Review: An amazing collection of captivating stories
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 17, 2013
Some time ago I stumbled upon a story called "Hexes and Tooth Decay."  It was a little unsubstantial for me, but the high level of creativity and writing skill made me want to read more of Nancy Fulda's work.Which brings us to Dead Men Don't Cry, a collection of ten short stories.  While I didn't personally care for all ten, they are all imaginative, well executed, fully formed tales and this is one of the best short fiction collections I've ever read.The themes range from rip roaring adventure with a twist ("Pastry Run") to gut wrenching philosophy ("Blue Ink", "The Man Who Murdered Himself") and cover a lot of ground in between.  On average they pull towards the heavier side, entwining rationality with emotion and making the reader think.Equally impressive to the quality of the stories is their diversity.  Fulda's settings are engrossingly atmospheric and diverse.  Each world is fully formed and conveyed in tight, direct writing that manages to provide clear description without wasting a single word.My personal favorites of the collection are the titular sci-fi detective story, the multi-level spy twister "Backlash" and the incredible final story "A New Kind of Sunrise," a slice-of-life style story in a world where every day is harsh with tradition and struggle.Other highlights include the mind bending "Tammi's Garden",  the highly disturbing "All Praise to the Dreamer" and the eerily logical tale called "The Breath of Heaven."A phenomenal collection overall. Fulda has great imagination, a strong writing style and perfect sense of how to use pace and drama in short form writing.Highly recommended.