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Dangerous Women  By  cover art

Dangerous Women

By: Gardner Dozois, George R.R. Martin
Narrated by: Scott Brick, Jonathan Frakes, Stana Katic, Inna Korobkina, Lee Meriwether, Claudia Black, Sophie Turner, Janis Ian, Iain Glen, Karen Dotrice, Various
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Publisher's summary

All new and original to this volume, the 21 stories in Dangerous Women include work by 12 New York Times best sellers, and seven stories set in the authors’ best-selling continuities - including a new "Outlander" story by Diana Gabaldon, a tale of Harry Dresden’s world by Jim Butcher, a story from Lev Grossman set in the world of The Magicians, and a 35,000-word novella by George R. R. Martin about the Dance of the Dragons, the vast civil war that tore Westeros apart nearly two centuries before the events of A Game of Thrones.

Also included are original stories of dangerous women - heroines and villains alike - by Brandon Sanderson, Joe Abercrombie, Sherilynn Kenyon, Lawrence Block, Carrie Vaughn, S. M. Stirling, Sharon Kay Penman, and many others.

Writes Gardner Dozois in his introduction, "Here you’ll find no hapless victims who stand by whimpering in dread while the male hero fights the monster or clashes swords with the villain, and if you want to tie these women to the railroad tracks, you’ll find you have a real fight on your hands. Instead, you will find sword-wielding women warriors, intrepid women fighter pilots and far-ranging spacewomen, deadly female serial killers, formidable female superheroes, sly and seductive femmes fatale, female wizards, hard-living bad girls, female bandits and rebels, embattled survivors in post-apocalyptic futures, female private investigators, stern female hanging judges, haughty queens who rule nations and whose jealousies and ambitions send thousands to grisly deaths, daring dragonriders, and many more."

Authors: George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois

Stories and Narrators (in order of appearance):
“Some Desperado” by Joe Abercrombie; Read by Stana Katic
“My Heart Is Either Broken” by Megan Abbott; Read by Jake Weber
“Nora’s Song” by Cecelia Holland; Read by Harriet Walter
“The Hands That Are Not There” by Melinda Snodgrass; Read by Jonathan Frakes
“Bombshells” by Jim Butcher; Read by Emily Rankin
“Raisa Stepanova” by Carrie Vaughn; Read by Inna Korobkina
“Wrestling Jesus” by Joe R. Lansdale; Read by Scott Brick
“Neighbors” by Megan Lindholm; Read by Lee Meriwether
“I Know How to Pick ’Em” by Lawrence Block; Read by Jake Weber
“Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell” by Brandon Sanderson; Read by Claudia Black
“A Queen in Exile” by Sharon Kay Penman; Read by Harriet Walter
“The Girl in the Mirror” by Lev Grossman; Read by Sophie Turner
“Second Arabesque, Very Slowly” by Nancy Kress; Read by Janis Ian
“City Lazarus” by Diana Rowland; Read by Scott Brick
“Virgins” by Diana Gabaldon; Read by Allan Scott-Douglas
“Pronouncing Doom” by S.M. Stirling; Read by Stana Katic
“Name the Beast” by Sam Sykes; Read by Claudia Black
“Caregivers” by Pat Cadigan; Read by Janis Ian
“Lies My Mother Told Me” by Caroline Spector; Read by Maggi-Meg Reed
“Hell Hath No Fury” by Sherilynn Kenyon; Read by Jenna Lamia
“The Princess and the Queen” by George R. R. Martin; Read by Iain Glen

The introduction by Gardner Dozois is read by Fred Sanders and the interstitial author biographies are read by Karen Dotrice.

©2013 Random House (P)2013 Random House Audio

Featured Article: Outlander's Best Love Scenes


If you think the Outlander television series on Starz is steamy, just wait until you listen to the novels written by Diana Gabaldon. The book series has thousands of pages—and for listeners, hundreds of hours—to develop the plot and characters while still having plenty of time for more intimate moments. Then, there’s the power of imagination. When you’re listening, it’s up to you to visualize each moment. Whether you’re new to the series or are a longtime fan looking back at some of its steamiest moments, here are a few of the hottest sex scenes in the Outlander series.

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The Joy of an Anthology

As did many of the other reviewers, I bought this for the presence of one story - "Virgins" by Diana Gabaldon. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I knew what I was getting into. I'd like to address two points they have made. I'm going to try doing this without spoilers, but be warned: I may slip and spoil.

