This collection of speculative fiction short stories published in Canada by Shadowpaw Press is a fun and engaging mix of hard and soft fantasy and science fiction. The stories flow well together from a sense of old world to near future and distant worlds in a way that is never jarring while also, perhaps, offering commentary on each other in a loose way.

The stories in this fifth volume of short stories range from cautionary tales about environmental destruction to retold fairy tales of revenge by women scorned and from hopeful narratives about understanding different peoples to Black Mirror-esque futures where human interaction is replaced by the digital. I enjoyed reading this collection and, with only a few exceptions, appreciated how all of the stories worked so well together. I will definitely be thinking about many of the worlds and characters from this collection long after I’ve shelved the book!

This review is my honest opinion of Shapers of Worlds, Volume V. Thank you to NetGalley and the Literary Press Group of Canada for providing a digital copy for me to read.

Shapers of the Worlds, Volume V, edited by Edward Willet contains 525 pages filled with 24 stories of fantasy, speculative fiction, and science fiction. I found that the collection tended to lean more towards fantasy and speculative fiction. I also found about 2/3 of the stories to be dark or dystopian.

Each reader will be sure to have different favorites. I enjoyed the near future role of general AI in the family entertainment center in Brad R. Torgersen's "Pole Dancer". And this story even had a wholesome happy ending! I also enjoyed the adventure, excitement, and a unique view on modern civilization in Alan Smale's "Red-Eye and Thunderbird". Finally, I appreciated the blend of two classic SF tales ("War Of the Worlds" and "The Island of Dr. Moreau") in Brian Trent's "The Beasts at the End of the World".

I recommend this book for those that like anthologies of speculative fiction and fantasy.

I thank the author and publisher for kindly providing an electric advanced copy of this book.

(Netgalley only tip: I had a hard time reading the pdf manuscript on my phone, so I ended up purchasing a copy. If you read at your computer, it shouldn't be a problem though. Happy reading!)

The fifth SHAPERS OF WORLDS anthology reminded me a lot of F&SF under Gordon Van Gelder’s editorial eye; which is to say, it offers up a wide variety of SFF subgenres, balanced well within the TOC. While there were a few humorous notes that didn’t quite land for me and a few stories that skewed too conservative for my tastes—also reminiscent of Van Gelder’s F&SF—only two stories out of twenty-four didn’t work for me at all. Definitely recommended.

Anthologies live or die with the editor, in my opinion. There’s a balance to having stories that compliment one another, in theme and — I’m sorry to say — quality. A collection of books with one diamond amongst the crystals might make one story stand out more than the other, but it also lessons the rest in comparison. This book has 24 stories all well matched in writing quality, and while I have a few favorites, they all worked well together.

Bleach, by M.C.A. Hogarth is a brutal, bleak story with some very eloquent writer and a lot of world building in a very short time. I’d honestly love to see a full book set in this world.

Grey Scale, by Hayden Trenholm is about a prisoner who has lost his memories — 35 years of them — in order to cure of him of crime, and with the mind and memories of a 16 year old must now navigate his life. Is his crime still his? Must he bear the weight of it for the rest of his life?

Pole Dancer by Brad R. Rogers is a sweetly optimistic romance but I think my favorite of all of them is The Crumbling Walls: A Tale of Nahwalla by Omari Richards involving a woman making hard choices for herself, her daughters, and her clan while guided by a mysterious book. The magic is well done, the world building shines through in this short story and, again, I’d love a full book set in this world.

The stories are a mix of magic and science, angels and dragons, rogue AI and eldritch horrors; vampires, rusalka and poetry. Kind AI, martians, panda bears and dystopian landscapes. Many of these books have that classic Twilight Zone feel to them, especially Quid est Veritas, by Edward Willett, and if you’re a fan of the show I think you’ll have a good time with this anthology.

Thank you so very much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC!

When asked to recommend a new author or genre, I recommend anthologies. These volumes of short stories are written by both celebrated authors and those who are looking to expand their reading base. The stories are excellent measures of talent and skill since the author must build an entire experience in fewer pages than most novel's chapters. Building the story and the characters while bringing the reader an excellent experience is not an easy task. Most antholgies are devoted to a single theme, this one is written by guests of the widely popular Worldshapers podcast. As in all collections, some of them are better than others, but all of them are well worth reading. I've discovered some new favorites and expanded my love of differing genres through collections. I recommend and gift antholgies often and keep one or two handy for those times I can't decide what to read next. Choose one, this one is an excellent start, and I think you'll find yourself a fan too.

Another solid anthology from Edward Willett, based on the eponymous SF program featuring a range of established and emerging SF authors. As with any anthology like this, quality can vary, but this is largely readable to quite good. Stories by Graham, Hogarth, Gardner, Kuhn, Lamplighter, Shvartsman, and Schoenberg are all recommended, among others. I back each of Mr. Willett’s kickstarters and based on this volume will continue to do so.