|
where
short story collections step into the
|
theSHORTreview |
|
13 Phantasms and Other Stories by James P. Blaylock ... a smorgasbord of Blaylock's best short fiction, including the World Fantasy award-winners Thirteen Phantasms and Paper Dragons. 18 Lies and 3 Truths: 2007 StoryQuarterly Annual by Various ....some stories sparkled more than others, especially those from newer writers whose trajectories are surely on the rise. 29 Ways to Drown by Niki Aguirre ....The best stories here were warm, surreal and surprising. I loved the variety of situations, the underlying humour, and ended up caring about the characters.
A Faker's Dozen by Melvin Jules Bukiet ....Bukiet's writing is nothing if not innovative All Over by Roy Kesey .. In love with language and unconstrained by the bounds of realism, Kesey's wordplay is wondrous and astonishing American Cool by Susan DiPlacido .. hard-baked and brash on the surface as Las Vegas itself, the best stories have a quiet heart, shaped by dreaming and wanting. Apologies Forthcoming by Xujun Eberlein .. A sensual immersion in the Chinese Cultural Revolution, with stories that expose the everyday hardships of citizens, yet sometimes veer off their narrative course or flounder under weak prose. . Aromabingo by David Gaffney .. An economy of language matches a rewarding vision of the many lives and voices of irreal, sad and hopeful strangers Astral Bodies by Jay Merrill ... Seductive... Every story demands time, demands thought....
Back Burning by Sylvia Petter ... A mixed bag, with some stand out pieces. The best displayed a dazzling sense of place and a sympathetic understanding of fractured relationships Balancing on the Edge of the World by Elizabeth Baines ... a temperament both in control and struggling with private rage, corrosive humour, then a gentle, dry empathy which reminds the reader of the inner conflicts of those in and out of power Bang Crunch by Neil Smith ... A witty and tender collection. The Ballad of the Sad Cafe by Carson McCullers
... Sometimes
wistfully sad, yet displaying the extraordinary variety and vivacity of
human life Barcelona Plates by Alexei Sayle ...
full
of
detailed observations on the peculiarities of human existence, moving
between pathos, exasperation, warmth, violence The Best American Mystery Stories 2007 edited by Carl Hiaasen ..Wide ranging collection that should reach beyond mystery lovers to appeal to fans of plot-driven fiction. The Best American Short Stories 2007
edited by Stephen King, Heidi Pitlor ..Despite
polished writing and some great stories, the collection felt
patchy, never really took off for this
reader.
Best of Best American Erotica 2008
edited by Susie Bright .. Demonstrates
that erotica is an organizing principle, not a genre laden with
pre-conceived notions about sex. The Birthday of the World and Other Stories by Ursula K. Le Guin .. An exploration of a world unlike ours, yet peopled by characters very much like us. Black Tickets by Jayne Anne Phillips ... Unflinchingly honest in its portrayal of characters at the margins of American society, written in spare, powerful prose Bodies in Motion by Mary Anne Mohanraj
... The
first collection I read for which the label novel-in-stories felt
appropriate. Body Parts: An Anatomy of Love by Richard Bardsley ... an eclectic bunch, historical, futuristic, or recognisably contemporary, while some are set in a mysterious other-where Bonne Route edited by Ian Daley ... This book is a lucky dip, with something for everyone. Maybe you won’t like ‘em all, but they keep you reading to the end. The Book of Other People edited by Zadie Smith ... A real mix: some blah, some good, a couple of stunning short stories. All proceeds to 826 New York NEW Brace by Various, Jim Hinks (ed) ... English not-for-profit publishers succeed in turning in an anthology as bracing and sharp as a cold north wind. Breaking it Down by Rusty Barnes ...
Barnes'
characters stay with you for a long while afterwards, the ultimate test
of a great short story collection. Button, Button: Uncanny Stories by Richard Matheson ... As a raconteur of ordinary folks thrust into extraordinary situations, no one spins a yarn like Matheson. Cheating at Canasta by William Trevor ... William Trevor’s 12th short story collection spins 12 sad tales of infidelity, hopelessness and death. The Collected Short Stories by Katherine Mansfield .. Belie the perception of a whole class and generation of writers (and women) as closeted, white-gloved, garden party-goers. Come Together, Fall Apart by Cristina Henriquez ... Paints a lush portrait of everyday people craving connection in these beautiful stories set in modern Panama. The Complete Short Stories by Muriel Spark ... From ghost story to surreal fantasy, social commentary, murder mystery, psychological thriller The Complete Short Stories by JG Ballard ... Ballard doesn’t just stretch your mind – he twists it, snaps it and then reassembles it in the wrong order. Crimini: The Bitter Lemon Book of Italian Crime Fiction ed Giancarlo de Cataldo ... a collection for devotees of the bleak and cynical and for those willing to view Italy in the light of a flickering flashlight beam which may at any moment fade to black. The Cusp of Something by Jai Clare ... an original and often beautifully written collection, which challenges and occasionally frustrates readers with its lyrical prose and complex characters. D Dangerous Space by Kelley Eskridge ... Poignant, sensual and often poetic stories of love, gender, identity and passion that redefine the term "science fiction". The Deportees by Roddy Doyle ... In Roddy Doyle’s first collection, he writes humorous tales about Irish immigrants that usually hit the mark.. The Dream Lover by William Boyd ... describes the miserable burdens of humanity, but his approach is humorous, not grim – a bit like Graham Greene with jokes NEW Emerge (New Australian Writing) Philip Edmonds, Dominique Wilson (eds) ...Emerge is a perfect title, representing the freshness, edge and spirit from over 30 new Australian writers. NEW The End of the World by Paddy O'Reilly ...a deeply satisfying collection, beautiful writing, original and often painful stories that don't shy away from violence or tragedy
