Review: Excellent Tales and a Worthy Cause
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 22, 2013
"Carnival of Cryptids", edited by Bernard Schaffer, is a collection of short stories written by a variety of authors to help generate funds for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. All profits from sales of the book will be donated to that worthy organization. When you purchase a copy of "Carnival of Cryptids", you are helping in the fight to locate and protect children who have been abducted and/or sexually abused. That fact alone makes this book a significant purchase.The excellent stories within are an added bonus for you, for helping in that cause. Additionally, you will experience the work of some authors new to you, and may discover a new "favorite author" to rave about."Carnival of Cryptids" is substantially more than just another anthology. Each story is a sample of a different author's work, but what sets this apart from most anthologies is the ongoing nine part narrative set in relevant mini-chapters between each story.Penned by Bernard Schaffer, this thread connecting the other eight short stories is a brilliant and highly imaginative story in its own right. Created to serve as an introduction to each ensuing tale, Schaffer's talent has shone brightly from these pages between the stories. In fact, his contribution to this anthology was my favorite story in the whole book.Make no mistake: the eight short stories are enormously creative and delightfully disturbing. Ranging from sheer Horror of the imagination, to Horror of our natural world, this collection is a superb introduction to several authors you previously may not have known. If these stories are representative examples of their work, you will be sampling some excellent authors.The fabrications in "Carnival of Cryptids" constitute a dazzling and decidedly engaging anthology of Horror. I give it my stamp of approval, and enthusiastically recommend it for the stories within. Nevertheless, don't forget: you will also be helping children who have had their trust betrayed by criminal adults. "Carnival of Cryptids" is a valuable tool for a worthy cause, and a very fine book of select first-rate stories.