Review: The Werewolf at Dusk and Other Stories

By David Small

Available now from Liveright

Review copy

Graphic novelist David Small's latest work is an anthology of three graphic short stories. One is written and illustrated by David Small; two are adaptations of existing short stories. All three are united by their use of monstrous creatures. (And, of course, the true monsters are humans.)

These stories tend toward a limited palette, mostly monochromatic blues with pops of red. The pages are constructed more like a picture book than a traditional graphic novel, with limited use of paneling and more narration than dialogue. The stylistic choices help tie these stories together visually as well as thematically. The Werewolf at Dusk and Other Stories is an anthology where I understand that throughline connecting the works.

The titular story is adapted from a story by Lincoln Michel. Lycanthropy as a metaphor for adolescence has become a cliche. This story takes that metaphor to the other end, exploring old age for an elderly werewolf. The pages that switch between the wolf as a young man and an old man are quite effective. He's a fascinating narrator, speaking of his nightmares of the moon even as he clearly misses the violence he used to inflict in those vital days.

"A Walk in the Old City" follows a burnt-out psychologist as he gets lost then saved by a seemingly friendly stranger. The sinister turn is perhaps obvious, but told with the glee of an entry in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. (And, I must say, the blind man's disdain for the psychologist is entirely understandable, even if his methods are quite extreme.)

The final story in the anthology, "The Tiger in Vogue," adapts a story by Jean Ferry. I appreciated that David Small's foreword (and a note afterword) illuminate the more liberal changes he made to the story, mostly to help make the 1920's German setting clear to a modern audience (rather than a contemporary one). This story is the largest departure stylistically, but the violence threatening to break out is a familiar thread. This one also intrigued me into picking up the original short story. The complicity of the audience feels all too timely, even though the source material is the oldest in the anthology.

The Werewolf at Dusk and Other Stories is not a long read, at less than 200 pages. However, I did find each story thought-provoking.

Review: Day Zero

Companion book to the Arcana Chronicles
By Kresley Cole
Available now from Valkyrie Press
Review copy

The fourth Arcana Chronicles novel, ARCANA RISING, comes out later this month. In anticipation, Kresley Cole has released DAY ZERO. This companion novel contains profiles of each of the Arcana and Jack, including nicknames, powers, weapons, tableau, unique characteristics, and who they were before the flash. The Fool's file is heavily redacted and The Hanged Man's is completely blacked out since that character isn't known yet.

The meat of this companion book is the short stories that accompany the profile of each character who is still alive. Cole writes about what they were doing on Day Zero, when the Flash destroyed most of humanity. Evie's is the longest, which is a bit of a cheat since hers is the relevant passages from THE POISON PRINCESS (my review). Fans will be particularly interested in Aric and Jack's stories, and I did love that Jack's explains part of why he was such a jerk at first. Cole wisely begins and ends DAY ZERO with their sections.

However, they weren't the standouts for me. Many of the shorts involve romance, which isn't surprising since that is the genre where Cole got her start. (And is, of course, still active with her Immortals After Dark series.) Circe's is passionate and sad and makes me wish that her love story gets an eventual happy end (even though I know it won't happen). Sol's is likewise tragic. Calanthe's turns surprisingly sweet, and Selena's is full of deserved wrath. I thought Tess's was a strong end to the minor character stories, with a beautiful scene of parental love.

DAY ZERO contains spoilers for the three Arcana Chronicles already available, and is truly geared towards fans only. I don't think Cole is shortchanging them. Fans can happily pick up this companion book without feeling they're only getting information regurgitated from the novels. The stories do a wonderful job of bringing more personality to each of the Arcana, even the awful ones (Richter, ugh). It makes their inevitable deaths in the games more upsetting. She lets each of her antagonists be people who all have their own hope of being the hero.

Review: Dark Screams: Volume Three

Volume three of the Dark Screams anthologies
Edited by Brian James Freeman and Richard Chizmar
Stories by Peter Straub, Jack Ketchum, Darynda Jones, Jacquelyn Frank, and Brian Hodge
Available now from Hydra (Penguin Random House)
Review copy

I have to give this anthology props for size.  It fit perfectly into my thirty-minute lunch break.  Sometimes these shorter works aren't quite long enough or are just a bit too long, which can be slightly unsatisfying.  Unfortunately, everyone's reading speed differs so that aspect might not work quite as well for other people.

