Reviews
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Review of The Shivering Ground & Other Stories by Sara Barkat
In this generous and surprising collection, enigmatic mysteries intrude upon an elegiac setting. A precocious protagonist discovers a dislocation from the every day. Media intrudes in multifarious forms, and inanimate objects or nature blend with the human elements in a well-orchestrated interplay of fantasy and gothic revelations.They seethe with cognitive…
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Review of Alone With You in the Ether by Olivie Blake
Never thought I would rate a romance 5 stars. Its literary stylings help. Replete with typical ups and downs, as common throughout the genre as physicality, and lust, it nonetheless triumphs in my mind on several levels. Sure, it has very damaged and possibly suicidal, and most definitely flawed, and…
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Review of The Maples Stories by John Updike
The gift of loving. The heart’s projection in a face. Poetic logic extrapolated into pullulating prose. Rhythms of the distracted interior. The quiet calm of an assured mind. The heady grandeur of a passing fancy. Every stiff tonsure and allure of wafting tendrils of silken hair. A magniloquent breeze. Heartfelt…
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Review of The Flame Alphabet by Ben Marcus
A brilliant premise, executed in an intimate way. Reminiscent of Fahrenheit 451. A rich commentary on our language-centric, media-absorbed, screen-focused, noise-cluttered, maximalist, data-encumbered, socially dependent, spectacle-obsessed, death-in-life, attention-hoarding, anti-filial, pseudo-environmental, chemically enhanced, status-updating, soul-denying, disengaging ubermodern lives. A slow burn of acidic satirical documentation. A writer to watch, with a…
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Review of The Maze of Transparencies by Karen An-hwei Lee
A work of genius and unfathomable eccentricity. In a post-societal literal data migration to physical clouds an obsessively cataloguing vehemently organic gardener pontificates on his dysthymia in a voice infused with shades of contemporary zeitgeists through which the reader perceives a softly dystopian alternate reality where rampant “affluenza” afflicts the…
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Review of A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
This book is a synthesis of subtle magical realism, well-rounded characters, and straightforward storytelling. I love learning about Japanese history and culture and this novel reminded me of that love. Ozeki provides snide commentary, learned context, surprising twists, humor and pathos. It contains ample literary chops and old-fashioned family drama…
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Review of The Phoenix Rises (Beyond Imagination, #1) by P. Benjamin Mains
Epitomizing an appreciation for superhero culture, this novel launches the reader into a wacky adventure amid a casual narrative voice, and approachable, easy to follow prose. I recommend you sink into the first person perspective and let the cinematic quality of the novel spirit you away. The pop culture references…
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Review of Art Farm: A Dark Comedy by Marc Dickerson
Sometimes I think of the literary landscape as a sort of ‘art farm’ where creations are formulaically manufactured en masse, racing against a never-ending quota to fill shelves, which after a period of years, become landfills. We build civilization on top of these landfills, until archeologists dig the fragments back…
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Review of Victorian Songlight: The Birthings of Magic & Mystery by Kathy Martone
The first thing the reader will notice about this novel is the rich texture of the setting. This thought-provoking tale is set in the Ozark Mountains right off the bat, providing a luscious ambiance for the plot. It is a setting equipped with the authentic feel of its time and…
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Review of Shadows on the Hudson by Isaac Bashevis Singer
I would like to point out to any would-be literary authors that adultery is not a fundamental physical law of the universe. I. B. Singer first ensorcelled me through his stories. Those are recommended for any fan of Chekhov or Maupassant. But like those two masters, this one’s technique becomes…
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Review of Everything and Nothing by Jorge Luis Borges
This volume collects a few pieces not found in Collected Fictions including “Nightmares,” “Kafka and His Precursors,” “The Wall and the Books,” and “Blindness,” plus several famous, masterful tales. In “Blindness,” Borges discusses the various qualities of his blindness, along with similar instances in literary history: Milton, Joyce, Homer. A…
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Review of Traveller – Inceptio by Rob Shackleford
In accidental time travel books you usually have to put up with a lot of antics, but this one is more about exploring two worlds throughout history – the ancient and the modern, contrasting their ways of life. The life of scientific research is bolstered by detailed scenes and precise…