First, there were gender issue complaints, either that the women weren't really dangerous, or that there were too many stories from a man's point of view. I disagree on both counts. I don't think inherently dangerous women are necessarily aware of it. I would imagine, for example, that both of the women in "I Know How to Pick 'Em" thought of herself, not as dangerous, but rather as needy. It is only the narrator that saw the danger in the woman that picks him up, and only the reader that sees the danger in inherent in the narrator's mother. The same is true of "Wrestling Jesus." Only the narrator knows where the true danger lies.

In these two stories, as in several others, the danger seems to be similar to the stance I heard described in North Africa. Boys would tell me, "Women are dangerous." When I asked them to explain, they would only repeat themselves, and perhaps add that I should be well aware of why women were to be feared and avoided. Listening to them I got the feeling that as an American, and a teacher, there were far more dangers about me that made the threat of my gender insignificant. As I lived there, for over seven years, I further came to understand that it was less related to the lure of sex, and more to the power that women had over sons, husbands, and brothers. It was less that they could hold others sexually in thrall, and more that they were not influenced by desire in the same way men were, making them more on top of a situation because of the lack of distraction. The dangerousness of many of the women in these stories is this sort of danger. They are intimidating, although they don't mean to be. They put themselves in danger both unwittingly and on purpose. But it is their logical, systematic approach to the tribulations of their lives that make them dangerous.

Certainly there are some women who were truly dangerous and aware of it, but even they would say they were acting out of necessity and not because of some internal sense of daring-do. In the first story, "Some Desperado," the narrator is just trying to survive, and survive she does. She is ruthless, and certainly dangerous to the men she confronts. But the bottom line is that she does nothing to them that they wouldn't do to her first. Is this truly dangerous? I suppose in the sense that a stove is dangerous, yes, but not in the same way a wolverine is something to be avoided.

This brings me to the second point. There is, among other reviewers, a certain amount of whining about the fact that these are short stories. I will be the first to admit that I buy the longer audiobooks because I like getting lost in a long story. But I buy short story collections on purpose. Often a story is long enough to last me in the car there-and-back. I get a nice sense of continuity and closure there.

The thing I like best about these anthologies, is that I get to sample a variety of writers and readers. Stana Katic, for example, was a fabulous surprise as a reader. I love her on "Castle" but as a reader she has terrific range doing the different characters. The only reader I did not love (and this surprised me) was Johnathan Frakes. Even though he was too slow when doing the "narrator" voice, I enjoyed his change in tone during dialogue.

I use this as an opportunity to revisit authors I have read before, Gabaldon (of course) as well as Landsdale, Butcher, Snodgrass, and Stirling are old favorites. It is also a chance to fine new writers to explore. I was particularly impressed by the three stories with older women as the protagonist and will read more by Lindholm, Kress, and Sanderson because of those offerings. I also found myself quite enjoying "Raisa Stepanova" by Carrie Vaughn. While other of the historic stories seemed to be more of a litany of events, I found myself immersed in the trials of they young fighter pilot. She was certainly dangerous to the enemy, and frequently put herself in danger, but she seemed like many of the young women flying today, passionate about her job, loyal to her family, and patriotic to a fault.

I would heartily recommend this book to anyone. I think I benefited from listening to it. As a print-book reader I would have been tempted to skip some of the stories that have turned out to be gems. As an audio-book reader there was no such temptation. This is the third of George R. R. Martin's anthologies I have gotten. I will get the next one in a heartbeat.

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To All Men Out There, Women Are Dangerous

This collection was very entertaining , from funny to thriller, from sadness to happiness.. Too much of mixed emotions here The following is a quick review for each book in this collection.. Its my longest review yet. :D

“Some Desperado” by Joe Abercrombie; Read by Stana Katic
This is the first book, it showed a woman's strength and her ability to lie and kill to survive the greed of men who are chasing her for the prize of coins. As it was the first book I didn't really understand whats going on, but slowly i understood that no introductions to characters and you get to know them and heir past while you are listening to the story. It was short, but it was good. 4 out of 5