"The Collected Short Stories of Freddie Prothero" by Peter Straub

The biggest name in DARK SCREAMS: VOLUME THREE leads off the anthology.  I mostly skimmed this story.  I love pseudo academia, so I liked the introduction to the stories of Freddie, analyzing what certain terms might mean and such.  But the barely literate or coherent style of the stories themselves just isn't my thing.  I gave it a quick shot, but nothing drew me in so I didn't force it. 

"Group of Thirty" by Jack Ketchum

"Group of Thirty" was my favorite story in the anthology.  A local horror writer goes to speak to a writer's group, who start getting aggressive and interrogating him about the heinous acts he writes about.  The story felt timely and I enjoyed the unexpected turn the climax took.  The narrator's weariness not only set the tone but also worked well with the plot.

"Nancy" by Darynda Jones

This is the story that drew me to the anthology.  I really enjoy Jones' grim reaper novels, which are laugh-out-loud funny paranormal romance/fantasy.  I was quite curious about how she would approach horror.  "Nancy" isn't edge-of-your-seat scary, but it does explore some of the worst aspects of human nature.  It also has a refreshingly nice popular girl character, which isn't something I expect to find in a horror anthology.

"I Love You, Charlie Pearson" by Jacquelyn Frank

Frank is another author not known for horror, so it is interesting that she wrote the most typical horror story in DARK SCREAMS: VOLUME THREE.  Charlie Pearson, the narrator, is a twisted stalker, and the story contrasts human and supernatural monstrousness.  It isn't a revelatory theme, but the final paragraph is creepy enough to carry it.

"The Lone and Level Strands Stretch Far Away" by Brian Hodge

The anthology closes with the uneven "The Lone and Level Strands Stretch Far Away."  The descriptions of urban exploration, exploring abandoned buildings, are top notch, especially when the parkour group disturbs a building perhaps left best alone.  Meanwhile, narrator Aiden's boredom with his wife Tara and growing attraction to new next door neighbor Marni (of course growing because of Tara's unfounded suspicions of an affair hounding him) is so boring and predictable.  I wanted more horror and less lame-o relationship drama featuring an unsympathetic dude.

I mostly enjoyed the stories in DARK SCREAMS: VOLUME THREE, but don't go in expecting intense horror.  These stories are rather gentle and tame.  You'll be able to sleep with no problem after reading them.

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Review: Things I'll Never Say: Stories About Our Secret Selves

Edited by Ann Angel
Stories by Ann Angel, Kerry Cohen, Louise Hawes, Varian Johnson, erica l. kaufman, Ron Koertge, E. M. Kokie, Chris Lynch, Kekla Magoon, Zoë Marriott, Katy Moran, J. L. Powers, Mary Ann Rodman, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Ellen Wittlinger
Available now from Candlewick
Review copy

Ann Angel's first outing editing an anthology is an impressive venture.  She's gathered a wonderful mix of authors, from established award winners like Chris Lynch and Ellen Wittlinger to talented up to a debut author.  The authors aren't just diverse in their name recognition either.  THINGS I'LL NEVER SAY: STORIES ABOUT OUR SECRET SELVES dwells in those experiences that are hard to talk about, that people like to never think about.

It's fitting that it is a very diverse anthology, not only the authors, but also the main characters, who are black and white and Asian and gay and bisexual and transgender and suffering from mental illness.  Although not all of the stories are realistic, they do strive for a realism about the teen experience, and the multiplicity of points of view represented help support that anthology-wide tone.

I'll admit that the anthology started a little slow for me.  The usually reliable Ellen Wittlinger didn't knock it out of the park with "The We-Are-Like-Everybody-Else Game," the story of a girl with a mom who hoards and a friend who might not deserve the title (but one who does).  "Cupid's Beaux" by Cynthia Leitich Smith is charming, and a definite delight to me as a fan of her Tantalize series.  Will anthology readers who haven't read that series be a little lost?

"When We Were Wild" by Louise Hawes and "Call Me!" by Ron Koertge are both delightfully loose stories, slightly naughty and shaggy with narrators who struggle with their knowledge of their own cruelty.  Of the sadder stories, I think I liked "Easter" by Mary Ann Rodman best, for the way it captured loss and teenage confusion and dashed hopes.

