Warriors edited by George R.R. Martin & Gardner Dozois
FORMAT/INFO: Warriors is 736 pages long divided over twenty short stories and an Introduction by George R.R. Martin. Each short story is preceded by biographical information about the author and a short description of their contribution to the anthology. March 16, 2010 marks the North American Hardcover publication of Warriors via Tor.
ANALYSIS:
- âThe King of Norwayâ by Cecelia Holland. Iâve never read anything by Cecelia Holland before, but the author is described as âone of the worldâs most highly acclaimed and respected historical novelists.â Not surprisingly, her contribution finds the author doing what she knows best: historical fiction â specifically a tale of bloodthirsty Vikings, reckless vows, and violent sea battles. Unfortunately, Iâm not a very big fan of either historical fiction or Vikings â apart from Norse mythology â and found âThe King of Norwayâ boring and unremarkable. In short, a disappointing start to the anthology.
- âForever Boundâ by Joe Haldeman. I havenât read Forever Peace (1998) â Joe Haldeman’s Hugo, Nebula and John W. Campbell award-winning science fiction novel â but I believe âForever Boundâ is like a prequel to that book since it features the first-person narrative of Julian Class (the protagonist of Forever Peace), while also covering such concepts as soldierboys (heavily armored robots telepathically operated by âmechanicsâ), cybernetic cranial implants (jacks) and platoon relationships (ten soldiers operating as a single group mind) found in the novel. What I do know for sure though is this: âForever Boundâ is superbly written, thought-provoking, and moving. Definitely one of the better entries in Warriors.
- âThe Triumphâ by Robin Hobb. One of my favorite authors, Robin Hobbâs talents â intimate characterization, elegant prose, convincing world-building â are on full display in âThe Triumph,â a tale about the last days of the historical figure Marcus Atilius Regulus, a Roman general and consul who was said to have died during Carthaginian captivity in 250 BC. Even though historical fiction is not my cup of tea, I was fascinated by Regulusâ story, although I did appreciate the speculative elements added to the mix. A very strong offering by Robin Hobb.
- âClean Slateâ by Lawrence Block. When I first started reading âClean Slateâ, I thought the editors had made a mistake. After all, what does a woman reconnecting with a past lover after eight years have anything to do with warriors. Pretty soon though, the connection becomes evident in Lawrence Blockâs dark and disturbing offering about a woman trying to regain her lost innocence…
- âAnd Ministers of Graceâ by Tad Williams. Some of the ideas in âAnd Ministers of Graceâ are familiar like colonized planets, implants that transmit messages/advertisements directly to a personâs brain, a ânanobioteâ-enhanced soldier who reminded me some of Alex Mercer from the Prototype videogame, and religious themes, but as a whole I was blown away by Tad Williams’ futuristic tale of a Covenant Guardian named Lamentation Kane sent on a mission to assassinate the Prime Minister of Archimedes, and the ensuing chaos that follows. Would love to see the short story expanded into a full-length novel or series.
- âSoldierinââ by Joe R. Lansdale. I havenât read very much of Joe R. Lansdaleâs work, but what I have read has been disappointingly hit or miss. So I wasnât sure what to expect from âSoldierinââ, but thankfully Joe R. Lansdaleâs comical Western about a group of âbuffalo soldiersâ crossing paths with Apache Indians was easily the best thing Iâve read by the author, and one of the most entertaining stories in the entire anthology.
- âDiraeâ by Peter S. Beagle. Preceding each short story is biographical information about the author and a short description of their contribution to Warriors. For âDiraeâ, the editors wrote the following: âYou may find the opening pages of this story a bit confusing, but stick with it, and we promise you that youâll be rewarded with a compelling study of the price of compassion â and introduced to perhaps the strangest and most unlikely warrior in this whole anthology.â Which pretty much sums up what I thought of Peter S. Beagleâs poetic tale about a mysterious guardian angel.
- âThe Custom of the Armyâ by Diana Gabaldon. The Custom of the Armyâ is the second Lord John story that Iâve read after âLord John and the Succubusâ found in the Legends II anthology. In this one, Major Lord John Grey â a recurring secondary character from Diana Gabaldonâs bestselling OUTLANDER series and the star of his own series â finds an innocent night at an electric eel party turn into a wild and entertaining adventure involving a duel, a marriage proposal, being charged for murder, dealing with infidelity, summoned to a court-martial hearing, and participating in the Siege of Quebec. To be honest, I canât remember much of âLord John and the Succubusâ, but I enjoyed reading âThe Custom of the Armyâ enough that I wouldnât mind checking out the authorâs OUTLANDER and Lord John novels.
- âSeven Years From Homeâ by Naomi Novik. Naomi Novik has made a name for herself with the alternate history fantasy series, TEMERAIRE, but in âSeven Years From Homeâ, the award-winning author delivers an intelligent science fiction tale about a researcher/biographer and the role she plays in a manufactured war between the Melidans and the Esperigans which ends badly. Creatively, âSeven Years From Homeâ features some nice ideas like living cloth, parasitic wings, the Melidansâ funeral customs and so on, but I thought the narrative voice was dry, and ultimately cared little for the story.
