Claude Lalumière

et’s start with the fact that I don’t, as a rule, enjoy speculative short stories. Some of them are fun and entertaining, yes, some make you really think about the world, and most are very well-written and do absolutely nothing for me. A good anthology, for me, will have about 75% of the first two categories. This one… despite its promises of “modern, funny SFF”, only a few had me laughing or gave me the joy and zing I want when I read. A month and a bit later, I can’t even remember that many of them without looking at the index. I’m not sure if this is because it’s an older anthology, or because my humour is very twisted sometimes, or because of my usual short story problems, or because it’s pretty heavily male, or what, but …. A few good stories in this one, but on the whole, an average anthology.

5/10… (more)

This latest installment in a yearly compendium of science fiction and fantasy stories from Canada focuses on superheroes. It involves a lot more than constant battles against Dr. Bad Guy.

A female super-villain breaks out of prison and crashes her family's barbecue, in order to visit her dying grandmother. The rest of the family is not thrilled about her sudden appearance. When a superhero is injured in battle, does he or she go to the local hospital, or to a special superhero hospital? After the public adulation has disappeared, and the government no longer needs their services, what is a superhero to do? Are they forced to fly around the city, carrying a giant "Available" sign, like an airborne taxi?

A woman becomes sidekick to Anthony of Padua, the patron saint of lost things. A native of Prince Edward Island passes up a chance to join an all-Canadian league of superheroes. There is a story about a person who sets herself on fire, and then reincarnates, like a human phoenix. A female friend of Captain Freedom was murdered, chopped to pieces and pinned to a wall as a warning for the Captain. Now she's back from the dead.

Not only is this an excellent bunch of stories, it's also an excellent addition to the superhero universe. There is a lot more to being a superhero than fighting evil.… (more)