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Review of The Easy Life in Kamusari (Forest, #1) by Shion Miura
The Easy Life in Kamusari is an easy read. It is compulsively readable, and I loved it. It is one of the most pleasant novels I have read in my life. It is not as humorous as Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods, but it is frequently chuckle-inducing. Read…
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Review of The Voice at 3:00 A.M.: Selected Late and New Poems by Charles Simic
I’ve never understood the appeal of Selected Poetry or Stories collections, especially when an author releases multiple a la Bradbury and Harlan Ellison. The acceptable approach seems to be: Take your favorite ten poems from your favorite five previously published collections and slap on five new poems to justify the…
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Review of The Rings of Saturn by W.G. Sebald
While I did not think the full intensity of Sebald’s vision was sustained throughout this meandering book, I was at times ensorcelled. The reportage was in-depth enough to intrigue. Orbiting the biographical themes, historical contexts and tidbits, the author, with his critical brilliance, presents, massages, and salivates over a garrulous…
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Review of Critical Hit: A Gaming Mystery by W.M. Akers
Critical Hit promises a hybrid of adventure and mystery. And it delivers on its promise. First off, I was intrigued by the well-designed maps in the front pages, which seemed to promise a dual setting.The first is Tennessee in 2003 and the second is the fantasy locale created for sport,…
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Review of Did You Read The News? by Jack Merwin
The first thing you will notice about Did you Read the News is that it has an approachable learning curve. The world building is delivered casually, by closely following the main character’s life. The beginning lulled me into a false sense of security since it was peaceful both in the…
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Review of Shadow Of The Wicked by Douglas W.T. Smith
Douglas Smith’s Shadow of the Wicked takes place within a realm called Three Kingdoms. Firstly, I was highly impressed with the cover design and map design, and the perfect formatting of the book. I believe this will appeal to fans of Game of Thrones or Wheel of Time, though I…
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Review of The Atrocity Exhibition by J.G. Ballard
Should be read after Crash. Human as landscape, industrial wasteland as superorganism. The mathematical formulae of asexual coitus. Fiction as abstract art. Pale, sapped, inhuman dreamscapes. Traffic jams. Meteor-scored faces, etched in ghostly moonlight. A skeletal William S. Burroughs mannikin was strung up in Ballard’s closet, dressed as Marilyn Monroe,…
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Review of I Call Him HIM (I Call Him HIM #1) by Scott W. Kimak
Combining a quick pace with believable dialogue, the first-person narration has personality from the prologue onward, and builds tension with precise description. Though the perspective shifts, and we get many varied views of the skewed world of the book through the well-rounded characters, it remains a breakneck reading experience. Mystery…
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Review of Children of Time (Children of Time, #1) by Adrian Tchaikovsky
I’m extremely picky when it comes to science fiction. The longer a book is, the more I begin to dissect the sentences, which too often contain extraneous syntax. This one is sprinkled with a sloppy dialogue tag and unnecessary gesticulations clutter the dialogue every once in a while. A few…
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Review of Survival: A Sci-Fi/Horror, where reality begins to bite. by Chris Wright
Guided along by smoothly flowing prose, the reader will perceive a consistent building tension in this genre-bending novel. Parts of it almost read like diary entries, and provide intimate details as well as high-level backstory description.Full of subtle tension and propelled by the interactions of realistic characters in a sequence…
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Review of Dadaoism by Justin Isis and Quentin S. Crisp
One must look closely at the cover to appreciate the art. Words, portmanteau or apropos to the content, beginning with the longest word and decreasing slowly into the four-letter expletive at the bottom, cascading into one another. These key terms suggest some of the tricksterism to be encountered in the…
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Review of Glyphotech and Other Macabre Processes by Mark Samuels
A solid collection of unsettling short stories in the vein of Machen, Poe, and Ligotti. Mark Samuels appears to be able to hold his own when compared to these giants. His command of language is only matched by his superb imagination. Darkness infuses every atmospheric example of traditional storytelling. While…
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Review of Pleasant Tales II by Justin Isis
