The Great Short-Story Collection Purge, Parts 14 & 15

The Great Short-Story Collection Purge has been on hiatus for quite a few months, but with all my recent book purchases, I believe its return is inevitable. For those of you new to The Purge, I'm reading at least one story from every unread short story collection (but not anthologies) I own. After reading a story or two, I'll decide whether to keep it or purge it. So here we go with Parts 14 & 15:



The Avram Davidson Treasury: A Tribute Collection (1998) - Avram Davidson

I picked up this collection and the one below at a library sale a few years ago, both library discards. I had only heard of Davidson, but what I'd heard was stellar: smart, humorous, literate, wildly creative, cranky, imaginative... the list continues. I read the first two stories from this collection, "My Boy Friend's Name is Jello" and "The Golem," both of which confirm all of the above attributes. The stories contain excellent writing, a sharp wit and a bit of a sting (in a good way). The volume also features introductions and afterwords by some pretty heavy-hitters in speculative fiction, among them Ray Bradbury, Harlan Ellison, Robert Silverberg, Poul Anderson, John Clute, Peter S. Beagle, Ursula K. Le Guin, Michael Swanwick, Lucius Shepard and many more.

The Verdict = Keep it.



The Other Nineteenth Century (2001) - Avram Davidson

Focusing on historical tales of the fantastic, The Other Nineteenth Century contains stories from the 1970s and 80s, several of which appeared in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine or Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, although many appeared in F&SF and Asimov's. So far I've only read one story from this collection, "The Singular Incident of the Dog on the Beach," which was, as I expected, well-crafted, clever and enjoyable. I'll read at least one more before making a final decision, but I'll probably stick with The Avram Davidson Treasury and see how it strikes me first. If I like it, I'll seek out The Other Nineteenth Century.

The Verdict = Purge it.

The Great Short-Story Collection Purge, Parts 12 & 13

After a brief season away from short story collections, I'm back with two for your consideration (and my possible purging). So here we go....


Fancies and Goodnights (2003) - John Collier

This collection of fifty short stories, ranging from 1931-1951, begins with an introduction by Ray Bradbury. Since he knows far more about Collier than I do, I'll let Ray take over for a minute or two:

What kind of short-story writer is John Collier? His work exists in a world somewhat similar to those of P.G. Wodehouse and his Jeeves, Saki, and Thorne Smith, author of Topper.

Looking at his books this late in time you could say that Collier stands out because he is neither politically correct or politically incorrect. Between his stories and politics there is a complete disconnect.... It is a world where anything can happen and always does.

Fifteen of Collier's stories were adapted and filmed for Alfred Hitchcock Presents. One ("The Chaser") was adapted as a Twilight Zone episode. The stories I read were light, humorous, a bit twisted, clever and briefly satisfying. But I forgot them very quickly, not thinking about them again until I began writing this post.

The Verdict = Keep it for now; probably purge after reading.



The Haunted Hotel & Other Stories - Wilkie Collins

Collins (1824-1889) is best known for The Woman in White and what many consider one of the finest early detective novels, The Moonstone. I picked up this Wordsworth edition a few years back at a Half Price Books store and thought it looked good. (Wordsworth editions are printed on cheap paper, but don't cost much.) At the time they had just come out with a "Tales of Mystery & The Supernatural" line which includes collections by Poe, Stoker, M.R. James and others.

The title story is probably the selling point for this collection, but at 150 pages, I decided to skip it and read "The Devil's Spectacles," a tale that, according to the collection's introduction, Collins refused to see published in book form during his lifetime. Hmmmm.... Maybe because it's practically two stories. In the first half, the dying servant of a wealthy young man confesses that he was once a cannibal. As he dies, the old man passes on a pair of spectacles to the young man, the devil's spectacles that will allow those who wear them access to the hearts and souls of those viewed with them. The second half is much lighter and not nearly as satisfying as the story's opening. Still a fun story. When I have a longer stretch of time, I'll read the title story and make my decision.

The Verdict = Keep until I've read the title story, then decide.

Next: The Avram Davidson Treasury

The Great Short-Story Collection Purge, Part 11

Werewolves in Their Youth: Stories (1999) - Michael Chabon

I bought this collection from a Salvation Army store about a year ago, just a few months after I'd finished Chabon's The Yiddish Policemen's Union, one of my favorite reads from 2007. Of course this collection sat on the shelf for an entire year before I picked it up a couple of days ago as part of The Great Short-Story Collection Purge, which, as John correctly points out, hasn't purged quite as many books as I (or Cindy) would like.

But I digress.

The collection opens with the title story which shows a boy named Paul creating an ant empire in a ravine at the edge of a schoolyard during recess. Paul is content to stay there while fifth-grade bully Timothy Stokes terrorizes his classmates. Timothy is on thin ice, just one incident away from being placed on a "little bus of unknown boys" to be taken to a "special" school. The adults in the story believe that Paul can actually help control Timothy's behavior. It matters not to any of the adults that Paul despises Timothy.

