fiction
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Review of Mystery Train by Can Xue
Can Xue is one of the recurring nominees for the Nobel Prize. I can see why. Her body of work is varied and unique, relevant, and large. This short novel takes place mostly on a train. One of my favorite literary settings. The main character undergoes a kafkaesque series of…
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Review of Authority (Southern Reach, #2) by Jeff VanderMeer
I am sad to say I did not get any entertainment out of this one. Sure, it put a few of the pieces into place, but the ever expanding mystery of Area X remains largely unexplained. But we did not go into it hoping for explanations, I would think. We…
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Review of Himmler and the Handmaid by Erik Martiny
Martiny has put out a lot of books recently. I was surprised to find another one coming out this year called Bloodberry. I’ve written reviews of all his previous productions from River Boat Books. This one was engrossing and historically intriguing. It offered a well-researched fictional look at a mistress…
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Review of Creepy Sheen by Rebecca Gransden
An entertaining and thought-provoking collection of scary stories to peruse in the half-light of sun-baked twilights. A moody, unhurried taste of dreamy apocalyptic nostalgia. With an appreciation for film and music, the author frames the scenes in enigmatic layers of imagery, where molting skyscrapers and abandoned stores abound, where dead…
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Review of City of Mann by L. Ross Coulter
The author poses an interesting thought experiment and uses it as a vehicle to make many utopian s-f speculations about humanity, the almighty, and modern society. One must ponder the concept of intelligent design, entering into the strange world of sentient cities he created. Though lacking in action and traditional…
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Review of Neo-Decadence Evangelion
I don’t summarize plots in my reviews. (Some of these tales do not contain plot). But I do offer impressions. This volume compliments the Neo-Decadent canon curated by Justin Isis, enlarging and enriching the aesthetic and providing a unique form of entertainment which will surprise and challenge any brave reader.…
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Review of Self-Portraits by Osamu Dazai
Can you turn a terrible life into high art? Dazai’s life was astoundingly reprehensible. Attempting three love suicides, succeeding at one, and attempting at least 3 other suicides. Combined with addiction, mental illness, alcoholism, infidelity, multiple marriages and illegitimate children, supporting prostitutes, engaging in public violence and insults, following illegal…
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Review of Memoirs and Misinformation by Jim Carrey
The average star rating of this book is under 3 stars. I’m one of the few who enjoyed it and couldn’t put it down. It can only be compared to the works of Mark Leyner and Antkind by Charlie Kaufman (who plays a role in the book). If it had…
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Review of Early Light by Osamu Dazai
Three stories from the best era of Japanese fiction in my opinion. These three longer stories, “Early Light,” “One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji,” and “Villon’s Wife” are a good introduction to Dazai. Two of them are contained in the new volume entitled “Self-Portraits.” His stories are often called autobiographical.…
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Review of Cult X by Fuminori Nakamura
Fact-checking errors in this book: The lecturer claims trillions of humans have died since the beginning of time. It’s actually around 117 billion.The lecturer claims your body’s matter is 100% replaced through natural processes every year. It’s actually 5-7 years.The lecturer says there are tens of millions of neurons in…
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Review of The Book of Love by Kelly Link
This book is brutally unfocused, so many characters thinking, saying and doing things which are unrelated to previously done, said and thought things. Pseudo-explanations for post-magical situations seemingly added after the fact. A lot of talk about magic but not a lot of magic happening.Characters are quirky in the extreme.…
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Review of Fake Ass Lawyers by Justin Isis
A unique reading experience. This book appears hand-made, printed on lush paper and bound in a Japanese style. The unusual subject matter inside might defraud some reader’s expectations. But it contains a wonderfully captivating satirical short novel detailing the frightful encounters of derelict and raucous imitation lawyers, roving between night…
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Review of The Big Meat by Carlton Mellick III
