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The first ever collection of Michael Marshall Smith’s award-winning short stories.The first piece of fiction Smith ever wrote – a short story called The Man Who Drew Cats – won the World Fantasy award. It’s included here along with many others, some unpublished, which show the incredible versatility of one of the most exciting writers working in Britain today. The collection is stuffed with surreal, disturbing gems including:‘When God Lived in Kentish Town’ Someone comes up to you when you’re quietly eating your stir-fried rice in a great Chinese take away, and tells you: ‘I’ve found God’. You try to ignore them, right? But what if they have, and what if He works in a drab old electrical store on Kentish Town Road and he’s not getting many customers?‘Diet Hell’ Some people will do anything to fit into their old jeans.‘Save As…’ What if you could back up your life? Save it up to a certain point and return to it when things went horribly wrong?‘Everybody Goes’ An idyllic childhood day from a long, hot summer. The kind you want to last for ever. All good things must come to an end, mustn’t they?
This collection gathers diverse short stories that explore the intersection of mundane reality and unsettling, surreal possibilities. The protagonist in each narrative faces a sudden disruption to their ordinary life, ranging from divine encounters in urban settings to the technological manipulation of personal history. These characters must navigate the logical consequences of these intrusions, which often reveal the fragility of human desires and the inevitability of loss. The collection utilizes varied narrative frameworks, shifting between intimate first-person accounts and detached, observational perspectives to heighten the sense of unease.
This collection highlights the author's ability to pivot between genres while maintaining a consistent atmosphere of quiet dread. Readers often note the sharp, observational quality of the prose, which grounds even the most bizarre premises in recognizable human behavior. The stories function as a showcase for the author's range, moving from the whimsical to the deeply unsettling with precision. By focusing on the small, personal stakes of his characters, the author creates a sense of intimacy that makes the surreal elements feel more impactful. The work stands as a testament to the author's influence within British speculative fiction, demonstrating a mastery of the short form that remains effective across various thematic explorations.
Page Count:
320
Publication Date:
1999-05-04
Publisher:
HarperCollins
ISBN-10:
0002256029
ISBN-13:
9780002256025
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