This is my favorite type of short story collection. Kim Fu manages to weave together twelve stories that vary in terms of how fantastical or real they are but all work to create a cohesive collection. I found myself frequently asking “What is happening?!” while reading this collection but in the best way possible. I just need to trust the story. Things always came together. Below is a brief summary/review of each story with my individual scores.
Pre-simulation Consultation XF007867 – 5/5 – Probably my favorite story in the entire collection. This story is a dialogue between a consultant for an immersive VR experience and a woman who wants to spend time with her mother who has passed on. Together, they explore the good, the bad, and the bizarre about escaping reality for something virtual. It’s touching and cutting at the same time.
Liddy, First to Fly – 3/5 – A group of girls rally behind one of their friends who starts to sprout wings on her Achilles tendon. It’s a fun story about the importance of friendship and children discovering who they are on their own.
Time Cubes – 4/5 – A man is selling cubes in which time can be manipulated and controlled. Consequences occur.
#ClimbingNation – 4/5 – A climber tragically dies during a climb, and a group of people come together to mourn him. But is everyone who they say they are? What are everyone’s motives for being here? This story is the one most grounded in reality.
Sandman – 3/5 – An insomniac is visited by the Sandman, but their relationship goes beyond just helping people fall asleep
Twenty Hours – 4/5 – If you’re rich enough, you can buy a device that will recreate your body and implant the most recent brain save file, so why not kill your spouse over and over and over again?
The Doll – 2/5 – There’s a haunted doll. Dolls are not my thing.
In This Fantasy – 3/5 – A woman imagines herself in various settings through a series of shorter short stories from being a helpless princess to a vicious wolf
Scissors – 4/5 – A woman is blindfolded as part of performance art. What could go wrong?
June Bugs – 3/5 – This story ventured a too much into the abstractly bizarre for me, but it started out very strong.
Bridezilla – 3/5 – Two words: sea monster
Do You Remember Candy? – 3/5 – A woman becomes a new type of foley artist and recreates experiences that no longer exist in the world with unconventional items, but the work consumes her.
Read Harder Challenge #21 – Read a collection of short stories
