Review: Debris & Detritus, The Lesser Greek Gods Running Amok
Someone once tried to convince me that anthologies were books for people with short attention spans. I prefer to think of them as a word buffet, with a multitude of delicious varied tastes, and I appreciate them because I can also devour them in small bites (if I can show self-restraint).
If you feel the same, I have just the book for you: Debris & Detritus, The Lesser Greek Gods Running Amok.
And much like me viewing a dessert buffet, complete with chocolate fountain, I wasn’t able to resist devouring this in one sitting.
Debris & Detritus, The Lesser Greek Gods Running Amok
Authors: Patricia Burroughs, Michelle Muenzler, Robin D Owens, Irene Radford, Chanda Elaine Spurlock, Beth Tehilo, Weyodi, Max Adams, M.J. Butler, Toni McGee Causey, Rhonda Eudaly, Mark Flynn, Melanie Fletcher, Jeanne Lyet Gassman, Antioch Grey, and Claire M. Johnson
Publisher: Story Spring Publishing, LLC
Pub Date: February 14, 2017
Genre: Short Stories and Anthologies; Science Fiction and Fantasy
320 pages
Synopsis:
“Debris and Detritus, the lesser-known Greek gods…”
These words launched over a dozen alternate realities and histories, invaded existing universes, and even inspired a book or two with Debris and Detritus running amok through every world they touch.
With nothing else to go on, writers from various genres created deities that might or might not actually be Greek, might or might not be of any particular gender, might or might not be of this Earth but they always wreak havoc in ways that range from darkly horrific to brightly comedic.
Join in the fun, but be forewarned about reading at night. Some of these compulsively readable tales will give you nightmares, while others will have you startling the parakeet by hooting with laughter.
Debris & Detritus Unpredictable, Unbelievable, Un-put-down-able
*Writer Rhonda Eudaly cannot be held responsible for the results of those blithely spoken words. Editor Patricia Burroughs, however, might.
Review
What fun! When a bevy of authors are challenged to write a short story about two minor gods of questionable background, you can only expect their imaginations to take you all sorts of places! There is such diversity in the stories – some dark or downright creepy, others hilarious, and many left me scrambling to see if the author had a full-length story in the works because their story was so wonderful that I wanted MORE.
Be it Rhonda Eudaly’s very flamboyant Debris and Detritus who are dead set on making over the Underworld into a more appealing and cozy place – much to Hades frustration and dismay, or Max Adams’ petulant, misbehaving demi-goddesses, one whose obsession with hoarders leaves them in a bit of a pinch, the stories are fun.
One of my favorite stories is one by Toni McGee Causey. Set in the French Quarter, she took the tale of her minor gods in an entirely different direction (which I can’t divulge or it ruins all the fun) but involves a mysterious antique shop where the heroine is not allowed to sell anything and the goods rearrange themselves at will (including one figure that clearly doesn’t like her), a grumpy shop owner and a dragon.
But they aren’t all quirky. Beth Tehilo takes her story to a dark, creepy place where dreams and reality become intertwined and, well, we start to question what IS real. There’s also a romance, a story set on a distant planet, and one that brings Jesus into the mix.
Intrigued yet?
The length of the stories varied but all offered a fascinating take on the premise. As I mentioned above, I’m a sucker for anthologies because short stories are like afternoon snacks – they feed my need to read in short bites – but with this, you may find that you lose hours as the contrast of the created personalities of Debris and Detritus becomes more addictive with each tale.
I was provided with an advanced reader copy. All thoughts, opinions, and typos are my own.
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Beth Teliho
You’re amazing! This is such a gorgeous review and I’m so grateful you took the time to enjoy each book and write about it. You honor me and my fellow authors by doing so! xoxoxo