Winter’s Dreams by Glen Cook (book review)
For anyone who has ever had tapas, they’ll know that while tastes delicious, there are times it can be a little unsatisfying. There’s not enough of each dish for you to feel full but you’re left with some tantalising flavours that you want more of.
‘Winter’s Dreams’ certainly qualifies as a selection of small yet tasty treats. But thankfully in this case, you won’t feel anything less than satisfied as each short story creates its own unique world, distinct from the others.
The collection starts off with ‘Song From A Forgotten Hill’ which is a tough to stomach story about race relations in the near future reverting to a backwards state with a disturbing ending.
‘The Recruiter’ deals with mortality and what someone will do to prolong it, no matter what the cost, and ‘The Seventh Fool’ is a charming tale of a con man who is perhaps too clever for his own good.
Each tale is completely different and has its own voice. It’s just impossible to guess what’s coming next and therein lies its beauty. Although the phrase is often bandied, there really is something for everyone in ‘Winter’s Dreams’.
Well worth a read.
Aidan Fortune
April 2013
(pub: Subterranean Press. 287 page deluxe hardback. Price: $ 45.00 (US). ISBN: 978-1-59606-360-0)
check out website: http://www.subterraneanpress.com
