Cruel Miracles

Tales of Death, Hope, and Holiness: Book Four of Maps in a Mirror

By: Orson Scott Card

Narrated by: Grover Gardner, John Rubinstein, Stefan Rudnicki

"I believe that speculative fiction - science fiction in particular - is the last American refuge of religious literature. Real religious literature, I think, explores the nature of the universe and discovers the purpose behind it." (Orson Scott Card, from his Introduction)

This fourth volume in Orson Scott Card's five-volume anthology of short stories features six tales with religious and spiritual themes, exploring the mysteries of ritual, sacrifice, faith, and death. Discover why immortal beings seek mortal gods, witness the consequences of a vengeful spirit, enter behind the scenes of the lives of television faith healers, and more.

Stories include: "Mortal Gods", "Saving Grace", "Eye for Eye", "St. Amy's Tale", "Kingsmeat", and "Holy".

In a series of introductions and afterwords, Card offers background commentaries for each story.

©1990 Orson Scott Card (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"One of the genre's most convincing storytellers. An important volume." ( Library Journal)
"Definitive....A series of introductions and afterwords offering Card's thoughts on his life and his writing are as absorbing as the stories." ( Publishers Weekly)

THE CUP OF GOD'S INDIGNATION WAS FULL

MAYBE WHAT YOU WANT DON'T AMOUNT TO A GOLD FISH FART
You already know about Ender's Game and The Tales of Alvin, but I love Card's short stories best. He once mentioned that it takes as long to write a short story as it does a novel and it shows in his short stories. Treasure Box is the only scary book, I know of that he wrote. If you have not read it, it is similar to something Joe Hill would write. I loved it and in this collection he has a scary story that rivals A Thousand Deaths. Kings Meat is not only scary and gory, it will make you think. I wish he would write more horror. He has the best Science Fiction Book in Ender's Game and the best Fantasy book in The Seventh Son, why not conquer another genre?

This has an introduction, six stories and an Afterword. Three of the six are five star stories, one is four and two are three. An unusual high percentage of good stories, compared to most collections. This is book four of five in the Maps in the Mirror collection. I highly recommend them all and start wherever you want. I did find it interesting that when listening to Eye for Eye, I thought it was too long, with too many bible verses and too much unimportant information and then in the afterword Card mentions several editors turned it down for this very reason. Once it was published it won an award, I think the Hugo. I don't take much stock in the awards. At one time I set out to read all the books that had won a Hugo. I found there was a lot of stinkers. Must be a political thing. While fancy pants experts give these books great ratings, a check of readers' reviews usually shows a whole different story. One reason I love Audible.

Great old Card

Nothing to add or write, a good collection of good stories by a great storyteller and read by great actors. worth every dollar and every minute.