The only thing that unites this collection is the author: the short stories are diverse, ranging from fairytale-like to SF, but all were entrancing and written with a lyrical voice that I liked quite a lot. Some ideas are incredibly good, I would have loved to see them extended / detailed into novels.
I must confess I was afraid of the poetry part, but the poems read more like ballads, and I was glad to find them enjoying.
I also liked the personal touch – after each work, she says a few words about it, what determined her to write it, for what publication or occasion.

A wonderfully clever and intricate story with beautiful writing.

Multiple award-winning science fiction and fantasy author Jo Walton first short fiction collection is a captivating array of fairy tales, mythology, space fiction, machine sentience, alien encounters, heaven, and more. Easily a third of these stories in this collection are 5-star worthy. Here are my absolute favorites:

-Three-Twilight Tales, about three separate magical encounters in which a rural fantasy village
-Unreliable Witness, in which an old woman with dementia describes her encounter with an alien
-Relentlessly Mundane, about several adults who discuss their secret trip to the magical land of Porphylia when they were younger
-Escape to Other World with Science Fiction, in which several slices of life in 1960 New York have little to do with what’s in the papers
-At the Bottom of the Garden, my absolute favorite tale of book, which captures the lack of empathy we teach our children in a world that could be full of wonder
-A Burden Shared, in which a mother shares the burden of pain with her daughter by technology, at unseen costs

Some of the short stories, like the ones mentioned above, are perfect combinations of form and idea and execution. I love that this collection is so diverse. There are stories, plays, poems, and sonnets, and each contain such different subject material, from pure fantasy to magical realism to hard science fiction to Norse and Greek mythology. Some are disturbing; some are funny; some are clever; all of them are interesting.

Even the stories that aren’t my favorites are quite memorable, lingering because of their unique subject material. Interestingly, in the introduction, Jo Walton mentions that the art of short fiction did not come naturally to her like novel writing. I understand what she means, in that she has a wide range of intriguing ideas, and she presents them in new and unusual formats, but often the final stroke, the proverbial period at the end of the sentence, does not pack the punch I expect from the set up. In fact, I often wonder if I missed something, that maybe I did not quite get it.

It’s a mix, but one I highly recommend. Specifically recommended for fans of literary scifi and fantasy!

I’m honestly not quite sure of how to review Jo Walton’ collection of short stories, Starlings. As a fiction read, it left me greatly wanting, with many of the stories (there are also poems and one play but more on those later) feeling undeveloped, slight, and too one-note, so that most frequent reaction was “nice idea, but . . . “with the “but” mostly signifying a response that really wasn’t a response. And so what’s the problem, you might be thinking. You didn’t respond to most of the stories; give it a bad review. Which is a nice idea, but . . .

And here’s the thing. Each story is followed by a brief afterword explaining where the premise arose, or what Walton’s intentions were, or where it was published (or not) or how much she was compensated (or not) or any mix of those. And in these afterwords, Walton often shares that this story was, well, “one-note,” or the start of something that was left, um, “undeveloped” or that it was an experiment in form or mode, an exercise of some sort. Most times I negatively critique a story for lack of development, or characterization, or for feeling too much like it was just an experiment, it’s because it’s presented as having those things or being more than those things. That’s not the case here. At least, I don’t think it’s the case. So yes, as an anthology of short fiction, for me Starling failed in that I didn’t react much or at all to many of the stories: they didn’t linger, I didn’t respond emotionally, they didn’t provoke much thought, I wasn’t compelled by plot or character. But . . .

As an entry point into a writer’s process, as a craft-book-that-isn’t-really-a-craft-book-but-could-be, I kind of liked Starlings. I liked how she offers up a series of writerly questions: how might one write a POV from an inanimate object, or how might I enter a clichéd tale in a different or subversive way that hasn’t itself become a cliché? Can I mash up some people/characters and find a way to make it work, say Jane Austen and Cassandra of Greek myth? Or Godzilla and Shakespeare? Many of the stories didn’t do much for me, but the playfulness of the writer’s mind did. But . . .

