ISBN 0-929480-27-9 (US hbk),,, 0-929480-28-7 (US hbk signed limited edition)

Introduction by Storm Constantine;

"Dirty Work" by Pat Cadigan
(a 'Deadpan Allie' short story, originally published in the vampire anthology Blood is Not Enough edited by Ellen Datlow, 1989... also contained in the limited edition collection Home By the Sea by Pat Cadigan, May 1992),

"Second Comings -- Reasonable Rates" by Pat Cadigan
(short story, originally published in F & SF , 19??... also contained in the anthology New Dimensions 11 edited by Marta Randall and Robert Silverberg, 1980),

"The Sorceress In Spite Of Herself" by Pat Cadigan
(short story, originally published in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine , December 1982... also contained in Space of Her Own, 1983),

"50 Ways To Improve Your Orgasm" by Pat Cadigan
(short story, originally published in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine , 19??... also contained in the limited edition collection Home By the Sea by Pat Cadigan, May 1992),

"Mother's Milt" by Pat Cadigan
(short story, originally published in ?, 19??),

"True Faces" by Pat Cadigan
(short story, originally published in the science fiction mysteries anthology Whatdunnits edited by Mike Resnick, 19??),

"New Life For Old" by Pat Cadigan
(short story, originally published in the anthology Aladdin edited by Mike Resnick, 19??),

"The Coming Of the Doll" by Pat Cadigan
(originally published in Fantasy & Science Fiction , June 1981... also contained in the collection Letters from Home , 1991),

"The Pond" by Pat Cadigan
(short story, published in the anthology Fears edited by Charles L.Grant, 1983... also contained in the collection Letters from Home , 1991),

"The Boys In The Rain" by Pat Cadigan
(short story, originally published in ?, 19??),

"In The Dark" by Pat Cadigan
(short story, originally published in the anthology When the Music's Over edited by Lewis Shiner, 1991... also contained in the collection Letters from Home , 1991),

"Johnny Come Home" by Pat Cadigan
(published in Omni , June, 1991... also contained in the collection Letters from Home , 1991),

"Naming Names" by Pat Cadigan
(short story, originally published in the anthology Narrow Houses edited by Peter Crowther, 19??),

"A Deal With God" by Pat Cadigan
(short story, a loose sequel to "Naming Names"... originally published in the anthology Grails edited by Richard Gilliam, Ed Kramer and Martin H.Greenburg, 19??),

"Dispatches From the Revolution" by Pat Cadigan
(short story, originally published in the anthology Alternate Presidents edited by Mike Resnick, 1991... nominated for the Hugo Award...
also contained in the limited edition collection Home By the Sea by Pat Cadigan, May 1992),

"No Prisoners" by Pat Cadigan
(short story, originally published in the anthology Alternate Kennedys edited by Mike Resnick, 1992... this version has a line about Daniel Berrigan restored),

"Home By the Sea" by Pat Cadigan
(short story, originally issued in the vampire anthology A Whisper of Blood edited by Ellen Datlow, 1991... also contained in a limited edition collection Home By the Sea by Pat Cadigan, May 1992),

"Lost Girls" by Pat Cadigan
(short story, originally written for this collection).

"Dirty Work? In a manner of speaking, perhaps, but certainly not along the lines of de Sade or Henry Miller.

"'Dirty' maybe because within this remarkable volume of short stories (a follow-up to her award-winning collection Patterns ) author Pat Cadigan unflinchingly explores the implications of technology on modern and near-future societies, humorously challenges our perceptions of reality, and chillingly strips away our civilized facades to confront the bestial nature of our souls.

"With stories like 'Home By the Sea', 'Dispatches From the Revolution', 'No Prisoners', '50 Ways To Improve Your Orgasm', and 'Naming Names', Pat Cadigan exhibits an enviable ability to tackle a variety of themes, moods, and perspectives. And makes it all seem easy.

"Featuring 18 stunning fictions (including the previously unpublished 'Lost Girls' written especially for this book) -- as well as intriguing author introductions to each story -- Dirty Work is a thought-provoking, often funny, never compromising collection by one of America's most gifted authors.

"It doesn't get any better than this." [jacket blurb, US hbk, 1993]

"The stories in this collection cover many themes, but one of their unifying factors is the twist in the tail, the final ironic flick of a sleek paw that, with careless, whimsical cruelty, toys with the reader." --Storm Constantine (in her Introduction to Dirty Work , 1993).

"So what more do you need to know? Go out and buy this book!

"Oh, you want to know what's in it? Well, it's got 18 stories, most of which have been published before although some have only seen limited press runs. Each story has a few paragraphs of introduction/explanation by the author; Cadigan manages to be enlightening without detracting from the pleasure of reading the stories.

"The title cut, 'Dirty Work' is a Deadpan Allie story, originally written for one of Ellen Datlow's vampire anthologies. If this doesn't make you hunt up a copy of Mindplayers , nothing will.

"In her previous short story collection (Patterns ), Cadigan kept largely to fantastic and horror themes. Patterns pushed into psychological cracks relentlessly. This collection has some stories in that vein such as the post-apocalyptic 'Home By The Sea'. Overall, though, it seems to favor a lighter touch, such as in the sad/funny 'Second Comings Reasonable Rates' in hard SF form -- and even in 'The Sorceress in Spite of Herself' which is pretty conventional magic-realist fare. Surprisingly (to me, anyway) Cadigan even indulges in real fantasist stuff in 'Naming Names' and its semi-sequel 'A Deal With God'.

"Of course, she places these tools squarely in the hands of one of her usual no-nonsense female protagonists. If more fantasy had this kind of authoritative honesty I'd be much happier.

"Perhaps this variety of types and topics is Cadigan demonstrating the range of her talent. Perhaps it's just that she's becoming more confident in what she can do and what of her work she wants to show off. Either way, I finished this book way too fast. Now I have to be patient and wait for the next one." --Alan Wexelblat (Review © 1994).

[*editor's note: Alan Wexelblat has very kindly given me permission to include this review in Mark/Space .]

Check Alan Wexelblat's homepage at:
http://wex.www.media.mit.edu/people/wex/
To reach Alan Wexelblat himself:
e-mail:
wex@media.mit.edu

• Biograph -- Pat Cadigan

Pat Cadigan's Homepage
(you'll find an image of the book cover here: http://www.wmin.ac.uk/~fowlerc/dirtywork.html... maintained by Chris Fowler)