“My Heart Is Either Broken” by Megan Abbott; Read by Jake Weber
Thrilling story about a father, a mother, and their little baby... One day someone steals the baby and the parents are worried sick about her.. The media started to attack the mother and the father doesn't know what to do.. The thrilling part in this story that you start to think that there is something wrong with the mother and you start asking yourself "Did she do something?"... I have really enjoyed it and its ending was perfect. 5 out of 5

“Nora’s Song” by Cecelia Holland; Read by Harriet Walter
In the year 1169, it talks about a dysfunctional royal family and how they treat each other.. Sad story about a little girl, named Nora, who has to face the truth in her young age that her parents (king and queen) are not perfect but also they lie, take, and threat each other.. Sadly she has to live with it and ignore... 3.5 out of 5


“The Hands That Are Not There” by Melinda Snodgrass; Read by Jonathan Frakes
This was a very interesting one , its based on space and humans are among many aliens... The woman in this story is a stripper, which a high official in the government fell in love with.. What she did then was unbelievable!! By the end of the book, I told myself "Be careful if you became a high government official" :D 4 out of 5


“Bombshells” by Jim Butcher; Read by Emily Rankin
I have never red Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series, but after listening to this short story i immediately added the first book to my wish list to buy it soon and listen to this series. Am not going to talk much about this book as i don't know the series much, but i really liked it, and went through the book understanding everything very well. 5 out of 5!!!

“Raisa Stepanova” by Carrie Vaughn; Read by Inna Korobkina
This is about a female pilot in WW2 in the soviet union. It talks about her life in the war and how she and her other female pilots strived to become female fighter pilots in the soviet union.. She has a brother in the army as well and really cares about him. This story was simple and good, enjoyed listening to it. 3 out of 5.


“Wrestling Jesus” by Joe R. Lansdale; Read by Scott Brick
its about a teenager who befriends and old wrestler who started training him. The woman in this story is an old lover of the wrestler who left him for another wrestler named Jesus… and his dream is to get her back cause he can’t live without her. I have really enjoyed this story and I really felt bad for the wrestler... Its ending is a really good one.. 4 out of 5.


“Neighbors” by Megan Lindholm; Read by Lee Meriwether
Its about an old woman named Sarah who lives in her house and everyone else from her old friends had either died or in nursing homes. she battles her son as she doesn't want to leave her home to a nursing home, and tries to prove that she can manage everything by herself... This book is a sad one, I really felt bad for Sarah and its ending was sad with a touch of weird. 4 out of 5


“I Know How to Pick ’Em” by Lawrence Block; Read by Jake Weber
A very thrilling story about a man... He had bad experience with his mother in the past and a woman tried to play with him in the present. This one was a bit disturbing, and its ending too.... Narration was really good as well.. There is 22 stories in this collection and this story was one of the ones which got stuck with me and didn't forget. 5 out of 5.

“Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell” by Brandon Sanderson; Read by Claudia Black
It talks about a world where evil spirits live in the forest and people are scared of them. A dangerous woman named Silence who owns an inn is being threaten by a man to pay more or he will take her inn and spill her secret that she is the "White Fox" bounty hunter. She goes to the forest to complete a bounty, but she runs through trouble.
Even though it was a short story, still Brandon Sanderson created a new world with its own evil spirits and you can easily understand whats going on. Brandon Sanderson is truly a gifted author. 5 out of 5.

“A Queen in Exile” by Sharon Kay Penman; Read by Harriet Walter
It was a book about a queen in the 12th century, she tried to protect her people and to do right by them. Her story is quite interesting.. It was an ok book, not my cup of tea.... but it was ok.. 3 out of 5.


“The Girl in the Mirror” by Lev Grossman; Read by Sophie Turner
It was about a group of wizards who one of them played a prank on another wizard... I didn't like this one that much... And its a bit short to write a proper review for why i didn't like it. Regarding the Narration, I think the narrator was the wrong one for this book. And its ending was rubbish. 1 out of 5.


“Second Arabesque, Very Slowly” by Nancy Kress; Read by Janis Ian
Its in a world where 99% of women in this world can’t have children, thus the world fell apart.. its a post apocalyptic world were there are packs and farms, and everyone wants to collect and treasure fertile women to have children .. The main character is an old nurse who lived her life in such pack, and you get to see how life is like in this world. Quite an interesting story, not the usual zombie apocalypse or nuclear ones, its an apocalypse but in a different way. Really enjoyed it. 5 out of 5.


