That title would be better as “Ahoy! Here be a review of Fast Ships, Black Sails, ye scallywags!” but it wouldn’t fit.
So, why would that be more appropriate? Because it’s International Talk Like A Pirate Day! So feast yer eyes on this here review or I’ll keelhaul the lot of you bilge-sucking buccaneers! :D Let me put on a bit of Flogging Molly and get to writin’.
Fast Ships, Black Sails, edited by Ann & Jeff VanderMeer
Buy It Now: at Powell’s / on Amazon
Description: Do you love the sound of a peg leg stomping across a quarterdeck? Or maybe you prefer a parrot on your arm, a strong wind at your back? Adventure, treasure, intrigue, humor, romance, danger — and, yes, plunder. Oh, the Devil does love a pirate — and so do readers everywhere.
Swashbuckling from the past into the future and space itself, Fast Ships, Black Sails, edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer, presents an incredibly entertaining volume of original stories guaranteed to make you walk and talk like a pirate.
Come along for the voyage with bestselling authors Naomi Novik, Garth Nix, Carrie Vaughn, Dave Freer, Michael Moorcock, and Eric Flint, as well as such other stellar talents as Kage Baker, Sarah Monette, Elizabeth Bear, Steve Aylett, and Conrad Williams — all offering up a veritable treasure chest of piratical adventure, the likes of which has never been seen in the four corners of the Earth. Highlights include a brand-new Garth Nix “Sir Hereward and Mr. Fitz” novella, as the two clever ne’er-do-wells storm the sea-gates of the scholar-pirates of Sarkoe.
The Fangirl’s Review: A-
This is a very strong anthology with some absolutely excellent pirate fiction. The stories range from traditional pirate tales to genre spoofs to tales with a touch of fantasy to space pirate stories, and I enjoyed the heck out of nearly all of them. Just a couple fell flat for me, but overall, this is a fantastic anthology that would be a great addition to the pirate section of your bookshelf.
You don’t have a pirate section? I can’t be the only one who does.
I think my favorite stories are “Boojum” by Elizabeth Bear & Sarah Monette, “The Nymph’s Child” by Carrie Vaughn, and “Pirate Solutions” by Katherine Sparrow. “Boojum” is the aforementioned space pirate story, narrated by Black Alice, a junior engineer on a living ship. Boojums are strange space creatures that allow humans to use them as transports; they will allow their crew to pillage ships as long as the boojum gets to devour the ship itself–and whatever crew is left on board. Alice develops a bond with the ship, and when they’re attacked by the vicious Mi-Go (yes, that is a Lovecraft reference), Black Alice must do something desperate to survive. This is a very strange story, but it is incredibly imaginative and very well-written.
“The Nymph’s Child,” written by Carrie Vaughn of the Kitty Norville series, is about a woman who had sailed with pirates disguised as a man. When they are captured, the captain–who is her lover–tells the Marshal that Gregory Lark es actually Grace Lark and is with child. Years later and Grace keeps a tavern and has a proud teenage daughter who seems desperate for adventure. When an old face shows up and asks the secret to crossing the Strait of the Iron Teeth, where a dragon is rumored to dwell, Grace must face up to her past and come to terms with her daughter’s desires. I adored this story; the blend of fantasy with a more traditional woman-in-drag pirate tale is very well done.
“Pirate Solutions” is another genre-bending story with three hackers named Jack, Anne, and Mary finding a bottle of bone rum and setting sail with their group of cyber pirates. And I mean that literally, they set sail on a semi-restored sloop with the uncanny knowledge of their pirate forebears: Calico Jack Rackham, Anne Bonny, and Mary Read. The story is a strange blend of sailing-the-seas and cyberpunk piracy and a ragtag group of pirates looking for a home.
It was really difficult to pick just three favorites; I could go on and on and on about how great the stories are in this anthology, but I unfortunately have papers to grade and other stuff to write, alas! But you! I know yer not a yellow-bellied landlubber, so get thee to a bookstore and pick up this anthology! Just don’t pillage it. Bookstore managers don’t look too kindly on those bent on plunder.
TDF Pamela
The Discriminating Fangirl, who is more likely to answer to Pamela if you shout it at her, is the proud owner of an MA in English, focusing on children's/young adult literature and popular culture. Because of her ample free time thanks to being gainfully unemployed, she reads voraciously. She also loves geeky movies and tv shows, reads comic books as often as she can buy them, and when she's procrastinating, she enjoys playing video games. She can be contacted at t.d.fangirl @ gmail.com and followed on Twitter at the link below.
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