That isn’t to say none of the stories worked for me. “Three Twilight Tales” is lovely and rich in tone and style, with gorgeous language use. “Jane Austen to Cassandra” is one-note/one-joke, but Walton nails the voice. “On the Wall” is that inanimate POV — a magic mirror in a classic tale — and it has a strong start, an OK middle, and a strong close. “Escape to Other Worlds With Science Fiction” was a solid if not overwhelming tale set in an alternate history, but Walton does a nice job with structure (with a nod to John Dos Passos). My favorite parts of the novel outside “Three Twilight Tales” come in the one play in the book — “Three Shouts on a Hill” —a jaunty metafictional ride that is funny and has a good close, even if the play as a whole went on a bit long for me (ironically when my major complain with most stories was their slight nature). The other stories were either solidly entertaining but as noted didn’t do much or linger at all, or were relatively pedestrian, or were so slight that I was surprised they were actually published (or not surprised that they were not. Finally, the closing poems were a mixed bag for me, though poetry being so selective I won’t say much beyond that save I loved the Godzilla/Shakespeare cycle and quite liked “Hades and Persephone.”

So what to say? I can’t give the usual reasons for recommending a fiction book here. But in the end a review comes down to does one think a book is a “worthy” read, is it “worth” the reader’s time. Thinking of it that way, then Starlings is a surprisingly easy book to recommend.

Starlings was my first real dive into Walton's short stories and poetry. Ultimately it felt like a mishmash of stories I liked and pieces that didn't really feel like short stories. With Walton's own commentary about learning to write short stories, this collection naturally drew my attention to that question: "What IS a short story?"

A few of the stories really worked for me, but some others just didn't gel, or felt a little stale. For example, do we really need a sci fi lite version of the "why do you cut the end off the ham" joke? That one felt like filler, especially to someone like me who's come across this particular joke a lot in recent days.

"Sleeper" was a reread - I read it first when it was published on Tor.com, and it's one of my favorites. Also, it seems, it's one of her more recently written stories, and not necessarily a spin on a joke or a practice at writing from a specific viewpoint (which are two things that come up a lot when Walton talks about inspirations for stories in this collection).

Other stories I particularly liked were "On the Wall" (written from the viewpoint of the magic mirror from Snow White), "The Panda Coin" (where the POV changes to follow a coin as it goes through the hands of people living on a space station), and "Turnover".

"Turnover" was the particular story that tickled my fancy the most in this collection. The story is about a generation ship on its way to a planet - and a younger generation wants to preserve their way of life even when they arrive. Yes, there will be a lot of scientists and engineers in space colonies, but the arts and ballet (or low-gravity ballet) are just as important to society and civilization and people's souls. And there's something very uplifting in a story about creating more options for the future, rather than narrowing it down. Let's give our children wiggle room for their lives. We'll all be happier for it.

I feel that Walton really lives in her poetry in this collection. She seems to have a confidence in it that she doesn't have in her short stories (going by her own remarks). Sadly, I am not a fan of much poetry so far, so it was lost on me. A matter of my taste rather than her quality, for sure.

Overall, this was a pleasant collection with a couple of standout stories that I would especially recommend to Walton's fans from her novels.

Starlings is a collection of short stories, some hardly more than extended jokes, all with a sci-fi/fantasy bent. Some were entertaining, others confused me. I enjoyed the longer sci-fi story best.

Most of the shorter works had an ironic twist a la Twilight Zone. Including a letter from Jane Austen to her sister Cassandra, waylaid and delivered to the Greek myth Cassandra, who writes back to Jane.

I did not feel propelled to read these selections and I lost access to the ebook before finishing it.

I don't think they are 'my thing.'

Starlings by Jo Walton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was delighted to find out that I could read and enjoy Jo Walton's first short story (and poetry) collection on Netgalley and saving it just in time for xmas. I do that with authors I really enjoy. The fact is, Ms. Walton has taste. Granted, I've only read three of her books before now, with this one making number four, but trust has been earned.