Of course there's far more going on here than an excitable fifth-grader and a sheepish, overweight loner. The problems in the adult world soon make themselves known to us and Paul. I enjoyed "Werewolves in Their Youth," but didn't really think about again until this post. Hmmm.....

"In the Black Mill" is a creepy little story of a student archaeologist working on a dig in a small Pennsylvania mill town. He discovers that many of the locals have lost an assortment of body parts while working in the mill and decides to investigate. "In the Black Mill" seems something of an homage to the early days of magazines like Weird Tales and as such, works well. But Chabon is such a gifted writer (It would take me months to construct sentences he probably puts down without a second thought.), reading him is sometimes frustrating. He writes beautiful sentences, gorgeous sentences, but I found his immense vocabulary getting in the way. Perhaps it's my lack of an immense vocabulary getting in the way.

Although both of these are satisfying stories, I doubt if I'll revisit them, leading me to wonder if Chabon's best work is in the long form. Or maybe I'm just a chowder-head.

The Verdict = Finish it, then pass it on.

Next: Fancies and Goodnights - John Collier

The Great Short-Story Collection Purge, Part 10

Ghosts of Yesterday (2003) - Jack Cady

I can't be positive, but I'm pretty sure I'd never read any Jack Cady stories before this morning. So why do I own this collection? I'm pretty sure my friend Kelly recommended it awhile back and I found it as a library discard. Looking at the story publication history, I noticed that eight of them appear in this collection for the first time, so I decided to read the first story that had been previously published, "Weird Row."

The narrator, a guy named Pork and a woman named Victoria work at a kind of book distribution center in Reno, NV. I don't know how, but in a little over seven pages, Cady managed not only to flesh out three characters I cared about, but also create a believable Reno, make me laugh, make me sad, and think about the big, big picture. It's a story full of humanity. That's just one story, but if there's even the chance that Cady can repeat that in just one of the remaining twelve stories, count me in.

The Verdict = Keep It.

Next: Werewolves in Their Youth: Stories - Michael Chabon

The Great Short-Story Collection Purge, Part 9

Patterns (1989) - Pat Cadigan

I bought this trade paperback collection for a buck at Daedalus Books several years ago. Since then, I've handled the book, flipped through it, considered the "Locus Award-Winning Collection" announcement on its cover, and wondered whether to read it or toss it unread. It is, after all, a collection that's now 20 years old. Add to the fact that everyone seems to refer to these stories as pre-Cyberpunk (whatever that means) and the technology in them is now as ancient as your VCR, you might think it needs to go into the donations pile.

Big mistake.

I read the title story and after the first short paragraph, I thought I knew where it was going:

I have this continuing fantasy of assassinating the President. Any President.

I was wrong. Not only was I wrong, I was entertained and made to think.

Then I read "Vengeance Is Yours." From the opening in a bar with a woman ordering a drink that doesn't even exist, I was captivated. I didn't know where Cadigan was taking me, but I was pulled in. After the first couple of pages, I again thought I knew where we were going, but was wrong. Pleasantly wrong. Everything about this story worked for me: character, atmosphere, description, tone, surprise and wonder.

Why did I wait so long to pick up this collection?

The Verdict = Keep It.

Next: Ghosts of Yesterday - Jack Cady

The Great Short-Story Collection Purge, Part 8

From These Ashes: The Complete Short SF of Fredric Brown

Brown is one of the few writers comfortable in writing both science fiction and mystery fiction. His works are filled with wit, satire, absurdity and fun. I'd read several of these stories long ago and took another look at a few of them yesterday. Understand that these stories were penned between 1941 and 1965. I know this makes me a Philistine, but other than Theodore Sturgeon, I just don't read much from that period in sf anymore. (Fantasy, yes; horror, yes; sf, no.) I enjoyed the stories I read, but quickly realized this is not a volume I'll sit down and read straight through. Still, there are some great stories here. On the other hand, the volume takes up at lot of shelf space at nearly 700 pages. Hmmmm....

The Verdict = I'll keep it for now.

Next: Patterns - Pat Cadigan

The Great Short-Story Collection Purge, Part 7

In for a Penny: Stories (2003) - James Blaylock

I've had this ex-library signed limited edition sitting patiently on the shelves for probably three or four years. The cover depicts a man of possibly the late nineteenth-century in his library, leaning on a stack of books (no doubt his "To Read" pile), absorbing a volume illuminated by streaks of sunlight invading the room. It's a very nostalgic scene.

The first two stories from In for a Penny also struck me as rather nostalgic, not so much because of their setting, but rather their style. Blaylock reminds me a bit of Bradbury, who can also be nostalgic. Although not stated as such, these stories could be from another era. They feel like they're from another time. (And that's a compliment.) The two stories also have a sort of Twilight Zone-ish flavor. I can't really say why, although the second story, "The War of the Worlds" does have a bit of a twist ending, a frequent TZ device. Like many Zone episodes, however, you can pretty much tell where the ending is headed. Yet that doesn't take anything away from the story. It's a good story (although I think it goes on for a little too long). So is the opening tale, "The Other Side," about a man with limited precognitive abilities who becomes obsessed with his powers.

