Edited by Stephen King
Another year, another Best American collection, again spectacular and, according to my inexpert view, likely deserving of its title. This collection is strong throughout and, though certain stories necessarily rise above others, all are worth at least a preliminary glance. A couple are inferior but all of the stories in this collection are at least interesting and will reward readers for their time and efforts. King's influence could be acutely felt throughout the collection, as it included several more fantastic stories not normally encountered in the "literary" pantheon, but his presence is not overbearing and the collection maintains an excellent balance between realism and fantasy. The stories in this collection have a broad range of focus and theme but all attempt to get at an underlying truth of the human condition, more often than not in brilliant and unforgettable ways.
Highlights of the collection include John Barth's "Toga Party", which brilliantly sketches the slow decline of old age and a far more responsible approach to it than many would expect. The story is dreary but somehow celebrates life at the same time. William Gay's "Where Will You Go When Your Skin Cannot Contain You?" is a terrific, although slightly confused, portrait of an unsympathetic ruffian who becomes utterly tragic. The story hits all at once in its last final lines, a summation that does the story justice by making the plainly obvious absolutely inescapable. In doing so, it avoids the curse of many overbearing authors and moves the story to a higher plane. "Sans Farine" by Jim Shepard, "Wake" by Beverly Jensen, and "Findings & Impressions" by Stellar Kim all impress as well, taking the extraordinary and making it normal, with unforgettable characters and interesting new perspectives on seemingly routine events. "The Boy in Zaquitos" is undoubtedly present due to King's intervention (coming from The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction) but should be read by anyone and everyone willing to believe in the horrors of globalization and the terrible toll espionage can take on its agents. The absolute best story in the collection, however, is Roy Kesey's "Wait", at once moving and uproariously hilarious. I laughed out loud throughout the entire story as a normal delayed flight scenario degenerates into all-out civil war and meteoric destruction. Just when the doomed passengers seem to find some release, some hope of departure, a new and unexpected delay strikes; the story follows this simple formula yet somehow it never gets old. Kesey's unlimited imagination and careful balance of raw emotions with fantastic events create an incredibly hilarious but insightful story. This collection contains more gems than an ordinary short story collection should, with its good stories undoubtedly the cream of the crop and its mediocre offerings still a cut above the rest.
Grade: A
Highlights of the collection include John Barth's "Toga Party", which brilliantly sketches the slow decline of old age and a far more responsible approach to it than many would expect. The story is dreary but somehow celebrates life at the same time. William Gay's "Where Will You Go When Your Skin Cannot Contain You?" is a terrific, although slightly confused, portrait of an unsympathetic ruffian who becomes utterly tragic. The story hits all at once in its last final lines, a summation that does the story justice by making the plainly obvious absolutely inescapable. In doing so, it avoids the curse of many overbearing authors and moves the story to a higher plane. "Sans Farine" by Jim Shepard, "Wake" by Beverly Jensen, and "Findings & Impressions" by Stellar Kim all impress as well, taking the extraordinary and making it normal, with unforgettable characters and interesting new perspectives on seemingly routine events. "The Boy in Zaquitos" is undoubtedly present due to King's intervention (coming from The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction) but should be read by anyone and everyone willing to believe in the horrors of globalization and the terrible toll espionage can take on its agents. The absolute best story in the collection, however, is Roy Kesey's "Wait", at once moving and uproariously hilarious. I laughed out loud throughout the entire story as a normal delayed flight scenario degenerates into all-out civil war and meteoric destruction. Just when the doomed passengers seem to find some release, some hope of departure, a new and unexpected delay strikes; the story follows this simple formula yet somehow it never gets old. Kesey's unlimited imagination and careful balance of raw emotions with fantastic events create an incredibly hilarious but insightful story. This collection contains more gems than an ordinary short story collection should, with its good stories undoubtedly the cream of the crop and its mediocre offerings still a cut above the rest.
Grade: A
No comments:
Post a Comment