I love anthologies. They offer short stories from authors I might not know and often the stories are designed to flex the author's skills. Being short, not only can you read them quickly, you see the story spin to life and reap results, leaving any unnecessary baggage along the way. Most anthologies have a theme, this one is collections. Collections can be interesting in and of themselves, add a little mystery/thrill to the mix and you're sure to find a few stories that will leave you asking your friends......did you read this? I know I always end up sharing my anthologies with friends, family and most of all, the reading freaks I call my circle. They are most definitely going to love this one.

Great anthology from one of the masters. Has a Lansdale story also, so you cant go wrong. Easy five star book. I actually ordered the limited edition from SubPress and its a beauty. Great stories here, you cant go wrong.

A collection of very different collection stories for all tastes. For me it was good here and not so good
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc

From the publisher:
A COLLECTION… OF COLLECTIONS What leads one person to collect stamps and another coins, one fine art and another butterflies? Who can say? But one thing is certain: those who’ve got the collecting bug care passionately-sometimes violently-about the objects of their obsession. No one covets like a collector; and as you will find in the pages of this brand new anthology from MWA Grand Master Lawrence Block, a truly dedicated collector will ignore the other nine commandments, too, in his quest for his personal Holy Grail. From Joyce Carol Oates’ tale of the ultimate Marilyn Monroe collectible to Dennis Lehane’s bookseller with a penchant for other people’s tragic correspondence, from Lee Goldberg’s Hollywood hustler with a collection of unaired TV shows to Joe R. Lansdale’s stylish foray into noir, culminating in Lawrence Block’s own classic story of a killer with a unique approach to choosing his victims, Collectibles illustrates the range of the collecting impulse and the lengths people will go to in their hunger to possess the perfect piece.

My thoughts:

As I read through the anthology, I rated each story and then the book as a whole. I gave the majority of the stories a 5/5 star rating. Although most of them are mysteries or thrillers, a few lean toward horror or science fiction, and a couple toward general fiction.

It seems there's always one or more that doesn't sit as well with you as the others. In this anthology, there was really only one I didn't care for as much as the others, "Miss Golden Dreams 1949" by Joyce Carol Oates. While I didn't really enjoy the story or its tone, I can totally see its value to the collection.

You would think it would be easier to talk about favorites, but it's a little harder because I enjoyed so many of them. I liked the twist in Lee Goldberg's "Lost Shows." I also liked the twists in "A Bostonian (in Cambridge)" by Dennis Lehane and " Collecting Ackermans" by Lawrence Block. And I thought it was interesting that the two stories involving musical instruments had elements of the paranormal in therm.

The order of the stories is well done. The collection starts and ends strong and has a good rhythm to it. Interspersed with the stories are excerpts from Otto Penzler's Mysterious Obsession about collecting books and his efforts in obtaining certain titles. I found the excerpts to be complimentary to the stories.

Overall, I gave the collection 5/5 stars. Lawrence Block did an excellent job as editor. I would recommend this book to you if you enjoy anthologies or maybe even collecting something.

Collectibles was published May 31st, 2021 by Subterranean Press.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lawrence Block and Subterranean Press have put out a solid anthology with Collectibles. Not every story is a gem, some are hit-and-miss, but mostly it's a decent collection. The majority of stories here are in the genre of Mystery and/or Crime with a bit of supernatural bent in a few. My favorite story was Lawrence Block’s "Collecting Ackermans". A fine anthology with great variety.

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Collectibles edited by Lawrence Block is a short story collection dealing with collectors, sometimes strange, sometimes run of the mill. Mr. Block is a published writer of many books.

I’m not a fan of short stories, but at least I have been a collector for most of my life, so Collectibles edited by Lawrence Block called my name. Additionally, I totally missed the part where this is a collection of short stories, and not a novel.

I don’t collect any of the items featured in the book, generally though, the collector’s mentality is the same. Sometimes we’ll go to great lengths to acquire an item which we perceive as valuable (despite that we are the only ones with that perception). Similarly we’ll bend over backwards, physically, mentally, or financially, to acquire a “must have” item to make the collection complete.
Nevertheless to realize that it was the chase that made it exciting.

Undeniably, the stories have the common theme of a collector’s passion. Some of the stories are a bit disturbing, but of course there is only so much one can read about the way to organize a stamp collection. I enjoyed two stories especially Devil Sent the Rain Blues by David Rachel and The Skull Collector by Joe R. Lansdale. In Devil Sent the Rain Blues a collector attempts to acquire a rare 78 rpm record. The Skull Collector is a noir yarn featuring a gang of armed female grave robbers. Between the fiction there are entries from Otto Penzler‘s memoir to give real-life perspective on the passion of collecting.

