Joy to the Worlds: Mysterious Speculative Fiction for the Holidays
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- $2.99
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- $2.99
Publisher Description
What do you get when you mix mystery and speculative fiction, then toss in the holidays for good measure? A mobster Santa, genetic hanky-panky, Victorian villages, time-travelling detectives, Krampus, eerie bell spirits, and more–this collection of short cross-genre fiction is the perfect counterpoint to traditional holiday reading!
This collection stars four authors, each with their own distinct style. National bestselling author Maia Chance, who is famous for her cozy mysteries, dazzles with humor and folklore. IPPY award-winning science fiction author Janine A. Southard beguiles with unexpected time-travel science. Science fiction & fantasy bestseller Raven Oak offers a look into the gothic past. And for a whole new perspective, debut fiction author and art expert G. Clemans dives into the intersections of creativity and mystery.
Joy to the Worlds brings together eight short works that explore mysteries across time and space. With stories ranging from dark dystopian worlds to comedic retro-futures, four diverse writers find new ways to combine these disparate worlds into something anyone will enjoy.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Eight short stories by four authors glisten with holiday wonder, each one decorated in hues of legend, myth, SF, and quirky, joyful fun. Both Janine A. Southard's fantastical "Wild Hunt" and Chance's folklore-heavy heist in "Odysseus Flax & the Krampus" are notable for their whimsical, tongue-in-cheek humor and playful twists on legend. Raven Oak's "Ol' St. Nick" takes the Christmas season in a darker direction, adding space-adventure elements and spicing it with a twisty, complicated mystery. The two standout stories come from G. Clemans: "Escape from Old Yorktown" blends snarky teenagers working for a futuristic living-history museum with secretive politics and galaxy-wide conspiracies, and "Bevel & Turn" dives into familial lore and obsession, crafting a tale of mystery and time travel that's flecked with the psychology of loss and loneliness. The anthology offers a little something for a wide variety of tastes, opening the door to the reader's imagination with a wink and a reminder that the season isn't just about toys and family dinners.
