Douglas Smith | Writer of Fantasy and Science Fiction

Click on a title to read its reviews:

Collections:
Chimerascope
Impossibilia

Short Stories:
A Bird in the Hand — A Taste Sweet and Salty
Bouquet of Flower in a Vase, by Van Gogh
By Her Hand, She Draws You Down — Doorways — Enlightenment
Going Down to Lucky Town — Going Harvey in the Big House
Jigsaw — Memories of the Dead Man — Murphy's Law
New Year's Eve — Out of the Light — Scream Angel
Spirit Dance — State of Disorder — Symphony
The Boys are Back in Town — The Dancer at the Red Door
The Last Ride — The Red Bird

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CHIMERASCOPE

ChiZine Publications, March 2010
Collection, 16 stories, 332 pages, introduction by Julie Czerneda
Hardcover, limited edition, signed and numbered, ISBN 978-0-9813746-1-1
Trade Paperback, ISBN 978-0-9812978-5-9

Ordering Links

"...Chimerascope is a massively enjoyable trek through the far-fetched, the horrifying, and the flat-out weird, all filtered through Smith's remarkable imagination and prodigious talent. ... Although Smith's tales may centre on the fantastic, what is immediately notable is his steady grasp of character, which lends humanity to even the most absurd situations. The stories in this collection traverse genres and styles -- from outright horror to witty surrealism to martial-arts mythology -- without missing a beat. ... 'The Dancer at the Red Door,' with its mix of oblique horror, urban fantasy, and monsters equipped with pincers extending 'from each side of a slit-like mouth,' recalls Clive Barker at his most disturbingly fanciful. ... The closing story, the post-apocalyptic narrative 'Memories of the Dead Man,' contains echoes of Stephen King. Chimerascope is a sterling set, with nary a weak or disposable entry. Smith's writing, evocative yet understated, gracefully brings to life his imagined realms."

— Quill and Quire, Mar 2010 *Starred Review*

"From a bittersweet tale of love amid the savagery of human galactic conquest ("Scream Angel") to a postapocalyptic story of a righteous gunman known only as the Dead Man ("Memories of the Dead Man"), the 16 stories in this collection showcase the inventive mind and immense storytelling talent of one of Canada's most original writers of speculative fiction. Covering the spectrum from sf ("Enlightenment") to horror ("By Her Hand, She Draws You Down") to fantasy ("The Boys Are Back in Town"), Smith writes with a keen eye for detail and atmosphere, crafting each story with wit and perception. VERDICT: Twice winner of Canada's Aurora Award, Smith writes stories that will appeal to fans of such literary sf writers such as Jack Vance and Gene Wolfe."

— Library Journal, Mar 2010

"Smith is obviously a gifted writer in the genre of science-fiction. … Smith paints his worlds so well that you are transported within a paragraph or two and remain in transit until the short story ends -- a challenging feat to be sure. Smith takes common science-fiction topics, such as love between alien races, and manages to find a new way to have his tales unfold. … Smith tells them with a flair that breathes life into his characters. … [The] familiar traits that drive human needs and wants -- such as ambition, pride, love, hate and fear -- are what piece these stories together and give them a life of their own."

—Broken Pencil, The Magazine of Zine Culture and the Independent Arts, August 2010

"Smith’s second collection (after 2008’s Impossibilia) delivers an entertaining selection of stories that deftly span multiple genres, often milking surprisingly original tales out of tired tropes. The Zelazny-inspired "The Boys Are Back in Town" nicely toes the line between quirky humor and pathos. "State of Disorder," featuring a classic mad scientist out for revenge, is a neat twist on time travel and quantum physics. "Jigsaw," a young adult tale, is a fun romp involving aliens and continental drift. The best of the bunch, "By Her Hand, She Draws You Down," is a haunting variant on the vampire legend with an understated and brutal ending."

— Publishers Weekly, Jan 2010

"[An] engaging and entertaining volume, pieces of whose content resonate after the book is finished."

—Booklist, Apr 2010

"Chimerascope confirms for me what Impossibilia affirmed, namely that Douglas Smith is an extraordinary author whom every lover of quality speculative fiction should read. Rating: A+"

— Fantasy Book Critic, Mar 2010

"Smith's voice proves one of the more endearing features of this sampling of his work, which holds true even in his individual story prefaces—an authorial vice that can be distracting, but in Smith's hands remains charming. ... Throughout Smith shows a real gift for truly "cinematic" description...with arrestingly inventive premises in a field where really interesting new ideas are harder and harder to find. ... [Chimerascope] speaks volumes of his range and future potential. ... Smith is definitely an author who deserves to be more widely read."