A fever dream. A journey into a superorganism. Mellick delivers another disturbing post-apocalyptic scenario with fantastic imagery and survival tale constraints. The sheepish main character joins a crew in charge of excavating the remains of a kaiju. It might remind you of Kaiju No. 8. But unlike the manga, this…
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Review of Bio Melt by Carlton Mellick III
I can still remember all 50+ CM3 books I’ve read, which is more than I can say about Orhan Pamuk or other more critically acclaimed slingers of words. I prefer to remember the books I read, instead of letting them fade into a pleasant blur of impressive but barely perceptible…
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Review of Goblins on the Other Side by by Carlton Mellick III
A memorable read. CM3 seems fond of depicting twisted afterlife scenarios, as in his Boy with a Chainsaw Heart and Ugly Heaven. He may be another atheist borrowing heavily from Christian imagery, but he has a unique imagination which is always striking, managing to revitalize tired tropes with elegant imagery…
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Review of Brooklyn Crime Novel by Jonathan Lethem
Harping on race and gentrification on about every page, employing a sledgehammer when a lighter touch would’ve been appreciated. The old-fashioned style is quaintly meta, with a grossly omniscient narrator who seems fond of gangsta slang. As in some of his other novels, the male protagonist is blasé about indiscreet…
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Review of The Sleep of the Assassins and Other Stories by Damian Murphy
The stories in this collection are some of his most varied work. Each offering is a succulent delight to read. He is one of the most consistent authors I follow. His work possesses an uncanny depth, always poised between aesthetic acuity and imagistic splendor. While they are subtly or overtly…
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Review of The Heel by Brendan Connell
The perspective character Mitch is a typical sleaze, borderline alcoholic, borderline jobless former gigolo still on the prowl. Brendan Connell provides a rollicking, realistic tale of this washed-up ladies’ man. With more plot than I typically expect from his experimental work, he showcases his exquisite prose rhythms while not compromising…
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Review of The Voyage of Horace Pirouelle by Philippe Soupault
Another one-sitting read from Wakefield Press. A surrealist tale of an outrageous journey to Greenland. The author is deliberately inaccurate, inhumane and self-described as “gratuitous.” The strange interjections, quotes and unconventional format mark it as an experiment piece, but it most engages on the level of subverting the reader’s expectations…
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Review of City of the Chasch (Planet of Adventure, #1) by Jack Vance
A classic set-up for an adventure novel. The premise allowed Vance’s mastery of the pulp s-f elements he had used in his other stories and novels to shine forth unfiltered. Our main character crash lands on an alien planet and must survive. What more do you need to know? He…
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Review of The Huntress and the Trickster by Tristan Zelden
The story opens with a quiet scene between Abigail and Jacob, who may not seem extraordinary at first, despite their penchants for piercings and tattoos. Though many chapters are weighted down by some filler, this lends a more relaxed tone to the novel than one may have expected. There are…
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Review of At the Sign of the Reine Pedauque by Anatole France
Another strange and mesmerizing book by one of my favorite Nobel laureate authors. As in Thais, the author layers a sometimes straightforward tale with religious and occult themes. Here we have a young main character who is tasked with aiding in a translation of Zosimus and other obscure authors for…
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Review of The Complete Cosmicomics by by Italo Calvino
A collection of more than 30 stories by one of the masters of Italian literature. The germs for other works are present in this collection, including Invisible Cities and Castle of Crossed Destinies. The most interesting and delightful tales are toward the beginning in my opinion. As the collection wore…
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Review of Maison Ikkoku Collector’s Edition, Vol. 1 by Rumiko Takahashi
This adorable sitcomic comedy by the inimitable Rumiko made for diverting reading. I will be continuing with the series. While lacking in supernatural elements, I was at once taken by the cozy atmosphere. Most of the scenes take place in the eccentrically populated titular rooming house, where the quintessential collegial…
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Review of The Explosion of a Chandelier by by Damian Murphy
In this swiftly paced adventure, D. M. marries a clarity of expression with a depth and ambiguity of subtexts. You feel a current running beneath the surface narrative of dark forces astir. Hector and Vito epitomize the thrill of youth’s longing after dramatic distractions as they encounter with some uncertainty…
