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If you've read McKillip, you've probably come here for the lyrical, dreamy writing - and that you'll get, occasionally to the point of incomprehensibility. Overall, her writing is gorgeous, and her worlds are interesting to explore, even in such small settings as short stories. The ones that work the best for me in this collection are the ones that hearken to her favorite full-lengths in style and ideas.

My favorites? "A Matter of Music" is classic McKillip and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I also loved "Lady of the Skulls" and was amused that the subject is a trope I took on as a writer long ago, and she took it and made it everything I wish I'd thought to write. I love reading things like that, because they inspire me to become better at my craft! "The Stranger" was compelling, and I was also entranced by the weaving exploration in the story, as I am a fiber artist and I've felt those sorts of emotions about capturing colors.
Least favorites: "Ash, Wood, Fire" and "Transmutations" - both were frustrating, because they never gelled properly, and were difficult to follow.

I wouldn't recommend this for a first time reader of McKillip, but if you are a fan, there are some jewels in here.

I didn't find this book as objectionable as some reviewers seem to have, but I will say that the author really can go on and on with descriptions in some places. That happens especially heavy-handedly towards the first part of the book, which kept me from finishing it as quickly as I might normally. The stacks on stacks on stacks of 80s cultural references really, really started to wear on me, though, and that's speaking as someone who graduated high school in the 80s. It felt so much like an endless "wink wink nudge nudge" name drop that after a while, nothing stood out and my mind started to numb out in a haze of Duran Duran, Family Ties, Atari, and John Hughes films.

The second half flew by a bit faster, with more action, though I felt like the ending fell flat for me, like a quick wrap-up and get the hell out sort of ending. I would have liked to have seen more time given to the brief mentions of what was happening in the world outside of the OASIS; the story really glosses over all these potential plot points/driving forces.

Also, so much deus ex machina... so so much.

One thing I'll say about the movie vs the book - they plumped up the main villain a bit more. Because I was expecting SO MUCH MORE from the main IOI guy and it was like... okay?

Anyway. Yeah. It was about what I expected, the second half is better than the first, and the ending was a letdown. Do I regret reading it? No, but I did get that itchy, annoying feeling that I get whenever I'm around gatekeeper types who want to suck the fun out of my geek obsessions - which is a bummer when I'm just looking for light fun in my read.