Hotter Than Hell

I have always found anthologies like this to be a great way for me to find new favorite authors. This one has a few standard favorites, and a few new names. Instead of a flat monotone of "erotic" stories each more bland than the last, this anthology has stories that span a delightful range from the electric to the absurd. but the outstanding stars in this one are relative newcomers Carrie Vaughn and Marjorie M. Liu, and I can't wait to find more of their work.

With today's anthologies mostly being some novellas an actual collection of shorts is refreshing.

Usually I try to rate the individual stories but there are over a dozen here. I will say that most are 4 stars with a couple 5 stars and 3 stars. Two of the outstanding stories were Tanya Huff and a surprise Susan Sizemore and Denise Little both outstanding stories. The disappointment is one of my favorite authors Lilith Saintcrow's story which would make up a good chunk of a Novella or a Novel but doesn't come off as a short. Some authors have been able to write shorts that start after the beginning and end before the conclusionCollected Works of Lord Dunsany and The Collected Fantasies Of Clark Ashton Smith Volume 1: The End Of The Story (Collected Fantasies) come to mind (they ddn't use the device that often); but I don't know of any in this centaury.

There are several redemption stories but they are well written with good twists. Also some new critters besides the customary Were Wolfs (a Wolf were for one) and vampires.