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scuttlingclaws's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
djwudi's review against another edition
4.0
A really strong collection of short stories and one novella. I really enjoyed the way these slipped between the real and the fantastic, and between mundanity and surreal horror and humor.
I think my favorite story was “The Son’s War”, for its amusing and unexpected ties to a certain unnamed musical artist.
I think my favorite story was “The Son’s War”, for its amusing and unexpected ties to a certain unnamed musical artist.
falchionm's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, Violence, Torture, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Misogyny
nadinekc's review against another edition
5.0
Boy, did I hit the jackpot when I received an ARC of this book - it's such a thrill to discover an under-the-radar author with so much talent! I'm not his mother or his hostage, honest.
Cotman's stories have the same mix of the ordinary and fantastical as those of Karen Russell or Kelly Link, but are in no way derivative of them. His imagination and his voice are very much his own, and his writing feels effortless and perfect. The fantasy/speculative genre has long been the whitest of white spaces, and Cotman brings some much needed diversity in character and sensibility. Here's a taste, spoken through one of his church-lady characters (who happens to be immortal):
The stories are about 30-ish pages long (plus one superb novella), which gives Cotman the room to fully flesh out his worlds and characters. Each story is so different and so fascinating. My favorite is the novella-length story that gives the book it's title. It's about a small group of immortals who have established the Fruit of Jehovah Baptist Church in Pittsburgh, PA. They appear to be a bunch of black senior citizens, complete with church ladies in big hats and puttering deacons, but appearances are magically deceiving. (Note: they aren't beautiful gods under the skin or weird aliens - that would be way too easy and boring.) The plot alone is entertaining, but Cotman gives each of these characters a depth and poignancy that takes the story to a whole other level. My next favorite story, "Among the Zoologists" takes us to a zoology conference that's like an X-rated, S&M Lord of the Rings. Seriously. Other stories involve demonic possession in a middle school girls volleyball tournament, life in a Pittsburgh juvie, a steampunk-ish African fantasy, and a Dickensian story of orphans in an early 20th century city. Like I said, an imagination with no bounds. The cover of the ARC says Cotman is working on a novel. I can hardly wait.
Cotman's stories have the same mix of the ordinary and fantastical as those of Karen Russell or Kelly Link, but are in no way derivative of them. His imagination and his voice are very much his own, and his writing feels effortless and perfect. The fantasy/speculative genre has long been the whitest of white spaces, and Cotman brings some much needed diversity in character and sensibility. Here's a taste, spoken through one of his church-lady characters (who happens to be immortal):
"There was a time I was sad to be black. I would look around and all I saw was suffering. I would ask the powers, 'Why do they treat us so bad?' I hated the powers for what they had done. But I learned the pride. That I was of a people who could take all the hate and poison of this world, and laugh, and go dance on Saturday. And my brothers and sisters weren't just the ones I grew up with. Now I had many."
The stories are about 30-ish pages long (plus one superb novella), which gives Cotman the room to fully flesh out his worlds and characters. Each story is so different and so fascinating. My favorite is the novella-length story that gives the book it's title. It's about a small group of immortals who have established the Fruit of Jehovah Baptist Church in Pittsburgh, PA. They appear to be a bunch of black senior citizens, complete with church ladies in big hats and puttering deacons, but appearances are magically deceiving. (Note: they aren't beautiful gods under the skin or weird aliens - that would be way too easy and boring.) The plot alone is entertaining, but Cotman gives each of these characters a depth and poignancy that takes the story to a whole other level. My next favorite story, "Among the Zoologists" takes us to a zoology conference that's like an X-rated, S&M Lord of the Rings. Seriously. Other stories involve demonic possession in a middle school girls volleyball tournament, life in a Pittsburgh juvie, a steampunk-ish African fantasy, and a Dickensian story of orphans in an early 20th century city. Like I said, an imagination with no bounds. The cover of the ARC says Cotman is working on a novel. I can hardly wait.
lela's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is a really incredible collection, focusing on transformation, power, and identity. The range in both genre and voice that Cotman displays through these stories is remarkable: from magical realism to horror to epic fantasy to one story that is just so weird - he does so much, all with such impeccable writing.
I fell in love with his language on the first page and I am so excited to read more of Cotman's writing.
Dance on Saturday and Seven Watson's were my favorite stories
I fell in love with his language on the first page and I am so excited to read more of Cotman's writing.
Dance on Saturday and Seven Watson's were my favorite stories
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Sexual content
Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, and Death
kaybee435b2's review against another edition
4.0
(I received an advance reader copy of this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.) This is a great collection of speculative short fiction stories! Author Elwin Cotman has extraordinary gifts - an unbounded imagination, a fearless pen, and a personal capability to share both beautiful and terrible imagery. The six stories in this collection each have unique worlds (for me, best read and absorbed separately rather than in one sitting.) I loved the surprises and the slipstreams and the surreal elements - they seem to fit in with 'living in the weirds' of the summer of 2020 when the book will be published.
My favorite stories were 'Dance on Saturday' about a church with immortal congregants and life-extending fruit and 'Among the Zoologists' which is just crazy/profane/biological/dark/funny.
If you like the writing of Karen Russell, be sure to check out Elwin Cotman!
(My only negative - IMHO, not crazy about the cover art of the ARC that I gratefully received from LibraryThing Early Reviewers. Seems like there might another cover that could work, e.g. I would love to see an artist interpret that divine church of beautiful fruit.)
My favorite stories were 'Dance on Saturday' about a church with immortal congregants and life-extending fruit and 'Among the Zoologists' which is just crazy/profane/biological/dark/funny.
If you like the writing of Karen Russell, be sure to check out Elwin Cotman!
(My only negative - IMHO, not crazy about the cover art of the ARC that I gratefully received from LibraryThing Early Reviewers. Seems like there might another cover that could work, e.g. I would love to see an artist interpret that divine church of beautiful fruit.)
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