- Paperback: 174 pages
- Publisher: Nazca Plains
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1610981715
- ISBN-13: 978-1610981712
Synopsis: An anthology of mind bending imagination, Tales from the Edge of Forever offers a delicious collection of wildly original vignettes mixing fantasy, speculation, spirituality and science invention. Hammond has created stories with a depth and thoughtfulness that transcend their brevity. Whether on the streets of Manhattan or at the very edge of time and space itself the authors’ scenarios tease and intrigue in this stunningly unique collection. A total of twenty three creatively brilliant stories to captivate even the most jaded fantasy enthusiast, this book both challenges and enchants.
“This is the moment your world ends,” the girl almost whispered, “And your new one begins.”
Tales from the Edge of Forever by Alexander Hammond is a short anthology of fiction that dips its toes in a lot of pools. There’s a little fantasy, sci-fi, some horror, even some attempts at existentialism. The 174 page tome packs a punch of 23 individual and unrelated tales. That, I think is the largest part of the problem.
The first story, The End of the World isn’t really a story at all. It’s really no more than a scene about a lesbianic tryst on a beach. While it is technically well written, there is no substance to it. The lack of depth was so infuriating that I’m sure I called a Red Lantern Ring to space sector 2814, and it all went to hell from there.
The book is a conundrum. The best written parts are short, nonsensical episodes; the better parts that display real ideas could have used several revisions, and a healthy dose of critical editing. That’s the hardest part about reading Mr. Hammond’s book: it has some good ideas. But those ideas fail in execution, so they fall as flat as everything else.
In 174 pages, I would expect between 5 and 7 solid stories. This is just a book of 23 ideas. I feel as though Hammond just kept on writing and never looked back at any of it, and the result is disappointing. I’d give him another try, but next time I’ll need something more focused.
I give Tales from the Edge of Forever Two out of Five stars.
[AMAZONPRODUCT=1610981715]
