is about. I think it was an interesting new take as the anthology promises on vampires, but yuck!
I don't care if the vampire craze is over, I still like them, and I got excited when I found this book at a writing conference. Especially when there's stories by a few people I know in it. But this was a strange collection of stories. One was downright disgusting, most didn't make sense, and only a few were actually interesting.
I don't want to give anything away, but the stories that stood out to me were:
Mamma's Boy by Sandra Wickham--short and creepy, I liked it.
A Murder of Vampires by Bev Vincent--more my reading style. I liked the main character, and the mystery.
How Magnificent is the Universal Donor by Jerome Stueart. I enjoyed this story.
An Ember Amongst the Fallen by Colleen Anderson--The title does nothing to warn you what this story is about. I think it was an interesting new take as the anthology promises on vampires, but yuck!
December 24, 2023
This was an interesting take on bringing a vampire anthology into modern times. There was a very huge emphasis on sex, which I'm not opposed to (I love a good smut story) but some of the stories didn't need it and some of them were just terribly written. Overall some stories were good and some were bad, just like with any anthology. Not great, not terrible. I don't know if I would necessarily recommend it but I wouldn't deter someone from reading it.
October 7, 2017
I read this back in college. Overall, I'd say it was ok. Being an anthology, it's no surprise I'd say it was a mixed bag. There are some really good short stories in here, but some really dreadful ones. I've critiqued many amateur short stories in college that are far superior to 1/3 of these stories.
However, the overall unique style of this anthology bumps it up from a 2/5 to 3/5.
However, the overall unique style of this anthology bumps it up from a 2/5 to 3/5.
July 17, 2019
A number of good stories in here by Canadian authors.
July 2, 2022
I just read Learning Curve by Kelley Armstrong.
May 22, 2012
We’ve all heard enough about vampires recently.
Everyone knows they look like frumpy old ladies, overjoyed that an aging population means they fit in nowadays. Or that they keep humans penned up as food, and having sex with a human is tantamount to bestiality. Or that when a vampire slayer starts killing them off, they go right to the police.
Wait, this isn’t sounding too much like Twilight or True Blood — but they’re some of the ideas introduced in the new Canadian anthology Evolve, edited by Nancy Kilpatrick.
The Montreal-based Kilpatrick is no stranger to the genre, having written numerous dark fantasy and horror novels herself. She previously edited the erotic vampire collection Love Bites, and co-edited Edge’s horror anthology Tesseracts 13.
Tesseracts 13 was the first horror title published by Edge, a predominantly sci-fi and fantasy publisher in Calgary. The success of that book prompted this new all-vampire anthology.
There are some big-name contributors, such as Kelley Armstrong (writer of the Women of the Otherworld books) and Tanya Huff, known for her Blood Books series featuring detective Vicki Nelson.
Most of the pieces are short and innovative. Claude Lalumière’s “All You Can Eat, All the Time” puts a twist on immortality: a vampire’s memory can only hold so much. Every century or so he needs to leech away a new personality and body, forgetting all that came before.
Colleen Anderson’s “An Ember Among the Fallen” is told from the perspective of a vampire throwing a dinner party, perusing the humans he has penned up to pick the best vintage of blood to serve. But facing his ex-girlfriend at the party — when you’re immortal, there’s centuries of emotional baggage — proves too much, and afterwards he finds himself becoming a “meat mater,” a vampire who, well, plays with his food.
More satirical is Rebecca Bradley’s “The New Forty,” in which a 64-year-old woman is made a vampire and mocked, for centuries, by others of her kind endlessly frozen in their beautiful youth.
But by the 21st century, she observes with glee, “the brief lives of mortals began to stretch … I was amazed to find I was a relatively youthful and potentially attractive woman.”
And the vampires who used to deride her don’t know what they’re missing among the senior set. “Immortality, like youth, is wasted on the young,” she cackles.
Not all the stories are as strong. Armstrong’s “Learning Curve” isn’t much more than an anecdote about a vampire being challenged by a less-experienced supernatural creature.
“Chrysalis,” by Winnipeg’s Ronald Hore, starts off as an intriguing tale of teen rebellion, in which a girl deduces her distant father is a vampire. But when she comes into her own as a human-vampire hybrid, the story ends before she actually does anything.
