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anna_hepworth's review
5.0
I love Biancotti's short stories - sparse, pointed, intricate, and yet somehow lush as well. The odd story I'd encountered before. Somehow, more than I had expected, especially given the original publication sources (other than one that I felt I knew intimately, which I eventually realised had been published in a magazine that I had done the layout/editing for).
I really loved the idea of being about endings - about the intimate failures, the apocalyptic disasters, the way the world changes. 'King of All and the Metal Sentinel' is possibly my favourite, 'The Razor Salesman' the most subtly horrible. But this is a collection where my opinions aren't fixed - the next read through, I expect I'll find a completely different story to call my favourite, and it, too, will be a beautifully crafted window into another world.
I really loved the idea of being about endings - about the intimate failures, the apocalyptic disasters, the way the world changes. 'King of All and the Metal Sentinel' is possibly my favourite, 'The Razor Salesman' the most subtly horrible. But this is a collection where my opinions aren't fixed - the next read through, I expect I'll find a completely different story to call my favourite, and it, too, will be a beautifully crafted window into another world.
khakipantsofsex's review
3.0
3.5 stars
Woo first book finished in 2016!
To be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of short stories, even though I've now read two collections of them in two weeks. They can be a bit hit or miss for me, and I prefer the slower detail of novels.
That being said, I did quite like this collection, and I will be looking out for more by Biancotti for sure. I like the calm, sometimes calculated, contemplation of 'ending' in each story. Some were thoughtful, some were innovative, and some were downright creepy.
Woo first book finished in 2016!
To be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of short stories, even though I've now read two collections of them in two weeks. They can be a bit hit or miss for me, and I prefer the slower detail of novels.
That being said, I did quite like this collection, and I will be looking out for more by Biancotti for sure. I like the calm, sometimes calculated, contemplation of 'ending' in each story. Some were thoughtful, some were innovative, and some were downright creepy.
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