Official Review: Strange by Mark Taylor
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DaintyFlower7
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Official Review: Strange by Mark Taylor
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Strange" by Mark Taylor.]
4 out of 4 stars
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In his short story collection Strange, Mark Taylor draws you into a dark and wonderful world in which nothing is as it seems and the normal rules of story-telling are thrown into a deep abyss from which you may never emerge. And the more you sit and ponder the tales within, the more troubled and perplexed you become. I have been drawn to return to many books and stories over the years, but never have I felt compelled to re-read a short story several times in one sitting the way I was with many of Taylor's pieces.
In Networking, you will stumble upon a darker side of online chatting and fantasy, but walk away not entirely sure what was fantasy and what was reality. Re-reading the story will not get you any closer to answering the question, "will he do it?" Total Entertainment approaches the often discussed future of virtual reality as mass media but answers questions you never wanted to ask about the origins of implanted fantasy. When he gets a new and much-needed job at Absorption Entertainment, Michael discovers a talent he never knew he had and wishes had remained locked away as he becomes a key cog in the wheel that is The Program.
Eternal Night won't just rob you of your sight; it will introduce you to a world born of insatiable curiosity in which every sense is rendered moot. And just when you think Dor has found her way clear of that world, a new and more terrible night will dawn. In my favorite story, Dead Game, Jeff gets a bizarre and all-too-real lesson about the value of "commodities" and the secrets behind satisfying even the most discerning buyer. The more time you spend thinking about this story, the more you wish you had never read it at all but wish you could read it again and again. In Elizabeth, one seemingly annoying hallucination turns into a waking nightmare from which you must wake before time runs out.
Inside is a story told in four parts that will stay with you for days and keep you awake at night. In this final story, Taylor pokes at the mysteries of the human mind and pushes the boundaries of its capacity for distinguishing reality from fantasy. His hapless and likable hero learns that rumors about the odd professor and his experiments should not be taken lightly. Before you come out of Inside, you won't have a clue who or what is real, and you will walk away with the unsettling feeling that your life might just be too good to be true.
I give this collection of stories 4 out of 4 stars. Not since my days of obsession with H. P. Lovecraft have I felt so invaded by a work of fiction. I literally read several of these stories over and over, finding different and delicious nuances with each take. I love reading something that makes me pause and think, especially when it at first appears to be about one thing but, when rolled over in my mind, is about something else entirely. If you are excited by dark and evasive fiction, subtle horror, or sci fi with a twist, this anthology is not to be missed. Although it is a very quick and easy read, be prepared to spend more time with it than you believe is necessary upon first glance.
I honestly cannot come up with something I did not like about Taylor's collection. The writing is tight and the editing nearly flawless. The only thing I wanted but didn't get was more stories like these. I sincerely hope Taylor has more little ones like this at home. I, for one, will clear my calendar to babysit anytime.
******
Strange
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4 out of 4 stars
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In his short story collection Strange, Mark Taylor draws you into a dark and wonderful world in which nothing is as it seems and the normal rules of story-telling are thrown into a deep abyss from which you may never emerge. And the more you sit and ponder the tales within, the more troubled and perplexed you become. I have been drawn to return to many books and stories over the years, but never have I felt compelled to re-read a short story several times in one sitting the way I was with many of Taylor's pieces.
In Networking, you will stumble upon a darker side of online chatting and fantasy, but walk away not entirely sure what was fantasy and what was reality. Re-reading the story will not get you any closer to answering the question, "will he do it?" Total Entertainment approaches the often discussed future of virtual reality as mass media but answers questions you never wanted to ask about the origins of implanted fantasy. When he gets a new and much-needed job at Absorption Entertainment, Michael discovers a talent he never knew he had and wishes had remained locked away as he becomes a key cog in the wheel that is The Program.
Eternal Night won't just rob you of your sight; it will introduce you to a world born of insatiable curiosity in which every sense is rendered moot. And just when you think Dor has found her way clear of that world, a new and more terrible night will dawn. In my favorite story, Dead Game, Jeff gets a bizarre and all-too-real lesson about the value of "commodities" and the secrets behind satisfying even the most discerning buyer. The more time you spend thinking about this story, the more you wish you had never read it at all but wish you could read it again and again. In Elizabeth, one seemingly annoying hallucination turns into a waking nightmare from which you must wake before time runs out.
Inside is a story told in four parts that will stay with you for days and keep you awake at night. In this final story, Taylor pokes at the mysteries of the human mind and pushes the boundaries of its capacity for distinguishing reality from fantasy. His hapless and likable hero learns that rumors about the odd professor and his experiments should not be taken lightly. Before you come out of Inside, you won't have a clue who or what is real, and you will walk away with the unsettling feeling that your life might just be too good to be true.
I give this collection of stories 4 out of 4 stars. Not since my days of obsession with H. P. Lovecraft have I felt so invaded by a work of fiction. I literally read several of these stories over and over, finding different and delicious nuances with each take. I love reading something that makes me pause and think, especially when it at first appears to be about one thing but, when rolled over in my mind, is about something else entirely. If you are excited by dark and evasive fiction, subtle horror, or sci fi with a twist, this anthology is not to be missed. Although it is a very quick and easy read, be prepared to spend more time with it than you believe is necessary upon first glance.
I honestly cannot come up with something I did not like about Taylor's collection. The writing is tight and the editing nearly flawless. The only thing I wanted but didn't get was more stories like these. I sincerely hope Taylor has more little ones like this at home. I, for one, will clear my calendar to babysit anytime.
******
Strange
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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Latest Review: "Strange" by Mark Taylor
