Samantha Strong's Reviews > Quantum Zoo

My Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Even though I've reviewed several short story collections, I'm usually on the fence about reading them. I prefer novels because I like to get invested in the characters and story. Especially when it comes to multiple authors, you never know what you're going to get from one page to the next.

However, I'm happy to report that Quantum Zoo is awesome. If you asked me to pick a favorite story, I wouldn't be able to, and I might not even be able to rank my top 5. I was only disinterested in one story, the final one, and that was because I couldn't figure out what was going on. Maybe I missed something; maybe the story was too esoteric for my taste.

The stories themselves are varied, from humans in an alien zoo to a pet tyrannosaurus to an arrogant, long-forgotten goddess who embodies different animals and people throughout time. I was impressed with the unique takes on the zoo theme. In one story, mammoth and sinister beasts were found floating at the outer edges of the solar system and, like Lovecraft's Old Ones, had sinister plans for the human race. (I lied; I would pick that one as my favorite. I love Lovecraft.)

Impeccably edited and with a great variety of stories, Quantum Zoo is a collection that I would recommend to lovers of speculative fiction. You just might find a new author--or twelve--that you'll just have to read more of.

Also posted on my blog, Magic & Mayhem Book Reviews.