If your tired of all the negative things going on in the world right now and are looking for a new science fiction/fantasy read, I suggest FANTASTIC HOPE.  I love the premise of this anthology--these sixteen sci-fi and fantasy authors wanted to give narratives of hope and each tale did just that. Edited by Laurell K. Hamilton and William McCaskey, every story uniquely different with diverse writing styles. 

One of the things I love about anthologies is that you get stories by authors you know and love, while discovering new ones. In this case, I follow the Mercy Thompson/Alpha & Omega series by Patricia Briggs and the Anita Blake,Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton but the other fourteen authors were new to me. 

Another benefit of FANTASTIC HOPE is the variety.  The stories included science, technology, SpecOps teams, shapeshifters, vampires, necromancers, reincarnation, time travel, other worlds, private investigators, Renaissance Fairs, dating services, and much more. There really is something for everyone.

I will admit that my two favorite stories were by the authors that I knew already, primarily because I have been reading their series for years and am heavily invested in their characters. I did, however, enjoy the authors that were new to me and will most likely seek out books by some of them in the future.  

In FANTASTIC HOPE, you will read stories that overcome tragedies and terrors. The narratives are inspirational, uplifting, humorous, and heartwarming. I enjoyed the variety of plots and characters. Each story in FANTASTIC HOPE was skillfully written and easy to follow with interesting twists and outcomes. There was also a creative array in the worlds in which the stories take place. While each narrative is vastly different, the common theme of hope prevailed.  With everything going on in the world right now, hope is something I enjoy reading about.