What else should I expect from someone who reads copiously and discerns with great verve?

But then there comes the introduction. She admits to experimenting and learning the short-fic craft and some of these aren't precisely over-practiced. To that, I say, nevermind. :) I'll read and judge based on my gut reactions anyway, and while a good number of them aren't overly fantastic in my opinion, a few stand out well.

It's on these that I'm resting the weight of my enjoyment.

The Panda Coin - The moon, androids, humans, and AIs... a full slice of lives lasting only as long as the coin remains in their possession. It's a great SF twist and I had a great time piecing out the world and feeling the commentary.

Remember the Allosaur - It may be a joke piece like a number of her other smaller works, but this one works best for me. I keep thinking of my favorite Raptor memes. :)

Sleeper - A pretty awesome future dystopia from the focus of a biographer and an AI-simulation of a real person during the early-mid 20th-century heretics (of mild socialism). I think I may have had the best time with this one just because it's so seditious. If only all biographical works could be the spearhead of a revolution, right?

A Burden Shared - I think I prefer this one for its basic SF-concept over the execution, but even that did a great job. Pain-sharing seems to be just the start. I keep thinking about the possible economic slant to it. Walton's take is purely interpersonal, but a whole society that has this is bound to abuse it. Fascinating, either way. :)

Three Shouts on a Hill - This one is an all-out Irish legend turned into a wild mish-mash mythology adventure and placed firmly into a stage production. It's pretty awesome, ranging from Cromwell, the Thunderbird, the Aztecs, Golden apples and underwater dragons, and even King Arthur. It's about tricksters and overwhelming odds and payback. I'd love to see this put on! :)

The poetry in this collection is very decent, too, but beyond that, I'll not say too much. There is an ever-growing field of SF poetry, after all. It's worth browsing. :)

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

In her introduction, Jo Walton mentions that she really doesn't know how to write short stories, but over the years, she's come to the conclusion that what separates a good short story from a good novel is that the ending isn't as weighty. A weak ending might be something more common in a short story than in a novel, but that doesn't make it actually <i>good</i>.

I'm a big Jo Walton fan and have loved her novels. But when she says she doesn't know how to write short stories, she's unfortunately right. Even the best of this anthology is merely mediocre.

To be fair though, not all of these are actually meant as stories. There's some extended jokes, some writing exercises, some experimentation with odd points of view. There's really only a couple stories meant to be self contained stories. Oddly enough, neither of those actually seemed like complete stories to me. Instead, the one that seemed the most complete to me was meant to be merely the first chapter of a novel. Go figure.

Overall, this just makes me rather sad. I love Jo Walton's novels, but I'm utterly disappointed in her short fiction.

Thank you to Netgalley & Tachyon Publications for the ARC, but I'm sorry I couldn't give this a great review.

Jo Walton's Starling is a whimsical collection of short stories. You can find fairy tales, sci-fi, magical realism, satire, mythology, exercises and poems. All these stories are imbued with fantasy and a wonderful writing style that carries you effortlessly from one page to the next. Each story is a world of their own. Their style, tone, narrative and POV also changes from story to story but they are all similar in that they posses an enchanting "out of this world" feeling to them.

The unpredictability when going from one story to the next made my reading experience even more enjoyable; I didn't know what to expect and needed to clear my mind so I could welcome the next story. It was exciting to speculate what kind of world would come next, would it be on earth? space? or inside a fairy tale?. I let myself be carried away by Walton's prose and poems and fully enjoyed it. Some stories felt perfect as is, while others left me wishing there was more. At the end of each one, an afterword is included telling us about her inspiration or purpose on writing each piece and information about previous publications.

My favorite stories where:

Three Twilight Tales: 3 tales that take place in the same village, in a cozy inn warmed by a fireplace. The first one concerning a man made of moonshine, the second one a peddler selling wondrous items and the third, a king in search for adventure. I loved the atmosphere, the detailed descriptions of the place and the unexpected endings for each tale.