Anthologies are notoriously hit-and-miss, but Evolve offers much to enjoy and delight, especially for readers sick of the usual tropes.
If there were a hip vampire dialect, you could say it really sucks — and that’s a good thing.
http://www.davidjonfuller.com/2012/04...
Everyone knows they look like frumpy old ladies, overjoyed that an aging population means they fit in nowadays. Or that they keep humans penned up as food, and having sex with a human is tantamount to bestiality. Or that when a vampire slayer starts killing them off, they go right to the police.
Wait, this isn’t sounding too much like Twilight or True Blood — but they’re some of the ideas introduced in the new Canadian anthology Evolve, edited by Nancy Kilpatrick.
The Montreal-based Kilpatrick is no stranger to the genre, having written numerous dark fantasy and horror novels herself. She previously edited the erotic vampire collection Love Bites, and co-edited Edge’s horror anthology Tesseracts 13.
Tesseracts 13 was the first horror title published by Edge, a predominantly sci-fi and fantasy publisher in Calgary. The success of that book prompted this new all-vampire anthology.
There are some big-name contributors, such as Kelley Armstrong (writer of the Women of the Otherworld books) and Tanya Huff, known for her Blood Books series featuring detective Vicki Nelson.
Most of the pieces are short and innovative. Claude Lalumière’s “All You Can Eat, All the Time” puts a twist on immortality: a vampire’s memory can only hold so much. Every century or so he needs to leech away a new personality and body, forgetting all that came before.
Colleen Anderson’s “An Ember Among the Fallen” is told from the perspective of a vampire throwing a dinner party, perusing the humans he has penned up to pick the best vintage of blood to serve. But facing his ex-girlfriend at the party — when you’re immortal, there’s centuries of emotional baggage — proves too much, and afterwards he finds himself becoming a “meat mater,” a vampire who, well, plays with his food.
More satirical is Rebecca Bradley’s “The New Forty,” in which a 64-year-old woman is made a vampire and mocked, for centuries, by others of her kind endlessly frozen in their beautiful youth.
But by the 21st century, she observes with glee, “the brief lives of mortals began to stretch … I was amazed to find I was a relatively youthful and potentially attractive woman.”
And the vampires who used to deride her don’t know what they’re missing among the senior set. “Immortality, like youth, is wasted on the young,” she cackles.
Not all the stories are as strong. Armstrong’s “Learning Curve” isn’t much more than an anecdote about a vampire being challenged by a less-experienced supernatural creature.
“Chrysalis,” by Winnipeg’s Ronald Hore, starts off as an intriguing tale of teen rebellion, in which a girl deduces her distant father is a vampire. But when she comes into her own as a human-vampire hybrid, the story ends before she actually does anything.
Anthologies are notoriously hit-and-miss, but Evolve offers much to enjoy and delight, especially for readers sick of the usual tropes.
If there were a hip vampire dialect, you could say it really sucks — and that’s a good thing.
http://www.davidjonfuller.com/2012/04...
March 3, 2017
Some stories I enjoyed, some I didn't. There's a few clever twists on the vampire myth, but overall many of the stories are too dreary for me.
May 22, 2010
It's been awhile since I read a complete short story anthology and Evolve was a good way to get back in the saddle. The stories in this volume are definitely one-bite stories so we don't always get to know a whole lot about characters, settings, or any other story elements. Instead, you get stories that are a lot like doing shots out of unknown glasses. Some of them are fruity and fluffy and go down like candy. Others make you get your whiskey face on.
These are no tired reworkings of tired old vampire tropes. These stories take the interpretation of vampires to a whole new level, and in a lot of the tales, blood isn't the only thing getting sucked, and brooding pale people aren't the only vampires. Toxic friendships, workaholism, drugs, failed romances, you name it- anything that can suck the life out of a person is worked in here in one way or another.