—Strange Horizons, June 2010

"A superb collection... Spanning a wide spectrum of classic sci-fi, stories inspired by mythology, and post-apocalyptic fiction, this is a collection you’ll want to own and re-read. ... It’s a complex mix: one of the many reasons this collection succeeds so powerfully."

—Ideomancer Magazine, Sept 2010

"I found Smith to be an especially talented storyteller. His characters ring true, and he creatively crafts worlds and situations that I found haunted my thoughts long after I had finished reading."

—Fluidity of Time, June 2010

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IMPOSSIBILIA

2009 Aurora Award Finalist

Short story collection, limited print run Publisher: PS Publishing (November 2008, 97 pages)
Jacketed Hardcover: ISBN 978-1848630017 (signed and numbered)
Hardcover: ISBN 978-1848630000 (signed and numbered)

"Rarely have I seen such an apt title to any book! Douglas Smith has given us three amazing stories that are so unusual and beautiful that no other name than Impossibilia could possibly describe this collection. Each tale was rapture and ecstasy, magical and mysterious, perfect and implausible. In short, I loved them all from the first word to the last. ... I don’t know what else to say without spoiling things for you so I won’t say anything else, except READ THIS BOOK!!!"

— Jim Dodge Jr., Mass Movement Magazine, May 2009

"The three stories collected in 'Impossibilia' are very different, covering almost the entire range of speculative genres. The writing is superb. Douglas Smith is an artisan and his stories beautifully crafted. ... In my search for the perfect short story, the three in this volume certainly qualify."

—Kelly Jensen, SF Crowsnest Book Reviews, January 2009

"Both thematically and stylistically, these stories sometimes recall the work of better known authors, including Harlan Ellison, Theodore Sturgeon, and Ray Bradbury. But Smith puts such a personal stamp on his stories, and invests them with such depth of feeling, that they transcend the dangers of … imitation and emerge as wholly original. … There is a certain exhilaration that comes from reading the book’s complex and powerfully emotional stories couched in that deft and smooth prose. It is easy to see why PS Publishing considers Smith an author who deserves more attention. … [Smith deserves] to be known to by a very wide audience indeed."

—Matt Cardin, Dead Reckonings review magazine, No. 5, Spring 2009

"Highly, highly recommended."

—Liviu Suciu, Fantasy Book Critic, April 2009

"Impossibilia is a treasure to be savoured, like gourmet chocolates and fine wine. It includes three superb stories…each beautifully written and wondrously imagined. It took me several days to get through this book. Not because it is in any way difficult to read--far from it and quite the opposite: the stories in this collection are so wonderful, I wanted to take time to digest and enjoy each and every one."

— Rainbow Dragon Recommends, May 2009

"The stories in this collection reach from van Gogh's rural France to the classic travelling fair to the far lost forest, and from timeshift to shapeshift to the activity of luck. That's range, or at least a glimpse of range, in the grand manner that harks back to Bradbury and Sturgeon and Ellison"

— Chaz Brenchley, award-winning UK writer, November 2008

"Each story [in Impossibilia] is unique and different, showcasing a different aspect of Douglas Smith's talent. [...] A fun romp that delivered something different [with] stories that are exhilarating, enjoyable, and well above competence."

— Charles Tan, Bibliophile Stalker - Speculative Fiction Reviews, Dec 2008

"A book that ably demonstrates what Smith is capable of as a writer, added to which, anyone who references Springsteen songs in their titles is going to get the thumbs up from me."

— Peter Tennant, Black Static Magazine, March 2009

"In his elegant and perceptive introduction to this latest showcase collection from PS Publishing, Chaz Brenchley reminds us that 'the proper focus of a story, any story, lies in the characters that inhabit it.' In the three novelettes that comprise Impossibilia, Douglas Smith [lays] bare the psychological and emotional fragility that motivates his characters."

— Mike O'Driscoll, The Fix, December 2008

"Aptly named, Impossiblilia introduces the reader to Douglas Smith’s magical reality where the impossible is readily accepted as normal. ... [The] three letter perfect stories behind the expressionist cover art admirably display Mr. Smith’s considerable creativity."

