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The Brink: Stories
A brilliant, inventive debut story collection in the vein of Kevin Wilson and Wells Tower
Brimming with life and unforgettable voices, the stories in Austin Bunn’s dazzling collection explore the existential question: what happens at “the end” and what lies beyond it? In the wry but affecting “How to Win an Unwinnable War,” a summer class on nuclear war for gifted teenagers turns a struggling family upside down. A young couple’s idyllic beach honeymoon is interrupted by terrorism in the lush, haunting “Getting There and Away.” When an immersive videogame begins turning off in the heartbreaking “Griefer,” an obsessive player falls in love with a mysterious player in the final hours of a world.
Told in a stunning range of voices, styles, and settings—from inside the Hale-Bopp cult to the deck of a conquistador’s galleon adrift at the end of the ocean—the stories in Bunn’s collection capture the transformations and discoveries at the edge of irrevocable change. Each tale presents a distinct world, told with deep emotion, energizing language, and characters with whom we have more in common that we realize. They signal the arrival of an astonishing new talent in short fiction.
Brimming with life and unforgettable voices, the stories in Austin Bunn’s dazzling collection explore the existential question: what happens at “the end” and what lies beyond it? In the wry but affecting “How to Win an Unwinnable War,” a summer class on nuclear war for gifted teenagers turns a struggling family upside down. A young couple’s idyllic beach honeymoon is interrupted by terrorism in the lush, haunting “Getting There and Away.” When an immersive videogame begins turning off in the heartbreaking “Griefer,” an obsessive player falls in love with a mysterious player in the final hours of a world.
Told in a stunning range of voices, styles, and settings—from inside the Hale-Bopp cult to the deck of a conquistador’s galleon adrift at the end of the ocean—the stories in Bunn’s collection capture the transformations and discoveries at the edge of irrevocable change. Each tale presents a distinct world, told with deep emotion, energizing language, and characters with whom we have more in common that we realize. They signal the arrival of an astonishing new talent in short fiction.
240 pages, Paperback
First published April 28, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
October 16, 2016
This is an incredible short story collection. I recently decided to read more short stories because it is a genre I kinda struggle with given the incomplete nature of the stories told. I am super glad I read this though, because this is an amazing book. Yes, the stories are incomplete but this vagueness packs such a punch in places that I am absolutely enamoured with what I just read. I think everybody should read this! (I am already running a mental list who among my friends and family will get this book for Christmas)
Seriously, amazing, brilliant, absolutely phenomenal.
Seriously, amazing, brilliant, absolutely phenomenal.
May 31, 2015
Bunn first pinged on my radar with a story that was featured in Monsters: A Collection of Literary Sightings.
There's some great stuff here. Though all the stories are well written and involving, Bunn's more imaginative tales work best for me.
Two real standouts are The End of the Age is Upon Us which features cult members preparing for the end times.
"Don't you want to hear about the Final Offer?" I said.
"This UFO caca?" he said + ripped down the flyer + crumpled it. That was when I realized we were talking to a Luciferian! Bo has told us so much about them, their ways of scrambling our message, that I expected his eyes to blaze + his lips to peel + show fangs. I really wanted to grab your container, Leah + run.
"That was totally unnecessary," I said.
The Luciferian belched + his eye machines looked from me back to you. "And what's up with the twinky turtleneck get-up?" Then, to himself, he muttered, "California, land of the freaks."
"This entire world will end in two days," you said + it was beautiful.
And the ABSOLUTELY, FANTASTIC The Ledge where a group of mariners face some surprises when they sail to the edge of the world.
The men eyed one another. Our captain had admitted that our great expedition was folly. The countries we knew were the only countries. But what unimaginable vale awaited us over the ledge? What did it feel like to fall forever?
(I know I say this a lot, but this one might just be my new favorite short story.)
Austin Bunn is a graduate of Yale University and the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop. He co-wrote the screenplay for 2013's Kill Your Darlings.
He also looks pretty doggone young, so here's hoping for years of strange delights to come.
There's some great stuff here. Though all the stories are well written and involving, Bunn's more imaginative tales work best for me.
Two real standouts are The End of the Age is Upon Us which features cult members preparing for the end times.
"Don't you want to hear about the Final Offer?" I said.
