Martin H. Greenberg & Brittiany A. Koren, Places to Be, People to Kill

Places to Be, People to Kill

Martin H. Greenberg (Editor), Brittiany A. Koren

Daw, Jun 2007, $7.99

ISBN: 0756404177

This twelve never before published tales focuses on the fantasy genre's professional hitmen (and women), assassins as they have not been seen before (at least to the knowledge of this reviewer). The authors go deep into the psyche of what makes an assassin (naturing vs. nurturing), but not during the adrenalin rush of a planned kill; instead the tales occur during non productive time though a death or two happens. The compilation provides differing reasons why someone would choose to become a paid killer ranging from avarice, the thrill of the kill, the gene pool, or feeding a family. Think of this book as the assassin's r sum . Fascinatingly, in several of the tales this stereotypical antihero actually honors life as sacred because they take it away so effortlessly. The stories are well written running the gamut from a serious look at why one becomes an assassin (see "Fealty" by S. Andrew Swann and "Bloodlines" by Jim C. Hines) to a satirical look at why not ("Hang Ten" by Jean Rabe). In each of these fun contributions the assassin is a terrific antagonist who is always ready for population control assignments as their prime mission is PEOPLE TO KILL.

Harriet Klausner