— Kent Knopp-Schwyn, Hellnotes, September 2009

"A wonderful book...Each [story] is an example of how a master at the art tells a story... Impossibilia is an amazing little collection.

— Erik Buchanan, writer, April 2009

Click on a title to read the reviews of the individual stories in Impossibilia:

Bouquet of Flower in a Vase, by Van Gogh
Spirit Dance
Going Down to Lucky Town

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SHORT STORY REVIEWS (index of reviews)

“A Bird in the Hand” (publication history | index of reviews)

"...begins with a woman being held in a super-secret government laboratory. ... It's a very interesting turn-around story, in which our expectations are upended at the last minute. ...a good read, and sadly, far too relevant to our own present world."

—The Billion Light-Year Bookshelf, July 2010

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“Doorways” (publication history | index of reviews)
2009 Aurora Award Finalist

"A couple months ago I was introduced to Douglas Smith by way of his collected short stories, Impossibilia. So I was looking forward to his story 'Doorways' and was not disappointed. ... This story has a cunningly satisfying conclusion. I find a good short story falls into two categories: There is the complete story, the novel miniaturised, which is a nearly perfect art form. These are hard to capture but constantly illustrated by such writers as Douglas Smith."

—Kelly Jensen, SF Crowsnest Book Reviews, March 2009

"...'Doorways' is based on an interesting concept … The puzzles [in the story] and the final invention that they hint at are intriguing … Smith ties [the story's] denouement’s metaphorical significance in well with the technological concept at the center of the plot."

—Val Grimm, The Fix, April 2009

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“Bouquet of Flowers in a Vase, by Van Gogh” (publication history | index of reviews)
IMPOSSIBILIA, collection, Nov 2008
2009 Aurora Award Finalist

"the pièce de résistance of the collection and one of the best and most moving novellas I have read in a while. Haunting and evocative... Just astounding. ..."

—Liviu Suciu, Fantasy Book Critic, April 2009

"'Bouquet of Flowers in a Vase, by Van Gogh' is an important story, a story that matters, and I hope that many, many people will read it. … While all three stories [in Impossibilia] showcase admirably Doug's impressive mastery of the short story form, 'Bouquet' stands out as the jewel in the crown … a beautifully written, brilliantly crafted story in which Smith raises the bar even higher than his previous works. Doug's characteristic vivid settings and compelling characters are present, driven, as always, by love, and by a mystery which keeps the pages turning as the reader is drawn ever deeper. 'Bouquet' is a story which begins in tragedy but, ultimately, ends in hope. Don't miss this one!"

— Rainbow Dragon Recommends, May 2009

"This is one of those heady and ambitious stories that throw so many different elements into the narrative mix that one wonders whether the author is going to be able to pull it off. In fact, Smith does so very skillfully, so that the plot arc, character development, and denouement come off feeling effortless and elegant, and quite satisfying."

—Matt Cardin, Dead Reckonings review magazine, No. 5, Spring 2009

"…a beautiful and haunting tale of love, loss and remote viewing. "

—Kent Knopp-Schwyn, Hellnotes, Sept 2009

"Maroch, an ex-agent of 'The Company' assists a new protégée, Laure, in the process of remote viewing...to locate lost paintings by Vincent Van Gogh...but setting off a chain of events that will affect the future. The revolution of themes and words is very fluid throughout this story, making the pace almost rhythmic, drawing you along... The ending is a perfect resolution of the paradox of backward time travel."

—Kelly Jensen, SF Crowsnest Book Reviews, January 2009

"...the strongest piece for me... What makes it compelling is the mystery surrounding the protagonist and Smith makes use of flashbacks effectively. This is an easy read and throughout the narrative, the author manages to sustain the suspense as he perpetually hints at something larger. Characterization, foreshadowing, and even action--Smith has it down pat with this story."

—Charles Tan, Bibilophile Stalker - Speculative Fiction Reviews, December 2008

"... has a thread of redemption in it that impressed me with its magnificence. If you’re human at all, you will be moved by ‘Bouquet of Flowers…’."

