"The celebrated author of Fairyland, Space Opera, and much more, Catherynne M. Valente is also known for her stunning prose and captivating worldbuilding. From life on Mars to the zombified streets of Augusta, Maine, she has taken readers on unforgettable journeys for two decades. Subterranean Press is proud to present: The Best of Catherynne M. Valente, Volume One, the first comprehensive collection of Valente's short fiction, soaring through eighteen years of pushing the edges of storytelling. Among her award-winning stories, you'll find everything from melancholy robot girls to Eurydice and Orpheus; from detectives in Purgatory to time-traveling squirrels to a very different Santa Claus; from the grey coast of Washington to Alice's Wonderland. Valente's work is an open, beating heart, ready to welcome you in to its darkness and its light."

And you've got 800 pages of it!

I completely enjoyed the wild ride that was this collection! There is something for every person in this GIANT book of mind-bending stories and their gorgeous counterparts. You're taken on a new adventure with every chapter and it sores your imagination to new heights. There's so much detail and world-building that it's absolutely astounding to uncover.

The formatting of this file made it very difficult to read. However, it was a well curated collection. Catherynne M. Valente is an incredible writer and her writing really shines through these selections.

Thank you to Catherynne M. Valente, Subterranean Press, and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy of "The Best of Catherynne M. Valente, Volume One" for an honest review.

I have been reading Valente for eons, it feels like now. I was one of the people to play 'The Ice Queen' when it was originally released on the internet, and I still own all my letters from the subscriptions when Valente would mail a letter, under a gorgeous red wax seal, of a brand new short story to her fans each month. I have been collecting every new and old story of hers since that time, and this publication feels like a godsend.

I was very interested when I saw it would be a 'best of' volume, and then incredibly blown away the moment I opened it and saw the index. It was so much bigger than I'd ever predicted. From far-back pieces up to those of last year's releases. There is something between these covers for every reader, stories of love, family, passion, drive, and inspiration, what makes a narrative and breaks a narrative. There are multifaceted characters of every assortment, who will speak honey into your ear, whether sweet or sour, and then you'll find yourself ten pages later weeping for them, no matter who or what you thought at the beginning.

I advise this to everyone and will be purchasing a copy for myself and my classroom (and maybe a few birthday's this year!).

A wonderful volume of a great author, I found this be an overall great collection for both fans and newbies alike. 10/10.