"Quick Change" by E.M. Kokie is a little gem about a con artist in a family of con artists, and I want an entire novel about what happens next.  (Short stories have been made into novels before!  I can hope!)  "Storm Clouds Fleeing From the Wind" by Zoë Marriott is the standout of the collection.  It's an achingly lovely story set in a kingdom that isn't, about a dancer who cannot be matched, especially when furious.  Her bio in the back of THINGS I'LL NEVER SAY says that it is related to her novel SHADOWS ON THE MOON, which is now a must-read for me.

Honestly, I could tell you good things about almost all of the stories in the collection.  There were a handful that I didn't care for, but there were also two excellent stories and more than half of the stories were good-to-great.  I think that's a good ratio for an anthology.  With THINGS I'LL NEVER SAY, Ann Angel shows great promise as an anthologist as well as an author.

Review: Get in Trouble: Stories

By Kelly Link
Available now from (Penguin) Random House
Review copy

GET IN TROUBLE: STORIES is a collection of nine stories by Kelly Link, who is perhaps best known for her short stories (beyond even her skills as an anthologist and small publisher).  I'd read two of the stories: "The New Boyfriend" in MONSTROUS AFFECTIONS and "Secret Identity" in Geektastic.  Neither were my favorite story in either anthology.

I feel like GET IN TROUBLE leans hard on the Kelly Link formula.  Her mix of the ordinary and fantastic is nearly unmatched, but much of this collection feels like she's resting on her laurels.  GET IN TROUBLE opens promisingly with "The Summer People," a sharply drawn tale that carefully breaks down both an Appalachian town and an aging estate full of fae.  It hints at danger and dark fates while also focusing on the blooming friendship between two teen girls. 

The second story, "I Can See Right Through You," killed all momentum to me.  It is set through the point of view of the demon lover, an aging movie star who once played a vampire going to see the woman who played his love again.  There's hints of good stuff in the story, but the conceit of calling him the demon lover through the whole story drove me nuts.  Although the story has a pretty juicy payoff, it's not as good as an actual incubus showing up to make the repetitive epithet worth it.

My two favorite stories after "The Summer People" were the final two in the collection.  "Two Houses" takes the classic plot of a bunch of people telling ghost stories to each other and takes it to a predictably meta but chilling place.  I love a good creepy intelligent computer.  "Light" is a story that takes place in a world where most people have a normal shadow, but some have no or two.  It focuses on the main character Lindsey, recently divorced and a recovering alcoholic, and her gay brother who has moved back in with her.  The setting of the story keeps revealing new strange details of this world (perhaps too much for one short story), but it goes down smooth and with no lingering unpleasantness.

I like Link's worth, but GET IN TROUBLE is not an essential collection.  If you're a fan, go ahead and get this one from the library.  Otherwise, stick to the first story (and maybe the last two).

Review: My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories

Edited and with a story by Stephanie Perkins
Stories by Holly Black, Ally Carter, Matt de la Peña, Gayle Forman, Jenny Han, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Myra McEntire, Rainbow Rowell, Laini Taylor, and Kiersten White
Available now from St. Martin's Griffin
Review copy

For her first anthology, Stephanie Perkins did not play fair.  She gathered up a veritable who's who of YA authors to deliver a nearly perfect anthology with something to offer for everybody.  Some of the stories are speculative fiction; some are contemporary.  All have at least a touch of a romantic edge.  There's also a smattering of diversity.

For me, the weakest link was Jenny Han's "Polaris Is Where You'll Find Me," the story of a human girl adopted by Santa.  There were hints of an interesting elf world and two potential love interests, and it was all a bit much for one of the book's shorter stories.  It felt like the beginning to something longer.  My favorite was Kelly Link's "The Lady and the Fox," a sort of Christmas retelling of Tam Lin with a young girl who loves costumes and an old family with lots of stories.

David Levithan, Rainbow Rowell, Matt de la Peña, and Gayle Forman and more deliver solid contemporary Christmas and New Year's stories.  I liked that Levithan's brought in some Jewish heritage to the proceedings.  Holly Black did what Holly Black does.  So did Laini Taylor to deliver a memorable closing story.  I found Kiersten White's "Welcome to Christmas, CA" took longer to charm me than the others, but by the end I was under its delicious spell.

I appreciated that MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME skewed a little older.  Almost all of the characters are in their first year of college.  It united the anthology in a way, and gave it a bit of a different vibe from similar YA holiday anthologies.