— Jim Dodge Jr., Mass Movement Magazine, May 2009

"[Smith delivers] a convincingly rendered portrait of a man struggling to maintain his psychic equilibrium in the face of powerful and destructive emotional forces. ... Right up to the story’s surprising conclusion, Smith keeps his readers guessing ... It’s an ending that shouldn’t work but somehow does, and it’s a testament to the writer’s skill that their fate seems entirely fitting. "

—Mike O'Driscoll, The Fix, December 2008

"A clever story and a moving one, with the character of the two leads put over well, and the ghosts that haunt them brought to effective life on the page. Smith is adept at tying together the different plot strands and filling in people’s back story in a way that doesn’t interrupt the narrative flow."

— Peter Tennant, Black Static Magazine, March 2009

"[A story that] follows two paths...a love affair that hits the rocks of the characters' messed-up pasts, and a scary new wrinkle on [remote viewing]."

—Rich Horton, Locus, Jan 2009

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“Going Down to Lucky Town” (publication history | index of reviews)
IMPOSSIBILIA, collection, Nov 2008

"There are echoes of Ellison again, and of Ray Bradbury, in this understated and deeply moving tale of a con artist who stumbles across an opportunity to right some of the wrongs of his past. ...a deceptively simple narrative of luck, loss, betrayal, and redemption. [The father / daughter interaction] is handled with honesty and a real understanding of the complexity of a relationship between two individuals"

—Mike O'Driscoll, The Fix, December 2008

"...a very moving story about a part time gambler, part time con-man who seems to have gotten down luck to a measurable skill. ... Another superb story that made this volume such an unforgettable one for me."

—Liviu Suciu, Fantasy Book Critic, April 2009

"...packs a powerful emotional punch."

—Matt Cardin, Dead Reckonings review magazine, No. 5, Spring 2009

"Another great story, but I'm getting used to that. Deft handling of character and setting (gambling, cons and the game of life)..."

—Kelly Jensen,SF Crowsnest Book Reviews, January 2009

"...a bittersweet story about a conman with the talent to detect luck. [...] The plot is wound up and then discharged with nicely inevitable narrative logic."

—Rich Horton, Locus, Jan 2009

"Smith takes a simple idea and finds potential that many other writers would have overlooked in favour of some easier option. At the story’s heart is the relationship between father and daughter, and the things they do to make this work, rendered with a singular care and tenderness, the appreciation that sometimes we muck up without meaning to and that sacrifices are required."

— Peter Tennant - Black Static Magazine, March 2009

"... the coup-de-grace of this triumvirate of wondrousness [Impossibilia]."

— Jim Dodge Jr., Mass Movement Magazine, May 2009

"...again showcases something different on the part of Smith. This is very much a con story and the author succeeds in accomplishing his goals at the same time injecting it with speculative elements. The set-up was handled judiciously and the ending delivered on the goods. This piece caters to a sub-genre (or a combination of two disassociated genres) that's neglected in my opinion but Smith does it justice and gives it the proper treatment it deserves."

—Charles Tan, Bibilophile Stalker - Speculative Fiction Reviews, December 2008

"…[an] enjoyable tale filled with broken and repaired familial ties bound together by a father’s love for his daughter."

—Kent Knopp-Schwyn, Hellnotes, September 2009

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"The Dancer at the Red Door" (publication history | index of reviews)
2008 Aurora Award Finalist

"The Dancer at the Red Door," with its mix of oblique horror, urban fantasy, and monsters ... recalls British horror novelist Clive Barker at his most disturbingly fanciful."

— Quill and Quire, Mar 2010

"[an] excellent story … urban fantasy at its best."

— Fantasy Book Critic, Mar 2010

"...intriguing meditation on escapism...evoking Gaiman's Neverwhere, the obligatory helping of Lovecraft, plus a touch of something like Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut"

—Strange Horizons, June 2010

"Just as the song of the city leads [the protagonist] throughout his journey, so too does it lead the reader throughout Douglas Smith's beautifully crafted 'The Dancer at the Red Door.' The writing is lean and evocative; every element of the story works double-time as setting informs character, action creates mood, and nothing is superflous. The song becomes a living, breathing creature which, more so than hearing, I could feel viscerally as I read Doug's wonderful story. Highly, highly recommended."

— Rainbow Dragon Recommends

"The premise of this enjoyable anthology is that covert groups working behind the scenes influence and even cause major events to happen. ...these are exciting tales whether they have the Freemasons pulling strings, the Scoria changing their existence, the Dancer in Toronto or elves warring in London [in] this fine compilation."