Isis doesn’t disappoint. In this collection, he shows versatile and snide talent, facetious and chameleonic mastery, satiric and oneiric brilliance. He is a stark commentator on modern mores and a profound pursuant of personal stylistic innovation. A mesmeric and elegiac offering from a grossly under-appreciated storyteller. I think you will…
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Review of Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? by Raymond Carver
I surprised myself with this second reading by not wanting to give the collection 5 stars. Carver’s first collection is relatively short – as was everything he published – the man was not very prolific. I’ll review his major publications as I get through them in the LOA collection, then…
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Review of The Narcissus Variations by Damian Murphy
Another unsettling and atmospheric novella from Damian Murphy, who has concocted an aesthetic all his own comprised of dense subtext, dark, elaborate interiors, and esoteric rites, woven into an ongoing meditation on the mortal soul and the responsibility of the artist. This one centers around the Kin and an enigmatic…
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Review of The Secrets of Umami (The Galactic Culinary Society #1) by D.R. Schoel
Following the protagonist, Jeanne, in her perilous descent into an off-world volcano to recover a delicious confection and gain the experience/ clout amid the Galactic Culinary Society, purveyors of synesthetic wonders, was a blast. Well-described locales and well-paced exploration. Cheeky, digestible, and sciency. I was quite impressed by the old-fashioned…
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Review of The Book of Skulls by Robert Silverberg
I was surprised by this book, first, because it was not science fiction. At least, in my opinion. Nothing supernatural happens, though the characters concert toward a supernatural goal. To me, this was a realist novel, driven by the four main characters. It is told in alternating first person, with…
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Review of The Enchantment of Lily Dahl by Siri Hustvedt
This was an easy-to-read novel with a dreamy atmosphere, a frustrating main character and bizarre side characters. I was not impressed by any aspect of the book, though certain ideas contained a glimmer of intrigue and the overall atmosphere was pleasing. The problem in my opinion was a lack of…
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Review of Terminal Boredom: Stories by Izumi Suzuki
A quick read. The first thing by Izumi Suzuki to make it into English. Can we get some more please? First off, the comparison to Black Mirror is apt. Ignore the rest of the blurbs. That’s enough of a hint. Base your reading decision on that fact alone. With this…
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Review of Song of the Golden Brew (The Galactic Culinary Society #2) by D.R. Schoel
In the second segment of the Galactic Culinary Society series, you will find more atmospheric description and additional otherworldly settings. You will notice a relaxed pacing, punctuated with action, but never threatening to overwhelm the reader’s sense of awe at the universe inhabited by the protagonist. It is a setup…
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Review of Fragments – A Sci-Fi/Horror: The sequel to Survival: The rules of reality have now changed by Chris Wright
In this second installment in the series, the pace ratchets up quickly. We join characters familiar from the first book (but I think this book can even be appreciated on its own, without some of the backstory). It is a good example of descriptions of cosmic proportions, and how paranormal…
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Review of The Rift by Nina Allan
This book is about discovering truths. It poses as a mystery, but I believe it is more about relationships. The central mystery should be more than enough to keep readers turning pages. This is my second N. A. read, and I will likely read the rest of her work now.…
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Review of The Race by Nina Allan
Familiar territory for Nina Allan. Another book dealing with a kidnapping, or missing woman. This one had a stronger feminist slant than The Rift, and I felt that the male characters were too two-dimensional, even by the standards of that agenda. The first segment of the book, dealing heavily with…
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Review of The Marriages Between Zones Three, Four, and Five by Doris Lessing
The second book in Canopus in Argos, the pentology. In this entire novel there was no mention of Canopus, Puttiora, or Sirius. In fact, I see no reason why this can’t stand alone as a soft s-f novel capsule. It reads nothing like Book 1. It reads like the work…
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Review of Dream Messenger by Masahiko Shimada
I wasn’t ready to take this book seriously. But I kept turning pages. I encountered jokes ranging from corny to laugh-out-loud. The writing possesses an endearing sloppiness. The book makes use of a convoluted pulp plot, and tantalizing suggestions of intriguing avenues never explored. It tosses off far-flung ideas, congealing…
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Review of First Person Singular: Stories by Haruki Murakami