This is a charming collection and an excellent choice for anyone who likes at least one or more of the twelve authors.  It's rare to come across an anthology this solid.  And with so much winter cheer, it's hard for me to be a Grinch.

Mini-Reviews: A Quintet of Shebooks

Shebooks first came to my attention when Beth Kephart posted about them.  Bite-sized books for busy women?  That's right up my alley right now.  And Beth's excerpts of Zoe Rosenfeld's "Owl in Darkness" certainly whetted my appetite.  All five of these titles are available now from Shebooks.  In addition to the story, each book includes questions at the end to help think about the reading.

"Owl in Darkness" by Zoe Rosenfeld
Review copy

"Owl in Darkness" is the story of a writer staying at a manor for six weeks (a special writer's residency), but who hasn't written a word since she's arrived.  Instead, she's preoccupied with the people and things around her.  Cups left by the nightwatchmen, noises in the wood . . . it's all rendered in beautiful, descriptive prose.

And though the tale of writer's block is familiar, Bert's struggles are eventually her own, as are her epiphanies.  The atmosphere throughout is wonderful, making the little things loom as large for the reader as Bert.  It's very easy to get caught up in the point of view.  (For all my YA readers out there, I recommend this one for fans of Maggie Stiefvater.)

"Stolen Moments" by Suzanne Antonette Paola
Review copy

I come to "Stolen Moments" next, because it is similar in many ways to "Owl in Darkness."  There's quite a bit of internal narration with a focus on slightly off relationships, but I did not like it near as much.  It kept striking me as the worst sort of navel gazing, although I did rather like the middle section ("Shoes").

And, well, it struck me as an ah-ha! moment when the back revealed that these three stories are part of a larger work to be published later.  That's why they didn't quite work, didn't fully connect, never truly went anywhere.  It's just a glorified excerpt!  There are some good moments in "Stolen Moments," but I found it rather dull overall.  (It doesn't help that the three narrators, from three different walks of life, sound basically the same.)

"Mating Calls: The Problem with Lexie and No. 7" by Jessica Anya Blau
Review copy

This is the final fiction Shebook I read and the only one by an author I was familiar with.  Jessica Anya Blau's two short stories aren't related, except by some uniting themes.  "The Problem with Lexie" is the tale of a school counselor making some very bad decisions regarding pills and her love life and "No. 7" is about (Alex)Zandra spotting a former lover by chance in a Ross Dress for Less.

I liked both narrators, although Alexandra has the advantage of being removed from her terrible relationship decision.   I enjoyed Lexie's narration even at her worst behavior, however.  I enjoyed how fun both of Blau's stories were, even when they dealt with unpleasant things.

"His Eye Is on the Sparrow: An Engagement in Black and White" by Ann Pearlman
Review copy

Ann Pearlman's memoir goes back to 1962 when she (a Jewish woman) was engaged to Ty (a black man).  It tells of them meeting each others' families, with episodes both funny and harrowing.  The way she writes about emotions is incredibly vivid, from love to humiliation.  It certainly convinced me that I want to read INFIDELITY, her Pulitzer-prize winning memoir about their marriage.

I particularly love the descriptions of food in "His Eye Is on the Sparrow."  Who doesn't associate food with community, hospitality, history?  It comes through so deliciously here, even when the food is divisive.  I'm not a big memoir fan, but this is simply a fascinating story.

"The Nigerian-Nordic Girl's Guide to Lady Problems" by Faith Adiele
Review copy

"The Nigerian-Nordic Girl's Guide to Lady Problems" discusses a serious lady problem: fibroids.  Faith Adiele had four painful ones and lots of conflicting advice about what to do about them - from her different cultures, different doctors - and much of it was fairly judgmental.

The medical system in America is highly flawed, and the treatment people get varies wildly depending on how you're perceived by your medical provider.  Honestly, the Nigerian, Nordic, and American ways all fail her differently - and all see Adiele as failing in different ways. Adiele's memoir is funny, painful, and quite insightful.    (And it certainly made me think about my mother's stories about her fibroids.)

Review: Extremities

Tales of Death, Murder, and Revenge
By David Lubar
Illustrated by Jim Kay
Available now from Tor Teen (Macmillan)
Review copy

David Lubar is known for his humorous books for young readers, which bear little resemblance to this collection of thirteen deliciously dark tales.  Seven of them have been published previously, but six are all new.

