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A review by sgbrux
The Bench by Ty Carlson
5.0
“Love isn’t a feeling. That’s called infatuation. Love is what happens after the infatuation fades, when it becomes the choice you make every morning. Will I stay committed to this person, or will I choose to do what I want based solely on what’s best for me? Choosing to work with that person—whether you want to or not—that decision is what we call ‘love.’”
A treat.
Reading The Bench is a little like falling in love. You set upon the path, objectively recognizing that although this story is new, you can’t quite shake the feeling of familiarity as you fall deeper and deeper into the heart of it. You give yourself over to it completely.
By the time you realize what’s happening, it’s gone, and you’re crying. And it isn’t until you look back that you see the signs were there all along, but that doesn’t ease the emptiness that sits with you. I guess it’s a bit like grieving in that regard, too. You’re left to pick up the pieces, and you wonder, Well, what do I do now?
Ty’s writing is emotional and atmospheric while not being flowery. He writes real people with real vices (and real demons), and his characters feel like people you actually know in real life.
Being from Arkansas, I loved coming across the local Easter eggs. I also thought the themes presented were so tragic and poignant for the times. There’s a strong sense of lost time and of places long forgotten that are felt heavily throughout the book.
The Bench casts a light on the whole matter of ethics and technology’s place in society. Whether a line exists, and if so, where? This is why I enjoy good science fiction—you get to explore the implications of technology by being plopped into a story about everyday people.
The dark twist at the end is perfect, and I appreciated how the split structure of the book made total sense in the context of what was really happening. Fun seeing all those breadcrumbs pay off.
A talented writer and storyteller. I’ll be picking up whatever’s next in this anthology!
Why am I?
A treat.
Reading The Bench is a little like falling in love. You set upon the path, objectively recognizing that although this story is new, you can’t quite shake the feeling of familiarity as you fall deeper and deeper into the heart of it. You give yourself over to it completely.
By the time you realize what’s happening, it’s gone, and you’re crying. And it isn’t until you look back that you see the signs were there all along, but that doesn’t ease the emptiness that sits with you. I guess it’s a bit like grieving in that regard, too. You’re left to pick up the pieces, and you wonder, Well, what do I do now?
Ty’s writing is emotional and atmospheric while not being flowery. He writes real people with real vices (and real demons), and his characters feel like people you actually know in real life.
Being from Arkansas, I loved coming across the local Easter eggs. I also thought the themes presented were so tragic and poignant for the times. There’s a strong sense of lost time and of places long forgotten that are felt heavily throughout the book.
The Bench casts a light on the whole matter of ethics and technology’s place in society. Whether a line exists, and if so, where? This is why I enjoy good science fiction—you get to explore the implications of technology by being plopped into a story about everyday people.
The dark twist at the end is perfect, and I appreciated how the split structure of the book made total sense in the context of what was really happening. Fun seeing all those breadcrumbs pay off.
A talented writer and storyteller. I’ll be picking up whatever’s next in this anthology!
Why am I?