Last Plane to Heaven - Tapa dura

"The prolific Lake's death in 2014, after a long, harrowing, and very public battle with cancer, gives extra weight to these 32 epitaphs. Lake's command of language is strong and sincere, and his stories of everyday heartaches, filled with secret fears and self-delusion, whisk readers from inner geographies of mind to limitless gulfs of space."--Publishers Weekly "The prolific Lake s death in 2014, after a long, harrowing, and very public battle with cancer, gives extra weight to these 32 epitaphs. Lake s command of language is strong and sincere, and his stories of everyday heartaches, filled with secret fears and self-delusion, whisk readers from inner geographies of mind to limitless gulfs of space." "Publishers Weekly"" Praise for Jay Lake "Lake's world-building is stellar, even with as idiosyncratic a narrator as Green, and the story she tells thrills."--"Booklist" on Green "The richness of [Lake's] rendering of urban life as tapestry is genuinely irresistible."--John Clute "Lake's strong storytelling skills and his ability to depict exotic cultures and create believable characters make this a tale that should appeal to most lovers of fantasy and the martial arts."--"Library Journal" on "Kalimpura ""Lake deftly weaves complicated, stubborn characters into a plot that reaches the grandest and most personal scales without ever straining credulity.... This complex, lonesome, haunting novel will appeal to fans of Valente, Monette, and Mieville."--"Publishers Weekly," starred review, on "Endurance " "Lake wields big themes--magic and religion versus science, free will, colonialism, and a bit of romance."--"Publishers Weekly," starred review, on "Pinion" Praise for Jay Lake "Lake's world-building is stellar, even with as idiosyncratic a narrator as Green, and the story she tells thrills."--"Booklist" on Green "The richness of [Lake's] rendering of urban life as tapestry is genuinely irresistible."--John Clute "Lake's strong storytelling skills and his ability to depict exotic cultures and create believable characters make this a tale that should appeal to most lovers of fantasy and the martial arts."--"Library Journal" on "Kalimpura ""Lake deftly weaves complicated, stubborn characters into a plot that reaches the grandest and most personal scales without ever straining credulity.... This complex, lonesome, haunting novel will appeal to fans of Valente, Monette, and Mieville."--"Publishers Weekly", starred review, on "Endurance " "Lake wields big themes--magic and religion versus science, free will, colonialism, and a bit of romance."--"Publishers Weekly", starred review, on "Pinion"

Long before he was a novelist, SF writer Jay Lake was an acclaimed writer of short stories. In Last Plane to Heaven, Lake has assembled thirty-two of the best of them. Aliens and angels fill these pages, from the title story, a hard-edged and breath taking look at how a real alien visitor might be received, to the savage truth of "The Cancer Catechisms." Here are more than thirty short stories written by a master of the form, science fiction and fantasy both. This collection features an original introduction by Gene Wolfe.