Family Connections by Chrissie Gittins .. She’s like a female Alan Bennett, such is the power of her observation. NEW Famous Fathers & Other Stories by Pia Z. Ehrhardt ...Stories of sex and infidelity are marked by moments of stark beauty and truth, but sometimes marred by heavy-handed metaphors and over-telling. The Fantastic Book of Everybody's Secrets by Sophie Hannah ... Masquerading as provincial tales of domestic intrigue, the best of these stories packs a terrific and memorable punch.. Fifteen Modern Tales of Attraction by Alison MacLeod ... A fearless writer, pushing at the shape of short stories. For the Relief of Unbearable Urges by Nathan Englander ... Despite
the deceptively narrow focus of many of the stories in the Orthodox
Jewish community, this beautifully-written collection reveals
universal truths about human beings, the
heights we
can rise to and the depths to which we sink. Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman ... 27 stories by The Gaiman are bound to include some gems. However, fans will feel cheated as all but one have been published before, newcomers will wonder what the fuss is about. G Gaza Blues by Etgar Keret and Samir el-Youssef ... Darkly funny, surreal and moving Heavier than Air by Nona Caspers ... Richly humane, compassionate, unassuming stories with a touch of the darkly comedic HeavyGlow Flash Fiction Anthology by Various ...Wonderfully rich and eclectic mix of stories How They Met and Other Stories by David Levithan ...Teens fall in and out of love and lust while navigating the minefields of school, parental expectation and sexuality with some moments of warmth and genuine appeal. NEW Human Is? A Philip K. Dick Reader by Philip K. Dick ...A fascinating, but dark trip into fearful future worlds tempered by sensitive humanity.
I ID Crimes of Identity:The Crime Writers’ Association Anthology by Various ...Beautifully packaged, eclectic, surprising stories from new and established crime writers In Dreams Begin Responsibilities by Delmore Schwartz ... Eight stories of such intellectual brevity as to make your nerves twitch. Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino ... About as close to poetry as fiction can come without developing unexpected line breaks. Full of mystery and beauty rather than plot and characters. Later, At the Bar by Rebecca Barry ... a clear-eyed look at a boozy world. Barry's wry humor keeps the dark territory from getting tedious. I liked it a lot. Leading the Dance by Sarah Salway ... Raw and edgy fiction, tackling modern subjects of love, sensuality and betrayal in appealing, stylistic language. Logorrhea: Good Words Make Good Stories by Various edited by John Klima ... Inspired by hard-to-spell words ...authors rise to the challenge with wit and imagination The Loudest Sound and Nothing by Clare Wigfall ... A dark, disturbing and quite beautiful collection NEW Loud Sparrows: Contemporary Chinese short-shorts by Various, transl. by Aili Mu, Julie Chiu and Howard Goldblatt. A multi-textured and fascinating collection of short-shorts, China’s favourite literary genre, written over the last three decades of profound social change. McSweeney’s Enchanted Chamber of Astonishing Stories by Various ... Dazzling imagination and fine writing go hand in hand Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link ... Weaves realistic character portrayals with noir fairy tales and new monster stories to create wondrous-yet-familiar worlds. NEW The Mayor of the Roses by Marianne Villanueva ...The best of these stories of the Philippines and its American diaspora explore moments of violence and confusion: death, grief, loss of identity. Midnight Convoy and Other Stories by S. Yizhar ... A powerful evocation of land and landscape, through intense storytelling... My Mistress' Sparrow is Dead: Great Love Stories from Chekhov to Munro by Various ...Here be love: abortive, adolescent, adulterous, ageing, blind, deceitful, doomed, forgotten, furtive Music for the Off-Key: Twelve Macabre Short Stories by Courttia Newland ... Reflect the experiences of young Black people in London, embracing several genres: fantasy, crime, literary and horror. N No-one Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July ... This book is a collection of QUIRKY short stories The Norton Book of Science Fiction by Various, edited by Ursula K. Le Guin and Brian Attebery ..Excellence and innovation in science fiction writing spanning some 30 years, from 1960 to 1990. O Other Stories and Other Stories by Ali Smith ... Ali Smith’s brilliant second collection maps new possibilities for the short story. PPassport to crime by Various edited by Janet Hutchings ... Expanded my interest in crime and detective fiction written in the non-English speaking world.. Perverted by Language: Fiction Inspired by The Fall by Various edited by Peter Wild ... An anthology of stories based on songs by a distinctive UK band is caught in an editorial cleft stick... Phobic by Various edited by Andy Murray ... I loved horror stories… or used to. The challenge was this: could I be frightened by words again? Well-written horror stories? And oh yes, I could… Q R Ryan Seacrest is Famous by Dave Housley .. .A successful blend of pop culture and lad lit. S Sea Stories by Various.. .This is a weak and random collection, all using the sea as an extremely loose theme. Only a quarter are worthwhile reading – the rest are jetsam, floating unmoored. The Secret Files of the Diogenes Club by Kim Newman .. .Gripping, closely observed and quietly humorous tales that don’t disappoint. A fine introduction to Kim Newman’s interlinking realities. Self Help by Lorrie Moore </ |