“City Lazarus” by Diana Rowland; Read by Scott Brick
This is about a dirty cup in New Orleans who falls for a stripper ...but there is amother man, who the cup is working for, who wants her too.. I liked this story, and have enjoyed its ending as you wouldn't expect it. 4 out of 5.


“Virgins” by Diana Gabaldon; Read by Allan Scott-Douglas
Its about two Scottish men who work as mercenaries ... They take a job to ascot a lady to her soon-to-be husband in paris.. But she has other plans.
Interesting book this one was... I have really liked the narrator as well as he did the accents perfectly. 4.5 out of 5.


“Hell Hath No Fury” by Sherilynn Kenyon; Read by Jenna Lamia
A team who are looking for the supernatural.. They go to a cursed town to look for gold, but they find something else.. The story was short, shorter than the rest , but still it was good. The woman in this story is a psychic who get connected with the woman who cursed the town.. The narrator was good, but not for this book, as the team were men and women, but she gave them teenagers' voices, I thought it was a kid team until i red it again were it clearly pointed out that it was an adult team. 4 out of 5

“Pronouncing Doom” by S.M. Stirling; Read by Stana Katic
Fantastic book set in a time where electricity is gone and everyone went back to live the old way. People live in communities and everyone have their own tasks to do to keep the community going.. The woman in this story is the leader of one of these communities... And her task in this book is to give judgement regarding a man's criminal actions toward the community, its hard but it has to be done... I liked this book, its realistic and you can feel that such world did exist and it could exist if electricity ran out. 5 out of 5

“Name the Beast” by Sam Sykes; Read by Claudia Black
This book was confusing , something about hunting and stuff like that... Just too confusing.... I really got so confused, couldn't understand anything 1 out of 5.


“Caregivers” by Pat Cadigan; Read by Janis Ian
Its about two middle aged women who their mom is in a home... The younger sister volunteers in the home to help and assist the residence ... But during that time the older sister started to notice that some odd things are happening in the home. I have enjoyed this book as its ending was satisfying and there were few funny jokes too.. 4 out of 5


“Lies My Mother Told Me” by Caroline Spector; Read by Maggi-Meg Reed
A really good book… I have really enjoyed it.. Its about people called Aces, and Jokers.. They have supernatural powers… A superhero woman named bubbles (Ya!! Thats her name, and she kill with bubbles) is under attack from an unknown organisation who their goal is to control her by attacking her friends… although its a short story, still its a fantastic one… characters were good, plenty of back story and action…. I have really enjoyed listening to this book. 5 out of 5

“The Princess and the Queen” by George R. R. Martin; Read by Iain Glen
I think most of the readers who will buy and bought this book was for this part by George R. R. Martin.. If you are A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire series fan, you will get to know the history of the world you are reading/listening to, and how did the dragons die.. There were too many wars in this book and too many events.. and i think it would have been better if this book was a bit longer as i kept on jumping from war to war, and i got confused for a bit... But still it was amazing and its ending was good.. 5 out of 5.

