A review by tdstorm
Love and Hydrogen: New and Selected Stories by Jim Shepard
4.0
This collection was a mixed bag for me. Shepherd's genre of choice seems to be re-imagined historical fiction. The title story, a case in point, tells of two gay lovers employed aboard the Hindenburg. "Won't Get Fooled Again," tells the story of the rock band The Who from the perspective of John Entwhistle, the bass player. "Descent into Perpetual Night" tells of William Beebe, naturalist and explorer and one of the guys who took the first deep-sea dives in the bathysphere. The list goes on. At least half of the stories in this collection have a basis in some nonfictional event or person.
Shepherd is very good at this historical fiction, but more to my taste are stories like "Creature from the Black Lagoon," which takes the pov of an ancient marine sleestak-like creature who stalks a group of explorers who enter his lagoon. I also enjoyed "Runway" and "The Gun Lobby," both of which reminded me of Ron Carlson's writing, told as they are with such humor and absurdity.
Shepherd is very good at this historical fiction, but more to my taste are stories like "Creature from the Black Lagoon," which takes the pov of an ancient marine sleestak-like creature who stalks a group of explorers who enter his lagoon. I also enjoyed "Runway" and "The Gun Lobby," both of which reminded me of Ron Carlson's writing, told as they are with such humor and absurdity.