The book runs the gamut, from a collector of old Hollywood TV shows, to a Marilyn Monroe artificial intelligence doll/replica for the “real” fans. Much like other anthologies I read, some are fascinating, some less so. However, this is a solid collection featuring talented authors. As expected, many of the stories focus on what makes a collector tick, not necessarily their weird and unusual collections.

Once again legendary author Lawrence Block has put out the call to a number of first-rate authors to submit their work for an anthology of stories that are loosely connected by a guiding theme. It's something LB has done several times in recent years to great effect and this collection is no exception.

It's generally a given that any anthology, by the very nature of the project, will be somewhat hit and miss; even with the talent involved here (a significant amount of talent!), this anthology is a bit uneven at times but overall a great read. Most but not all of the tales fall within the greater genre of crime or mystery with a couple having a touch of the supernatural as well. The term "collectible" is pretty broadly defined from one story to the next. They're not all great but none could be considered truly bad.

I would recommend this as a book to read a little bit at a time, not all in one sitting. It would give more impact to those stories that are outstanding, exceptional, or deeply thought provoking. There are several.

***I received a free digital copy of this title from NetGalley.

COLLECTIBLES
Lawrence Block, Editor
Subterranean Press
ISBN-13: 978-1-64524-045-7
Hardcover
Short Fiction

Lawrence Block had me at the title with COLLECTIBLES, the new anthology of short stories which he has commissioned from a number of the best contemporary practitioners of fiction writers. Block, as he tells us in his Introduction to this terrific volume, explained when soliciting stories for this collection that he was looking for stories in any genre or no genre at all but which concerned any sort of collectible item. The result is worth losing oneself in, as might be expected. Block is a wondrous author in his own right, and when someone of his stature asks for a story, it is assumed that the askee, if you will, will bring their A-game to the desk and then, as Miles Davis commanded in a different context, play above that. This has been done in COLLECTIBLES, and the reader is the winner.

COLLECTIBLES consists of seventeen stories, fifteen of them never having seen the light of day until now. “Collecting Ackermans” is one of the other two stories. It is a tale that Block wrote and published long ago but which is as good as any in the book, a chilling, dark-humored story about an unassuming gentleman who makes the acquaintance of strangers in a unique manner. The other story consists of four excerpts, sprinkled throughout the book, which are culled from a volume titled Otto Penzler’s Mysterious Obsession. Penzler is a book collector, but he is also an indefatigable editor, publisher, and bookstore owner. It is arguable that were it not for Penzler we would not have a mystery genre in the form that it currently exists. The four excerpts in COLLECTIBLES are as entertaining as any of the other stories in the collection, describing as they do stories of Penzler finding and acquiring rare volumes. They each and all provide an important and entertaining intermission which cleanses the palate between the fictitious tales within.

Ah. Those stories. Many are by authors who are well known enough to cause readers to expect one thing and receive something quite different while still wonderful. So it is that Lee Goldberg’s “Lost Shows” is a total surprise. Goldberg hits the sweet spot from an unexpected direction in this tale of a collector of old and rare television episodes who attempts to help an ill and aging tv star who is being held as a de facto hostage in his own home. There are a couple of “oh shoot with the ‘o’ dotted” moments here that will cause you to read and re-read “Lost Shows,” particularly if you are old enough to remember when there were only three channels to choose from and no way to record anything. “The Evan Price Signature Model” by Junior Burke opens COLLECTIBLES, and resonated with me. I am not a musician but am familiar with the market in collectible musical instruments. Burke in this story combines the penchant for guitar acquisition with a touch of the supernatural and, to boot, a bit of selfless behavior to create a story that is quietly damn near perfect. S.A. Cosby takes us into the world of car collecting with “Blue Book Value,” in which an unsympathetic protagonist stumbles across a classic car that has seemingly been abandoned on private property. You would be forgiven if you only whisper “no” as this story progresses since there is enough foreshadowing here that the reader, more than likely, wants our collector to get his comeuppance and desires to be there when it occurs. The reader will be happy. Unfamiliar authors? I had not read Janice Eidus before, but her story “A Collection of Friends” is memorable. This is not a genre fiction tale, but rather an account of how relationships change across time and distance for reasons definable and otherwise. It is difficult to pick a favorite in COLLECTIBLES but if one put a gun to my head “A Collection of Friends” would be on my shortlist, as would “The Skull Collector” by Joe R. Lansdale. As with many of his stories, Lansdale’s offering here concerns an object that someone has and that someone else wants. In this case, a woman named Crystal has information which someone else wants so that they can acquire an artifact. You will never guess what it is. Lansdale is in top and award-winning form here, in case you were wondering. It is an exotic and very different item, for sure. The sought-after prize in S.J Rozan’s “Chin Yong-Yun Meets a Mongol” isn’t quite so exotic generally but specifically the value of it is in the eyes of both the beholder and the possessor. Rozan is a master of the quiet twist and turn and her story of something quietly desired over decades puts her ability on illuminated display.

