A review by mlklein1
Out of the Ruins by Preston Grassmann
4.0
I was very excited when I heard last year about the coming of this book. First of all: apocalypse, - yes. Second, [a:China Miéville|33918|China Miéville|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1243988363p2/33918.jpg], for sure. And [a:Emily St. John Mandel|2786093|Emily St. John Mandel|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1576606299p2/2786093.jpg] - hell yes!
The collection of 19 stories and 2 poems, most by authors with whom I was not familiar, was, excellent, amusing, confusing, and impenetrable in spots.
Favorites included Ms. Mandel's "Mr. Thursday;" "Inventory" by [a:Carmen Maria Machado|6860265|Carmen Maria Machado|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1461618720p2/6860265.jpg]; "The Green Caravanserai" by [a:Lavie Tidhar|572738|Lavie Tidhar|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1369652429p2/572738.jpg]; and "The Rise and Fall of Whistle-Pig City" by [a:Paul Di Fillippo|18692616|Paul Di Fillippo|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png].
I enjoyed several others and abandoned only one.
More than one story was written in 2nd person - something you don't see very often, in part because it is difficult to maintain the illusion and stay connected with the reader. Short stories and speculative, weird ones at that, provide a better than normal shot at pulling it off. [a:Nick Mamatas|193861|Nick Mamatas|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1380393331p2/193861.jpg] does just that with "The Man You Flee at Parties."
All in all, some fun stories and new authors to track.
The collection of 19 stories and 2 poems, most by authors with whom I was not familiar, was, excellent, amusing, confusing, and impenetrable in spots.
Favorites included Ms. Mandel's "Mr. Thursday;" "Inventory" by [a:Carmen Maria Machado|6860265|Carmen Maria Machado|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1461618720p2/6860265.jpg]; "The Green Caravanserai" by [a:Lavie Tidhar|572738|Lavie Tidhar|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1369652429p2/572738.jpg]; and "The Rise and Fall of Whistle-Pig City" by [a:Paul Di Fillippo|18692616|Paul Di Fillippo|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png].
I enjoyed several others and abandoned only one.
More than one story was written in 2nd person - something you don't see very often, in part because it is difficult to maintain the illusion and stay connected with the reader. Short stories and speculative, weird ones at that, provide a better than normal shot at pulling it off. [a:Nick Mamatas|193861|Nick Mamatas|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1380393331p2/193861.jpg] does just that with "The Man You Flee at Parties."
All in all, some fun stories and new authors to track.