The Publisher Says: In her short story collection, Even Greater Mistakes, Charlie Jane Anders upends genre cliches and revitalizes classic tropes with heartfelt and pants-wettingly funny social commentary....

The woman who can see all possible futures is dating the man who can see the one and only foreordained future.

A wildly popular slapstick filmmaker is drawn, against his better judgment, into working with a fascist militia, against a background of social collapse.

Two friends must embark on an Epic Quest To Capture The Weapon That Threatens The Galaxy, or else they’ll never achieve their dream of opening a restaurant.

The stories in this collection, by their very outrageousness, achieve a heightened realism unlike any other. Anders once again proves she is one of the strongest voices in modern science fiction, the writer called by Andrew Sean Greer, “this generation’s Le Guin.”

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.

My Review: This is a collection to dip into not slurp down greedily. I mean, where else do you find, "A whole book of short stories can be overwhelming, like imaginative speed dating." This isn't even in a story! It's in the opening act, the Introduction! She's not keepin' her powder dry, unlikely for a seasoned campaigner who's founded geeky websites; or she's just got that immense an arsenal and knows she doesn't need to pace herself.

The best thing I can say of this epitome of Author Charlie Jane Anders's career is that you are unlikely to become bored. A story about time travel that includes, as I've never seen any other place, the fact that the Earth is moving in space; the Sun is moving in space; and not one bit of that enables a careless time-traveler to land where they began. Another story about time travel, but for an extremely specific time, and how that affects a love affair. Love, in every guise you can imagine, underpins every story. Love unspoken, love requited, love rejected...love all over the shop. Seriously. Get some towels.

You'll note that you're denied the story-by-story breakdown...you must venture blogwards to bring you the flavor of the tales. ( )

I could not find an empathetic link to these stories. Read a handful and dnf.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.com. ( )

Charlie Jane Anders is one of the great voices in contemporary speculative fiction. As expected, her first short story collection is a joy to read--funny, witty, charming, touching, adventurous, and, most of all, immensely and impressively imaginative.

The introduction alone is worth the price of admission. It offers a delightful little tour through some of the steps, missteps, and leaps Anders took along the way to becoming a beloved SFF titan. This introduction, along with the notes before each story, heightens the feeling that this collection is in some ways both showcase and masterclass, a glimpse at some of the possible ways to make it as a writer. This structure lends the book a warm and generous atmosphere that is, of course, only fitting for the kinds of stories Anders tells within.

As is often the case with short story collections--particularly collections spanning a writer's career--Even Greater Mistakes is not completely even in tone. None of the stories are bad, or even mediocre, but not every single one is absolutely fantastic. Most of them are fantastic, though, and of course such things are subjective. Particular highlights for me included the clever "As Good as New", the heartbreaking "Rat Catcher's Yellows", the silly but steadfast "Fairy Werewolf vs. Vampire Zombie", the hilariously devastating novella "Rock Manning Goes for Broke", and, most especially, the poignantly hopeful "The Bookstore at the End of America". With 19 stories to choose from, this collection offers more than enough range to satisfy any Anders fan and create more than a few new ones.

Overall, this is a thrilling, fascinating, and extremely fun collection I'd call a must-read not only for existing Anders fans but also for anyone who appreciates the possibilities of 21st-century speculative short fiction.

I received a free e-ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

A collection of nineteen science fiction/fantasy tales filled with unexpected twists on classic tropes, gender, heartbreak while offering [often with humor] social commentary in a variety of settings. Each imaginative story stands alone, filling its own particular niche in this compilation.

Consider a genie in a bottle, found by a survivor in an apocalyptic world. Or a game developed for dementia sufferers. Perhaps a tale of Human-Gelet hybrids or a contemplation of the possibilities of time travel. Perhaps a vampire/zombie tale or a bookstore standing at the border between the United States and the now separate country of California. The widely-varied content is sure to give readers much to consider.

A short commentary by the author prefaces each story.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley
#EvenGreaterMistakesy #NetGalley ( )