reviewed by
Jennifer Kahng
War. An ugly event that every society seems to have to endure. When thinking about books on war, it usually ends up being a history lesson and rarely are the lives of the soldiers or others involved in war brought out. Denise Little gathered 21 war-time stories that aren't confined to the world we know.
There are thought provoking stories, like a re-telling of the OK Corral or what the world might be like if the thousand years of war in the Middle East was no longer an issue and they were the ones trying to bring peace between Canada and the United States. There are short little fun pieces, like the trailer park man who was abducted by aliens who can't seem to convince his wife that he wasn't slumming around but helping the aliens fight their enemies.
And there are wars of every kind, whether they be wars fought from afar by the power of thought or perhaps the struggles of a toy solider abandoned in the backyard for video games. Invisible wars, fought by fairies and pixies right under the humans' noses. The list goes on.
As far as anthologies go, sometimes they can be very hit or miss. This one was very much “hit” and there are likely to be several stories that will appeal to everyone who picks up the book.