"This UFO caca?" he said + ripped down the flyer + crumpled it. That was when I realized we were talking to a Luciferian! Bo has told us so much about them, their ways of scrambling our message, that I expected his eyes to blaze + his lips to peel + show fangs. I really wanted to grab your container, Leah + run.
"That was totally unnecessary," I said.
The Luciferian belched + his eye machines looked from me back to you. "And what's up with the twinky turtleneck get-up?" Then, to himself, he muttered, "California, land of the freaks."
"This entire world will end in two days," you said + it was beautiful.
And the ABSOLUTELY, FANTASTIC The Ledge where a group of mariners face some surprises when they sail to the edge of the world.
The men eyed one another. Our captain had admitted that our great expedition was folly. The countries we knew were the only countries. But what unimaginable vale awaited us over the ledge? What did it feel like to fall forever?
(I know I say this a lot, but this one might just be my new favorite short story.)
Austin Bunn is a graduate of Yale University and the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop. He co-wrote the screenplay for 2013's Kill Your Darlings.
He also looks pretty doggone young, so here's hoping for years of strange delights to come.
August 9, 2015
Had you read these stories scattered through the magazines in which they originally appeared, you might not have considered them thematically related. Under their collective title, the stories in The Brink make clear their apocalyptic leanings. Bunn, however, is not concerned with flamboyant catastrophes and the dystopias that follow. He focuses on irrevocable change, and the moments when characters confront what has brought them to that change. Some of his stories come from today’s headlines – terrorists at tourist resorts, suicide cults, a fetus in a duffel bag, roofies. There is one 15th century historical fantasy in which a Spanish galleon, a few decades before Columbus, discovers both that the world does have corners and what lies beyond them. In most stories, characters find that their choices and avoidances have brought them to a place that is, as Bunn suggests, a “brink.” What do you do when the video games that has become your life gets bought and reprogrammed by the Chinese? How do you you react when your seventy-one-year-old mother has a sexually transmitted disease? A few situations may seem humorous to us outsiders, but Bunn effectively conveys the disorientation, panic, and pain of his protagonists.
December 16, 2015
This is so very nearly a 5-star collection, but for a few weaker stories near the ending. Austin Bunn writes across genres with ease, most stories dealing with some sort of personal or worldly apocalypse.
Incidentally, if I were to publish a collection of my all time favorite short stories, there is a strong chance that I might include "Ledge". This book is worth its current $1.99 Kindle price tag for that story alone.
Incidentally, if I were to publish a collection of my all time favorite short stories, there is a strong chance that I might include "Ledge". This book is worth its current $1.99 Kindle price tag for that story alone.
May 27, 2016
My original The Brink audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
The Brink: Stories by Austin Bunn reminds me of Forest Gump's box of chocolates - "You never know what you're gonna' get." When I started listening to the first story, I almost turned it off. I feared another "Catcher In The Rye" wannabe was coming at me. Fortunately for me, I kept listening and discovered the complex theme of a boy, a family and the world at the 'Brink" told in a way that had me wanting to slap and then kiss a number of the characters, including the world. Another story takes us on a honeymoon to a tropical paradise, and reminds us know how an ordinary person can become extraordinary given the proper mix of timing and circumstance, and how our actions, or lack thereof, can change worlds. Then there's the ship and her crew hundreds of years ago literally on the 'Brink' that is fascinating, beautiful and terrifying, 'the caramel, nut, mint cream' of the book. All of the stories are beautifully written and each has a unique voice and mood and took me on a literary adventure, more than just the boring commute I've experienced lately. It was both fun and, at times, disturbing to experience stories told from 'the other guy's' point of view. Back when I'd watch 'the news' and they'd interview a victim of a crime, and I'd wonder, 'But what about that other guy?" The one who watched it happen, or the person who had to clean up the mess. Some of these stories give you that experience and it's grand. Llight touches of grit and edge burnish the characters without making us want to face palm for them.
The gentle insertion of music that briefly spaces the stories was a very nice addition.
I'm always wary when the author is also the narrator and I have flashbacks of my "Lord Of The Flies" nightmare. But I was relieved and pleasantly surprised by Mr. Bunn. Good job! Amy McFadden, Luke Daniels, Mikael Narramore, Nick Podehl, Ralph Lister and Tanya Eby were all perfectly cast. The gender of the narrator matched each story and made it so much more 'real' and enjoyable. The production, mood and sound quality are perfection.
