The Trouble with Heroes by Denise Little

The Trouble with Heroes Reviews

• 
  Courtney

  I have to start off by saying that I love the idea behind this anthology. It's kind of like watching that reality TV show that you just can't turn off, except that it's about some of our most beloved heroes and the people who have to deal with them. Ever wonder who does the laundry and who has to deal with the day to day issues that revolve around heroes? Or have you ever thought, do they stink when they get done fighting evil or riding on their horse? In this collection of 22 short stories we learn about all sorts of things that heroes get themselves into and what those around them have to deal with on a regular basis.
  
  This is a fun twist, with subjects ranging from internet dating in Kristine Grayson's Geeks Bearing Gifts, to make-overs in Laura Resnick's The Quin Quart, to housekeeping in Adrian Nikolas Phoenix's The Horror in the Living Room. As with all anthologies there are some that are not as memorable as others, but I felt that overall it was a fun read with a little something in it for everyone. Some of the stories were lighter and more humorous with some being more serious and of course we had some action and suspense. I felt that each of the author's personalities and writing styles stood out wonderfully and made the reading experience very enjoyable. Denise Little has done an excellent job as the editor of THE TROUBLE WITH HEROES as well as many other fantastic works. I will definitely be looking into some of the authors that I read for the first time, which is one of the things that I love most about anthologies, after getting a little taste of their writing styles.
• 
  Susan

  >"Geeks Bearing Gifts" by Kristine Grayson (hilarious)
  >"The Horror in the Living Room" by Adrian Nikolas Phoenix (hilarious)
  >"Take My Word For It: Bad Idea!" by Mike Moscoe (fun)
  >"Merry Maid" by Jean Rabe (please, Robin Hood, BATHE!)
  ♥ "The Problem With Dating Shapeshifters"
  Nina Kiriki Hoffman !! RE-read 8/9/2015
  >"Reclaiming His Inner Ape" by Terry Hayman (Yawn)
  >"For a Few Lattes More" by Annie Reed -- the best opening line EVER: "The cowboy parked his horse in the handicap spot in front of Starbucks"
  >"
• 
  Jean

  Here is a case were you seriously can't judge a book by its cover - in my opinion the cover is absolutely horrid. So bad I don't know why I even bought it, though I think I got hooked on the back cover somewhere between Ken Scholes and H. P. Lovercraft's housekeeper. As it turns out it is a fantastic anthology! The stories are well put together, all taking a twist on the basic premise. Some are more hit then miss, but the baseline of quality is high and strong. And highly entertaining as well! One of the best anthologies I've read.
• 
  Lexie

  In school I was one of the students who would ask the smart aleck questions when the teachers would talk about wanting us to be more open with our opinions. I remember one in particular in Film as Art class being along the lines of 'Its all well and good that she's grateful he saved her--but he lives in the woods, eats with his hands, sleeps in the same clothes that he fights in, doesn't wash those clothes nor bathe...how can she even stand to be near him let alone want to kiss him when he must be rank?' when talking about Robin Hood. Thanks to Jean Rabe I have my answer!
  
  This collection is a whimsical look at what it means to be the background support for a hero. Everyone from Heracles to Robin Hood to Oberon gets a showing and the tales often surprised me with the paths they took. The Robin Hood story, Merry Maid by Jean Rabe, for instance tells the tale from Maid Marian's viewpoint and offers insight to her true feelings about the so-called 'Champion of the Poor'. The truth about King Arthur, Guinevere and their PR problems are dished by Laura Resnick in The Quin Court and the martial troubles Odysessus faced when returning home very very late to dinner are given epic verse by Pauline J. Alama in Honey I'm Home.
  
  The range of authors is wide, some I know quite well while others were completely new to me (but didn't impress as often). The stories themselves were often amusing, occasionally sad and a few proved that not every hero is wanted (or needed) and some should stay in stories and movies. Only three stories bored me, or just fell flat for me, but a larger number I read and was amused in the moment, but promptly forgot the story as I moved on. Denise Little, who's done a number of other anthologies for DAW that I have enjoyed, did a fine job of having a diverse cast of writers, but even though the stories stayed centered around the truth behind heroes they felt disjointed otherwise.
  
  A few of the stories probably would have been better if there was more space (Annie Reed's For a Few Lattes More was interesting, but the 'hero' character, the cowboy was underused), but for a quick read and behind the scenes look at heroes this was certainly satisfying.
• 
  Echo

  Maybe I just like fiction written for teens better, but these stories all seemed slow starting to me. Oh I know what it was. Character development. And active stories. Most of each story seemed to be more about describing the relationship between the hero and the story teller. Not enough plot to drive it forward and not enough character development to get invested. I would have been ok if I had paid $3 maybe $4 at a used bookstore, but since I got it for $9 I don't feel like I got my money's worth. If I can put it down at any given moment in the book it's not worth my money.
  
  EDIT: Alright, I'll admit it I wrote the review half way through the book. The second half of the anthology is much better written, it actually compelled me to finish each individual story before putting it down. But even then the stories were too short and unsatisfying. I'm was really excited about this book too, so some of it could have just been big hopes and a let down.
• 
  Donna

  I love short stories because it introduces me to a variety of authors that I might not otherwise be exposed to. This was an amusing collection that certainly cast the subjects in less than flattering light. I look forward to reading more stories by several of the authors.
• 
  PlushyPirate

  Wasn't bad. Some of the stories I really liked, some of them were only okay. I don't remember hating any of them.
• 
  Karen Desmond

  4
• 
  Hazi

  Fun read. There is a little something for everyone in it.