Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Sixteen new stories from some of today’s most renowned authors.
All inspired by the master storyteller Tanith Lee.

Drowning cities and unicorns. Burning deserts and forgotten gods. Golems, elf warriors, and inner-Earthers. Alien lifeforms and museum workers. Ancient plagues and the future of humanity. The familiar and the fantastical. Each story in this anthology is both unique and compelling: from fairy-tale retellings to romance-tinged high fantasy, from nihilistic horror to gripping science fiction. Immersive, wide-ranging, and sublime, Storyteller features worlds and characters that are sure to travel with you long after the last page has been read.

Mike Allen, C.S.E. Cooney, Maya Deane, Andy Duncan, Rocío Rincón Fernández , Theodora Goss, CL Hellisen, Getty Hesse, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Starlene Justice, Amelia Mangan, Michael Yuya Montroy, Marisca Pichette, Nisi Shawl, KT Wagner, Martha Wells

Foreword by John Kaiine. Afterword by Ann VanderMeer.

Book Review

I’ve known of Tanith Lee for decades through the science fiction community and have read and enjoyed her works off and on over the years. This tribute collection was just as thought provoking and fascinating as the woman they are honoring. However, for an author who was amongst the first and so instrumental/influential in exploring gender boundaries in the sci-fi, fantasy, and horror genres, this anthology had the genres but was a bit bereft in the GLBTQ+ aspect. It does make me wonder whether the review request was because of who the book was honoring more so than the stories themselves? 

 

But back to the anthology. This compilation of sixteen stories is as varied as the authors who wrote them: exploring relationships, connection to the world, connections to life beyond the world, connections to others, marriage, meaning of sentience, meaning of family and more. So much more!

 

The deal with short stories and novelettes is they resonate with people in different ways – little packages, big impact - so there’s no good way to list out all sixteen tales and give an opinion, and it would be an opinion. I will say however, there will be something in this collection that will make the reader giggle, cringe, step away from the book for a thought break, go “meh”, to “oh my goodness!”, and probably a few more reactions beyond that.

 

And that is what it is like to read Tanith Lee. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read this amazing collection of tribute stories! I think it’s time for me to explore some more of Tanith’s works and a few new authors as well.

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book was provided by the editor for the purpose of a review.

 

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Anthology/ 16 short stories, 362 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	01-July-2025
Price	$12.99 ebook, $21.99 paperback
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Storyteller-Tanith-Lee-Tribute-Anthology-ebook/dp/B0F7LVZXV4