I have to give major props to Jim Kay.  One of his illustrations appears before each story and sets the mood.  Some of them are on par with the nightmare fuel from the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series.  The "Whoodoo" illustration is particularly hard to forget.

This is one of the better short story collections I've read.  It's very cohesive - all the stories are about the same length, all are horror - and the quality is consistent.  It's hard to pick a favorite story, but mine might be "Feelings," which went right where I expected and then kept going.  The irony in both "Split Decision" and "Apparent Motive" is delicious, and I particularly like that the former revolves around a bad pun.  "Morph" is less horrific and more hopeful than most of the others, but it's got a nice bit of action.

I can see lots of kids eagerly devouring this collection.  It will likely be recommended more for teens and older readers, but the ones who will enjoy it the most are probably the elementary-school kids who will find it slightly illicit and perfect for creeping friends out at camp.

I do not recommend EXTREMITIES to fans of David Lubar who aren't into horror.  This is not an anthology that subverts the genre in anyway.  But for those who do enjoy horror, it's a great choice.  Just delightfully perverse and nasty.

Review: What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank: Stories

By Nathan Englander
Available now from Knopf in hardcover and Vintage in paperback (Random House)
Review copy

I have a friend who is crazy about Nathan Englander's short stories.  WHAT WE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ANNE FRANK is his first collection since his debut FOR THE RELIEF OF UNBEARABLE URGES in 1999, but he's already considered a master of the form, a peer of Raymond Carver.  No wonder the eponymous story references Carver's famous "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love."

I'm not sure it was the best choice to lead the collection, no matter how wonderful the title.  It's the story of two couples, the wives best friends in school now reunited for the first time.  One lives in Israel, now converted to Hasidic Judaism with her husband.  The other is more secular and lives with her husband, the narrator, in Florida.  Yet for all the story pushes their differences, there's a sameness to the characters.  It lacks the punch of the better stories in the collection.

My two favorites are "Sister Hills" and "Everything I Know About My Family on My Mother's Side."  "Sister Hills" is a series of snapshots from 1973 to 2011 of two hills not far outside of Jerusalem and the families who live on them.  There's tension between the colonizing Israelis and the Arabs, but the biggest bitterness comes from within the community, building to a funnily nasty conclusion.  And it's all held together by the intense portrait of Rena.  The story did briefly lose me in a scene showcasing truly devilish wit on Rena's part that delved too deeply into Jewish law and tradition for me to follow.

"Everything I Know About My Family on My Mother's Side" is a brilliant, clever title and the story lives up to it.  I liked how it moved from a very broad opening to sharp focus, vignettes moving back and forth in time.  Even when broad, the understanding of human nature is keen.  "The wife faces the husband, and the point she argues is so large, it's as if the wife believes traffic will stop for it when the light changes, as if, should the cars roll on, it's worth being run down to see the point made (115, ARC)."  But it's even tighter when it moves into focus and examines family stories, and how they develop and how two cousins might tell the same family story completely differently.  It's a very personal look at the past and how much it can mean once you know it, even if it is subjective.  I was slightly bothered by the meta in the story, the narrator being a writer named Nathan.  I'm not sure the flourish added to the tale.

I quite liked "Peep Show," "The Reader," and "Camp Sundown," but they were more uneven reads.  "Peep Show" forgoes realism for a dreamlike logic that's compelling once you go with it.  "The Reader" has a couple of nice shifts in tone.  As for "Camp Sundown," I really enjoyed the beginning but the story lost me about half to three quarters of the way through.  It was darkly comic, but then the strings showed too much - I had to roll my eyes at some of the reversed symbolism.

I think Englander is an exciting writer and can see why my friend is so enamored.  He has smooth, readable prose and his stories are nicely observed with a bit of humor to alleviate their darkness.  But I found him thematically repetitive and some of the questions he asks just don't resonate with me.  There is much discussion of what it means to be Jewish, and I found some of the stories to be strangely contradictory.  For me, this is more of a borrow-from-the-library than buy book.

Review: Tenth of December: Stories

By George Saunders (no website)
Available now from Random House
Review copy

George Saunders is widely regarded as one of the masters of the short story and his newest collection, TENTH OF DECEMBER, has be widely praised as some of his best and most accessible work.  I found it to be like most short story collections: some of the stories are great, some are good, some are meh.

