Book Review: The Earth Strikes Back - Anthology

Title: Earth Strikes Back
Author: Severa. Edited by R. T. Chizmar
ISBN 1-56504-919-5

Publisher: White Wolf Publishing,U.S.
pages: 416
Reading Time: 5days (25/04/2009 to 29/04/2009)

Rating: 7.5

I like to think that earth is alive. Is one big organism that some people call Gaia. I always thought that humans don't belong to mother earth ecosistem... I thought that if the trees are the blood of Gaia and animals are nourishment and the bacteria and virus were the defenses of it... Well, where do we enter here? We don't. We destroy mother earth... We bring nothing good to it. We are worst the virus and bacteria. We destroy without purpose and contempt. We are a surplus. And mother earth will have it's way.

I read once (and then again here in one of this stories) that if humans use radiation to threat cancer than mother earth uses ultraviolets rays to threat it's cancer... Us!

I read someplace that there are many diseases being discover, now we have the swine flu and bird flu that have cause some hysteria in the media... I like to think that it's mother earth revenge time. We will see..

Now back to the book... Some stories were good, some were not so good but only one was awful.

My Copsa Micas by Dan Simmons - A story of reckless pollution and disturbing dreams. It was one of the best story. It tells our story of humankind and some views on it. I like it. 7/10

Harvest by Norman Partridge - Cancer destroys a man's family and his sanity as well. I didn't enjoy this story very much. One of the weakest. 3/10

Toxic Wastrels by Poppy Z. Brite - The two adult wastrel children of a town's major polluter finally suffer a poetic justice. I didn't enjoy this story as much... 3/10

The Forest is Crying by Charles De Lint - A man regains his faith when visited by an angel from the future who helps him with her past. This story is a good one. It as very little to do with earth striking back but it's almost the other way around. 5/10

I Remember Me by Thomas Tessier - When memory fades, what will you do when no one else is capable of reminding you? This one is one of the best stories. I like the way he creates a plague that makes people forgetting things... love it. 9/10

Ground Water by James Kisner - A man's insistent request to be hooked up to the City's water supply has a very grisly twist. This views in this story are one of the spookiest of all stories in this anthology. Specially the family in the tub... Argh 7.5/10.

Cages by Ed Gorman - What would you do to help your drug addicted and crazy parents out? Didn't enjoy it. Didn't like it. I even didn't finish it. It was the only one I couldn't finish. Too strange for me... 1/10

Where It's Safe by John Shirley - Even all the money in the world can't keep you safe. One word... Eco-terrorism. 7.5/10

Expiration Date by William Relling Jr. - Does our planet have one? Strange and simple story. 6/10

The Dreaded Hobblobs by Gary A. Braunbeck - What if they moved next door to you? Even worse, what if they had plans for you? This one is a excelent story. Braunbeck creates a good story of something that would be good to happen to us... maybe that way we could help mother earth pollution... 9/10

Cancer Alley by Nancy A. Collins - Guess who's coming to the next town meeting? Good story. Good plot. 7/10

Binary by Roman A. Ranieri - A young boy's rescuer takes revenge for those that caused his death. This is a good story with a straightforward plot. One of the gems of this anthology. I have to see more books by Ranieri. 9/10

Tyrophex Fourteen by Ronald Kelly - A deadly burning gas is accidentally released and the company will do anything to cover their tracks. This story is another gem of this anthology. Maybe there is a conspiracy 8/10

Torrent by Mark Rainey - It won't quit raining, and the rain can kill... I don't even have to say more... It's a sad story... 9/10

Toxic Shock by Rick Hautala - A twist to the old abortion debate. 8/10

Please Stand By by Thomas F. Monteleone - Would you keep your mouth shut for enough money? I think story tells everything our world turn into it... Money buys everything. 10/10

Double-Edged Sword by Barry Hoffman - So you spray gases for the military, but what if you fall victim too? Probably my favourite story (not counting the sad one... :) ) 9.5/10

The Fur Coat by Richard Laymon - How far will an animal activist go? Again eco-terrorists but different kind... Some persons go to far and begin to take actions into their hands. Good story. It's too humane... 9/10

Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200 by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro - How competitive will our world get? Not the best story but a good one 7.5/10

Genesis II by Hugh B. Cave - After its all over, will you be able to start again? Good story with a interesting plot... 8.5/10

In the end I would reccommend this book to anyone who loves nature... I would give this book to almost everyone.