This collection of precyberpunk short stories was originally published in 1989, with some of the selections dating back to 1983. As a result, some of the stories may seem outdated, but they brilliantly illuminate how quickly technology has advanced in one short decade.

In Pat Cadigan's tales, social issues morph into monstrous fantasy--like the what happens to Milo, the kid who's always left out, in the chilling "Eenie, Meenie, Ipsateenie." The story "Heal" will keep the likes of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker awake at night, pale and unblinking in their beds. Particularly harrowing is the tale "My Brother's Keeper," in which a girl's struggle to rescue her brother from heroin addiction uncovers something far uglier going on in the dark recesses of the inner city.

Patterns is reminiscent of Ray Bradbury's short stories, but with malevolent twists and psychotic turns that leave the reader waiting on tenterhooks for the final punch line. Fans of Cadigan's work will particularly enjoy the introductions she has written for each story. Those wanting to read her for the first time may find her novels a better introduction. --Jhana Bach

From Publishers Weekly
This disappointing collection by the author of Mindbenders contains 13 stories dating from 1982 to the present, plus a new piece, "The Power and the Passion." The latter is one of her more powerful stories; it deals with a psychopathic killer more inhuman than the vampires he is hired to destroy. As with most of Cadigan's work, its effect depends on shock; here and in other places she undercuts the surprise with otherwise uninformative, excessively breezy prefaces to the stories. The tales range from science fiction to horror to mood-piece, although the mood is almost always dark. Cadigan plays on our expectations: an apparently rosy marriage can encompass electronic slavery; a scared little boy terrorizes children as a adult; and a Good Samaritan fronts for an alien whose non-human desires redefine the term rape. Her reliance on twists is formulaic. The collection includes "Angel," nominated for Nebula, Hugo and World Fantasy awards. Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
A modern couple discovers the hidden benefits of cable televison in "The Day the Martels Got the Cable"; a man returns to the terrors of his childhood in "Eenie, Meenie, Ipsateenie"; and a sociopath finds the perfect career in "The Power and the Passion" in this collection of 14 stories (some previously published only in magazines) by the author of Mindplayers . Cadigan's incisive prose lends itself well to a variety of genres, from cyberpunk ("Rock On" and "Pretty Boy Crossover") to psychological horror ("Vengeance Is Yours" and "Another One Hits the Road"). Recommended.Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"Her fiction is ambitious and brilliantly executed. Cadigan is a major talent." --William Gibson

"Cadigan knows the difference between what's real and what matters. Crank it up, play it loud." --Michael Swanwick

"When you read Pat Cadigan's stories, you'll swear she's been 1) a psychopath, 2) a pimp, 3) a junkie, 4) to Mars, because she can write so well of places you don't ever want to visit and people you nevereverever want to meet. She hasn't been any of those things; what she is is another typical beautiful genius Supermom from K.C. whose works cause me to bite holes in my desk every time I read a new one." --Howard Waldrop

"I can't think of another writer who makes such exacting work look so easy. She is the master of the arched eyebrow, the hoarse whisper, the cut that takes a very long time to bleed." --Lewis Shiner


Review
"Her fiction is ambitious and brilliantly executed. Cadigan is a major talent." --William Gibson

"Cadigan knows the difference between what's real and what matters. Crank it up, play it loud." --Michael Swanwick

"When you read Pat Cadigan's stories, you'll swear she's been 1) a psychopath, 2) a pimp, 3) a junkie, 4) to Mars, because she can write so well of places you don't ever want to visit and people you nevereverever want to meet. She hasn't been any of those things; what she is is another typical beautiful genius Supermom from K.C. whose works cause me to bite holes in my desk every time I read a new one." --Howard Waldrop

"I can't think of another writer who makes such exacting work look so easy. She is the master of the arched eyebrow, the hoarse whisper, the cut that takes a very long time to bleed." --Lewis Shiner


Book Description
Featuring an introduction by Bruce Sterling, this collection of short fiction by Pat Cadigan won the Locus Award for best collection in 1990. The final story, "The Power and the Passion", was original to this collection. The previously published stories included here are:

* Eenie, Meenie, Ipsateenie
* Vengeance is Yours
* The Day the Martels Got the Cable
* Roadside Rescue
* Rock On
* Heal
* Another One Hits the Road
* My Brother's Keeper
* Pretty Boy Crossover
* Two
* Angel
* It Was the Heat
* The Power and the Passion


From the Publisher
"Her fiction is ambitious and brilliantly executed. Cadigan is a major talent." --William Gibson "Cadigan knows the difference between what's real and what matters. Crank it up, and play it loud." --Michael Swanwick "When you read Pat Cadigan's stories, you'll swear she's been 1) a psychopath, 2) a pimp, 3) a junkie, 4) to Mars, because she can write so well of places you don't ever want to visit and people you neverever-ever want to meet. She hasn't been any of those things; what she is another typical beautiful genius Supermom from K.C. whose works cause me to bite holes in my desk every time I read a new one." --Howard Waldrop "I can't think of another writer who makes such exacting work look so easy. She is the master of the arched eyebrow, the hoarse whisper, the cut that takes a very long time to bleed." --Lewis Shiner

About the Author
Pat Cadigan is the author of numerous acclaimed short stories, and three novels, Mindplayers (1987), Synners (1991) and Fools (1992), These last are both winners of the Arthur C. Clarke Award .for the best novel of the year. A self-described "cybermom," Cadigan recently moved from Kansas City to London, England, where she lives with her son, Bob, and husband, author Chris Fowler.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Featuring an introduction by Bruce Sterling, this collection of short fiction by Pat Cadigan won the Locus Award for best collection in 1990. The final story, "The Power and the Passion", was original to this collection. The previously published stories included here are:

* Eenie, Meenie, Ipsateenie
* Vengeance is Yours
* The Day the Martels Got the Cable
* Roadside Rescue
* Rock On
* Heal
* Another One Hits the Road
* My Brother's Keeper
* Pretty Boy Crossover
* Two
* Angel
* It Was the Heat
* The Power and the Passion

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

This disappointing collection by the author of Mindbenders contains 13 stories dating from 1982 to the present, plus a new piece, ``The Power and the Passion.'' The latter is one of her more powerful stories; it deals with a psychopathic killer more inhuman than the vampires he is hired to destroy. As with most of Cadigan's work, its effect depends on shock; here and in other places she undercuts the surprise with otherwise uninformative, excessively breezy prefaces to the stories. The tales range from science fiction to horror to mood-piece, although the mood is almost always dark. Cadigan plays on our expectations: an apparently rosy marriage can encompass electronic slavery; a scared little boy terrorizes children as a adult; and a Good Samaritan fronts for an alien whose non-human desires redefine the term rape. Her reliance on twists is formulaic. The collection includes ``Angel,'' nominated for Nebula, Hugo and World Fantasy awards. (Oct.)

Library Journal