The Stories (in) Between

This anthology of 16 speculative stories celebrates the 30th birthday of Delaware independent bookstore Between Books. Though theoretically unthemed, the tales tend to be on the darker side. Superb selections include Jonathan Maberry's “Dr. Nine,” which delves into the depraved side of human nature; the birth of a new legend in Lawrence M. Schoen's “The Fisherman and the Wrestler”; Catherynne M. Valente's philosophical “Proverbs of Hell”; and Gregory Frost's “Swift Decline,” a tale of ritual and madness. Lawrence C. Connolly's “Beneath Between” and Mike McPhail's “Beyond Imagine” even use the bookstore as a setting. Other stories of lesser quality by relative unknowns are placed alongside these standouts, giving the whole work an uneven feel and leaving readers to sift through sand for the gems. (Jan.)