WEDNESDAY’S SHORT STORIES #13: WIZARDS Edited by Jack Dann & Gardner Dozois

I’m a fan of wizards from Merlin to Harry Dresden to some of the magical folks in this anthology. “The Witch’s Headstone” by Neil Gaiman is my favorite story in Wizards. A young boy who doesn’t realize the powers he possesses attempts to help the ghost of a witch…with startling results. Neil Gaiman is a master of this type of story.

I also liked Patricia A. McKillip’s “Naming Day” where a young girl, on the cusp of her magic education, encounters some weird difficulties. Very clever!

“Stonefather” is part of Orson Scott Card’s Mithermages series where a young boy discovers his true nature. I’ve read a lot of Card’s work, but not the Mithermages series so now I’ll have track down those books.

Wizards offers a variety of stories for just about every reader interest. GRADE: B+

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

PREFACE by Jack Dana and Gardner Dozois — ix

16 thoughts on “WEDNESDAY’S SHORT STORIES #13: WIZARDS Edited by Jack Dann & Gardner Dozois

  1. Steve Oerkfitz

    I’m sure I have read a few of these over the years. A lot of favorite writers here-Andy Duncan, Gene Wolfe, Jeffrey Ford, Tanith Lee, Terry Bisson, Terry Dowling. And Gaiman who’s short fiction I prefer over his novels. The only writer here I don’t care for is Card, but that is mainly due to his politics. I am surprised nothing by Jack Vance.

    Reply
      1. Steve Oerkfitz

        I didn’t see the never before published stories on the cover. I was thinking they were reprints. That is what I get for posting at two o’clock in the morning.

      2. george Post author

        Steve, Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois specialized in anthologies featuring original material. I’m head for bed at 10 P.M.

    1. george Post author

      Jeff, I’m always looking for amusement during this pandemic and this anthology has been on my shelves for years so it seemed like time to read it.

      Reply
  2. Fred Blosser

    My 16-year-old self who devoured Howard, Lovecraft, Smith, Moore, Wellman, and the other old masters would be surprised that I’ve read nothing by most of the writers in this collection. Once fantasy novels began to get infested with elves and started growing to the size of doorstops, I pretty much bailed out.

    Reply
  3. Cap'n Bob Napier

    The McKillips, including Pat, were like a second family to my ex-wife, so I met them all. I read a couple of her fantasy stories many years ago but never developed a taste for the genre.

    Reply

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