Synopsis/blurb ...
Author/poet/journalist Gabriel Hart compresses twenty pieces of his most turbulent 'world-burning' fiction spanning 2015-2020, including the previously unpublished American nightmare Artificial Midnight and Skattertown.
I'm a sucker for short story collections, though I seem to have an annoying habit of acquiring more than I ever get around to reading. An invitation to take a look-see at Gabriel Hart's debut collection was too good an opportunity to turn down. At least, I would actually feel compelled to read them!
Twenty stories and an author introduction where Hart explains the origins and timespan of this collection of work, some of which have appeared previously in anthologies and at literature sites I'm familiar with; Close To The Bone, Shotgun Honey, Bristol Noir, Pulp Modern and more than a few that I've never heard of. Most of the pieces were written during the author's 2020 Covid Lockdown.
For my sense of completism the full TOC is ....
Introduction
Straight to the Bone
The Distant Prince
Spun Pendulum
Church of War
Black Pit Blues
The Gutter Runs Internally
Wino’s Shadow
Bottom’s Up
The Space Between Two and Three
Dear Diana Ranswell (Mom)
Wrath Child’s Atrophy
BAPTISM!
Kept Change
Process of Elimination
Closed for Take-Out
The Visitor
Artificial Midnight
The All-The-Way House
The Lonesome Defeat of Bridge Repair
Skattertown
Relationships, sex, therapy, confession, super-dogs, drugs, intoxication, suicide, an Amy Winehouse wannabe, death, loss, grief, drugs, experimentation, consumerism, gender identity, a hit and the sub-contract, a mother's wisdom, Covid panic - guns, toilet rolls and a life of fear or not, dystopia - drugs, gangs, big business, economics
I really enjoyed the collection. Not every story did it for me. Maybe I rush read certain sections of the book at times, rather than reading them a bit more leisurely and thinking about the meaning of each tale. Maybe life's too short! I did like Hart's writing style though and none flat out had me scratching my head.
4 from 5
Read - October, 2021
Published - 2021
Page count - 178
Source - review copy courtesy of Blackthorn Book Tours
Format - Kindle
It sounds like a wide-ranging and interesting collection, Col. And some of the story themes are appealing. There's definitely something to be said for a writing style that keeps the reader engaged!
ReplyDeleteAgreed Margot. There's some variety here too.
DeleteI have that same annoying habit of buying more short story books than I can ever read. And especially on the Kindle. At least I don't mind reading short stories on the Kindle.
ReplyDeleteTracy, it's a hard habit to break!
Delete