This week, I am featuring The New Death and Others by James Hutchings. James was kind enough to share his collection with me, and tomorrow he will be here with a guest post for you all.
In the meantime, here's what I thought of the book...
The New Death and Others
by James Hutchings
ISBN: 9781465720
Published September 28, 2011
Available Format: ebook
My Rating: ★★★★
The New Death and Others is an eclectic collection of short stories and poems—some dark, some disturbing, many amusing, and overall, entertaining. There is a little something here for everyone, especially if you have a morbid sense of humor.
Along the way, many pieces read like mythology or folk tales. The author often takes inspiration from or revamps many old, fairly well-known stories and poems. The whole book feels more like a writer’s journal, stories and poems that are fresh and raw. It is creativity in its basic form (though, please don’t misunderstand, there aren’t a ton of errors present).
I loved the way I never knew what the next page would hold. Would it be a story, longer and more involved.? A quick little vignette, leaving me deeply curious about the world around it.? A beautifully written poem, robust and intriguing? Many times I found myself chuckling aloud (even when I was having dinner while my kids played on a playground. Maybe that earned me a few strange looks…).
There are obviously those who will be thrown off by the book’s arrangement and even some of the content. Not everyone can appreciate work like this. But, overall, I think it is an interesting, fun read, and I definitely recommend it if you like dark fantasy and diverse collections.
Be sure to stop by tomorrow, March 23rd, to see what James has to say!!