Audiobook was provided for review by the narrator.
The Brink: Stories by Austin Bunn reminds me of Forest Gump's box of chocolates - "You never know what you're gonna' get." When I started listening to the first story, I almost turned it off. I feared another "Catcher In The Rye" wannabe was coming at me. Fortunately for me, I kept listening and discovered the complex theme of a boy, a family and the world at the 'Brink" told in a way that had me wanting to slap and then kiss a number of the characters, including the world. Another story takes us on a honeymoon to a tropical paradise, and reminds us know how an ordinary person can become extraordinary given the proper mix of timing and circumstance, and how our actions, or lack thereof, can change worlds. Then there's the ship and her crew hundreds of years ago literally on the 'Brink' that is fascinating, beautiful and terrifying, 'the caramel, nut, mint cream' of the book. All of the stories are beautifully written and each has a unique voice and mood and took me on a literary adventure, more than just the boring commute I've experienced lately. It was both fun and, at times, disturbing to experience stories told from 'the other guy's' point of view. Back when I'd watch 'the news' and they'd interview a victim of a crime, and I'd wonder, 'But what about that other guy?" The one who watched it happen, or the person who had to clean up the mess. Some of these stories give you that experience and it's grand. Llight touches of grit and edge burnish the characters without making us want to face palm for them.
The gentle insertion of music that briefly spaces the stories was a very nice addition.
I'm always wary when the author is also the narrator and I have flashbacks of my "Lord Of The Flies" nightmare. But I was relieved and pleasantly surprised by Mr. Bunn. Good job! Amy McFadden, Luke Daniels, Mikael Narramore, Nick Podehl, Ralph Lister and Tanya Eby were all perfectly cast. The gender of the narrator matched each story and made it so much more 'real' and enjoyable. The production, mood and sound quality are perfection.
Audiobook was provided for review by the narrator.
April 20, 2015
The Brink: Stories by Austin Bunn is a very highly recommended eclectic collection of 10 powerful short stories that embody several forms and genres. All of the characters have experienced some loss, either emotional or physical, and are trying to navigate new, precarious paths. In this process, all of them are facing some crucial, inherent truth about themselves.
Bunn's writing ability is impressive and in The Brink he manages to deftly assemble a collection that encompasses a wide variety of characters and settings. I've tried to give the most basic description of each story without revealing any twists or surprises.
Contents:
How to Win an Unwinnable War: A gifted child of separated parents takes a summer school class on how to win a nuclear war
Griefer: An alternate reality role-playing gaming world is closing.
Getting There & Away: A couple is on their honeymoon in Bali.
The End of the Age Is upon Us: Michael is writing letters to Leah inside a cult where it's the end of the world.
The Worst You Can Imagine Is Where This Starts: Graham finds a mysterious black plastic bag in his basement.
Ledge: A sailor from Seville recounts his time at sea when they reach the edge of the world in the late 15th century.
Everything, All at Once: A recently divorced woman is selling her things through Craig's List, and getting her 71 year old mother to the doctor.
Hazard 9: An accident at a standoff over a mining operation leads to a precarious alliance.
When You Are the Final Girl: A young man is disfigured from severe burns. "Nobody wants to know where monsters come from. But I know. Because I am one. They come from a soundproof room, beige and white, with a door that seals for positive oxygen flow. Monsters come from all around to be born there, in the pure oxygen. Still, the place smells like Vaseline and burnt toast. Outside the room are six beds, hidden by curtains. There, the nurses put cadaver skin on you because it has nutrients your monster skin needs."
Curious Father: A 53 year old man questions his sexual orientation.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of HarperCollins for review purposes.
Bunn's writing ability is impressive and in The Brink he manages to deftly assemble a collection that encompasses a wide variety of characters and settings. I've tried to give the most basic description of each story without revealing any twists or surprises.
Contents:
How to Win an Unwinnable War: A gifted child of separated parents takes a summer school class on how to win a nuclear war
Griefer: An alternate reality role-playing gaming world is closing.
Getting There & Away: A couple is on their honeymoon in Bali.
The End of the Age Is upon Us: Michael is writing letters to Leah inside a cult where it's the end of the world.
The Worst You Can Imagine Is Where This Starts: Graham finds a mysterious black plastic bag in his basement.
