Riding Shotgun
4.5/5
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About this ebook
Marshall Coe’s shiftless, troubled life has led to tragedy. In this riveting novella, he’s suddenly given the chance to go back in time and fix his one big mistake, but Marshall finds that altering history has unexpected consequences. Caught between worlds alongside a young woman with an equally difficult past, they discover that sometimes things happen for a reason.
“Riding Shotgun” first appeared in Flights, edited by Al Sarrantonio (Roc Books, 2003). Copyright (c) 2003 by Charles de Lint. It’s also available in the Muse and Reverie collection.
Reviews
The standout for me, though, [from de Lint's collection, Muse & Reverie] is “Riding Shotgun,” which should just be about the long-held guilt of a brother who was with his sibling in a tragic car accident, but becomes a ride into the past, and then an alternate future that reveals things that turn any preconceived notions you have completely on their heads. De Lint surprises with “Riding Shotgun,” and adds a sense of urgency to a tale that seems destined for cliché, and instead becomes a shocker. Good stuff.
—Bookslut
Riding Shotgun [...] has honestly become one of my favorites. About every year or so, I pick it back up and reread it. It's about life changing events and the first time I read it, I felt all funny inside. Then I read it again a few months later. Then another year after that, I read it a third time. That being said, every time I read it, I am more and more in awe of the story, of the way it was put together that just makes me wordless. Even writing this, as I don't write too many reviews, I am struggling to put together the words to explain how much I like this story and why you should read it. I highly recommend it to everyone I know.
The story starts out with you meeting the main character, a former alcoholic who has just inherited his estranged, deceased father's farm. He hadn't been back there since the death of his younger brother. Even though he sold the farm, he decides to go for one last visit. That's when things start getting weird. It's a story about how things we regret might have been for a reason, its a story about changing those choices that we regret.
I hope this makes you pick it up. I know I will be rereading it again soon
—Goodreads reader
Charles de Lint is the modern master of urban fantasy. Folktale, myth, fairy tale, dreams, urban legend—all of it adds up to pure magic in de Lint's vivid, original world. No one does it better.
— Alice Hoffman
Charles de Lint writes like a magician. He draws out the strange inside our own world, weaving stories that feel more real than we are when we read them. He is, simply put, the best.
— Holly Black
De Lint is probably the finest contemporary author of fantasy
—Booklist, American Library Association
Unlike most fantasy writers who deal with battles between ultimate good and evil, de Lint concentrates on smaller, very personal conflicts. Perhaps this is what makes him accessible to the non-fantasy audience as well as the hard-core fans. Perhaps it’s just damned fine writing.
—Quill & Quire
Charles de Lint
Charles de Lint and his wife, the artist MaryAnn Harris, live in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. His evocative novels, including Moonheart, Forests of the Heart, and The Onion Girl, have earned him a devoted following and critical acclaim as a master of contemporary magical fiction in the manner of storytellers like John Crowley, Jonathan Carroll, Alice Hoffman, Ray Bradbury, and Isabel Allende.
Read more from Charles De Lint
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Reviews for Riding Shotgun
3 ratings1 review
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ok in the book it asked me to review it on SMASHWORDS. But I couldnt without buying the tale over there..and having just read it I'm settling for mentioning SMASHWORDS as a place to go for those titles we see "unavailable" for, or perhaps that dont come up in a search or three. Seems like a very cool site, didnt look at it long enough to begin to compare it to scribed tho it does have some free and some paid books. Not sure quality on any.
As for the story. I've rarely read a story by Charles DeLint that I didnt love. I dont always like the way they turn out, they almost always leave me wanting more, wishing for another chapter or five.
This was no exception. It was a little less of a stretch of the imagination than some of his things. But that may be ONLY because he has stretched my imagination already so that things like this will fit.
If you havent read this yet, it is unlikely to bore you and is a quick read. At the very least it will make you think, and perhaps hope, and how much higher praise can I give a 60 page story.
If you found this enjoyable, interesting or thought provoking,
I suggest you read everything by this author you can get your hands on.
I'm not usually one for anthologies. charles de lint is the exception , particularly when the anthology is set in his favorite fictional city. His full length books are astounding. i began with either spiritwalker or moonheart whichever comes first inthe two book cycle, tho they can be read independently.
His characters who often flit from story to story like bit players when the dont have a starrig role, all have become beloved friends.
I me ne characters today in this story.
Trader is provavly the closest to this story you will find in a full length book. like this o not trader is wonderful.
I just cant list every of his books. I'm thrilled to find some here. I love anything to do with the crow girls, Jilly, jack, geordie and too manyothers to list. but those are a few.
If charles DeLint is new to you and you enjoy urban fantasy, or even if you are just beginning to find it it through his works (I did) Jump in with both feet and without delay!
I hope you read this Mr. DeLint. You inspire me to return to writing myself..tho you'd not know me by this name if you knew me at all.