George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois have created an anthology of morally grey and ethically questionable characters across a multitude of genres. Martin's introduction points to a childhood experience of buying books that from candy shops and news stands, where no genre sorting was employed and you could find "The Brothers Karamazov sandwiched between a nurse novel and the latest Mike Hammer yarn from Mickey Spillane." This childhood experience is carried into the anthology with steam punk, modern, and fantasy stories all brought together by the theme of character. I really enjoyed Michael Swanwick's Tawny Petticoats, a story of con men in a New Orleans full of gene splicing, zombies, and pirates. The density and genre spanning of tales may not appeal to everyone, but within the anthology there is most likely something that will appeal to all readers.
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