— Harriet Klausner

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“Out of the Light” (publication history | index of reviews)

"A creature-hunter tale that kept me guessing until the very last paragraphs. I was on edge throughout the whole story!”

—Melissa Minners, Global Pop Culture reviews, September 2007

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“Murphy's Law” (publication history | index of reviews)

"Douglas Smith showcases his talent for creating strong characters who are believable and sympathetic -- even when they inhabit an absurd world. That world is painted vividly with efficient brush strokes as Smith expertly weaves between Murphy's misadventures on board the Fiscal Restraint and Dex's retelling of the same to his captive audience at The House Limit. 'Murphy's Law' is a hilarious, yet poignant read."

— Rainbow Dragon Recommends, May 2009

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“A Taste Sweet and Salty” (publication history | index of reviews)

"...absolutely masterful...a kind of much, much creepier Quantum Leap: the amnesiac protagonist awakes in a new body each morning only to die in it by nightfall. His dejected wanderings around the same isolated, inescapable village capture the infinite despair of living a fixed, fated life in a finite world, and his final attempt to break the cycle proves much more morally complex than it first appears."

—Strange Horizons, June 2010

"Another superb story … unpredictable and with a great ending, this story is another highlight of the [Chimerascope] collection (A++)."

—Fantasy Book Critic, Mar 2010

"A charming tale about a man cursed to die every day and be reborn as someone else.”

—Sam Tomaino, SFRevu, July 2006

"A fascinating fabulist premise...”

—Lois Tilton, Internet Review of SF, August 2006

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“The Last Ride” (publication history | index of reviews)

“A gripping portrayal of Vaya, a Valkyrie, and the ultimate sacrifices one makes for love.”

—Kat Bittner, SFRevu, July 2006

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“Memories of the Dead Man” (publication history | index of reviews)

“…would make a great movie…a unique, post-apocalyptic blend of The Road Warrior and X-Men. Mary and her son, Jase, live in a world transformed by plague... Fleeing from some angry locals, they are befriended by a mysterious telekinetic named Bishop. ... It was very well done, and I could see Smith expanding on this world in further stories or maybe even a novel... Bishop's powers are well thought-out and explained, and Mary is a sympathetic and effective narrator. Smith's offering is one of this issue's strongest stories.”

—James Palmer, Tangent Online, Apr 2006

"Memories of the Dead Man," has echoes of Stephen King wandering about its post-apocalyptic narrative."

— Quill and Quire, Mar 2010

“A post-apocalyptic story about survival and the means by which you need to insure it. I liked the style and subtleties of the storytelling that kept me firmly on the edge of my seat. .… The characters were what really impressed me, though--by a few lines into meeting each one you had a clear and definable presence in your mind.”

—Donna Jones, SF Crowsnest Reviews, May 2006

"All that you want in a sf short story is here from powerful characters, to action, mysterious happenings and a dark, violent but excellent tale. … A bittersweet ending adds to the power of the story. (A++)"

—Fantasy Book Critic, Mar 2010

"...again shows off Smith's flair for the cinematic, and the story would at least make a much better film than, say, last January's The Book of Eli or any number of other recent Hollywood apocalypses. In his preface to the story, Smith announces his plan to write a novel about the Dead Man...I do look forward to reading it."

—Strange Horizons, June 2010

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“Going Harvey in the Big House” (publication history | index of reviews)
2006 Aurora Award Finalist

"Going Harvey in the Big House" fed into my natural fears, suspicions and all-round disillusionment with authority. Thereafter, I began an inquiry. I read Orwell’s 1984, Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Zamyatin’s We, Huxley’s Brave New World… "Going Harvey in the Big House" led me to places I thought I’d never be, culminating eventually in sweat-soaked nightmares about a post-apocalyptic world."

—Tracey Schoenle, Senior Editor, Cicada, Jan 2005

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“Enlightenment” (publication history | index of reviews)
2005 Aurora Award Finalist

"’Enlightenment’ reaches far past the muddled mediocrity of swashbuckling tales forgotten before the page is turned to the next story. I enjoyed the alien anthropology and the details are tremendous…in this tale of tremendous sacrifice”

—Alan Latimore, Tangent Online, Feb 2005

“My favourite of the selection was 'Enlightenment' by Douglas Smith. A strange story indeed about Earth people engaged in strip-mining planets and relocating indigenous populations. ... The end is horrific in many respects but it's also thought-provoking.”