Yet these are stories I probably will not revisit. Plus I already have several representations of Blaylock's work in anthologies (which also need to be weeded through). So, I'm afraid that for this one....

The Verdict = Purge It.

Next: From These Ashes: The Complete Short SF of Fredric Brown

The Great Short-Story Collection Purge, Part 6

Best Ghost Stories of Algernon Blackwood

Many have named "The Willows," the first story in this collection, as one of the best supernatural stories of all time. After reading it, it's hard to argue with such a statement. It's the story (actually a novella, about 50 pages long) of two men sailing down the Danube River who become trapped on a small island due to a flood. Weirdness ensues: sounds emanate from no discernible direction, willows move with no wind present, things disappear from the camp. Did I mention that the island is eroding? Quickly?

You wouldn't think Blackwood could sustain the feelings of unease and terror over 50 pages, but he does. You can find the complete text of "The Willows" online, but after reading this first story, I'm definitely keeping this collection

The Verdict = Keep It

Next: In for A Penny - James P. Blaylock

The Great Short-Story Collection Purge, Part 5

Greetings and Other Stories (2005) - Terry Bisson

If you're into sf or fantasy, you've probably read Bisson somewhere along the way. His short story "Bears Discover Fire" (which is not in this collection) is considered a modern classic and rightfully so. Bisson has a way of doing (at least) three things really well: His writing is deceptively simple, which makes the first read a pleasure and subsequent reads practically revelatory. Many of his stories are laugh-out-loud (sorry: LOL) funny. But I think the thing I like best about Bisson is his ability to deliver a knockout punch of emotional weight and depth. And he can do all three at once.

"I Saw the Light" is a first contact story, but one so touching you almost want to weep at the end. The second, "Death's Door" is a variation of the old "Death Takes a Holiday" story. Again, deceptively simple, humor, emotion. I wish I knew how he does it. But I'm glad he does.

The Verdict = Keep It

The Great Short-Story Collection Purge, Part 4

Virtual Unrealities: The Short Fiction of Alfred Bester

Bester is responsible for two cornerstones of classic Science Fiction: The Demolished Man and The Stars, My Destination, both of which are now over 50 years old. Age isn't necessarily a bad thing. The impact and quality of these novels cannot be denied. I've read and enjoyed them greatly. Yet I'm not so taken with Bester's short fiction and I can't really explain why.

I read the opening story, "Disappearing Act," and thought it was (like all Bester stories) well-written, clever and humorous. I started a second story (also clever and well-written) I'd never read, but didn't finish it. Some of Bester's short fiction I already have in other anthologies, especially "Fondly Fahrenheit." Good, innovative stuff, but I'm not convinced this is a collection I'll want to keep.

The Verdict = Purge It.

The Great Short-Story Collection Purge, Part 3

Collected Stories - Saul Bellow

I read the first story in this collection, "By the St. Lawrence," and am not sure at what point my mouth dropped open. It's a story of a man very near the end of his life as he reflects on his family and the things that he thought were important. Plot-wise not a lot happens, but the way Bellow paints this character as so out-of-time and out-of-place is amazing. I'm astonished at his sentence structure, his pacing, just about everything. And this was originally an unpublished story.

The Verdict = Keep It.

The Great Short-Story Collection Purge, Part 2

Where You'll Find Me and Other Stories (1986) - Ann Beattie

I'm not sure if all the stories in this collection (or in Beattie's work as a whole) center around middle-class suburbanites trying to find normalcy in a world full of pain and disappointment (or maybe disillusionment), but these first two stories, "In the White Night" and "Snow" certainly do. Both stories (both well-written) originally appeared in 1983, which seems a lifetime ago, and while a bit dated, are still effective.

The Verdict = I'll keep it, but will probably pass it on when I'm finished.

The Great Short-Story Collection Purge, Part 1

Sixty Stories - Donald Barthelme

I started my Great Short-Story Collection Purge (see yesterday's entry) with Barthelme, reading the first two stories, "Margins" and "A Shower of Gold." Unusual. Wacky. Funny. Twisted. I have a feeling that no two of these sixty stories are alike, but are all quirky, humorous snapshots of the culture. This from the back of the cover wrap:

With these audacious and murderously witty stories, Donald Barthelme threw the preoccupations of our time into the literary equivalent of a Cuisinart and served up a gorgeous salad of American culture, high and low. Here are urban upheavals reimagined as frontier myth; travelogues through countries that might have been created by Kafka; cryptic dialogues that bore down to the bedrock of our longings, dreams, and angsts. Like all of Donald Barthelme's work, the sixty stories collected in this volume are triumphs of language and perception, at once unsettling and irresistible.

And then some.

The Verdict = Keep it.