A review by archytas
Gunflower by Laura Jean McKay

mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

There is discordance in McKay's writing which unsettles. Eerie things happen. People, continents disappear. Rocks mutter. Cats are farmed and chickens cuddled. She draws meaning out of the everyday, but it is not quite *our* everyday, but a world slightly off kilter from the familiar. In a book of short stories, this discordance starts to feel repetitious, weakening some of the power of McKay's prose. I found myself drawn to some of the more *straight* pieces, especially Smoko and Lightning Man which both deal with working life and the anxieties of insecure workers. The titular Gunflower is also excellent, as is the delightfully askew Cats at the Firefront - these longer pieces allow McKay to flex her considerable characterisation muscles. I'm not sure McKay will ever be a writer I love or a writer I am content not to read. There is something compelling in the unsettling