Ramblings on Writing
Reviews, Rants, and Observations on SF/F/H

I am a thirty-something speculative fiction writer. More importantly to this blog, I am a reader of science fiction, horror, and science fiction. Recently it came to my attention that there are very few places reviewing short stories in the genres that I love. I also had the epiphany that I had not been reading enough of these stories. So, an idea was born to address both of these issues.

So, starting in September 2012, this silly little blog of mine that has more or less been gathering dust will be dedicated to looking at and reviewing short form works published both in print magazines and in on-line formats.

Reviews will be posted at least once a month, hopefully more, and stories will be selected completely at my whim. However, if you have read something amazing, thought-provoking, or interesting, please feel free to drop me a recommendation.

Because a big part of the point of this exercise is to improve my own writing by looking at people doing it successfully, I will only be selecting stories to look at from professional or semi-professional markets.

Please note, however, because a big part of the point of this exercise is to improve my own writing by looking at people doing it successfully, I will only be selecting stories to look at from professional or semi-professional markets.

I intend to write honest, and hopefully interesting, reviews to let people know more about the wide variety of fantastic (both in subject and quality) stories out there. There will be no personal attacks on authors and no excoriating hatchet jobs. There is nothing to be learned from reviewing truly bad work and nothing to be gained by being mean. I will not do it and, should I be so lucky as to get readers and commentators, I would ask that they not do so either. Be respectful and everyone gets to have a more interesting conversation.

What I will do is to give my honest and reasoned reactions to stories and try to determine why or why not particular elements worked. I will try to acknowledge my personal biases and to become more open-minded about those things that are not in the realm of my personal preference.

Also, because this is my blog and I can, there may be occasional entries on my own writing process, things I find interesting, or whatever else I feel inclined to add. This may all crash and burn spectacularly, but it's going to be a heck of a lot of fun in the meantime.

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Strange ideas on "STRANGER THINGS HAPPEN"

So, I have said, when I had read four of the eleven stories in STRANGER THINGS HAPPEN by Kelly Link, that is was too surrealistic for my taste, and that I preferred more linear narrative. And these things are still true.

However, having just finished the entire collection I'm not sure I can give a coherent response to how I feel about the writing. Yes, it's surrealistic, (not necessarily bad), and yes, I found it confusing and sometimes pointless. And yet, the writing style as a whole and certain stories in particular keep tugging at the corners of my mind. I just can't stop trying to understand them, trying to get beneath all the layers. I'm pretty sure I never will get there. But, the fact that I keep trying means there has to be something there that makes the writing exceptional, and not just that Link is a master of using structure.

It's almost like the stories are emotional vents. I can't follow the plot exactly, but the tone evokes sensations, emotions. It's almost like I would imagine tapping into racial memories would be like. Foggy, unclear, but pervasive and persistant, and most of all powerful. I don't get it, but I feel it. And I can't stop thinking about it.

Which, to be honest is annoying the crap out of me.

So, the summary is I hate it, I like it, I'm ambivalent, I love it. I just plain don't know how I feel about this writing. I just know it has had an impact. I think it's good, even great writing.

Whether I like it or not.


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