Okay. There is one particular story that still whispers to me and in perhaps a bit louder voice than the others, though they all excel in specific ways. I am referring to “A Bostonian (in Cambridge)” by Dennis Lehane. We are not treated to Lehane’s work frequently, but when we are it is first-rate, which perfectly describes this story involving a quiet book store owner who collects and deals in rare books. He is confronted with a Hobson’s Choice involving his most treasured acquisition and a bit of knowledge that he has wished for his entire life. This could have been a novel but is perfect as a short story and is worth the price of admission to COLLECTIBLES on its own.

I could go on for inches/pages more but I won’t. You need COLLECTIBLES in your collection, no matter what form such might take. Most importantly, however, you need to read it. Very strongly recommended.

© Copyright 2021, The Book Report, Inc. All rights reserved.

As a lifelong fan of Lawrence Block, I pretty much grab anything with his name on it. When this collection of short mysteries came along with the Block Seal of Approval, I grabbed it and was not disappointed. I’d wager there is something here for everyone with plenty of twists and turns. Lee Goldberg’s Lost Shows, in particular, grabbed me by the throat and flung me around for a while. Of course, I had to skip to the Joyce Carol Oates story. Like Block, she is native to my area, Western New York/Buffalo. She never disappoints (unless you’re looking for a book that will cheer you up on a bad day), and Miss Golden Dreams 1949 was no different. Dark and delightful. The collection closes with Lawrence Block’s solid Collecting Ackermans. Block did an exceptional job of pulling together short pieces run through with a common thread, yet not monolithic. It’s a great volume to keep on hand when seeking diversion that will not tax your attention span.

Short stories are a fun introduction to new authors, and a welcome chance to read more stories by familiar authors. In Collectibles, there is a wide selection of very different types of stories, from the unsettling story of the ultimate Marilyn Monroe, to the enchanting story of Chin Yong-Yun Meets a Mongol, to the magic of the blues guitarist reunited with his guitar. As well as the disturbing story about collecting Ackermans.

Thanks to Subterranean Press and Net Galley for providing me with a preview copy in return for an honest review.

A solid collection. There is a nice variety of stories, characters, and settings here. Lawrence Block is of course a very talented author, so he should know how to selected good stories. I think he succeeded. I won't review the individual stories, but recommend this to literary short story readers.

I really appreciate the ARC for review!!

I have long been an aficionado of Short Stories. From H.H. Monroe (Saki) to O’ Henry and down to Roald Dahl and Jeffrey Archer and numerous authors in between. This collection of short stories is not just a collection of stories but each one is about collecting or collections. The book has many excellent stories in it and the introduction by Lawrence Block is a delight and his story “Collecting Ackermans” is excellent and pure Block.

The group of authors is diverse as are the stories and they are ultimately an enjoyable ride. One thing I like about a collection of short stories is that one goes from place to place and character to character with the turning of a page this book is filled with mystery and suspense and as a good short story should they take a turn or a twist that leaves the reader saying, “What? I didn’t see that coming.”

I enjoyed Dennis Lehane’s “A Bostonian in Cambridge” about a collector of letters from people who are leaving or breaking up with someone this story has an incredible twist and Lee Goldberg’s “Lost Shows” about a person who collects lost, short-lived, and unaired TV shows. I also thought “Devil Sent the Rain Blues PM 13040” by David Rachels had a very interesting twist. “Chin Yong-Yun Meets a Mongol” by S.J. Rozan is a delightful story with almost chess-like moves by the participants.
I enjoyed the book very much.
Thanks to Subterranean Press and Net Galley for providing me with a preview copy in return for an honest review.