There are certain stories that really stood out to me as unique from this anthology- "Chrysalis" by Ronald Hore is a glimpse of what would happen if vampires had coming of age stories, "All You Can Eat, All the Time" by Claude Lalumiere takes bodysnatching to a whole new level, and "The New Forty" by Rebecca Bradley is snarky and brooding and sweet all at the same time. "Soulfinger" by Rio Youers is a good bet too.
My biggest issue with this book is that although a wide variety of stories and writing styles are represented here, you don't ever get enough of one author or story to really hook you into wanting to know more. As a collection of creepy stories all sharing a common theme, this book succeed admirably; I don't think there was quite the same level of success for this book as a lure for new readers. But then, that may not have been the point of the book and it doesn't detract from the overall experience of the book.
Overall Grade: B+
BWB Rating: 3/4
Read more reviews at What Book is That?
These are no tired reworkings of tired old vampire tropes. These stories take the interpretation of vampires to a whole new level, and in a lot of the tales, blood isn't the only thing getting sucked, and brooding pale people aren't the only vampires. Toxic friendships, workaholism, drugs, failed romances, you name it- anything that can suck the life out of a person is worked in here in one way or another.
There are certain stories that really stood out to me as unique from this anthology- "Chrysalis" by Ronald Hore is a glimpse of what would happen if vampires had coming of age stories, "All You Can Eat, All the Time" by Claude Lalumiere takes bodysnatching to a whole new level, and "The New Forty" by Rebecca Bradley is snarky and brooding and sweet all at the same time. "Soulfinger" by Rio Youers is a good bet too.
My biggest issue with this book is that although a wide variety of stories and writing styles are represented here, you don't ever get enough of one author or story to really hook you into wanting to know more. As a collection of creepy stories all sharing a common theme, this book succeed admirably; I don't think there was quite the same level of success for this book as a lure for new readers. But then, that may not have been the point of the book and it doesn't detract from the overall experience of the book.
Overall Grade: B+
BWB Rating: 3/4
Read more reviews at What Book is That?
August 2, 2010
This is an anthology of new stories from Canada all about vampires, that mainstay of horror literature.
In the 21st century, Vampires are people, too (so to speak). They go on Oprah, they have teenage daughters (with a unique set of problems in school) and they run for public office. They are jazz and blues musicians, and they have to deal with the fathers of some of the women they have killed. Their bodies can filter out a major blood disease that is ravaging mankind. They breed humans for their flesh, and siphon their blood. When they are born, they need to feed on human flesh, usually the mother’s.
They go to clubs, looking for victims, and sometimes run into bored young people who think that being bitten by a vampire will turn them into a vampire, which is not the case. They construct sets of mirrors that allow them to be exposed to the sun, and actually get a tan, without worrying about burning up. Sometimes, they have to deal with demon-hunters, complete with wooden stakes (an occupational hazard for a vampire), who don’t always know what they are doing. Occasionally, they appear to bored city workers on public transit (no one else can see them) and convince them that, to become a vampire, they have to murder someone and drink their blood, which is also not the case. There are also vampire vigilantes, who help out people in trouble at night, but who have their own ulterior motives.
Here is a first-rate bunch of stories. I am not much of a horror reader, so I was glad to see that the horror part of these tales was not overwhelming. This is very much worth reading.
In the 21st century, Vampires are people, too (so to speak). They go on Oprah, they have teenage daughters (with a unique set of problems in school) and they run for public office. They are jazz and blues musicians, and they have to deal with the fathers of some of the women they have killed. Their bodies can filter out a major blood disease that is ravaging mankind. They breed humans for their flesh, and siphon their blood. When they are born, they need to feed on human flesh, usually the mother’s.
They go to clubs, looking for victims, and sometimes run into bored young people who think that being bitten by a vampire will turn them into a vampire, which is not the case. They construct sets of mirrors that allow them to be exposed to the sun, and actually get a tan, without worrying about burning up. Sometimes, they have to deal with demon-hunters, complete with wooden stakes (an occupational hazard for a vampire), who don’t always know what they are doing. Occasionally, they appear to bored city workers on public transit (no one else can see them) and convince them that, to become a vampire, they have to murder someone and drink their blood, which is also not the case. There are also vampire vigilantes, who help out people in trouble at night, but who have their own ulterior motives.