On the Wall: related to a well known fairy tale, we get to know a different side of the story from the point of view of an unexpected secondary character.

The Panda Coin: an science fiction exercise where a series of stories unfold in chains as a coin passes from hand to hand, thus allowing us to know the story of its handler and, as the story progresses, gives us a clearer picture of this bizarre world. I really liked the idea of a coin being the key that connects one character to the other and pushes the story forward. As with the other stories, you never guess how it will develop or end until it happens.

Since the beginning, Walton warns us that short stories is not her forte and that most of the stories are not even real short stories but, for example, exercises, first chapters or prose poems. I really didn't mind that, I found those apparently imperfect pieces to be full of wonderful ideas, worlds and emotions that left me smiling, dreaming and craving for more.

Part of me wishes I had never requested this anthology of short stories, jokes, poetry, etc. I've long meant to read one of Walton's books (I have AMONG OTHERS on my shelf at the mo) and thought this would give me a glimpse into her writing or tease me to want to read other things she's written. Instead I was so bored I dropped my kindle on my face multiple times, skimmed, skipped, and put it down to do any possible other activity but read. Sadly the good intentions I had when starting STARLINGS never panned out.

I wouldn't <b>not</b> recommend this because I can see it possibly working for others but sadly this wasn't for me. I think I might have liked one of the opening stories but honestly it's buried so far underneath all the rest that I couldn't even tell you what it was about or what I liked. I do still intend to give this author's full-length work a try so if nothing else this hasn't scared me away; despite that rather telling rating. I just really did not enjoy this experience overall.

Jo Walton has one of the most beautiful writings I have ever came across. I loved My Real Children and I hoped to enjoy this one just as much. However, no matter how beautiful she writes, the stories are on the ‘too lyrical’ side for me.

Half of the book consists in poems (which I did not read) and the other half in short stories. I read five of them and stopped. I just could not get into them.

One story is a version of Snow White, told from the Pov of the mirror but the resemblance with the fairytale stops here. Another is a letter from Jane Austen to Cassandra – yes, that mythical Cassandra… Another is about an 89 years old woman (suffering from dementia and not realizing it) and her encounter with an alien. I guess the others are more of less in the same note.

Unfortunately, there are just too many allegories for my taste. But if you love her style, you’ll love this collection too.

This collection is a mixed bag. Some stories make the reader turn the pages faster while others drag on with little purpose. The poetry is amateurish at best, I'm afraid, and is the weakest part of the collection. I found myself cringing at some of their lines. There are some really great retellings here of fairytales, and it feels as though some other stories could have been much better if they'd gone through some revisions. What I get most out of the fiction is that the stories are mostly half-baked.

I won't go on at length about each story because I'd get repetitive: plots that are not fully formed, writing that is not quite up to par with other short story writers, and completely unnecessary acknowledgement sections after each tale.

One of my "eh" books this year.

As with all short fiction collections I've read, there are stories within this that I enjoyed more than others. Having said that I thought all of them were good - it's just some I didn't love. This was my first book by this author and it won't be my last. I really enjoyed her writing so I'm interested to read one of her full length books. If you enjoy short story collections then this may be one to check out.

As a kid, I and my sibs had candy so seldom that I could make a pack of M&Ms last for weeks, allowing myself one a day. I’d nibble that single candy with my front teeth so that it took longer to enjoy, until it began to melt in my fingers.

I have the same approach to short pieces of fiction I know I’m going to enjoy, and so it was with Starlings, Jo Walton’s collection of short work.

I say ‘short work’ because it’s not merely short stories. In fact, Walton claims in the introduction that there’s only one true short story in the collection. The rest are attempts, first chapters, experiments, and then there is her wonderful poetry (including a biographical poem that alone is worth the price of admission) and a play that had me cracking up so much I startled the dog. (How I’d love to do that play in a readers’ theater reading!)

