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A review by electricbrain
Alectryomancer and Other Weird Tales by Christopher Slatsky, Jordan Krall
3.0
TL;DR – very vivid, atmospheric, and carefully crafted but makes very little sense.
Also, I may just not like weird fiction.
Okay, I am confused about how to rate this book because it seems unfair to take a weird fiction book and demand it to make sense. And still, most of the time it felt like the stories had too much left out, they made too little sense still. They didn't manage to push the right buttons because I couldn't fathom what the hell had happened.
The author did a remarkable job researching different subjects and building the atmosphere. The writing is so good it makes me jealous. I am astonished by the variety of topics in these stories and how deeply they were researched. If I were reading about a desert, I felt like I was in one, if I was reading about a cockfight, I was there, almost smelling blood. It's so realistic!.. And the author really puts you in the mind of these people he's describing – an alcoholic man, dealing with the death of his sadistic father, a b-rate horror movies fan, trying to escape his petty life. It all felt so real – that's a talent.
And because of that, it felt even more disappointing that these stories just ended up in all sorts of weird and ambiguous ways. Maybe that's the beauty of the genre I am not appreciating. But then some of these stories really ended and made sense. And I was thankful for it. The others had too much left out and it ruined the experience. Many great opportunities to hit the character with the thing they hate/are afraid of/trying to escape and to make a huge point were missed.
If you don't mind reading an amazing story and then have a "so that was it?" feeling at the end of it, you are going to love this book.
Also, I may just not like weird fiction.
Okay, I am confused about how to rate this book because it seems unfair to take a weird fiction book and demand it to make sense. And still, most of the time it felt like the stories had too much left out, they made too little sense still. They didn't manage to push the right buttons because I couldn't fathom what the hell had happened.
The author did a remarkable job researching different subjects and building the atmosphere. The writing is so good it makes me jealous. I am astonished by the variety of topics in these stories and how deeply they were researched. If I were reading about a desert, I felt like I was in one, if I was reading about a cockfight, I was there, almost smelling blood. It's so realistic!.. And the author really puts you in the mind of these people he's describing – an alcoholic man, dealing with the death of his sadistic father, a b-rate horror movies fan, trying to escape his petty life. It all felt so real – that's a talent.
And because of that, it felt even more disappointing that these stories just ended up in all sorts of weird and ambiguous ways. Maybe that's the beauty of the genre I am not appreciating. But then some of these stories really ended and made sense. And I was thankful for it. The others had too much left out and it ruined the experience. Many great opportunities to hit the character with the thing they hate/are afraid of/trying to escape and to make a huge point were missed.
If you don't mind reading an amazing story and then have a "so that was it?" feeling at the end of it, you are going to love this book.