Simon R. Green writes novels with darkish themes, usually with monsters or demons that threaten humanity whether in our normal world or the Nightside nightmarish world far below the streets of London. Tales of the Hidden World collects short stories and reminisces on all his usual themes of death, threats, aging, and personal approaches to salvation.
Overall the stories are true to form. The Drood story, Question of Solace, has the family Armourer Jack, drowsing at his desk in his last hour of life, wondering whether he served better in the field, fighting bad guys directly, or as the Armourer, developing new and horrible weapons. He dies at the end.
The main character dies in my favorite story, Dorothy Dreams, or is converted into something else in Find Heaven and Hell in the Smallest Things, gets savagely beaten in Manslayer, fights undead to steal a treasure in Awake, Awake Ye Northern Winds, kills women and children in Soldier, Soldier.
Even the happiest story, It’s All About the Rendering, has the possibility of death and misfortune by red tape. Jesus and Satan Go Jogging in the Desert has Satan going through the motions, doing his duty to temp the Son of God in the desert, knowing of course that his tempting will fail. Christ comments that Satan could have it all if he merely repented, of course Satan does not.
I have mixed feelings about Simon Green’s novels and feel the same about this collection. I enjoy his books as long as I read other happier novels in between with people whose company I like His Nightside stories are dark with characters determined to throw away happiness and most of his characters are morally ambiguous.
Green included little reminisces about how he came to write each story – many were written specifically for themed collections – which was interesting.
I would give this 3 or 4 stars.
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