Chimerascope
by Douglas Smith
Sunburst Awards Finalist (2011)
Chimerascope—a story of many parts.
A young artist hungers to draw you.
A dinner conversation takes three lifetimes to finish.
A geologist faces a planet-sized, eons-old puzzle to save her crew.
The hero of the Fall of Earth must choose between love and revenge.
A mysterious dancer leads a businessman to a most exclusive nightclub.
A man is born each day into a new life—only to die each night.
A sentient aurora threatens the last of humanity.
A Norse god's bar in Toronto hosts an unplanned family reunion.
A woman descends into insanity—or is it the end of the world?
A house as big as the world.
These are some of the stories you will encounter in Chimerascope, the first full collection of short fiction from award-winning Canadian author, Douglas Smith. Sixteen stories of fantasy and science fiction, including one Aurora Award-winners, a Best New Horror pick, and nine Aurora finalists, that take you from love in fourteenth-century Japan to humanity’s last stand, from virtual reality to the end of reality, from alien drug addictions to a dinner where a man loses everything.
Reviews - What's Being Said About Douglas Smith & Chimerascope
Doug Smith is, quite simply, the finest short-story writer Canada has ever produced in the science fiction and fantasy genres, and he's also the most prolific. His stories are a treasure trove of riches that will touch your heart while making you think.
–Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of Hominids
(A)n entertaining selection of 17 stories that deftly span multiple genres, often milking surprisingly original tales out of tired tropes.
–Publishers Weekly
(A) massively enjoyable trek through the far-fetched, the horrifying, and the flat-out weird, all filtered through Smith's remarkable imagination and equally notable talent . . . what is immediately notable is his steady grasp of character, bringing a relatable humanity to even the most absurd of situations . . . (A) sterling set, with nary a weak or disposable choice in the bunch.
–Quill & Quire (Starred Review)
Reading Smith’s stories is like taking a series of guided tours through strange places—you don’t expect any bombshells to be dropped on you but you do expect to see something new and memorable. Chimerascope delivers that in spades and is well worth the price of admission."
–The Canadian Science Fiction Review
. . . the 16 stories in this collection showcase the inventive mind and immense storytelling talent of one of Canada's most original writers of speculative fiction . . . Smith writes with a keen eye for detail and atmosphere, crafting each story with wit and perception. VERDICT: Twice winner of Canada's Aurora Award, Smith writes stories that will appeal to fans of such literary sf writers such as Jack Vance and Gene Wolfe.
–Library Journal
(An) engaging and entertaining volume, pieces of whose content resonate after the book is finished.
–Regina Schroeder, Booklist
Chimerascope (A+ overall) confirms for me what "Impossibilia" affirmed, namely that Douglas Smith is an extraordinary author whom every lover of quality speculative fiction should read.
–Liviu Suciu, Fantasy Book Critic
Tempting as it is to sit here and tell you more about these stories, I really must and would rather encourage you to go out and read this volume for yourself. It is an experience well worth any effort required.
–Kelly Jensen, SF Crowsnest
With every new story, the more impressed I am with [Smith's] subtlety and vision. I've yet to read a work of his that wasn't beautifully written, but more than that, his stories resonate with a deep understanding of the human condition as well as a characteristic wry wonder . . . Stories you can't forget, even years later.
–Julie Czerneda, author and editor
genre fans eager to read work by a talented author, who consistently writes top-notch prose, will be well-pleased to see the strange beasts lurking within Douglas Smith’s Chimerascope.
–Justin Howe, Innsmouth Free Press
An ambitious and adventurous new writer.
–Gardner Dozois, author and editor
