The Gist Hunter and Other Stories collects nine stories set in Matthew Hughes’s universe of The Archonate, plus four non-series stories. My favorite stories feature Henghis Hapthorn, Old Earth’s “foremost freelance discriminator” (aka, private eye).
The second set of three stories follows another popular Hughes character, Guth Bandar. Bandar is an adventurer inside the realms of the collective unconscious. I like the way Bandar is amusingly logical (think Spock) about breaking down what’s happening to him in terms of stories, metaphors, and archetypes. If you like analytical stories, you’ll enjoy these.
The Gist Hunter and Other Stories was Matthew Hughes’s first short story collection. It was published in 2005 and remains one of his best books. If you’re in the mood for stories that will entertain you and take you far, far away, The Gist Hunter and Other Stories is your ticket. GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
“Mastermindless” © 2004 by Matthew Hughes. First published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, March 2004.
“Relics of the Thim” © 2004 by Matthew Hughes. First published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, August 2004.
“Falberoth’s Ruin” © 2004 by Matthew Hughes. First published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, September 2004.
“Finding Sajessarian” © 2005 by Matthew Hughes. First published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, April 2005.
“The Gist Hunter” © 2005 by Matthew Hughes. First published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, June 2005.
“Thwarting Jabbi Gloond” © 2005 by Matthew Hughes.
“A Little Learning” © 2003 by Matthew Hughes. First published in Fantasy
Readers Wanted—Apply Within, ed. Nick Aires and James Richey, Silver Lake Publishing, 2003.
“Inner Huff ” © 2005 by Matthew Hughes. First published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, February 2005.
“Help Wonted” © 2005 by Matthew Hughes.
“Shadow Man” © 2005 by Matthew Hughes.
“The Devil You Don’t” © 2005 by Matthew Hughes. First published in Asimov’s Science Fiction, March 2005.
“Go Tell the Phoenicians” © 2005 by Matthew Hughes. First published in Interzone, May/June 2005.
“Bearing Up” © 1996 by Matthew Hughes. First published in Takes, ed. R.P. MacIntyre, Thistledown Press, 1996.
Already have this collexction. Actually I have all of his short fiction. collections. Hughes is vastly underrated. I am finishing up his last novel on kindle right now.
Steve, I totally agree with you on Matthew Hughes. Vastly underrated and vastly talented!
I read a Henghis Hapthorn collection. It was OK, but I was not overwhelmed by it.
Jeff, I love Jack Vance and Matthew Hughes channels Vance better than any other writer!