Saunders does have style, though sometimes his style comes at the cost of the story.  His style is excellent for getting inside of his characters' heads and bringing each narrator to life.  And somehow, those his style is consistent, the narrators don't all sound the same.  TENTH OF DECEMBER's longest story, "The Semplica-Girl Diaries," was not included in the ARC.  It is, however, free to read at The New Yorker.

"The Semplica-Girl Diaries" is one of the weaker stories in the collection, but a good introduction the anthology's contents.  And why is it weaker?  Well, it's centered on a brilliant image.  One that's gruesome but funny, skewering materialism in a Three Stooges manner.  But it's structured in journal entries, and the epistolary form kills much of the momentum the story could have.

In my opinion, the best story in the collection is "Escape from Spiderhead," previously  collected in The Best American Short Stories 2011.  It's a futuristic tale of a man participating in an increasingly brutal lab experiment.  It's a chilling exploration of love and human empathy, or the lack of it.  It could be totally bleak, but the ending is strangely uplifting.

Some of the other stories I really enjoyed are "Exhortation," an odd little story that mocks corporate speak perfectly and "My Chivalric Fiasco," which combines strange theme parks, ye olde English, and an ill-timed affair.  I  would probably include "Victory Lap" in this list if the ending made more sense on a character level.

TENTH OF DECEMBER didn't persuade me to join the cult of George Saunders.  But it's at least worth checking out from your library in order to read the best stories. 

Review: Sorry Please Thank You: Stories

By Charles Yu
Available now from Pantheon Books (Random House)
Review copy

Charles Yu has been making a big splash.  His short story collection THIRD CLASS SUPERHERO won him the 5 Under 35 Award from the National Book Foundation.  Then he received the Sherwood Anderson Fiction Award.  Last year his debut novel HOW TO LIVE SAFELY IN A SCIENCE FICTIONAL UNIVERSE came out to near universal acclaim including being named a New York Times notable book and 2011 Best Book of the Year by such publications as Time Magazine and io9.  He comfortably straddles science fiction and literary fiction.  Now he returns to short stories with a collection containing works that have previously appeared in publications as varied as The Oxford-American, Playboy, and THE THACKERY T. LAMBSHEAD CABINET OF CURIOSITIES.

SORRY PLEASE THANK YOU is divided into four sections: Sorry, Please, Thank You, and All of the Above.  It's a clever idea, but the division doesn't feel organic.  Many of the stories in different sections are preoccupied with the same themes.  Yu continually returns to pondering the authenticity of relationships and satisfaction or dissatisfaction with one's self.

 But here's the really important thing about Yu: he's fiercely funny.  Sometimes he goes overboard with the meta or postmodern formatting.  It works when there's really something to think about when you untangle what he's saying.  Other times it's just flash for no good reason.  Maybe I just really didn't like "Human for Beginners."  It starts promising, then gets pleasantly weird, then fast becomes tedious.

If you can't tell by my last statement, not every story in SORRY PLEASE THANK YOU is a winner.  But the high points shine brightly and come fairly frequently.  The collection opens with the one-two punch of "Standard Loneliness Package" and "First Person Shooter."  "Standard Loneliness Package" imagines a future where the rich pay other people to feel their pain, guilt, and other less pleasant emotions.  On the other hand, people in dire straights mortgage their lives and other people rent it for escape.  The protagonist attempts to romance coworker Kirthi, a heartbreak specialist.  In this story, Yu pulls off the darker side of human emotion beautifully.  "First Person Shooter" also deals with a romance between coworkers.  But this time they work in a WalMart expy and are trying to deal with a zombie roaming the store.

The Please section is the longest and weakest.  But "Hero Absorbs Major Damage" and "Open" are both must reads.  "Hero Absorbs Major Damage" explore the typical RPG through the point of view of an avatar who tries to lead his team as best he can and sometimes worships the fallible young deity Fred.  "Open" begins perfectly.  It shows off Yu's command of language and his playful universes.  Plus, it ends with quite the hook.

"We need to talk about that," I said.
"Why?  Why do we always have to talk everything to death?"
"The word 'door' is floating in the middle of our apartment.  You don't think maybe this is something we need to discuss?"
- p. 131, ARC

What follows is an intriguing story about identity and intimacy.