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Ups & Downs

Like many others, I bought this for the George RR Martin story, but then I never could get motivated to listen. Finally, between books, I jumped in. Without a Table of Contents it was a bit hard to keep track so I made my own notes as I plodded through in case I wanted to go back to something. I';m glad I saved the notes because there are a few authors I really liked and I need to go look for their books. Wikipedia contents follows
1. Western. lousy reading. Almost couldn’t figure out it was supposed to be western speak she mangled it so bad. Once the character started speaking it was clear I reckon. performance & story —>meh
2. Wow. Awesome reader. Very dramatic reading of a crime thriller totally Captivating story.
3. Wonderful reader. Fascinating historical fiction
4. Reader: Jonathan Frakes =ok. Story: excessive profanity lacks interest inspiring adjectives. Draggy. Ultimately an episode of The Twilight Zone. Meh
5. Intriguing start. Wizards Harry’s ghost...fan-5star-tastic!!! I must read these 📚😊
6. Russian fighter pilot war story - reader : bleh Forced accent. Story dull.
7. Good reader. Graphic! Boy/beatings... boxing. Well written!
8. Elder woman Alzheimer’s story. Lee Meriweather read. Weird. Gripping. Upsetting.
9. Weird bar slut story, creepy. Unresolved ?
10. SANDERSON: Shades. Forest. Homesteaders. White fox bounty hunter👍🏼👍🏼excellent reader
11. Historical fiction. local Female author from Mays Landing, NJ. Def to read books 📚 Empress Constance of Sicily. 5 stars. Excellent reader.
12. Wizard school. Sophie Turner reader... kinda marble-mouthed. Story not much intrigue or explanation ... lacks depth.
13. Packs roaming future world...ballet story. Meh. Janis Ian as reader was Fine.
14. Outlander. Ok. Slow pace. Hard to make out Scottish words. Meh
15. Hell hath no fury legend. Men will fight to the death. Women will fight to the grave and then find a way to come back and finish it. Old Cherokee fable interesting story read or 3 1/2 -4 stars
16. Apocalyptic story. Slow. Plotless. Wiccan clan makes a decision. Boring. Reader flat.
17. Worst in entire book. No clue. Meandering confusing waste of time. Zero stars.
18. Janis Ian reads. Caretaker. Boring. Pointless sibling drama.
19. Addicina. Card turned. Bubbles & foul mouthed zombie maker. Awesome five stars. unique and very well read
20. GRRM the battles that led to the end of the dragons. Very detailed lots of familiar surnames & locations. Excellent reader.
FROM WIKIPEDIA:
Introduction by Gardner Dozois
"Some Desperado" by Joe Abercrombie (The First Law)
In the wild west, a desperate woman is chased by bounty hunters into a derelict town and still manages to come out on top of the situation. Nominated for a 2014 Locus Award.[7]
"My Heart is Either Broken" by Megan Abbott
A husband suspects his eccentric wife of their daughter's murder, but the truth turns out to be worse.
"Nora’s Song" by Cecelia Holland
A story about princess Eleanor and her observations of the royal household of Henry II of England and (future) Richard I.
"The Hands That Are Not There" by Melinda Snodgrass (Imperials)
A lieutenant in a dystopian future hears about a conspiracy theory about an alien race capable of genetically altering humans.
"Bombshells" by Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files)
A young wizard's apprentice finds herself caught between warring factions and must race against time to save a vampire.
"Raisa Stepanova" by Carrie Vaughn
World War II Russian fighter pilot with an ambition to become an ace. The tale of the Russian resistance and her plight are interwoven with her own struggle for recognition.
"Wrestling Jesus" by Joe R. Lansdale
Two wrestlers become spellbound by a woman and continue to wrestle each other even after retirement on the unspoken condition that the winner gets to keep the woman.
"Neighbors" by Megan Lindholm
In a scenic suburb of Seattle, alzheimer's disease changes the way of life for elderly women. A bit of magic and time travel are thrown in for good measure.
"I Know How to Pick 'Em" by Lawrence Block
A contemporary crime thriller;[3] a Femme fatale crime story with a twist.
Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell by Brandon Sanderson (The Cosmere)[6]
In a forest inhabited by supernatural evil beings called shades, an elderly inn-keeper turns bounty hunter at night.
"A Queen in Exile" by Sharon Kay Penman
Chronicles a little-known episode of late 12th-century Sicilian history;[3] Constance of Sicily goes to great lengths to secure the support of the people for her son, (future) Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor.
"The Girl in the Mirror" by Lev Grossman (Magicians)
"Second Arabesque, Very Slowly" by Nancy Kress
"City Lazarus" by Diana Rowland
Virgins by Diana Gabaldon (Outlander)[6]
In 1740 France, young Scottish Highlanders Jamie Fraser and Ian Murray become mercenaries.[3][8]
"Hell Hath No Fury" by Sherrilyn Kenyon, a present-day Native American ghost story[3]
"Pronouncing Doom" by S. M. Stirling (Emberverse), a "hanging judge" tale set "in a postapocalyptic America devastated by plague and machine failure"[3]
"Name the Beast" by Sam Sykes
"Caretakers" by Pat Cadigan
Lies My Mother Told Me by Caroline Spector (Wild Cards)[6]
The Princess and the Queen, or, the Blacks and the Greens by George R. R. Martin,[6] a tale of "continent-burning warfare" that explodes between Targaryen Princess Rhaenyra and her stepmother Queen Alicent, set in the Westeros of Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, 200 years before the events of A Game of Thrones (1996).[2][3][9] Nominated for a 2014 Locus Award.[7]

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Loved every minute of it

What did you love best about Dangerous Women?

