charleslambert's review
5.0
The fact that this exceptionally fine anthology of short fiction contains a story of mine has nothing to do with my giving it five stars. Obviously.
joecam79's review
4.0
3.5*
Having subscribed to “The Fiction Desk” anthologies some months back and been favourably impressed by the volume received so far ([b:Long Grey Beard and Glittering Eye|26631861|Long Grey Beard and Glittering Eye|Rob Redman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442522568s/26631861.jpg|46666425]– my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1429658489 ), I found it interesting to read (in ebook version) the first issue in the series – “Various Authors”. What struck me was that from its very first outing, some of the defining characteristic of the series were already firmly established.
First of all, Fiction Desk anthologies showcase upcoming authors who have yet to make it big on the contemporary literary scene. This does not imply that there is any dearth of talent and experience here. Indeed, one of the featured authors already had two novels under his belt; others, although new to the short story genre, had worked as screen and scriptwriters. All of them deserve to be better known.
Another element is that the emphasis is on narrative, avoiding experimentation for the mere sake of it. Again, this requirement does not seem to hamper the imaginations of the featured authors. Whilst several of the offerings are rooted in reality (slices of gritty urban life in “Two Buses Away” by Lynsey May and, up to a point, “Crannock Place” by Ben Lyle), there are also more offbeat contributions. Jon Wallace’s “Rex”, for instance, is a surreal tale redolent of Bulgakov, where a professional actor is hired to impersonate a dog with increasingly dark but hilarious consequences. Ben Cheetham’s “Sometimes the Only Way is Out” is an episodic, almost Dickensian story about a boy who escapes from his troubled home to seek his father. “Celia and Harrod” by Patrick Whittaker is a weird piece of, well, weird fiction whilst “A Covering of Leaves” by Danny Rhodes, like the best of supernatural tales, leaves us in doubt whether the otherwordly elements are all in the mind of the protagonist. (Incidentally, ghost stories would eventually become a major part of the “Fiction Desk” series, with anthologies specifically dedicated to the genre).
Of the rest of the stories featured, I would single out “All I want” by Charles Lambert. Two young men teaching English to adults in Italy are invited to spend a few days at a seaside resort with the family of one of their students. Nothing much happens in the story, but the tensions between the characters are exquisitely conveyed. The prose is suggestive, leaving a lot to the reader’s imagination, and the sense of ennui bothering the young Italian family reminded me of the atmosphere which permeates the movies of Sorrentino or Ozpetek.
Do give this anthology a try! It’s still available to download for free here: http://www.thefictiondesk.com/anthologies/various-authors.php
Having subscribed to “The Fiction Desk” anthologies some months back and been favourably impressed by the volume received so far ([b:Long Grey Beard and Glittering Eye|26631861|Long Grey Beard and Glittering Eye|Rob Redman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442522568s/26631861.jpg|46666425]– my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1429658489 ), I found it interesting to read (in ebook version) the first issue in the series – “Various Authors”. What struck me was that from its very first outing, some of the defining characteristic of the series were already firmly established.
First of all, Fiction Desk anthologies showcase upcoming authors who have yet to make it big on the contemporary literary scene. This does not imply that there is any dearth of talent and experience here. Indeed, one of the featured authors already had two novels under his belt; others, although new to the short story genre, had worked as screen and scriptwriters. All of them deserve to be better known.
Another element is that the emphasis is on narrative, avoiding experimentation for the mere sake of it. Again, this requirement does not seem to hamper the imaginations of the featured authors. Whilst several of the offerings are rooted in reality (slices of gritty urban life in “Two Buses Away” by Lynsey May and, up to a point, “Crannock Place” by Ben Lyle), there are also more offbeat contributions. Jon Wallace’s “Rex”, for instance, is a surreal tale redolent of Bulgakov, where a professional actor is hired to impersonate a dog with increasingly dark but hilarious consequences. Ben Cheetham’s “Sometimes the Only Way is Out” is an episodic, almost Dickensian story about a boy who escapes from his troubled home to seek his father. “Celia and Harrod” by Patrick Whittaker is a weird piece of, well, weird fiction whilst “A Covering of Leaves” by Danny Rhodes, like the best of supernatural tales, leaves us in doubt whether the otherwordly elements are all in the mind of the protagonist. (Incidentally, ghost stories would eventually become a major part of the “Fiction Desk” series, with anthologies specifically dedicated to the genre).
Of the rest of the stories featured, I would single out “All I want” by Charles Lambert. Two young men teaching English to adults in Italy are invited to spend a few days at a seaside resort with the family of one of their students. Nothing much happens in the story, but the tensions between the characters are exquisitely conveyed. The prose is suggestive, leaving a lot to the reader’s imagination, and the sense of ennui bothering the young Italian family reminded me of the atmosphere which permeates the movies of Sorrentino or Ozpetek.
Do give this anthology a try! It’s still available to download for free here: http://www.thefictiondesk.com/anthologies/various-authors.php
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