- âThe Eagle and the Rabbitâ by Steven Saylor. Like âThe Triumphâ, âThe Eagle and the Rabbitâ is a historical fiction story featuring Romans and Carthaginians. âThe Eagle and the Rabbitâ though is set after the destruction of Carthage, with the rest of the Carthaginian population being put to death or enslaved. In particular, this story follows a group of fugitives captured by Roman slave traders and the terrible games they are forced to participate in, specifically the temptatio: a trial that turns free men into slaves. One of the more engrossing entries in the anthology.
- âThe Pitâ by James Rollins. Another favorite author of mine, James Rollins â also known as James Clemens â delivers a winner in âThe Pitâ, a visceral and heartwarming tale of the horrors of dogfighting and the power of love, as seen through the eyes of Brutus. Itâs kind of like The Call of the Wild/White Fang meets Fight Club.
- âOut of the Darkâ by David Weber. Iâve heard nothing but praise for David Weberâs work, but it wasnât until now that I experienced firsthand why the New York Times bestselling author is so highly regarded. Well-rounded characters â both human and alien, gifted storytelling, realistic military action, cool surprises… David Weberâs thrilling science fiction tale about the Shongairi â doglike aliens â invading present-day Earth despite the Hegemony Constitution has it all, not to mention being smart and hugely entertaining. Easily one of the highlights of the anthology.
- âThe Girls From Avengerâ by Carrie Vaughn. Iâm most familiar with Carrie Vaughn because of her KITTY NORVILLE urban fantasy series and her contributions to George R. R. Martin’s WILD CARDS universe, but the author is also a prolific and talented short fiction writer, which is demonstrated in âThe Girls From Avengerâ: a well-written historical fiction story set in 1943 and starring Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), in particular one pilot and her quest to solve the mystery surrounding her friendâs tragic death.
- âAncient Waysâ by S.M. Stirling. âAncient Waysâ is an EMBERVERSE story set sometime after the Change â a vividly rendered alternate history, post-apocalyptic milieu where electricity, guns, explosives, internal combustion engines, steam power, et cetera have stopped working. While the world-building in âAncient Waysâ was impressive, the story itself about two unlikely warriors joining forces on an âeven more unlikely missionâ â in this case saving a princess â was predictable. Still, I enjoyed the action and humor found in S.M. Stirlingâs offering, although I believe I would have liked the story even more if I had been more familiar with the EMBERVERSE series…
- âNinieslandoâ by Howard Waldrop. âNinieslandoâ is one of those stories that starts off in one direction before suddenly veering off onto another. In this case, âNinieslandoâ begins as what appears to be more historical fiction, particularly a realistic glimpse at trench warfare during World War I. But then the protagonist discovers a secret society based on the principles of the real life artificial language Esperanto and their plan to start a âNew World of brotherhoodâ, and things start to get weird, but in a good way.
- âRecidivistâ by Gardner Dozois. Gardner Dozois may be best known for his work as an award-winning editor, but he is also an award-winning writer and Iâve been impressed by what Iâve read by him, namely Hunterâs Run (reviewed by Bill above). âRecidivistâ, a science fiction tale about a future Earth drastically changed by AIs and one personâs attempt to strike back at the oppressors is a bit on the short side, but is still a creative and welcome addition to the anthology.
- âMy Name Is Legionâ by David Morell. From the creator of Rambo comes a compelling tale about the French Foreign Legion set in 1941. âMy Name Is Legionâ specifically gives readers a taste of legionnaire ideas â âLiving by Chanceâ, âThe Legion Is Our Countryâ, âHonor and Nobilityâ â and history (the Battle of CamarĂłn, Captain Danjou), and examines what happens when legionnaires are forced to battle against one another…
- âDefenders of the Frontierâ by Robert Silverberg. Surveyor is only one of eleven survivors â Captain, Seeker, Sergeant, Weaponsmaster, Armorer, et cetera are some of the others â still stationed at a remote desert fort that once housed ten thousand soldiers. For over two decades, these men have performed the duty that they were tasked with, but their Empire seems to have forgotten about them, while the enemy is no more. Having known nothing but their lives as soldiers, with no enemies to fight, and no knowledge of the outside world, what are such men to do? That is the scenario explored in âDefenders of the Frontierâ, one of my favorite stories in the anthology thanks to speculative fiction elements (Seekerâs ability, Fisherfolk), Surveyorâs evocative first-person narrative, and Robert Silverbergâs poignant examinations.
