J.A. Konrath

Books: Mystery | Fantasy

Anthologies

Blood Lite (2008), Wolfsbane and Mistletoe (2008), Vampires: The Recent Undead (2010)

Blood Lite (2008) edited by Kevin J. Anderson

This anthology came out in hardback last year, but considering the theme, I was more than content to wait until it came out in paperback. Which it recently did.

As with most anthologies, there are good stories and bad stories, but there weren't too many stories that I hated, though there also weren't too many stories that I adored. So I'd say it all came out in the wash.

• The Ungrateful Dead by Kelley Armstrong
• Mr. Bear by Joe R. Lansdale
• Hell in a Handbasket by Lucien Soulban
• The Eldritch Pastiche from Beyond the Shadow of Horror by Christopher Welch
• Elvis Presley and the Bloodsucker Blues by Matt Venne
• No Problem by Don D'Ammassa
• Old School by Mark Onspaugh
• The Sound of Blunder by J.A. Konrath and F. Paul Wilson
• An Evening with Al Gore by Charlaine Harris
• Dear Prudence by Steven Savile
• A Good Psycho Is Hard to Find by Will Ludwigsen
• High Kicks and Misdemeanors by Janet Berliner
• PR Problems by Eric James Stone
• Where Angels Fear to Tread by Sherrilyn Kenyon
• A Very Special Girl by Mike Resnick
• Love Seat Solitare by D.L. Snell
• I Know Who You Ate Last Summer by Nancy Holder
• Bitches of the Night by Nancy Kilpatrick
• The Bell...FROM HELL by Jeff Strand
• Dead Hand by Sharyn McCrumb
• Day Off by Jim Butcher

But over all, the stories were pretty good, and the series was worth reading. I would have been annoyed if I'd bought this in hardback, but it's not a bad buy as a paperback. 

Rating: 6/10

Wolfsbane and Mistletoe (2008) edited by Charlaine Harris & Toni L.P. Kelner

• Gift Wrap by Charlaine Harris
• Haire of the Beast by Donna Andrews
• Lucy, at Christmastime by Simon R. Green
• Night Things Changed by Dana Cameron
• Werewolf before Christmas by Kat Richardson
• Fresh Meat by Alan Gordon
• Il Est Ne by Carrie Vaughn
• Perfect Gift by Dana Stabenow
• Christmas Past by Keri Arthur
• SA by J.A. Konrath
• Star of David by Patricia Briggs
• You'd Better Not Pyout by Nancy Pickard
• Rogue Elements by Karen Chance
• Milk and Cookies by Rob Thurman
• Keeping Watch over his Flock by Toni L.P.  Kelner

Vampires: The Recent Undead (2010) edited by Paula Guran

• "The Coldest Girl in Coldtown" by Holly Black
• "This Is Now" by Michael Marshall Smith
• "Sisters" by Charles de Lint
• "The Screaming" by J.A. Konrath
• "Zen and the Art of Vampirism" by Kelley Armstrong
• "La Vampiresse" by Tanith Lee
• "Dead Man Stalking" by Rachel Caine
• "The Ghost of Leadville" by Jeanne C. Stein
• "Waste Land" by Stephen Dedman
• "Gentleman of the Old School" by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
• "No Matter Where You Go" by Tanya Huff
• "Outfangthief" by Conrad Williams
• "Dancing with the Star" by Susan Sizemore
• "A Trick of the Dark" by Tina Rath
• "When Gretchen was Human" by Mary Turzillo
• "Conquistador de la Noche" by Carrie Vaughn
• "Endless Night" by Barbara Roden
• "Dahlia Underground" by Charlaine Harris
• "The Belated Burial" by Caitlin R. Kiernan
• "Twilight States" by Albert Cowdrey
• "To the Moment" by Nisi Shawl
• "Castle in the Desert: Anno Dracula 1977? by Kim Newman
• "Vampires in the Lemon Grove" by Karen Russell
• "Vampires Anonymous" by Nancy Kilpatrick
• "The Wide, Carnivorous Sky" by John Langan

It has taken me an almost embarrassingly long time to finish this. How long you ask? I purchased it a couple months after it was published–that long ago.

Expectedly, the stories I liked the least were the ones with the strongest horror bent. Doesn't mean they were bad, but they were not my cup of tea.

Published by Prime Books

Rating: 8/10