Reviewed by: Pete Barber
Genre: Short Story Collection
Approximate word count: 50-55,000 words
Availability
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Author:
Paul Clayton is the author of a three-book historical series on
the Spanish Conquest of the Floridas--
Calling Crow, Flight of the Crow,
and Calling Crow Nation
(Putnam/Berkley), and a novel, Carl Melcher
Goes to Vietnam (St. Martin's Press), based on his own experiences in that
war.
Carl Melcher Goes to
Vietnam was a finalist at the 2001 Frankfurt eBook
Awards, along with works by Joyce Carol Oates (Faithless) and David McCullough
(John Adams).
Clayton's latest book-- White
Seed: The Untold Story of the Lost Colony of Roanoke-- is a work of
historical fiction.
Paul currently lives in California, with his son and daughter.
Description:
Thirteen
stories, mostly set in the future and remarkable for how different they all are,
considering they come from one person’s mind.
Appraisal:
Varied and
quirky, I had a lot of fun wandering through Paul Clayton’s imaginings. Try
this for a range of topics: A genetic experiment that goes horribly wrong and
threatens the inhabitants of a small island. A life-sucking being masquerading
as a cat in a nursing home as it feeds on the life forces of the patients. A
UPS truck that delivers a cloned baby (they had to send it back because it was
too dark skinned!). Dead people who return to life for a few days. Brains
transplanted into robots to extend life. My favorite was a poignant tale of the
last ‘real’ human living in a world of clones who desire his memories because
they have none of their own. And that’s only six of the thirteen. Yeah, like I
said—a lot of fun.
Format/Typo Issues:
Too few to
mention.
Rating: ***** Five stars
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