The variety of genres and authors in this anthology is wonderful. My favorites were by Sanderson, Gabaldon, Block and of course Martin. All these stories are vastly different so there is something for every mood. The narrators are top class. Scott. Brick, Sophie Turner, Jonathon Frakes among my favorite narrators

What did you like best about this story?

Probably every genre is represented here. Leaning more on sci fi but there is something for everyone. Like a lot of collections, some of the stories are parts of a larger story. However this book is edited in such away that you can enjoy each story separately. I really enjoyed the Jim Butcher story even thought I don't read the Dresden Files. I am a huge fan of song of Ice and Fire so I really enjoyed Dance of Dragons. But Who doesn't love to hear about a Dragon War.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

Scott Brick is one of my favorite narrators on audible. I also enjoy Jonathan Frakes.Sophie Turner did a great job also.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

We'll it was 32 hours long so no. But I did get through it in a week because I couldn't wait to hear the next . All the stories were so different so no getting bored.

Any additional comments?

This was a great anthology everyone should be able to enjoy. Although it contains a lot of science fiction/fantasy it also has horror, mystery, thriller, historical fiction.. This was a lot of entertainment for a credit. But George please stop writing these side stories and finish a song of ice and fire

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False Advertising

There are different vocal performances for each story, and all are above average with some even excellent (Sophie Turner is a stand out).

Apart from that, I was sorely disappointed in this collection. The audio is not formatted, so there are no 'chapters' or time codes. Worst of all, however, is the story selection.

The title of the book being Dangerous Women, one would expect the theme of the collection to be dangerous women, but that is far from the case. Many of the stories (and the longer ones, to boot) are extremely male-centric and the female characters are minor decorations used to add depth to the men at the heart of the story.

Shame on those who assembled this collection and had the audacity to say it was about women just to sell a few extra copies. Learn from my naiveté and don't fall for this rip off.

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A Mixed Bag

Was Dangerous Women worth the listening time?

I bought this book for the stories by Jim Butcher, Lev Grossman, and George R. R. Martin.
The Butcher and Grossman stories were both very much what I was hoping for -- more adventures in the worlds of Dresden and The Magicians. The George R. R. Martin story was fairly good, but the framing structure of the story as a history written by someone from the Citadel means that it's hard to get into the characters heads and really care about them.

This book convinced me I should start reading Brandon Sanderson and Carrie Vaughn. Sanderson's story takes one simple premise and uses it for a compelling exploration of a fantasy world. Vaugh's story about a World War II Russian fighter pilot is both thoughtful and gripping.

Caroline Spector's Wild Cards story is fairly good. It goes some unexpected and interesting places examining the world of super heroes.

As for the rest of the stories... some were just forgettable, and some were trash. I was disappointed at how many stories in this collection failed the Bechdel Test, and how many of them featured women who are not at all dangerous in their own right, but who were simply objects on whom men fixated their own self-destructive hang-ups. My respect for George R. R. Martin is lowered by the fact that this book included “Wrestling Jesus” by Joe R. Lansdale. “I Know How to Pick ’Em” by Lawrence Block is equally a waste of your listening time.

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A CONFUSED BUFFET

Has Dangerous Women turned you off from other books in this genre?

Most definitely. I thought I could rely on a good read based on George R. R. Martin's name. But I have no idea what this compilation is supposed to be about. It's a mish-mash of stories which otherwise never have been published.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

I was very, very disappointed in the book. Promised much, but delivered little.

Any additional comments?

This book seems to be a way for each writer to blow his or her own horns about what awards they've won, what books they've written and which books they are working on. In some cases, the laudatory prefaces are more interesting than the actual stories. I had to give up on this before I finished Part 1. AWFUL!

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An Uneven Anthology with too Few Dangerous Women

In his introduction to Dangerous Women (2013), which he edited with George R. R. Martin, Gardner Dozois says that the “cross-genre anthology” will "showcase the supposedly weaker sex's capacity for magic, violence, and mayhem.” Hey, it sounds great, doesn’t it? But among the anthology’s 21 stories from various genres, including fantasy (ghost, magic, epic, etc.), science fiction (space opera, post apocalypse, superhero, etc.), and realism (crime, historical, and wrestling etc.), I found too few dangerous women protagonists and too much sexism.

Here is an annotated list of the uneven stories.