—Rod MacDonald, SF Crowsnest Reviews

“’Enlightenment’ [tells of] a spiritual undertaking by a member of a brutal planetary occupation force who “goes native” in which Douglas Smith provides a riff on Ray Bradbury's famous rationale of space travel: for Man to find God in the cosmos. ...[a] science fictional depiction of the mistreatment of “aliens” to subvertly criticize the atrocities of imperialist colonization.”

—David Soyka, SF Site, Nov 2004

"... unexpected twists and a superb ending; the story is as powerful as any in the [Chimerascope] collection (A++)"

—Fantasy Book Critic, Mar 2010

“Douglas Smith…succeeds in evoking an alien society with mythic/religious overtones in his moving tale ENLIGHTENMENT.”

—Ian Sherred, New Hope International Review Online, Jan 2005

“Another strong story, looking at humanity's treatment of indigenous people.”

—Mark Watson, Best SF, Oct 2004

“...oppressed inhabitants of distant worlds making the ultimate sacrifice in order to bring mankind back to the realisation of what right and wrong truly mean.”

—Sue Phillips, Whispers of Wickedness reviews, Nov 2004

“Nicely judged depictions of alien customs…”

—Martin Lewis, SF Site, Oct 2004

“...was my favourite of the issue. ‘Enlightenment’ went exactly where I expected it to, but that was where I wanted it to go--I was there for the ride” “Stories [were] great, particularly ‘Enlightenment.’ [I] was just engrossed in the whole thing...and applaud it thoroughly!” “…just blew me away…I was taken away by the lovely prose.” “...provoked some really interesting ideas…” “…mind-blowing…”

—InterZone readers forum

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“Jigsaw” (publication history | index of reviews)
2005 Aurora Award Finalist

"...a fun romp involving aliens and continental drift."

—Publishers Weekly, Jan 2010

"...reawakened the child in me who loved to watch Star Trek characters solve the problems of mysterious races on faraway worlds. It's a nicely done puzzle-story, with a clever solution..."

—Nancy Fulda, February 2008

“A clever story whose protagonist is as reliant on her innate curiosity and fondness for puzzles as her intelligence. It provides added depth that one can miss in short fiction. 'Jigsaw' also examines the reactions of people dependent upon technology utterly alien to them. Some crew members fully embrace it, others are more cautious, even bordering on being xenophobic. It's an interesting interplay with regard to how the characters view their mission.”

—Michael Fay, Tangent Online, October 2005

"…reads very, very well in the traditional derring-do of sf adventures … shows the scope of the author's range and another favorite of mine [in Chimerascope] (A+)"

—Fantasy Book Critic, Mar 2010

“A darkly amusing look at what can go wrong when humans use alien technology they don't fully understand”

—Elizabeth Barrette, infinityplus, July 2004

“Fast-paced...with a clever puzzle.”

—Sherwood Smith, Tangent Online, July 2004

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“Symphony” (publication history | index of reviews)
2000 Aurora Award Finalist

“There are two stories in “Symphony”...both converge in a spectacular, explosive finale. Smith's prose is poetic and evocative. He creates an intricate fabric of light, color, and sound with effortless flair. The story’s fluid style and the abundance of complex, wrenching emotions [make this] another recommended story in this issue.”

—Eugie Foster and Marsha Sisolak, Tangent Online, March 2004

"...a moving story in which Douglas Smith showcases his talent for mirroring the epic struggles of humanity in the reflecting pool of intimate, personal experience."

— Rainbow Dragon Recommends, May 2009

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“Scream Angel” (publication history | index of reviews)
2004 AURORA AWARD WINNER
The Year's Best Fantasy & Horror honorable mention

“...the book’s most skillfully crafted story…a multi-layered tale about a circus that features a pair of angels who have the ability to produce a drug that produces pleasure based on intensity of emotion. Factor in that the owner of the circus is in love with one of the angels as well as addicted to the drug she produces, and the story quickly becomes one that holds the reader’s attention until the very end.”

—Jason Brannon, SpecFicWorld, August 2003

“Smith describes a disturbingly plausible military application for the narcotic ... The basic concept behind the drug strikes me as one of those rare ideas that seems at once so perfect and so natural that someone must have come up with it before; but if someone has, I haven't heard about it, and regardless Smith exploits the potential of the idea extraordinarily well here.”