Here is a first-rate bunch of stories. I am not much of a horror reader, so I was glad to see that the horror part of these tales was not overwhelming. This is very much worth reading.
January 27, 2011
Great book. I haven't read short stories in years and usually don't have an affinity for them, but I was happy to read some vampire short stories, especially since they're about evolved vampires. There's a story type for every vampire fan. There's first person, third person, and even second person. There are men and women authors. There are male, female, senior citizen, and teen protagonists. Each story offers a new take on vampires, and I love it.
My favorite is "Red Blues" by Micheal Skeet. It's written in second person and as I was reading I was beginning to see myself as the protag. It's very well written. My second favorite is "Soulfinger" by Rio Youers and is also well written. I loved it. My least favorite is Sleepless in Calgary, but it does have one of my favorite vampire evolutions, unfortunately, I just couldn't get into the story itself. "Learning Curve" by Kelly Armstrong was a fun and interesting read.
The stories are very well-written, except one and it because I couldn't get into the non-standard writing style it was hard to understand what was happening or what it was about. There's also a poem, but I didn't read it since I don't like poetry. There was only one story that was a standard vampire story, but for the most part the stories are very well-written by skillful authors that bring to life a world of evolved vampires. I definitely recommend it.
My favorite is "Red Blues" by Micheal Skeet. It's written in second person and as I was reading I was beginning to see myself as the protag. It's very well written. My second favorite is "Soulfinger" by Rio Youers and is also well written. I loved it. My least favorite is Sleepless in Calgary, but it does have one of my favorite vampire evolutions, unfortunately, I just couldn't get into the story itself. "Learning Curve" by Kelly Armstrong was a fun and interesting read.
The stories are very well-written, except one and it because I couldn't get into the non-standard writing style it was hard to understand what was happening or what it was about. There's also a poem, but I didn't read it since I don't like poetry. There was only one story that was a standard vampire story, but for the most part the stories are very well-written by skillful authors that bring to life a world of evolved vampires. I definitely recommend it.
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June 17, 2015The short story anthology “Evolve” was released by Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing on March 1st and is a collection of works (23 stories and 1 poem) by Canadian authors.
I was anxious to read it. Anyone who knows me will be surprised by that comment because I normally avoid anything that is labelled “horror”. I have an exceptionally vivid imagination and I prefer sleep that is uninterrupted by nightmares. Hence, I approached this collection with both interest and trepidation...
You can find my full book review here:
http://anovelapproachto.me/2010/03/ev...
I was anxious to read it. Anyone who knows me will be surprised by that comment because I normally avoid anything that is labelled “horror”. I have an exceptionally vivid imagination and I prefer sleep that is uninterrupted by nightmares. Hence, I approached this collection with both interest and trepidation...
You can find my full book review here:
http://anovelapproachto.me/2010/03/ev...
June 29, 2010
This collection of short stories was excellent! Some that made me actually squirm and look away, (then look back because I NEEDED to know what happened), some that gave me a little bit of a giggle, some that played with traditional good guy/bad guy roles, and some that just sort of resonated like poetry.
I highly recommend this collection, there was not a bad story in the bunch.
And I must throw a shout out to my friend Heather, whose story "Come to Me" was both creepy and beautiful all at the same time. Loved it.
I highly recommend this collection, there was not a bad story in the bunch.
And I must throw a shout out to my friend Heather, whose story "Come to Me" was both creepy and beautiful all at the same time. Loved it.
June 14, 2010
I've not been able to post a proper review of Evolve: Vampire Stories of the New Undead as I have not yet been able to finish reading it. Through this experience, I've found that shorts/essays of this type are just not enough to keep my attention. I keep "looking" for the rest of the story and/or finish each essay with a sense of disappointment that that there wasn't more.
While I will attempt to complete this reading experience, I've elected to set this particular project aside for a while. I hope that once I decided to pick it back up again, I can "give" these stories their "due".
While I will attempt to complete this reading experience, I've elected to set this particular project aside for a while. I hope that once I decided to pick it back up again, I can "give" these stories their "due".