1. “Some Desperado” by Joe Abercrombie (read by Stana Katic)
A violent and suspenseful story about a “contrary” young woman on the run from her treacherous male bank-robbing accomplices. Replace the medievalesque fantasy weapons like bow and battle-axe with guns, and it’d be a hardboiled western.

2. “My Heart Is Either Broken” by Megan Abbott (read by Jake Weber)
After their toddler daughter is kidnapped, a husband tries to remain loyal to his wife, while the media and police view her sexy outfits, bar dancing, and smiling with suspicion. A Gone Girl vibe but with only the husband’s view.

3. “Nora’s Song” by Cecelia Holland (read by Harriet Walter)
Intense doings of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II seen from the point of view of Eleanor’s spunky little daughter. “I want to be a hero,” she says to her father, who replies, “God gave you the wrong stature.” A vivid story about the powerlessness of children, especially of girls.

4. “The Hands That Are Not There” by Melinda Snodgrass (read by Jonathan Frakes)
This space opera sympathizes with people open to other species (i.e. races), but finally seems to validate the ugliest Trumpian prejudices. The protagonists are men, the antagonist a by-the-numbers femme fatale.

5. “Bombshells” by Jim Butcher (read by Emily Rankin)
Wizardly apprentice Molly and two other “bombshells” crash a Chicago party hosted by mythological beings and get caught up in supernatural terrorism. The title is a sexist pun, the story a male fantasy of “smoking hot” women playing Charlie’s Angels, flaunting their “racks,” and saying, “I rock this dress!”

6. “Raisa Stepanova” by Carrie Vaughn (read by Inna Korobkina)
A suspenseful story about a brave, capable woman who is a WW II Russian fighter pilot set on becoming an ace or dying trying. And she’s not sexualized as a “knockout” and has no romantic interest.

7. “Wrestling Jesus” by Joe R. Lansdale (read by Scott Brick)
A Karate Kid, geriatric pro wrestling, and succubus story. It’s predictable, profane, and unconvincing, and the femme fatale antagonist is “a knockout,” “a girl,” and “that bitch.”

8. “Neighbors” by Megan Lindholm (read by Lee Meriwether)
A potent story about a woman fearing dementia while her loving children want her in assisted living. After losing an old friend to the Tacoma fog, she starts feeling unmoored from time and (maybe) becomes able to access another world.

9. “I Know How to Pick ’Em” by Lawrence Block (read by Jake Weber)
An unpleasant story in which an uber-hard-boiled narrator (6’5”, heavily muscled, and observant) works a twist on the old Body Heat scenario.

10. “Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell” by Brandon Sanderson (read by Claudia Black)
A woman runs an inn in the Forest, whose deadly shades are attracted to fast movements, fire starting, and blood spilling. And she’s secretly a bounty hunter. Can she save her place and protect her daughter?

11. “A Queen in Exile” by Sharon Kay Penman (read by Harriet Walter)
Constance, wife to cold King Heinrich, heir to the Holy Roman Empire, is enduring a cold German winter and missing her balmy southern Italy when her life path changes. Constance is strong but not dangerous.

12. “The Girl in the Mirror” by Lev Grossman (read by Sophie Turner)
The leader of a female club in Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy plans a practical joke on a male student only to find herself in a “fucked up magical mystery tour.” A cool heroine, creepy scenes, vivid descriptions, and interesting magic.

13. “Second Arabesque, Very Slowly” by Nancy Kress (read by Janis Ian)
After 99% of women became infertile, civilization collapsed, leaving male-dominated packs scavenging ruins like the Lincoln Center, where 64-year-old “Nurse” observes two young pack members discovering ballet: “There are worse ways to die than gazing at beauty.”

14. “City Lazarus” by Diana Rowland (read by Scott Brick)
A corrupt police captain falls in love with a creole exotic dancer in a New Orleans that’s a “fucked up shell” because the Mississippi River has changed course. The best part of this hardboiled story is the river-abandoned city.

15. “Virgins” by Diana Gabaldon (read by Allan Scott-Douglas)
Virgins in sex and killing, Scottish Highlanders Jamie Fraser and Ian Murray are working for a mercenary company in 1740 when they are assigned to escort a beautiful Jewess and a priceless Torah from Bordeaux to Paris. Ivanhoe’s Rebecca as a female “praying mantis”?

