Lost Pages Book Review

Author: Paul Di Filippo
Book Link

This selection was stories came under the recommendation of Harlan Ellison during one of his interviews. Being a sucker for blindly following the advice of people I respect without giving it a second thought, I put the order in to get a copy for my house.

The theme tying together the short stories is a fascinating one — writers in alternate universes.

Imagine if Anne Frank left Europe and lived Judy Garland’s life instead of hiding in an attic, or if Joseph Campbell was the head of a literary magazine that used its stories to manipulate culture into utopian ideals (both of which were my favourite stories of the bunch). That’s the series of stories you’ll be reading.

Since it is a collection, there are going to be hits and misses for every person. However, the consensus seems to be that Anne alone is worth the price of picking this up. Between that masterpiece and the writing that has a level of refinement you only see in people who have a mastery of their craft, I’d have to agree.