http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1680285.html

One could reasonably gripe about this anthology because the cover names Peter S. Beagle, Neil Gaiman and Gene Wolfe, implying that stories by all three are to be found within, when in fact only Beagle makes an appearance, Gaiman and Wolfe being missing in action. I would be on firmer ground to criticise if I had actually rushed to read the book soon after buying it three and a half years ago, rather than letting it sit on the shelf until now. Anyway, it's a good collection of good stories, none of which I could remember having read before, the best for my money being Daniel Handler's post-mortem romance, "Naturally". Fantasy isn't usually my genre but I can see the appeal from reading collections like this. ( )

I was far more impressed by this than I thought I'd be. There were a few generic fantasy stories, but also a few that were amazing.

'Pol Pot's Beautiful Daughter' by Geoff Ryman really got under my skin, in an entirely unassuming manner. 'The Lineaments of Gratified Desire', by Ysabeau Wilce, reminded me of Jeff Noon's books, but was utterly delicious in its own way - the language in it curls and unfurls like sugar confections, a wonderful treat. And 'Moon Viewing at Shijo Bridge', by Richard Parks, has stuck with me as well, although I'm not sure why. ( )