A review by embfitz
The Unfinished World: And Other Stories by Amber Sparks

I'm finding that I recommend this collection frequently. If I had to pick one word to differentiate Sparks's fiction from other strange literary fiction, I'd go with "curatorial." She has an uncanny talent for selecting and presenting what characters (and readers) need to see, in order to achieve a wide range of effects. Her stories, whether long or short, are shadowboxes full of curiosities...and it would be so foolish to think those curiosities are just there for show. This is usually about where I also tell people that her work can be genuinely funny, too -- and not in a way that's twee, or trying too hard.

(Note: This wasn't my first read of The Unfinished World. It also wasn't my first read of The Unfinished World with a pencil in my hand. Highly recommend this approach, whether you want to draw pictures or underline the exhibits.)