Eugie Foster (1971–2014)

I would have never discovered Eugie Foster if it weren't for K. Tempest Bradford's call to read more diversely. I would have never discovered Eugie Foster if I hadn't taken a look at my own reading and realized it was 99% white women, and vowing to change that. I would have never discovered Eugie Foster if I hadn't started following SF fandom more closely. I would have never discovered Eugie Foster...
... and my life would have been the poorer for it.

Reading her stories is a bittersweet feeling. They are all amazing. Her talent shines through each one, and she completely reinvents the vampire mythos in several different ways in this collection, and tells each story in a compelling fashion. Each story is different; the voice of each story is different. But each is wonderful. But it's hard to read anything she's written without experiencing incredible sadness, knowing that she's gone and there will be no more.

These stories are dark. They're gritty. They're hopeful. They're inspiring. Several of the stories play around with Eugie's own relationship with her own muse, which she admittedly calls a "crack whore", and vampires are depicted as both the source and destroyer of inspiration. I admit, I loved those stories the best. There's also a story that was oddly different from the others, in which there is a war between vampires and humans, in a fascinating world I wanted to see more of. And one incredible story that re-envisions the Sleeping Beauty story.… (meer)

I had intended to ration Eugie Foster's stories to make them last longer. Instead, I found myself bingeing on them this weekend, finishing two collections and her Nebula Award-winning novella. On one hand, I have no regrets; the stories were amazing. On the other hand, this means my ability to read all of Eugie's stories for the first time is that much closer to its end.

This series of short stories are all influenced by, based on, or retellings of Chinese or Japanese folktales, mythologies, and history. I much prefer novels to short stories, and it is the odd short story that I end up enjoying. Most short story collections or anthologies contain a handful of pieces I enjoy, with the majority feeling a bit ho-hum. It is the rare collection where I enjoy almost every story. It is nearly unheard of where I loved each one.

So it is very high praise that I give this collection five stars, because each story was a lovely, nuanced gem. These are stories which reminded me of the tales I read when I was a child, comforting in their familiarity, but with an added edge of darkness and sensuality that held adult-me enthralled. Without really meaning to, I sped through each story because I wanted more. And when I finished, I fell into a post-book depression that only hits after finishing a really good book.… (meer)

Eugie Foster's stories are always a delight!

These were an interesting mix of stories, some retellings or obviously inspired by folktales from China or Japan, which felt familiar and were like snuggling into a well-loved blanket. But to me, the stand-outs were the ones where Foster highlights her love of whimsy.

Like, "The Adventures of Manny the Mailmobile," told from the POV of a mailmobile who loves a human and ends up saving the day.

Or, "Spring Arrives on a Hob's Tail," when a skunk saves the entire faery court.

These are wonderful stories to read and share with others. Perfect for bedtime, or lunchtime, or anytime, really, so long as one's heart is open.… (meer)

This is the last Eugie Foster short story collection, and I'm so sad there is no more... for now. I believe her husband is working on getting her uncollected stories together in some fashion, and I'm eagerly looking forward to them.

These stories aren't really thematically linked in any way, though many of them combined whimsy with something darker.

"The Life and Times of Penguin" - whimsical and dark at the same time. The tale of a balloon animal.

"Running on Two Legs" - cancer gives a woman the ability to speak to animals.

"Black Swan, White Swan" - inspired by Swan Lake. A doctor who lives in a lighthouse rescues a drowning woman.

"The Bunny of Vengeance and the Bear of Death" - A story of causality. I liked this one a lot.

"A Nose for Magic" - A curse, a skunk, and two witches.

"The Center of the Universe" - A high school reunion leads to reminiscing and moving forward and letting go of the past.

"The Wizard of Eternal Watch" - This one was, IMO, the most out-there story of the bunch. Demons are bound in illusionary worlds, overseen by two figures who also control those worlds. I'm still not sure what to make of this.

"Mortal Clay, Stone Heart" - Easily my favorite of all the stories in the collection. The tale of a gifted sculptor and a prince.… (meer)