- âThe Scrollâ by David Ball. Never having heard of David Ball, I had no expectations about the authorâs contribution and was consequently blown away by âThe Scrollâ: a bleak, but highly entertaining tale about a French engineer named Baptiste whose life â and the lives of his fellow slaves â hang in the balance during the construction of the city Meknes, based on the whims of historical figure Moulay IsmaĂŻl, sultan of Morocco, and a scroll prophesizing what the engineer will do next. Another favorite of mine.
- âThe Mystery Knightâ by George R.R. Martin. Being completely honest with myself, the main reason I wanted to read Warriors was because of the new Dunk & Egg novella â the third such one after âThe Hedge Knightâ and âThe Sworn Swordâ â which takes place in the world of George R. R. Martinâs wildly popular A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE series. Fittingly, âThe Mystery Knightâ is saved for last because Dunk & Eggâs latest adventure about jousting, a dragonâs egg, honor, and conspiracy is easily the longest â and in my opinion â best story in the whole anthology.
CONCLUSION: In his Introduction, George R. R. Martin describes Warriors as a âspinner rackâ, which is an apt description for an anthology that includes stories of every ilk from historical fiction, fantasy and sci-fi to a Western, mysteries, âsome mainstreamâ, and âa couple of pieces that I wonât even begin to try and label.â Besides diversity, Warriors is also rich in quality, with every story in the anthology well-written and deserving of inclusion, even if I enjoyed certain pieces more than others. For me, George R. R. Martinâs âThe Mystery Knightâ was easily the highlight of the anthology, but there were several other stories that I loved, including contributions by Tad Williams, Robert Silverberg, David Weber, Joe Haldeman, James Rollins, David Ball, and Steven Saylor, while there were only a few pieces that I felt were forgettable. Negatively, for all of its variety, the anthology is nevertheless dominated by historical fiction pieces and stories on soldiers and war, and if there is ever a second Warriors anthology, I hope the editors will shoot for even greater diversity. Despite this one complaint, Warriors lived up to expectations delivering a diverse, entertaining and rewarding reading experience that I will not soon forget.
~Robert Thompson
To quote from George R.R. Martinâs introduction âPeople have been telling stories about warriors for as long as they have been telling stories.â I imagine that for most all who enjoy fantasy or almost any genre fiction, itâs the timeless tradition of the telling of warriorsâ tales that is the heart of our passion. In fact, reading Martinâs introduction titled âStories of the Spinner Rackâ is enough to put Warriors on any bookwormâs reading list. For many of us who grew up in Small Town USA during the 70âs and earlier, before the big book stores and Amazon.com, we know exactly what he was talking about. Itâs a very relatable trip down memory lane that primes the reader for the adventures that follow.
At 736 pages, Warriors is practically a tome. It contains twenty tales, without a bad one in the bunch. Iâm not going to summarize each individual story, since that information is already easily available from the publisher and from harder working reviewers than me, but the list of authors is the most impressive Iâve ever seen for similar books. These are great stories from most all the genres, with more than a few of them being fantasy and science fiction, but also historical fiction, a western, a war story, paranormal, and even a dog story.
My experience reading Warriors was a re-acquaintance with some favorite authors that I havenât read in way too long: George R. R. Martin, David Morrell, Tad Williams, Robert Silverberg, and Lawrence Block. It was also an introduction to many authors Iâve had an interest in but havenât yet given a read: David Weber, Naomi Novik, and Diana Gabaldon, to name only a few.
Iâm one of the rare odd-balls who didnât care for Robin Hobbâs FARSEER trilogy, but her story about a Roman prisoner of war, âThe Triumph,â was one of my favorites in the book. James Rollinâs story about a pit-bull dog actually produced a lump in my throat. David Morrellâs âMy Name is Legionâ, about two comrades in the French Foreign Legion during WWII, pulled at my heart strings. George R. R. Martin returns to Westeros some centuries before A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE for another adventure of his Hedge Knight â for fans of the series, thatâs all that needs saying.
Warriors is an excellent sampler of genre fiction by the some of the very best. Readers wonât find a better way to try new genres, revisit past favorites, and still enjoy tales the likes of which are currently on their reading lists.
~Greg Hersom
This theme, Warriors, is short and simply what got started reading, and some of my favorite authors are involved. I had to jump in pre-orereded the Kindle edition right after seeing your review.
This book does look like the one to get. I am going to have to add it to my list here as it sounds AMAZING!
“Warriors” is definitely worth the cover price, and then some. I can’t recommend it enough and I hope you both enjoy it!
Actually the Kindle price for a pre-order isn’t bad 8 bucks and some change, but you have to wait til June. This books isn’t illustrated is it?
Sorry for the slow reply Greg…
I reviewed an ARC version of Warriors, but I’m pretty sure there are no illustrations. As far as the Kindle price, $8 is a pretty good deal. I would pay that just for the GRRM novella :)
Sweet :thumb: , now its just the wait til June. Luckily I got plenty to read till then, so it will something to look forward to.
Great review :thumb: : I usually don’t like reading short stories but I just add this one to my list !
How do you know there’ll be a Kindle edition ? I can’t find it.