On the Hierophant Road

Chambers (The Dead in Their Masses) delivers an uneven collection of 14 speculative tales, some of which expertly execute original ideas while others fizzle out. Recurring motifs include individuals returning to fantastical places of their youths and families navigating mythical or supernatural circumstances. The opening tale, “The Price of Faces,” is the collection’s strongest, a masterwork of science fiction and body horror that explores the ramifications of altered identity. “Brides of Fire,” in which a maiden is pressured to be married before she becomes a sacrificial bride to a volcano, also stands out, expertly weaving character development, atmosphere, and supernatural elements. On the other hand, “The Flying Rock,” about a man who takes his children to a forest where they encounter “butterfly-ladies,” and “The Kind Old Fellow,” about a saintly elderly homeless man accused of murder, both become lost in expository worldbuilding and melodramatic dialogue. And the humor of “He Who Burns,” about a man trapped in a warehouse with a dragonlike salamander, will have readers either laughing out loud or rolling their eyes. Despite these weak links, there’s plenty here for speculative fiction fans to enjoy. (Oct.)