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The Gay Times Book of Short Stories: New Century, New Writing by Paul McVeigh, P.P. Hartnett
zefrog's review
3.0
In his rather forcefully opinionated introduction to the book, the editor, P-P Hartnett, talking about gay literary output until the publication of his tome, asks "where was the quality control?", before having a go at "all that over-rated professionalised product by self-serving heavyweight homos such as Alan Hollinghurst, Patrick Gale and Neil bleedin' Bartlett." (why am I tempted to think that those three were approached and declined to submit work to the book?)
Based on those two quotes (and the rest of the introduction), you'd be forgiven to expect a selection of writing of the very highest quality. Although your hopes might shrink slightly in the wash when reading that the editor drew from "seven hundred and eighteen submission in all, from writers of various talents and intents [...] from all over the UK and Republic of Ireland, ultra-literary at one extreme to post-literate at the other."
Most of the stories are ok, although many are a little inconclusive for my liking (such as for example New Blade by Craig Metphert), but there are also, unfortunately, a few clangers that seriously undermine the claims of quality made by Hartnett. Possibly the worst example of this would be Millennium Bug Carry-Oot by Chris Ferguson, which is written to reproduce a Scottish accent. The story is prefaced by line alerting the reader to the presence of a glossary at the end, which they "might find useful". I tried but had to give up on this one. The style in Hartnett's own effort First a Boy, Then a Man felt a little off. The sentences did not quite flow for me and, although the premise was rather interesting, by the end I was left uncertain as to what point he was trying to make.
Thankfully there are also some entertaining, fun and thoughful pieces, such as those by Michael Arditti and Rupert Smith, which help redress the balance... slightly.
So a mixed bag really, which certainly doesn't live up to the claims made in the introduction.
Based on those two quotes (and the rest of the introduction), you'd be forgiven to expect a selection of writing of the very highest quality. Although your hopes might shrink slightly in the wash when reading that the editor drew from "seven hundred and eighteen submission in all, from writers of various talents and intents [...] from all over the UK and Republic of Ireland, ultra-literary at one extreme to post-literate at the other."
Most of the stories are ok, although many are a little inconclusive for my liking (such as for example New Blade by Craig Metphert), but there are also, unfortunately, a few clangers that seriously undermine the claims of quality made by Hartnett. Possibly the worst example of this would be Millennium Bug Carry-Oot by Chris Ferguson, which is written to reproduce a Scottish accent. The story is prefaced by line alerting the reader to the presence of a glossary at the end, which they "might find useful". I tried but had to give up on this one. The style in Hartnett's own effort First a Boy, Then a Man felt a little off. The sentences did not quite flow for me and, although the premise was rather interesting, by the end I was left uncertain as to what point he was trying to make.
Thankfully there are also some entertaining, fun and thoughful pieces, such as those by Michael Arditti and Rupert Smith, which help redress the balance... slightly.
So a mixed bag really, which certainly doesn't live up to the claims made in the introduction.
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