As Ann and Jeff VanderMeer write in the introduction to their anthology Fast Ships, Black Sails, the fascination people have with pirates is largely due to pirates representing "freedom, frontiers, a yearning for adventure and a desire to explore exotic locations." Perhaps. Or perhaps our current love affair with pirates has its roots in the fact that most people today don't have the opportunity to chuck away their jobs and lives and go sailing into the sunset, chasing after selfish dreams with no more worry about the consequences than Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow—who reignited the current pirate craze—worries about what tomorrow may bring.
For this anthology of original stories, the VanderMeers have collected an excellent cast of authors and turned them loose on a science fiction and fantasy romp through pirate-infested seas. The settings of these stories vary from the traditional 17th century Caribbean glory years of piracy to the frozen seas off colonial Boston to unnamed far future oceans to deep space itself. The stories themselves vary from pure adventure to horror to comedy and every mix in between. But through it all, one constant remains: These authors had a blast writing their pirate stories. This excitement carries over onto the reader, who risks getting blown into uncharted waters with each tale, yet loves every minute of the book.
Among the highlights of the anthology are:
* "Boojum" by Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monette. Set in space aboard a living pirate ship, the story follows the adventures of Black Alice, a socially awkward engineer who isn't one for piracy but loves her pirate ship with an all-consuming passion.
* "A Cold Day in Hell" by Paul Batteiger, an alternate history in which the Atlantic Ocean freezes over in the late 18th century. This tale is pure adventure as Royal Navy iceboats chase the dread pirate Captain Frost.
* "Beyond the Sea Gate of the Scholar-Pirates of Sarskoe" by Garth Nix, a far future tale in which Sir Hereward and his puppet companion Mister Fitz try to trick a dangerous group of pirates into raiding an even more dangerous scholarly pirate hideaway.
* "I Begyn as I Mean to Go On" by Kage Baker, a traditional pirate story which shows that true horror can be experienced without a hint of fantasy or science fiction around.
* "Araminta, or, The Wreck of the Amphidrake" by Naomi Novik, which is the best story in the collection. In this wondrously written tale, Novik shows to what lengths the Lady Araminta will go to escape the constraints her future society have placed upon her life.
These are just a few of the anthology's best stories, and it's worth noting that none of the stories in this collection fail to entertain. Among the other authors who contributed good tales are Michael Moorcock, Howard Waldrop, Eric Flint, and many more.
It's easy to debate why pirates remain such a popular topic with each passing generation. However, what's impossible to deny is the thrill pirate stories bring to readers of all ages and genres. This collection is an all-star treat which both plays with the pirates we all know and love, and takes those self-same pirates into new and exciting waters.
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