Not a good entry point for new readers. Along with his last collection, Men Without Women, in a lot of ways, it feels like Murakami is riding his own coattails. To sum up my thoughts: This collection doesn’t enhance Murakami’s reputation, neither does it compare to his first 3 great…
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Review of Morbid Tales by Quentin S. Crisp
Incredibly good. QSC is not only a master storyteller, but his elegance and imagination are exquisite, refined, compelling, and unique. These are the types of speculative fiction short stories with subtle speculative elements, which could hold their own as literary fiction but expand their purview beyond the average range of…
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Review of Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw
I’m a sucker for Japanese settings. The plot is as simple as a horror movie. Horror movie fans will appreciate the many nods to the genre tropes she offers. At bottom, it is a quirky take on tried and true set-pieces, a cinematic, low-budget adventure, rife with her signature post-punk…
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Review of Looking for Mr Fly by K.K. Byrne
This novel presents a meticulously detailed atmosphere, coupled with the pace of everyday life, which eases the reader into the rhythm and reality of urban existence. We meet harsh strangers, are jostled on the teeming subways, and encounter people dragging the dross and drudgery of their day-to-day lives into their…
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Review of Surface: Hollow; Book 1 by J V O’Neill
A strange and compelling novel. Combining a literary pace, trauma, confusion, humility, recovery, and imagination. Interspersed with Wiki articles which present revealing data to bolster the narrative devices, its pages are infused with relatable daily struggles, adjustments to life’s hardships, intimate details, intricate interior monologue, and all the facets of…
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Review of Drowning in Beauty: The Neo-Decadent Anthology
From the Introduction to the About the Authors page, there is a great deal to love about this anthology. It is one of several Neo-Decadence dedicated anthologies I plan to read this year. Snuggly is my new favorite press. This collection brings together powerhouse monoliths of modern experimental prose. I…
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Review of The Old King in his Exile by Arno Geiger
I applaud the translator and author for bringing such a moving story to life. This poignant first person account of the effects of Alzheimer’s is an exercise in understanding life, love, family, and mortality. The tragedy of memory loss is an inevitable problem one must recognize in adulthood, and reckon…
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Review of Flowers of the Sea by Reggie Oliver
Reggie Oliver is one of those authors like Algernon Blackwood and Arthur Machen, who is master of a few key aspects of horror, terror, suspense, and description. Yet, he is not a perfect writer. His stories are immersive, antiquated, and charming. Reading his work feels like sliding into another time,…
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Review of Peach Blossom Paradise by Ge Fei
This gorgeous peach-colored volume from NYRB classics is a beautiful addition to my Chinese literature collection. A startling and wonderful story centering on an interesting and atypical female protagonist. It concocts a poignant tragedy from the personal life lessons endured by one girl who laments her fate within an unstable…
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Review of The Altimer: An interactive story (Entram Book 1) by Samuel Isaacson
In this choose-your-own adventure tale, I was treated to an atmospheric second-person perspective narrative combining interactive game elements with fiction. It provides opportunities to do character creation, stat assignment, etc. and is coupled with excellent artwork. With a concise and professional presentation it starts off quickly and takes little time…
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Review of Laughing Gas by P.G. Wodehouse
Wodehouse is grandmaster of comedic writing. Possibly the funniest writer of all time when adjusted for humor inflation. It’s all very prim and proper, with some hedging, and hemming and hawing, and quibbling and quarrelling and snorting and guffawing, but when it comes right down to it, it’s downright mean,…
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Review of Remember You’re a One-Ball! by Quentin S. Crisp
With some reservation I finished this peculiar novel. Having read a few titles by QSC, this one surprised me in its focused content. The reasons I did not enjoy it as much as his other books are manifold, and I think the right reader will get a lot out of…
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Review of Majipoor Chronicles (Lord Valentine, #2) by Robert Silverberg
This was unexpected. After reading Lord Valentine’s Castle, which I was a big fan of, I bought the rest of the series and jumped into this book, the second volume. It is a collection of unconnected stories, with a flimsy framing device, set on Majipoor, exploring locales, eccentric inhabitants, races,…
L. S. Popovich 