Thank You contains "Yeoman" as well as the best story in the collection "Designer Emotion 67."  "Yeoman" is for fans of John Scalzi's REDSHIRTS: A Novel with Three Codas and Galaxy Quest.  When a man receives a promotion to crew's yeoman, he realize it means he's going to die.  That's not an option, considering he has a baby on the way.  It's a hilarious send up of science fiction tropes and the yeoman's wife is priceless.  "Designer Emotion 67" is a transcript of PharmaLife, Inc.'s annual report to shareholders in 2050.  "The Depression-industrial complex has been built (175)" and now they're exploring the possibilities in curing Dread.  The CEO is cocky and brash and should probably have an intern edit his speech, but he does know what the shareholders are really after.  Money.  It's crazy yet plausible and funny in all the worst ways.

SORRY PLEASE THANK YOU ends on a dark note with eponymous story "Sorry Please Thank You."  A suicide note on a bar napkin, it hovers somewhere between Yu's best and worst.  It has his long, propulsive paragraphs were the narrator babbles, searching to make sense of something.  It's preoccupied with human interaction.  There's the strange bitterness about love.  It may not be a highlight of the anthology, but it's a fitting end.

Fans of the short story and of Charles Yu should pick up a copy of SORRY PLEASE THANK YOU.  (Although if you have no stomach for postmodernism, you might stay away.)  Yu's work in this collection will further his standing with both the literary and sci-fi crowds.  Six standouts in a collection of thirteen stories isn't bad at all.

Review: Geektastic and So Punk Rock

Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd
Edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci



Stories by John Green, M.T. Anderson, Kelly Link, Cassandra Clare, Greg and Cynthia Leitich Smith, Kelly Link, Libba Bray, Tracy Lynn, David Levithan, Barry Lyga, Garth Nix, Wendy Mass, Scott Westerfield, Lisa Yee, and Sara Zarr
Illustrations by Hope Larson and Bryan Lee O'Malley

Why does something I loved this much feel like such a misfire? This book contains stories for every kind of geek: lj RP, cosplay, D&D, Buffy, and more. For pan-fandom geeks, it's a godsend. Like any short story collection I loved some more than others, but the writing was generally strong.

However, I felt like I relied on the knowledge I've learned from seven or so years as a Queen of Nerds (ask me for my credentials). GEEKTASTIC is not inclusive. I think most people without geeky or nerdy inclinations will be left behind. And I hate to admit it, but geeks are the minority. (I could be wrong. As I said, I'm a knowledgeable audience. This is pure extrapolation.)

I hope there is a huge audience for GEEKTASTIC. It's a celebration of subculture. Who wants to be mainstream when having a hobby can be so rewarding? And these authors have a sizeable following for a reason - and I know some of their fanbases are pretty nerdy.

If you're a geek, do yourself a favor and pick up GEEKTASTIC. It's hard to choose a favorite, but it might be "Quiz Bowl Antichrist" by David Levithan, which brought back days of junior high Whiz Quiz and organizing my high school's St. Jude's Trivia Challenge.

So Punk Rock (And Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother)



By Micol Ostow
Illustrations by David Ostow

Which brings me to a book to which I am an outsider to the culture presented. Most of what I know comes from reading the Old Testament and talking to my friend at Girls State who had trouble with the meals. (Apparently you can only have one dairy item with a meal, which is difficult when everything has cheese on it.)

Ari Abramson knows who he is. He just doesn't know how to reveal that person to others. So he convinces his friend Jonas Fein, geeky Yossi, and Yossi's sister Reena to start a band. Though they start out not knowing how to play their instruments, pretty soon they're a MySpace sensation with a real gig. Of course, they still have SATs, parents, and holy days to worry about. It doesn't help that Jonas is kind of a jerk.

SO PUNK ROCK is a quick read that manages to share a great deal about being Jewish-American without bogging down the proceedings. There's a great glossary in the back, but I didn't need to use it while reading.

I also enjoyed the juxtaposition of standard prose with graphic novel sections. It makes you wonder whether the comics are supposed to be a representation of Ari's work or if Ari's work is totally different and they simply represent how he thinks. SO PUNK ROCK continues Flux's history of rocking my socks. It doesn't hurt Micol Ostow's track record with me either.