Anyway, I portioned these out over weeks, permitting myself to read only one at a time right before bed. (This was only a mistake once, when I encountered a piece so very dark in humor that it was basically extremely effective horror. To get the images out of my head I had to bring out the big guns: listening to Ralph Vaughn Willams’ In Windsor Forest and reread some P.G. Wodehouse before I dared sleep. At least it was a very short piece!)

At the end of each, Walton talks about the inspiration behind it, sometimes evaluating it, and giving the history of publication. These notes are especially interesting to fellow writers, as well as for those who enjoy looking behind the stage curtain.

What to say about the pieces themselves? It’s interesting that the ‘true’ short story that Walton picked came way after my own selection for which one it had to be. This raises the question of what exactly constitutes a short story. Each of these could spark debate on that question alone, before we get to the ideas. None of these pieces is predictable, pretty much every one of them could be called a chapter one to a wonderful novel, or else a fine example of flash fiction, or a fictional riff. Many of them could be broken up into poetry format as they are really prose poems.

One of my favorites was the short story “Turnaround,” which takes place in a restaurant over lunch on an enormous spaceship that is destined for a new planet. The sfnal elements are there, but so are the arts, as well as the impractical and sometimes delightfully absurd joys that make human life so great, such as musical fanfares announcing the newest dishes. One of the things I love about Walton’s work is the celebration of human possibility, choice, and a reveling in profligate beauty. This story evokes that, the best in the human spirit.

The voice, or tone, or mode of these pieces varies so widely. Walton is so flexible when it comes to narrative voice. The opening story, “Three Twilight Tales,” reads as if told by a storyteller over the firelight on a wintry night. The dream-world of fairy tales is evoked through prose that slips into poetry just often enough to be enchanting.

Very different is the tight, wry voice of the next piece, a very short one called “Jane Austen to Cassandra.” And different from both is the eerie tone of “On the Wall,” which is in essence a novel contained in a short piece, because once the reader figures out who this is, they know exactly where it’s going, and it stops at exactly the right moment for maximum effect.

They’re all like this, wildly different in tone and effect, and yet there are flashes of themes from her novels here and there, and glimpses of characters, for instance I thought I saw Krokus from the Thessaly novels in “What a Piece of Work.”

The collection finishes up with the play mentioned above, “Three Shouts on a Hill,” and more of her wonderful poetry.

I wish this were coming out before the end of the year, as I can think of three people I’d buy it for as a holiday gift, but OTOH there are always birthdays, ha ha!

Story, story fragment and poetry collection. I think Walton is correct that most of these aren’t really stories; they have elements of the fantastic but nothing really stood out for me. If you’re a Walton completist or you like sff poetry, then this might be for you.

[I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley for review purposes.]
This is the first I’ve read by Jo Walton, although I had the pleasure to see her speak on a Tor panel at the ALA conference some time ago. She was entertaining and insightful, something I see reflected in this collection. It’s been a pleasure to finally get the chance to delve into one of her works. And what a work to begin with! It’s not in any fashion your typical collection of an author’s short stories, but it’s important to note that Walton is direct and upfront with the reader that that’s not what this is. What it is, is refreshingly honest and charmingly varied. There’s a little something here for everyone, which of course means there are also some pieces in the collection that will feel like more of a miss than a hit for some. This is ok. We’ve come to expect a certain pattern, polish and perfection from our reading materials, often without giving much thought to the growth and struggle that comes along with the process of producing those consummate works of wonder. Here we do not find a set of short stories neatly tied together by a particular rhyme or reason. Instead we’re greeted by a delectable, motley assortment of short fiction forms and themes. The true upshot to this chaos is that it’s never boring, it keeps you on your toes, keeps you wondering from one piece to the next what could possibly be coming next? Every story may not be your new favorite, but there are several new favorites I’ve found nestled not so neatly within this collection. There are enchanting tales of moonlight men and gray women who are more than they seem, a sentient search engine’s struggle with ethics, an unexpected correspondence between Jane Austen and the wrong Cassandra, a frank and meandering parable, a noir detective tale with a decidedly unique twist, a magnificent play (which was probably my favorite part of the whole book and something I would LOVE to see performed, it was hilarious) and even a bit poetry. There’s a great deal besides all of that. In a manner of speaking the contents of the collection perfectly mirror the titular birds; a bit funny looking with their short tail feathers, and intriguingly and unexpectedly colorful and vibrant. Also prone to flying off when startled. It’s great. If you’re willing to embrace some flighty tales and speculative poetry, it’s a fun read well worth your time.