March 30, 2011
I enjoyed most of the stories in this anthology I went through so I could mention some stand outs but each had it's own unique twist. The five I didn't like made the book drag a little.They are all vampire stories no mix of werewolves, zombies, angels or ghosts. You had the characters with morals and the vampires weren't always the bad guys but there were enough bad guys to sink your teeth into. Title is appropriate as there are a few stories of vampires evolving to blend with society others stories cover the coming out into society aspect.
September 14, 2015
*Let the Night In -- 3 Stars
*Learning Curve -- 4 Stars -- Fun!
*Chrysalis -- 2 1/2 Stars
*Mother of Miscreants -- 4 Stars
*Resonance -- 4 Stars
*The New Forty -- 5 Stars
*Red Blues -- 3 1/2 Stars -- Would give it 4 Stars if it wasn't a 2nd person story. Not a huge fan of 2nd person perspective, though this one was well done.
*The Drinker -- 2 1/2 Stars
*Sleepless in Calgary -- 3 Stars
*Come To Me -- 4 Stars
*An Ember Amongst the Fallen -- 3 1/2 Stars
*Mamma's Boy -- 4 Stars
*The Morning After -- 4 1/2 Stars
*All You Can Eat, All the Time -- 3 1/5 Stars
*Learning Curve -- 4 Stars -- Fun!
*Chrysalis -- 2 1/2 Stars
*Mother of Miscreants -- 4 Stars
*Resonance -- 4 Stars
*The New Forty -- 5 Stars
*Red Blues -- 3 1/2 Stars -- Would give it 4 Stars if it wasn't a 2nd person story. Not a huge fan of 2nd person perspective, though this one was well done.
*The Drinker -- 2 1/2 Stars
*Sleepless in Calgary -- 3 Stars
*Come To Me -- 4 Stars
*An Ember Amongst the Fallen -- 3 1/2 Stars
*Mamma's Boy -- 4 Stars
*The Morning After -- 4 1/2 Stars
*All You Can Eat, All the Time -- 3 1/5 Stars
June 24, 2011
I'll admit it, I bought this anthology because I am a die-hard Huff/Vicky fan (and I read that story first). Then I was weary because the beginning of the book starts with mediocre stories. But the middle does not disapoint with some truly beautiful and unique pieces. It, however, ended on a mediocre note and the generic stories dragged the review down to three stars. It was really worth reading, though, for some of the more thought-provoking vampire interpretations.
January 5, 2011
Love! Evolve is a collection of short stories that any fan of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” would applaud. It keeps true to the traditional vampire ideals, while giving readers something completely new all at once. You won’t find the same old cliché plotlines in these tales, but mesmerizing stories of the new undead with a classic touch. An anthology any vampire fan would love.
February 22, 2011
Four and a half stars.
The vast majority of stories in this anthology were very good. There were a couple of exceptions and more than one author had to actually say something about how the vampires were evolving. I'm not a huge fan of authors quoting the theme or name of their story. It always feels heavy handed to me.
All the authors are Canadian.
The vast majority of stories in this anthology were very good. There were a couple of exceptions and more than one author had to actually say something about how the vampires were evolving. I'm not a huge fan of authors quoting the theme or name of their story. It always feels heavy handed to me.
All the authors are Canadian.
June 11, 2011
Collection of vampire stories (all Canadian). Kilpatrick wanted to explore where vampire tales are going. But almost more about what are the tropes of the genre evolving too, not the vampires themselves.
I'll call it and say that vamps are pretty played out (except for our beloved True Blood), and fair to say some of the writers were exemplars of a done trend.
Uneven collection.
I'll call it and say that vamps are pretty played out (except for our beloved True Blood), and fair to say some of the writers were exemplars of a done trend.
Uneven collection.
April 4, 2010
A few more interesting stories, more that weren't anything special. The collection as a whole reminded me of vampire short-stories from the 80s, when authors wanted their vamps more contemporary but hadn't hit on the sparkles yet.
November 29, 2012
The only story I read in this anthology was Kelley Armstrong's Learning Curve. In this short, which is VERY short, Zoe discovers she has a stalker. Which turns out to be a "Vampire Hunter". What I enjoy the most about Zoe is her laissez faire attitude about EVERYTHING.
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