—Strange Horizons, June 2010

“The story has so many layers that I'm still sorting them out. And like an onion, I'm not sure if I'll ever find the final layer.”

—Jim Reichert, Tangent Online, September 2003

"A dark and powerful story with a first line that sets the tone for what is to come: 'They stopped beating Trelayne when they saw that he enjoyed it.' (A++)"

—Fantasy Book Critic, Mar 2010

“Scream Angel was especially horrifying and compelling, and I wound up re-reading it again after I had finished the book.“

—Fluidity of Time, June 2010

“[a] perfect gem...” “I wept for the soldier in ‘Scream Angel’” “I especially liked the two angel stories, Angel's Kitchen, and the last story, Scream Angel.”

—Amazon.com reviews, September 2003

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“By Her Hand, She Draws You Down” (publication history | index of reviews)
2002 Aurora Award Finalist

"The best of the bunch, "By Her Hand, She Draws You Down," is a haunting variant on the vampire legend with an understated and brutal ending."

—Publishers Weekly, Jan 2010

“Highlights among the stories include Douglas Smith's delightfully creepy ‘By Her Hand, She Draws You Down,’ about a young woman who is driven by a mysterious hunger to sketch people and steal their life force as her horrified lover looks on.”

—Kristine Huntley, Booklist (the review journal of the American Library Assoc., 2002)

"I was reminded of the tone of some of Harlan Ellison’s best work, particularly those collected in Deathbird Stories, where many of the protagonists seemed to be the unwitting victims of dark, irrational forces. ...I was impressed with the deftness and economy of Smith’s handling of the central conceit: Cath is compelled to draw out of an unnatural hunger... [and] the rightness of Smith’s decision to avoid telling us how, or why, Cath has been cursed with this power. "

—Mike Driscoll, The Fix, November 2008

“...a title that rules. ...psychic vampirism, creepy street performers, the horrors of small coastal towns. And Smith took the story somewhere that surprised me. The twist is sustained.”

—Jay Lake, Tangent Online, November 2001

"[A] wonderful, creepy and suspenseful tale of a boardwalk portrait artist who struggles with a powerful dark hunger, and the man who, through loving her, must come to grips with his own inner demons. 'By Her Hand' is horror, yes, but also love story, as once again Douglas Smith's characters shine through extreme circumstances as strong, believable and sympathetic figures. These are people who we care about, fighting a horror born of darkest nightmares--nighmares made real through Doug's aptitude for drawing all of his reader's senses into the story. Reading 'By Her Hand...', I saw the desolate expanse of Joe's endless highway, heard the gravel crunch beneath the feet of Cath's next victim, smelled the salt air of the ocean -- tinged with decay, tasted the bile of Joe's horror, and felt his growing dread in the pit of my own stomach. 'By Her Hand, She Draws You Down' is a compelling, horrifying, tragic read."

— Rainbow Dragon Recommends, May 2009

“...examines vampirism from an unusual and genuinely horrifying angle.”

—Nick Gevers, SF Site Review, 2001

"Well done and with a nice twist…"

—Fantasy Book Critic, 2010

"Haunting passages and scenes..."

—Strange Horizons, June 2010

“...a chilling, weird tale of an artist with a great hunger.”

—The Haunted Weblog Reviews, Fall 2003

“Familiar subjects...dealt with in an original form and with a final turn that will surprise you.”

—Javier Romero, Bibliopolis, 2003 (translated from Spanish)

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“The Red Bird” (publication history | index of reviews)
2002 Aurora Award Finalist

"A spellbinding piece of writing set in a Japan-that-never-was that is both well-plotted and elegantly paced"

—Strange Horizons, June 2010

“A superbly told, involving, and brilliantly paced short story, complete with an ending made more tragic by its inevitability... Worth the price of the issue.”

—Erol Engin, Tangent Online, August 2001

"A mini-epic about a young boy named Asai and the phoenix that saves him from death while his village is being raided... If you love Japanese and Samurai stories, this one will give you goose bumps. Nominated for the Canadian Aurora award, it was the only story in this collection that deserved such a nomination."

—Eric Joel Bresin, Tangent Online, May 2005

"Powerful, moving and not quite predictable (A+)"

—Fantasy Book Critic, Mar 2010

“A wonderfully recounted story, with an excellent pace and a perfect ending.”