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Review of The Plotinus by Rikki Ducornet
If Rikki keeps releasing short experimental, post-Consumerist dystopian novellas, steeped in imagery that evokes nostalgic aesthetics, I will keep rating them 5 stars. A nice accompaniment to Trafik. Highly recommended, though this one is a bit weird. Imagine a person imprisoned in a monotone cell, reading bars of light through…
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Review of Fables by Alexander Theroux
A few good and shiny examples of rare Theroux wit. But mostly not. I say rare because his humor is an acquired taste, and it can also spoil after a time. The Therouxian works released by Tough Poets Press are glorious in theory but do not compare to the author’s…
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Review of On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
This book is heavy on the PTSD, bullying, and other trauma triggers. I try to shy away from reading peoples’ accounts of living in an unfair world. It’s not all about blaming the world for our individual struggles. However, there is legitimate pain that goes along with it. And you…
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Review of Suggestion Diabolique, by David Vardeman
Having read all of Vardeman, I can’t help wanting more Vardeman. Remember that character from As I Lay Dying who says “My mother is a fish.” Isn’t that kid named Vardaman? >Coincidence? I think not.Vardeman observes and portrays American life in an acerbic, quirky style. This volume of stories in…
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Review of Solarium by Braden Matthew
Sui generis. Books about bibliophiles ring too true for me. I dream of books, bathe in books, eat books without condiments, I drink books black, without cream sugar or a wedge of lemon, I take them straight, not watered down. I burn only abridged editions. I store books in my…
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Review of The End of August by Yū Miri
Does in 700 pages what can be done in 120 pages. Ceaseless repetition, much of which is in Korean. Songs and prayers and onomatopoeia constantly invoked. The rhythm reminded me of Ducks, Newburyport, which I hated. -5 stars for abusing the reader’s time and patience. +2 stars for strong descriptions…
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Review of In Dreams: The Very Short Stories of Ryūnosuke Akutagawa by by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa
I often re-read Akutagawa’s stories. Before this publication I had read all of his stories in English, even the ones translated online and obscure scholarly publications. I had read about 97 pieces total. This book brings the total number of pieces available in English closer to 150, which is around…
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Review of Every Day Is for the Thief by Teju Cole
Teju Cole gives an account of a stay in Nigeria, told by a Nigerian-American. It purports to be a work of fiction, but could easily be construed as autofiction or nonfic. The journalistic approach is offset by the deeply humorous writing. You can feel the conflict within the narrator toward…
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Review of The Book of Dede Korkut by Anonymous
I like to collect rare and unusual Penguin Classics. This was one of my favorite I’ve come across. A strange and inconsistent series of tales from Medieval Turkey. The 13 tales, combined with the copious notes and introduction (which almost constitutes a 14th tale’s worth of material since it details…
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Review of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
While not as approachable as high school teacher’s would have you believe, the Canterbury Tales is an entertaining mix of history, lyricism, and satire. In my opinion Chaucer missed a major opportunity to add a pastoral component to his work. The tales either all take place in disparate locations and…
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Review of Cocteau’s Invitation by Erik Martiny
This was unexpected and slightly uncalled for You know those Yorgos Lanthimos movies. This is a little like that. You ask yourself, wait, what? But you keep reading. This is a meta narrative that starts out as a typical literary pseudo-romance, featuring the creepy narrator going after a too-young student,…
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Review of Why I Married a Clown Girl From the Dimension of Death by Carlton Mellick III
Another bizarro novella from Carlton Mellick, who is nearing his 70th book. This was, like a few previous ones, an un-subtle commentary on society through the fantasy lens of clown-people invading from another dimension. It tackles questions of xenophobia, homelessness, and the current destruction of natural resources, the family unit,…
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Review of You Always Try to Kill Me in Your Dreams by Carlton Mellick III
