At least as good as the earlier anthology based on the same premise, [b:Machine of Death: A Collection of Stories About People Who Know How They Will Die|9548075|Machine of Death A Collection of Stories About People Who Know How They Will Die|Ryan North|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1328762737s/9548075.jpg|14434509]. On the one hand, it's "more of the same" -- stories based on the concept of a Machine of Death that tells people how they die (but not when, and often with ambiguous irony) -- but this collection has a much wider scope in its selections, incorporating more cultures, genres (several definite fantasy and sci-fi approaches), and time periods (both far-future and historical). Definitely recommended, especially if you've read and enjoyed the first collection.