Book review: Artificial Things by Karen Joy Fowler

[kilroy]

Very rarely do I find a book of short stories that isn't a mixed bag. It's the nature of the beast- almost any collection will contain some brilliance and some flaws. Still, a well-done short story makes me happier than almost anything in fiction and I almost never throw away a book of short stories for that reason.

This appears to be the only solo collection by this author, whose name I had heard of in connection with other things. The first few stories show an absolutely deft hand at setting the stage and a complete inability to finish with any sort of closure. But as the book goes on the stories seem to even out somewhat, maintaining the same level of characterization but adding a little depth to the plot as opposed to leaving the audience trying to figure things out. I'd be extremely curious to see what this author does with a novel; it seems like it would suit her style very well.

Overall the stories were immersive both in terms of character and setting; it's easy to slip into the worlds and believe in the people. The author's style is understated and subtle, letting the reader draw inferences rather than pointing things out directly. She had a few insights that I'd never seen before as well, which is always pleasant. All the stories but one have a strong presence of women, most of whom are the central characters and/or the narrators; several address gender themes in a way that would be utterly impossible with male characters.

In short, it made me think. Really that's all I can ask.


Print date: 1986 (20s: 1, 60s: 1, 70s: 1, 80s: 2, 00s: 2)
Page count: 218 (2822 total)

Verdict: Keep. (3/7 keepers)

Next book due: Icefalcon's Quest by Barbara Hambly, 3/30/10