Shaykitteh's World of Books

Piers Anthony is at it again with a collection of stories and essays dusted off and collected in Cautionary Tales. I'm a long time reader of Piers Anthony, so none of the stories shocked or offended me, however I will mention that these tales are indeed "cautionary" - complete with caution notes at the beginning of each story/essay so that you can determine if you want to read it or not. Many of these stories contain graphic sex, some rape, some just questionable material. They tell the stories of historical figures, demons, criminals... and common people who just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Some of the stories don't need a caution label, and are stories of life, love, and/or mystery.

And then there are the essays sprinkled through the collection. Piers Anthony's essays, like his Author Notes, give an insight into the man himself, his motives for writing, and even his process. He shares hints on writing a novel in a month's time, on editing this novel, and even on publishing. As someone who is just getting into writing myself, I found these essays to be great spots of wisdom and I will keep this information (and his website) on hand for future use.

Overall, I found this book to be both interesting and enjoyable to read. It is not for the faint of heart, perhaps, and I wouldn't recommend it for someone who is offended by sex.... But if you're willing to give something different a chance, I would recommend that you peek at this and see if you enjoy the tales enclosed.

NOTE: I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Netgalley for review purposes.