Scan barcode
A review by mattquann
The 2016 Short Story Advent Calendar by Michael Hingston
5.0
A Collection for Every Goodreadian
You’ve seen your friends imbibe on their Craft Beer Advent Calendar, the Scotch Tasting Calendar, and perhaps you yourself had indulged in the waxiest of chocolates as a child. But for the reader, what is there but to wait until Christmas morning?
Goodreadians, I bring you a holiday treat made especially for human beings just like you and I.
I happened upon The 2016 Short Story Advent Calendar when it appeared on my Facebook feed in mid-November amidst the normal deluge of unremarkable ephemera. Could it be true? Was there truly a calendar that provided a daily story in place of the aforementioned substandard chocolate? Indeed, dear Goodreadians, it was all that it appeared to be and more.
Thus, when my attractively packaged collection arrived just as December was about to begin, I waited with bated breath to pop open the first story and begin 25 days of reading. The first story was a laugh-out-loud tale of a university hunger strike, but I was soon treated to a serious story on adultery, a structurally playful tale, absurd sci-fi, alt-history, mob story, and every other imaginable type of story. There is more variety than you’d get in an anthology as The 2016 Short Story Advent Calendar follows no template. The writing style, too, is always changing and is an exciting tour of different voices in modern literature. I never knew what to expect from the collection, and its astounding variety perhaps its greatest strength.
Another fantastic feature is the interactive community and interviews posted at shortstoryadventcalendar.com. Every day there were a standard set of questions asked to the author of that day’s story that helped to unveil the author’s thought pattern behind a story, as well as meditations on the short story form itself. Barring deceased authors who contribute to the collection (RIP Arthur Conan Doyle), there was always something to help expand on the story I had just read. What’s more, this was a great way to discover a slew of new authors whose work I would never had encountered otherwise. I found this to be an exceedingly fun way to interact with the literature.
I had worried that the stories might be too long and I wouldn’t be able to fit in time to read them amidst a busy end-of-year schedule. I had little reason to worry as the stories were always manageable. Indeed, the collection’s curator, Michael Hingston, aimed for the stories to be consumed in the morning or evening over a cup of coffee. Most often, I would brew myself a strong cup and sit down to the day’s reading as instructed. For those looking to quantify, the stories ranged between 5-30 pages, but I would estimate an average of 15 pages per story.
The only prohibitive factor in acquiring the collection was its cost. At $70 Canadian once the shipping was selected, it is not a cheap indulgence. However, I easily convinced myself that I was due for a small treat for a year of hard work (surprising how easily I can do that when reading is involved). Goodreadians, I’ll say wholeheartedly that this was money well spent. Each of the stories are individually bound in an attractive green booklet held together with choice white staples. All 25 stories are encased in a slipcase that would fit in well with your holiday regalia. Though the books all share a template, each one is individualized to represent the given story. It was a pleasure to examine the sealed booklet and try to imagine what the story would be about by its graphic representation alone. Aesthetically, the collection nails it.
Folks, The 2016 Short Story Advent Calendar is a hoot and a half. It’s the exact sort of thing that you folk would love. Don’t celebrate Christmas? No worries! This is a secular set of stories whose ties to Christmas are through the spirit of charity rather than adherence to Christian morality. Though I first balked at the price, The 2016 Short Story Advent Calendar more than justified its cost by the joy I received each day from breaking the plastic seal and delving into a new story. So, when 2017 rolls around, be sure to invest in this excellent collection, I know you guys are going to love it!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all my friends on Goodreads!
You’ve seen your friends imbibe on their Craft Beer Advent Calendar, the Scotch Tasting Calendar, and perhaps you yourself had indulged in the waxiest of chocolates as a child. But for the reader, what is there but to wait until Christmas morning?
Goodreadians, I bring you a holiday treat made especially for human beings just like you and I.
I happened upon The 2016 Short Story Advent Calendar when it appeared on my Facebook feed in mid-November amidst the normal deluge of unremarkable ephemera. Could it be true? Was there truly a calendar that provided a daily story in place of the aforementioned substandard chocolate? Indeed, dear Goodreadians, it was all that it appeared to be and more.
Thus, when my attractively packaged collection arrived just as December was about to begin, I waited with bated breath to pop open the first story and begin 25 days of reading. The first story was a laugh-out-loud tale of a university hunger strike, but I was soon treated to a serious story on adultery, a structurally playful tale, absurd sci-fi, alt-history, mob story, and every other imaginable type of story. There is more variety than you’d get in an anthology as The 2016 Short Story Advent Calendar follows no template. The writing style, too, is always changing and is an exciting tour of different voices in modern literature. I never knew what to expect from the collection, and its astounding variety perhaps its greatest strength.
Another fantastic feature is the interactive community and interviews posted at shortstoryadventcalendar.com. Every day there were a standard set of questions asked to the author of that day’s story that helped to unveil the author’s thought pattern behind a story, as well as meditations on the short story form itself. Barring deceased authors who contribute to the collection (RIP Arthur Conan Doyle), there was always something to help expand on the story I had just read. What’s more, this was a great way to discover a slew of new authors whose work I would never had encountered otherwise. I found this to be an exceedingly fun way to interact with the literature.
I had worried that the stories might be too long and I wouldn’t be able to fit in time to read them amidst a busy end-of-year schedule. I had little reason to worry as the stories were always manageable. Indeed, the collection’s curator, Michael Hingston, aimed for the stories to be consumed in the morning or evening over a cup of coffee. Most often, I would brew myself a strong cup and sit down to the day’s reading as instructed. For those looking to quantify, the stories ranged between 5-30 pages, but I would estimate an average of 15 pages per story.
The only prohibitive factor in acquiring the collection was its cost. At $70 Canadian once the shipping was selected, it is not a cheap indulgence. However, I easily convinced myself that I was due for a small treat for a year of hard work (surprising how easily I can do that when reading is involved). Goodreadians, I’ll say wholeheartedly that this was money well spent. Each of the stories are individually bound in an attractive green booklet held together with choice white staples. All 25 stories are encased in a slipcase that would fit in well with your holiday regalia. Though the books all share a template, each one is individualized to represent the given story. It was a pleasure to examine the sealed booklet and try to imagine what the story would be about by its graphic representation alone. Aesthetically, the collection nails it.
Folks, The 2016 Short Story Advent Calendar is a hoot and a half. It’s the exact sort of thing that you folk would love. Don’t celebrate Christmas? No worries! This is a secular set of stories whose ties to Christmas are through the spirit of charity rather than adherence to Christian morality. Though I first balked at the price, The 2016 Short Story Advent Calendar more than justified its cost by the joy I received each day from breaking the plastic seal and delving into a new story. So, when 2017 rolls around, be sure to invest in this excellent collection, I know you guys are going to love it!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all my friends on Goodreads!