I always find short stories to be an eclectic mix of good and bad, and this was no exception, with some poetry and plays thrown in for good measure.

Starlings covers the more folk and myths aspect of stories with a wide variety of settings, from a travelling coin who exchanges hands from thieves to lovers, to a retelling of Snow White (which I think was my favourite). There's even a story about artificial intelligence and the concept of biographies, which was interesting, and the afterthoughts from the author provided a little bit more understand as to the concepts she's using.

At times I did think this was more a collection of the authors thoughts, concepts and ideas rather than a coherent set of stories. The author even points this out in her introduction, as she states it's not really a short story collection. Which kind of begs the question- what's the point of this? I think I would have preferred just waited until the author developed their concepts into some 'proper' short fiction. Also, the collection itself is rather short, and without much depth to it.

Unfortunately my quest to find the perfect collection of short stories continues.

This set of stories was very diverse. Some are fantasy-ish, and some are a little more sci-fi. There’s poetry too, which I don’t normally go in for, but liked nonetheless.

There’s even a letter in the style of Jane Austen writing to her older sister Cassandra, only in this case, the mail gets rerouted accidentally and sent to Cassandra, the daughter of Priam of Troy in the Iliad, and she writes back. Really fascinating idea there.

There was a pretty cool experimental story, which is a little like the beginning of Snow White as told from the POV of the mirror, which I thought was great. There’s a play based on the Irish myth of the Sons of Tuireann, there’s a story about a zero gravity ballet dancer, there’s a really interesting sort of Noir detective story that takes place in a world where we’ve cloned Jesus, and now being Jesus is like an ethnicity in itself. Jesus as a private eye was really unique.

My favorite story overall though was The Panda Coin, which was a really interesting sci-fi story that takes place on a space station. The station is divided into twelve sections, each named after a month of the year, with weather to match. It’s a really interesting world, and we see bits of it as this coin changes hands. As it does, the POV changes with it, so we meet the people of the station, whether they be simple human miners, androids or AIs. I liked the idea quite a lot!

I liked that each of these stories have an afterword, sort of explaining where they came from or where they were published. A lot of author’s collections have forewords before stories, and I find that having the explanation after the story made more sense.

All told, I really liked this collection. It’s one of the most diverse group of stories and poems in different styles and forms that I’ve ever read. Really fun!

I’d like to thank the author, and Tachyon Publications via NetGalley for the review copy of this book!

Venti racconti (o frammenti, o giochi, o esercizi, come li chiama l'autrice) brevi o brevissimi, un testo teatrale e una manciata di brevi poesie.
Gli ingredienti per un piccolo capolavoro, bocconcini di meraviglia da gustare uno per uno, con calma, all'occasione: e in poche pagine di scrittura limpida e magnifica si dischiudono mondi alternativi perfettamente resi, che siano fantasy o fantascienza; declinazioni inaspettate ai luoghi comuni più triti del fantastico; delicate riflessioni sulla malattia, il dolore, la vecchiaia; e due raccontini natalizi di meravigliosa ironia e incredibile tenerezza insieme.
Non avevo mai letto prima Jo Walton, nonostante la sua fama davvero la preceda; ma se questi frammenti, che considera quasi la palestra della sua scrittura, sono una sorta di piccola collezione di scarti, per quanto amati, non tarderò molto ad affrontarla in volumi più corposi, anche solo per ritrovare la magia delle sue parole.

Was it a collection of stories that have never seen the light? Of books that were meant to be but then became just short stories? I didn’t feel like there was any cohesion, these story do not feel like an anthology and they are very detached from one another. Sorry, i didn’t really understand this collection.