Mary Robinette Kowal

Portrait of Ari

Artist Tom cuts his thumb while attempting to cut a mat and learns something strange about Ari, his lover. The moment where he accidentally cuts himself is beautifully done – anyone who has ever cut a mat will feel a small surge of fear and remind themselves to be careful. (They will also promptly not be careful the next time they cut a mat since it is drudge work.) The story starts innocently and builds subtly to the tragic conclusion. The last line is a punch to the gut.

The Bound Man

This excellent fantasy story follows Li Reiko, a mother bound to the will of the gods, after she is pulled into the time of Halldór. In less than ten thousand words Mary Robinette Kowal builds a full world and rich characters. Li Reiko and Halldór both demonstrate the unconditional love of a parent, but they never act sentimental or insipid. From the beginning, Kowal offers hints to Li Nawi’s future. “The Bound Man” starts somewhat slowly, but quickly becomes an intriguing, human tale.

[Warning: Mentions of rape and subtle on-screen rape.]

Cerbo en Vitra ujo

This is horror. In a future where children who cannot afford school are often sold to body harvesters, the privileged Grete searches for her beautiful boyfriend Kaj. Kowal’s use of imagery only makes the story that much more repulsive and creepy. Well-written and well-executed, this unsettling story may not be for all readers. Once again, Kowal ends the story with a powerful blow. She has an excellent grasp of atmosphere and uses it to great effect.

[Warning: Explicit sex.]

Death Comes But Twice

Kowal manages a strange combination of cautionary tale and spirituality. The former follows a fairly normal trajectory, but the spiritual touch gives it an original feel. The reader understands the narrator’s choices as he explains them to his wife Lily. Kowal could have chosen once more to end a story with tragedy, but “Death Comes But Twice” feels hopeful despite its dark subject matter.

For Solo Cello op. 20

Julius, a world-class cellist, lost his hand in an accident that was only tangentially his wife’s fault. I understand how much he hates living unable to play, constantly aware of his phantom hand. But I cannot sympathize with him. He is a loathsome creature who gets what he deserves. I pity his wife as well, but also feel disconnected from her. I understood her guilt and despair, but I wished she possessed more fight. Leonard’s simply a worm – there’s no offer of his motivations. While “For Solo Cello op. 20” is well-written, I cannot recommend it.

This Little Pig

Young Aage longs for a 1952 MG-TD in British Racing Green and to impress his crush Concetta Dumas-Chan. Instead, he humiliates himself on his first day mucking pens on a pig farm. Aage manages to overcome his embarrassment and realizes the scene was probably quite funny. The thought that Concetta saw his humiliation terrifies him, but he still manages to converse with her and begin a real connection. “This Little Pig” is a sweet story that will appeal to teens particularly, but adults as well.

All six stories are available here.

Kowal has been nominated for the Campbell award.

Coming Next: ROGUE by Rachel Vincent

Vampire Sex and Unique Chicken

Bad Luck, Trouble, Death, and Vampire Sex

By Garth Nix

Green Wizard Gardner just killed his grandmother in a freak accident. This is a bit of a problem since she’s the queen and now her guards want to kill her. Fortunately, he escapes with her gargoyle Gurl to another dimension. Unfortunately, he seems to have a strange preoccupation with dangerous sex, powerful guns, and being a private eye. This short story about regicide and magic gone awry entertains, but it is not Garth Nix at his best. Since Night Shade Books currently offers it as a free download, no one should miss this Ditmar-nominated tale. The open ending allows every reader to imagine their own continuations for the characters’ lives.

Unique Chicken Goes in Reverse

By Andy Duncan

Unlike with Nix, I read this story unfamiliar with Andy Duncan. You can be assured I will be reading more of his work now. Despite its length (less than 5,000 words), “Unique Chicken Goes in Reverse” manages to say a great deal about faith. A priest goes to a farm upon receiving a cryptic note from his secretary:
O’CONNORS
MARY
PRIEST?
CHICKEN!
Father Leggett discovers young Mary O’Connor worships a frizzled chicken, referring to it as Jesus Christ. Most laugh at the girl’s belief, but the priest believes she may be onto something. A subtle exploration of grace, faith, and religion as a whole, I believe “Unique Chicken Goes in Reverse” will appeal both Christians and non-Christians alike. This short story deserves its Nebula nomination.

Both stories are available as free downloads from Night Shade Books. Have fun exploring Garth Nix's site and Andy Duncan's blog.

Coming Soon: A review of short stories by Mary Robinette Kowal, nominated for the Campbell Award.