—Javier Romero, Bibliopolis, 2003

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The Boys are Back in Town (publication history | index of reviews)

"The Zelazny-inspired "The Boys Are Back in Town" nicely toes the line between quirky humor and pathos."

—Publishers Weekly, Jan 2010

"A partly funny, partly dark story … I enjoyed this one a lot; one of the most "pure entertainment" tales of the [Chimerascope] collection "

—Fantasy Book Critic, Mar 2010

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State of Disorder (publication history | index of reviews)
2000 Aurora Award Finalist
The Year's Best Fantasy & Horror honorable mention

"a neat twist on time travel and quantum physics."

—Publishers Weekly, Jan 2010

“With a cast of three (two rival scientists and a woman) and a limited setting (the same dinner party, although at different times), Smith explores the possibilities for revenge and manipulation inherent in time travel. The claustrophobic atmosphere of this tale heightens its devilish suspense and draws favorable comparisons to Poe’s tales of trapped, desperate protagonists.”

—Elizabeth Allen, Tangent Online, Nov 2006

"A chilling story of three dinners in the same place and time, and a very satisfying ending made this another A++ story [in Chimerascope]."

—Fantasy Book Critic, Mar 2010

"Another standout is the masterful "State of Disorder," which contemplates the flexibility and fluidity of time. A number of events occur during a single, three-course dinner: the fortunes of two men are swapped, retrospectively, in time; a child’s life is erased permanently from the timeline; and finally, all three participants finish the meal with the knowledge of what has occurred, and how—one is triumphant, another despairing, and the third seeks revenge. In the hands of a less skillful writer, it would have been chaos."

—Ideomancer Magazine, Sept 2010

“A stunning piece of work.”

—Kim Mohan, editor, Amazing Stories

"Smith invokes both Stephen Hawking and Edgar Allan Poe ... a successful marriage of bold imagination and finely-crafted details, which results in a chilling page-turner."

— Rainbow Dragon Recommends, May 2009

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New Year's Eve (publication history | index of reviews)
1999 Aurora Award Finalist

“The story deals with the Y2k bug, and although that might seem dated now, the story is not, since its ideas continue to be relevant today.”

—Javier Romero, Bibliopolis, 2003

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Spirit Dance (publication history | index of reviews)
2001 AURORA AWARD WINNER (French)
1998 Aurora Award Finalist (English)
The Year's Best Fantasy & Horror honorable mention
One of 50 top stories of 2000 by ISFDB rankings

“...a vivid and wonderfully written tale about Native Canadian spirits, in the vein of Thomas King.”

—James Schellenberg, Challenging Destiny, March 2003

"The characters are intriguing and the story beguiling. I would like to read more about these characters."

—Kelly Jensen,SF Crowsnest Book Reviews, January 2009

"A protest against clear cutting of old growth forests in Northern Ontario ... leads to an escalating series of events involving family secrets, a covert government agency and a powerful and ancient race of shape shifters. 'Spirit Dance' works on both intimate and epic levels (including a great, high adrenaline battle between armed humans, shape-shifters and forest animals). ... Smith's Herok'a are expertly realized and an interesting take on the shape-shifter mythos, and each individual character within the story is just as carefully and finely crafted. Relationships are complex and many-layered, as Doug is able to weave a rich back-story into the lives of his characters... Love, sex, action, intrigue, humour, the complexities of life, tragedy of death, and wonder of rebirth are all packed into 'Spirit Dance'."

— Rainbow Dragon Recommends, May 2009

"...an [example of] the author’s ability to place the possible and impossible side by side to excellent effect in an action packed story."

—Kent Knopp-Schwyn, Hellnotes, September 2009

"... an adventurous tale that's propelled by character drama ... If this was a Hollywood movie, this would be your blockbuster film, complete with adrenaline-pumping action, expensive special effects, and even a sex scene or two to lure in a mainstream audience."

—Charles Tan, Bibilophile Stalker - Speculative Fiction Reviews, December 2008

"...draws on North American Indian myths, particularly the idea of shapeshifters... Smith once more creates a credible and sympathetic protagonist, Gwyn Blaidd, [who] returns to his old stomping ground to help out some fellow shapeshifters who have become embroiled in a conflict with a large logging concern."

—Mike O'Driscoll, The Fix, Dec 2008

“...does interesting things with a love triangle, were-animals and CSIS. (!)”

—Christian Sauvé, 1998