16. “Hell Hath No Fury” by Sherilynn Kenyon (read by Jenna Lamia)
The sexist cliché alluded to by the title doesn’t fit the story, about a psychic young lady and her obtuse friends visiting a ghost town to film supernatural events and finding a curse, a ghost, an Indian philosophy hodgepodge, a didactic lesson, and an unconvincing ending.

17. “Name the Beast” by Sam Sykes (read by Claudia Black)
An alien-human story with vivid imagery but too clever by half: events are out of chronological order, and it’s too hard to figure out who are the aliens, who the humans, and who the beast.

18. “Pronouncing Doom” by S.M. Stirling (read by Stana Katic)
Oregon. Year Two after the machines stopped, fires burnt, and the plague killed, forcing the survivors to band together under warlords or Wiccan Highlander-esque clans (!), like the one led by folksinger Juniper Mackenzie, who must judge a conveniently unrepentant rapist.

19. “Caregivers” by Pat Cadigan (read by Janis Ian)
The relationship between the 53-year-old Val and her younger sister Gloria gets complicated when Gloria starts volunteering at the rest home where the sisters’ mother is living. It’s a funny, moving, and finally unsettling story.

20. “Lies My Mother Told Me” by Caroline Spector (read by Maggi-Meg Reed)
In the Wild Cards universe an alien virus has given some humans super powers (Aces) or grotesque mutations (Jokers) which various organizations try to exploit. I like the only LGBTQ characters in the anthology, but the entertaining story is weakened by the old author-can-do-anything-for-the-plot-with-super-powers syndrome.

21. “The Princess and the Queen” by George R. R. Martin (read by Iain Glen)
A Westeros Grand Maester has written the “true” history of the Dance of the Dragons, a devastating civil war of succession fought by branches of House Targaryen and their dragons and supporters. Alas that the flaws of Queen Rhaenyra derive from her being a mother.

The audiobook readers are fine, except for their tendency (apart from a few like Janis Ian) to overdo intense scenes. The pompous British accent and portentous manner of the woman who introduces authors and stories is irritating.

Finally, there aren’t enough dangerous women in the stories. And those that do appear are too often femme fatales who do bad things to men or try to get men to do bad things. (Both editors are men.) Some stories are fine, but overall I regret the time I spent on this book.

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Horrid compilation of stories

Several of these authors must have thought the title was just slutty women or confusing women as I found very little dangerous about them. I think part of my problem with this anthology was that the authors and genres were too diverse. The two historical fiction pieces were interesting. The western wasn't my thing. I enjoyed one piece about the old lady whose kids were going to put her in a nursing home.

I mainly bought this one for Jim Butcher's contribution as I'm a big Harry Dresden fan. Having a Brandon Sanderson story was a bonus, though this wasn't one of his more compelling pieces...it's gotta be hard for him to write something so short.

I gave up on reading George Martin's stuff after the the second Song of Ice and Fire book because he was just to crass and violent for my taste. I was surprised that his story in this book was bearable.

Overall, I didn't enjoy this book enough to recommend it to anyone. At some point the copyright to Butcher and Sanderson's work will revert back to them and they'll release the stories in some other way.

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The best of the best

What made the experience of listening to Dangerous Women the most enjoyable?

This is an anthology with stories by the best authors around. Out of the 21 stories there were only 2 I didn't care for but they were well written and well narrated. This is not for children, there are many instances of cursing and rather nasty things happening to both men and women. I am familiar with most of the authors who wrote stories in this book. I have to say they didn't disappoint. Also having various narrators for the different stories made it also enjoyable.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Dangerous Women?

Jim Butcher, Joe Abcrombe, Carry Vaughn, Joe Landsdale, Megan Lindholm, Brandon Sanderson, Diana Roland, Sherry Lin Kegin, S.M. Sterling, S. Sikes George. R.R. Martin, Diana Gabaldon, Reason enough to get this audible.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Reading these stories might be good but the narrations were so good, and the stories were so well written, each one was like opening a new present.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

All of the authors I mentioned wrote stories that moved me, either to joy or sadness, but the writing and narrations were worth every moment. I know I'll listen to this again.

Any additional comments?

One of the best anthologies I have ever listened to. If you like any of the authors I named in my list, that is reason enough to get this. If you're not familiar with them, it is a great way to learn about them. I've read most of them and that was one of the reasons I got this. I'm recommending to every one I know.

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