A review by anthonyk
False Bingo: Stories, by Jac Jemc

2.0

This is my first foray into Jac Jemc's writing. Her second collection clocks in at a little over 200 pages and consists of twenty (yes, twenty!) short stories. Meaning, a lot of these stories are incredibly short, most only a few pages, with the longest story sandwiched in the middle at around twenty or so pages. This collection was a disappointment as I had high expectations after seeing glowing reviews by people I trust, and from magazines I trust. The stories here are very quiet without being disquieting, the threat or the sense of unease or unsettlement is either nonexistent, or the thing causing it is never seen on page or is hinted at, but just barely. These stories to me were too short for me to feel anything: dread, disgust, horror, shock, sadness, despair, anything. A collection filled with mostly misses for me. Read this if you enjoy very short, quiet stories about people leading mundane lives.

Favorite stories: Delivery, Get Back, Manifest, Default, Trivial Pursuit