I’ve been reading Scott McClanahan’s work for a long time — long enough to know that Fights!, his new novel, is not his first book with an exclamation mark in the title. (That would be Stories V!.) But there’s also something about Fights! that made reading it substantially different from the experience of reading McClanahan’s other work. And maybe that’s why I’m writing this, which is less of a review and more a case of me figuring things out using […]
A Technologist’s Nightmare: On Paul Tremblay’s “Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep”
From reading the first fifty or so pages, a reader might be left with two key impressions of Paul Tremblay’s novel Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep. The first is that it represents something of a return to Tremblay’s crime-fiction roots, albeit with a science fiction twist; the second is that, as the title suggests, it’s an homage to Philip K. Dick. Both are true, up to a point, but this book also represents something of a genre-straddling sleight of hand.
Afternoon Bites: Play Time’s Debut, Henry Bean Fiction, Revisiting William Hope Hodgson, and More
In our afternoon reading: thoughts on Play Time’s new album, fiction from Henry Bean, and more.
Watching the Stars, by Hard Ways: An Interview With DW Ardern
There’s a kind of transcendental experience to be had while watching the skies; there’s also a lot of isolation that comes along with it. In his new book Master of Starlight, DW Ardern tells the story of Olivier, an astronomer who calls a Moroccan hotel home. Gradually, Ardern reveals the reasons for Olivier’s de facto exile at the same time as two important figures from his past re-enter his life. It’s an evocative, unpredictable character study, and I sat down with Ardern over coffee to learn more about it.
Brad Neely on “Creased Comics” and the World of Absurdism
Brad Neely’s body of work encompasses everything from absurdist comic books to a revisionist take on a certain early president; he’s also written about the life of Ulysses S. Grant. His latest book, Creased Comics, encompasses decades of his work; in the pages within, readers will find everything from feral leprecauns to an especially enthusiastic shark. I spoke with Neely about a range of topics, from Arkansas punk to his fondness for history.
Morning Bites: “Assorted Crisis Events” Reviewed, Not David Markson, Pondering Soccer, and More
In our morning reading: thoughts on “Assorted Crisis Events,” good reading on soccer, and more.
Everyday Nightmares: Charlene Elsby on “Poor Damned Souls”
So I sat down with Charlene Elsby‘s Poor Damned Souls one evening and found myself reading a book about a relationship about to collapse. That quickly turned into something much bleaker, which evolved into a scenario that left me wondering how much worse things could get. It’s transgressive fiction at its best, and I chatted with Elsby to learn more about this book’s genesis.
Mark Russell on Unearthing “The Forgotten Divine”
You might know writer Mark Russell‘s comics work through his Second Coming, which riffs on both divinity and superheroes; or through his reimagining of The Flintstones for DC Comics. His latest book, The Forgotten Divine, is a collaboration with artist Russ Braun, and tells the story of Rodney, a traumatized veteran who begins having visions of another world.