Solid storytelling in this novella, with some slasher concepts a la Nightmare on Elm St. His books of late have all had a Goosebumps for Adults vibe, which is not a disparagement. In YATTKMIYD, CM3 satirizes the distinctly American college-age pursuit of perpetual drunkenness. He is a good writer in…
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Review of Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind
A dense and sensual exploration of human nature. Wish fulfillment. A super-antihero novel.Our antihero smells everything it is possible to smell, was born to make perfume, and defines his own morality in the manner of a classical Übermensch. His journey through the underbelly of French society was poignant, and very…
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Review of The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
Listened to the audiobook. No idea how to spell the names of any characters. The narrative was compelling, though the second person perspective sections felt unnecessary. Earth-based magic system, caste systems, dystopian world, social commentary. This kind of complex world-building almost makes me want to take a break and go…
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Review of L.A. Requiem by Robert Crais
I listened to Crais speak at a conference. Quite the storyteller. His prose is reminiscent of Elmore Leonard. Same with the pacing and the subject matter. To look at his covers you might immediately think “Michael Crichton” or “Michael Connelly” or something. But judging from my first foray into his…
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Review of Abel and Cain by Gregor von Rezzori
Another book about a writer writing a book. How many literary novels and works of literature are simply compilations of writers’ notebooks full of ramblings? In the same style as William Gass’s The Tunnel, Abel and Cain is cobbled together from literary fragments and disparate scenes, some of which seem…
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Review of Glass Children by Carlton Mellick III
A book to finish in one sitting. One with a purposely transparent message. CM3 airs a lot of grievances about today’s generation gaps, while lobbying for some semblance of understanding between divided Americans. He includes a bloodbath for the sake of the Bizarro label. It seems more like an episode…
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Review of When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill
I picked up this book because Cat Valente mentioned it in an interview. I admit the premise intrigued me. The style was easy to read but in my opinion, not innovative or eccentric enough for my liking. There is nothing wrong with a conventional style, but as I listened to…
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Review of The Appearance of Death to a Hindu Woman by Rick Harsch
This is the 2nd book set in India Rick Harsch wrote, and after finishing it, I am eager to read the other one, called Arjun and the Good Snake. This is a story of an American making his way from Madras to Calcutta and journeying through surrounding areas, mostly on…
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Review of Tales From the Hereafter by Ted Myers
I am a fan of short stories taking place in the afterlife. I recently read a book called Snuggly Tales of the Afterlife, which I would not necessarily recommend. They were less out-there than I imagined they would be. I want my alternate worlds to be unexpected. That is why…
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Review of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Why don’t more authors write novels about video games? My favorite part of the book was exploring the games the main characters conceptualized. The story of their lives, interwoven with video game logic, was interesting, but did not hook me as readily as the obsessive focus on the number one…
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Review of Bubblegum by Adam Levin
Reminded me of when I read David Foster Wallace for the first time. Passing through phases of amusement to annoyance to disgust, then subtly sliding into intrigue, fascination and finally settling on the far side of appreciation, but only through much readerly turmoil, many near-death-by-boredom experiences. If you like Adam…
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Review of White Cat, Black Dog: Stories by Kelly Link
Kelly Link’s fourth (or fifth?) collection was a surprise. I remember liking less than half of her stories from her previous collections and I liked only half of these. But taken as a whole, reading the entirety of her work is worth the effort. Though I find the quality inconsistent…
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Review of Weasels in the Attic by Hiroko Oyamada
There is no humor in this book, or if there was, I could not recognize it. It is very short, maybe 25K words. Another mish mash of random thoughts dashed off by the author, like her other two books currently available in English. The characters are generic and unmemorable. The…
L. S. Popovich 