INTRODUCTION
Laura Anne Gilman & Kat Richardson
Death is, as all the jokes go, universal. So we knew we’d get a lot of submissions, once the anthology was announced. What we weren’t expecting was how good they would be.
We should have expected that Death, when you engage with it, pulls everything out and puts it on the table. And so did these stories.
Whatever the genre—and we saw them all—each story brought some fresh aspect to the portrait of Death, the Universal. Here you will find heroes and villains, as well as those who aren’t quite either, and those who are a bit of both; there are tales of vengeance, trickery, and loss, but also stories of joy, duty, triumph—even love—as well as the divine, and the ridiculous. From so many great offerings, it was difficult to choose only a few, but we have selected the pieces we feel best illustrate a range of ideas and feeling, as well as a range of artists. So, from the minds and hands of bestsellers, seasoned storytellers, and fresh new writers, we’re pleased to bring you twenty-two original views of the Death of All Things.