Boys, Beasts & Men

The first collection of short stories by speculative fiction author Sam J. Miller collects thirteen of Miller's best known stories (and. one new one), many collected in "Best of..." annuals or nominated for Nebula and World Fantasy Awards. Brief interstitials act to bind together the stories into a cohesive whole. Thematic juxtapositions reveal surprising connections in the stories, with the "Things With Beards"/"Ghosts of Home"/"The Heat of Us"/"Angel, Monster, Man" sequence being a particularly strong standout.

An amazing collection of short stories! Each was so atmospheric and unique in concepts ranging from body controlling powers, minds connected to the internet to a modern day dinosaur. Each story has such a fresh twist on the horror/thriller genres. I also greatly enjoy the queer representation in these stories, and how it does not sugar coat the relationships either.

I was thoroughly impressed by this collection and can't wait to check out a full novel by this author. I am looking forward to the publication of this collection so everyone can read it.

I have indifferent luck when it comes to short story collections. When they hit I am surprised. When they don't, I shrug and move on. This collection hit and hit hard.

The stories in Boys, Beasts & Men are a swirl of queerness, magic, horror, science fiction, and good old fashioned gut-punching storytelling. Each story examines an idea in exquisite originality. Whether it's the effect of King Kong on the people of New York, or the unexpected power of learning how a murder actually happened, or the daily life of furniture, these stories all make an impression and lead to thought.

(Or more emotional reactions. There's a story about a father, a son, and a t-shirt that absolutely devastated me. Like...devastated.)

I loved this book. I will be thinking about it for a long while.

A gorgeous, emotionally devastating wreck of a collection. "Calved" destroyed me so profoundly I couldn't sleep and had to stop reading for a day. "Ghosts of Home," which imagines the 2008 mass evictions sideways, through the bank-appointed caretaker of the home spirits of the foreclosed houses is my favorite and I feel most indicative of his strengths as an author- politically incisive, emotionally resonant spec fic that surprises and gut punches.

It's a beautiful, odd, queer collection of stories. What if an dinosaur was being held in a cage nearby? What if you had powers, like Carrie? What if Ann Darrow was real and you met her? What if you suspected a stranger swapped bodies with your boyfriend? What if a totalitarian state reconditions you and you're stuck halfway between a human and a beast? What if… wait a second, this is not how I imagined the queer version of Frankenstein, but I guess I'll take it.

All for these stories are connected by a thread of a larger one. It's hard to say which story was my favorite, because I loved almost all of them. I really enjoyed Calved, where the author constructs an alternate history scenario where Americans are refugees in other countries just to tell a story of a father and son falling apart. I loved Shucked, with plays with the idea of an Indecent Proposal and the psychological or possibly supernatural consequences of such, and Shattered Sidewalks of the Human Heart, which picks up the story of King Kong decades after the giant ape was killed. Most of these stories borrow from tales we know to offer something new.

Sam J. Miller is a very good writer and I can't recommend these enough.

I never really pegged myself for a short story kind of person, but because I got this as an ARC I decided to give it a try. I was not disappointed. This author’s way of writing was absolutely beautiful, and pulled me in with every sentence. I devoured this book in under a day, and I look forward to reading more from this author. While most of the stories had similar undertones and plot points, they were all so different that it felt like bouncing between worlds. I also loved the science fiction aspect of it all. I would definitely recommend this book!

Thank you, Tachyon Publications, for allowing me to read Boys, Beasts & Men early!

I'm not new to Miller's writing, having read some of his previous work, and this debut collection is another proof of his masterful craft. I devoured the short stories featured in this collection and I still want more, despite becoming completely undone after each reading experience. Really a brilliant collection.

I received an early copy of this book from Net Galley, this has not influenced my review.

This book was the best possible version of a short story collection and really shows off the strengths of the genre. If a six star option existed, I would give this book all of them without a moment’s hesitation.
Like a really great box of chocolates, each story in this collection was fantastic, distinct, and memorable, no coconut clusters or teeth-shattering slabs of caramel in here! (Sorry if those are your favorites). I could have easily read whole books based on each individual tale.

The stories were enormously diverse and each affected me a different way, but each left their mark and each was a joy to read. This author blends horror, fantasy, mystery, and magic seemingly effortlessly, the way professional athletes or dancers are able to do incredible things that just seem like showing off until you remember the years of work that went into reaching that level.
The author’s range is astounding. From a story where King Kong really walked the earth and died at the foot of the Empire State Building to a retelling of the night of the Stonewall Riot, where oppressed, queer, New Yorkers discover a potent and deadly form of group pyrokenesis, I found myself completely immersed in each new tale from the beginning.

This author is one I’ve heard about for a while but have never read until now. After this truly stunning book I plan on reading his other works and keeping a careful eye on his upcoming projects.

Boys, Beasts & Men is a fitting title for this collection that explores heavy themes in different shades of spec fiction, and I loved every bit of it. Each story is tied to the theme in its own way, and whether dark, magical, or haunting, every tale is steeped in emotion, exploring things like queerness, greed, otherness, and AIDs.

Miller’s prose has a way of showing the ugliness of humanity with the warmth of a comforting embrace. It’s the hand to hold you as you journey into darkness. A few of these stories I had already read in various magazines, but the majority of them were new to me. Sam Miller also adds a narrative journey between each story that ties them together and ends on a wonderful note. Most stories are subtle in tone but resonated with me well after reading.

It’s hard to say exactly why I connected so much with this collection because I can also see that it might not be everyone’s cup of tea. To me, the best fiction centers around emotion and the human condition, only using supernatural or fantastical elements as a lens to help show it through. Sam Miller does just that. Either way, I would recommend this to anyone who likes their short stories dark and with a heart.

Hair-raising and sly, drawing you in and scaring you away as you desperately try to find out if you are the hunter...or prey.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Just a delectable short story collection touching on gayness, masculinity, the AIDS crisis, the supernatural and so much more. Miller's work is so rich, with an incredible diversity of characters and settings and an intense humanity to each piece. The creativity made reading each story a delight - from the perspective of an oft-recycled sofa to a group of gay men who conjure their political dreams into human form with unintended results that rewrite the history of the AIDS epidemic. Will definitely be checking out his other work. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.

Boys, Beasts & Men by Sam J. Miller

I love a single-author short story collection. I find it a fantastic way to get to know a new-to-me author. I enjoy sampling their writing in bite-sized chunks and experiencing the breadth of their styles and depth of their skill. And Boys, Beasts & Men by Sam J. Miller is the quintessential example of why I feel this way.

I had heard of Sam J. Miller when his Blackfish City was nominated for a Nebula but I hadn’t gotten around to reading it, so I was very happy that NetGalley and his publisher were able to grant me an eARC of his new short story collection (which I hope is the first of many) in exchange for an honest review.

The stories in this collection run the gamut from scary to angry to sad to kind but they all have a raw humanity that I loved. I recommend this book highly and hope to read more from Mr. Miller in the future.

I loved this so much, all of the stories were absorbing and incredibly evoking, to the point that some of them I read again and again. Phenomenally written, absolute gold star collection!

Like many of Sam J. Miller’s books (one of my favorite queer authors since college), a thought-provoking book on trauma and queerness.