Songs of Leaving — Peter Crowther

Crowther's collection opens with a magnificent homage to Ray Bradbury, 'Some Burial Place, vast and Dry' (the title is one of several references to Whitman), in which the last survivor of a lost colony remembers his home and is visited by it. Despite that tough first act, the quality of what follows remains consistent. These lovely and thoughtful stories are speculative fiction at pretty much its best, conjuring self-contained worlds that for all the stories' brevity, teem with life.—BooklistThe best of the 12 mostly SF stories in this collection from British author Crowther evoke a genuine sense of wonder and offer near miraculous restoration of hope. Like Ray Bradbury, who is intentionally invoked, Crowther enchants as he tells deceptively simple tales of eternal truths.—Publishers Weekly