Book reviews by: R. S. Leergaard

Not all of the stories in this anthology involve actual lamps (Aladdin's or otherwise) but all do involve wish-granting artifacts of one sort or another, and all of them have their points to make. The themes (and realms) range from sci-fi/fantasy to Lovecraft-esque type horror to everyday normagicity (<<<not a word) and everything in between. Each in its own way is also a thought provoking tale of danger-spiced adventure with dire consequences for those who make a wrong decision. And some of those decisions require desperate soul-searching before finally making them (Lily and the Lamp, for one) but who among us might not make the same decisions under the same circumstances? Horror is not my cup of tea, so to speak, as far as favorite reading genres go, but The Golden Pen was surprisingly compelling given that I had no idea of the type of story that was coming. All of the tales in this anthology have their recommendations going for them—and I now add mine to the list. You should too. RSL