Steve Berman (1) (1968–)
Author of Vintage: A Ghost Story
For other authors named Steve Berman, see the disambiguation page.
Series
Works by Steve Berman
Lightspeed Magazine, Issue 61 • June 2015 (Queers Destroy Science Fiction! special issue) (2015) — Editor — 104 copies, 2 reviews
Heiresses of Russ 2011: The Year's Best Lesbian Speculative Fiction (2011) — Editor; Contributor — 40 copies
Heiresses of Russ 2012: The Year's Best Lesbian Speculative Fiction (2012) — Editor — 36 copies, 2 reviews
Wilde Stories 2009: The Year's Best Gay Speculative Fiction (2011) — Editor, Contributor — 23 copies, 1 review
Wilde Stories 2012: The Year's Best Gay Speculative Fiction (2012) — Editor, Contributor — 23 copies, 1 review
Heiresses of Russ 2016: The Year's Best Lesbian Speculative Fiction (2016) — Editor — 18 copies, 1 review
Heiresses of Russ 2015: The Year's Best Lesbian Speculative Fiction (2015) — Editor — 15 copies, 1 review
Wilde Stories 2015: The Year's Best Gay Speculative Fiction (2015) — Editor, Contributor — 12 copies
Bittersweet 9 copies
The Letter That Doomed Nosferatu 4 copies
A Troll on a Mountain with a Girl 2 copies
Tearjerker 2 copies
The Anthvoke 2 copies
Stained 2 copies
Kiss {short story} 2 copies
The Price of Glamour 2 copies
Icarus: The Magazine of Gay Speculative Fiction (Issue #10) "Tom Cardamone Lusts After Geoff Ryman" 1 copy
Icarus: The Magazine of Gay Speculative Fiction (Issue #11) "Tom Cardamone Remembers George Nader" 1 copy
Secrets of the Gwangi 1 copy
Kinder 1 copy
Hidden in Central Asia 1 copy
A Rotten Obligation 1 copy
Caught by Skin 1 copy
Well Wishing 1 copy
The High Cost for Tamarind 1 copy
Kum Ral 1 copy
His Paper Doll {short story} 1 copy
All Smiles 1 copy
Associated Works
Willful Impropriety: 13 Tales of Society, Scandal, and Romance (2012) — Contributor — 84 copies, 4 reviews
Sex in the System: Stories of Erotic Futures, Technological Stimulation, and the Sensual Life of Machines (2006) — Contributor — 27 copies, 1 review
Apotheosis: Stories of Human Survival After The Rise of The Elder Gods (2015) — Contributor — 12 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1968
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Places of residence
- Maple Shade, New Jersey, USA
- Education
- Rutgers University (M.A. | Liberal Studies)
Tulane University (B.A. | English) - Occupations
- editor
novelist
short story writer - Organizations
- Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA)
RPGA
Lethe Press
Members
Reviews
Lists
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 77
- Also by
- 31
- Members
- 1,425
- Popularity
- #18,052
- Rating
- 3.8
- Reviews
- 32
- ISBNs
- 112
Berman does an excellent job capturing the naive awkwardness of young love/lust, and the turmoil of emotions that one experiences in their teenage years. So many moments in the story had me flashing back to my own high school years (especially those mentions of Hot Topic haha), and the characters are very realistic and believable. The narrator and most of the supporting cast are written with a great sense of empathy and sensitivity to their hopes and fears.
Though it's a love story of boy-meets-ghost, I honestly wasn't expecting many scares. While it's true that much of story focuses on the drama, there are some parts that are quite dark and, to my pleasant surprise, quite terrifying. When the relationship between the narrator and the ghost takes an unexpected turn, I was constantly on edge, skin crawling, for the next moment the ghost would pop up and what would happen next. And that scene with the baby doll and the bounding thing in the cemetery? Creepy stuff.
My only complaint is that the story meanders a lot, especially in the middle and second half. I didn't necessarily mind all of the subplots, but the book loses some momentum and I kept wanting to get back to the main story line. Thankfully it returns at the end for a climax that is tense and emotionally charged.
Vintage has great characters, a unique plot, and an underlying creepiness that rears its head in several scenes. I really enjoy Berman's writing style. It is easy to fall into the story and the head of the narrator. Despite some tangents, the overall story is compelling and deeply moving. Certainly a recommendation for fans of ghost stories, coming of age, and queer representation in literature!
Thanks to the author for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!… (more)