Ledge: A sailor from Seville recounts his time at sea when they reach the edge of the world in the late 15th century.
Everything, All at Once: A recently divorced woman is selling her things through Craig's List, and getting her 71 year old mother to the doctor.
Hazard 9: An accident at a standoff over a mining operation leads to a precarious alliance.
When You Are the Final Girl: A young man is disfigured from severe burns. "Nobody wants to know where monsters come from. But I know. Because I am one. They come from a soundproof room, beige and white, with a door that seals for positive oxygen flow. Monsters come from all around to be born there, in the pure oxygen. Still, the place smells like Vaseline and burnt toast. Outside the room are six beds, hidden by curtains. There, the nurses put cadaver skin on you because it has nutrients your monster skin needs."
Curious Father: A 53 year old man questions his sexual orientation.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of HarperCollins for review purposes.
May 14, 2023
A really awesome trifecta in the middle of this: "The End of the age is Upon Us" from the perspective of a Heaven's Gater, "The Worst You Can Imagine is Where This Starts" which is an incredible title and correct for a story about a dog digging up a dead baby, and "Ledge," a 1600s (I'm bad with dates) story about sailing to the literal edge of the world.
August 1, 2019
Absolutely loved it. Best collection I've read in some time. The stories are wildly varied in voice, but there isn't a clunker in the bunch.
June 24, 2020
Wish I could give it a 4 and a half star!
October 28, 2020
A collection of interesting short stories from a high school friend of mine.
December 21, 2016
An eclectic book of short stories all dealing with people on the brink of something. The stories are all over the place. A fantasy story about sailing to the edge of the world to an inside look to the cultist who killed themselves over Hale-Bopp. Each story does have it's own voice as well.
I do think the book is stacked with the stronger stories in the front and the weaker ones at the end.
3.5 stars rounds to 4.
I do think the book is stacked with the stronger stories in the front and the weaker ones at the end.
3.5 stars rounds to 4.
January 31, 2015
With some newly discovered authors we form an immediate bond, by some we're intrigued, with some we just can't quite get ourselves into sync. With me, Austin Bunn falls into the last of those categories. Bunn's collection of ten stories spans a wide range of subjects, characters, and scenarios.
While most just didn't live in the same alley I do, one was very enjoyable. A ragtag crew sails west across the Atlantic from Europe during the Age of Exploration in "Ledge", seeking a route to the riches of the East. What they find instead is the edge of the world. Literally. Bunn's story of what they find and what they do is inviting and unique.
Probably not a collection for everyone, certainly not for me, but enough of an assorted cast and crew among the stories that many people may find a gem or two, as I did.
>>Support independent bookstores by buying real books from real stores where you can talk with real booksellers.<<
While most just didn't live in the same alley I do, one was very enjoyable. A ragtag crew sails west across the Atlantic from Europe during the Age of Exploration in "Ledge", seeking a route to the riches of the East. What they find instead is the edge of the world. Literally. Bunn's story of what they find and what they do is inviting and unique.
Probably not a collection for everyone, certainly not for me, but enough of an assorted cast and crew among the stories that many people may find a gem or two, as I did.
>>Support independent bookstores by buying real books from real stores where you can talk with real booksellers.<<
April 27, 2015
As good as the stories are individually and as well as the collection coheres as a single object (held together by that spine), there's something lacking in the final resolve. I put the collection down and thought "oh, very good" and moved on and felt nothing more about it. I'll read whatever Bunn writes next (and I now want to see Kill Your Darlings) but I feel strangely like the collection didn't strike me at that deeper level, despite each story feeling perfectly poised. Perhaps it was the perfection of it all that bothered me - or perhaps I'll be proved wrong in time, with this collection hanging around long after I'd assumed I'd forget. Perhaps it'll be that spine that will stir memories every time I see it on the shelf. Time will tell, I suppose.
More at RB: http://ragingbiblioholism.com/2015/04...
More at RB: http://ragingbiblioholism.com/2015/04...
December 26, 2015
There were definitely aspects of the collection I liked and the first story was my favorite. Overall, though, the Brink stories didn't quite speak to me and I understand it is all about perspective. I enjoyed the recurring theme of life changes, or being on the "brink", but it usually centered around something perverse or at least sexual. Every story had a homosexual element to it. Perhaps it is reflective of the modern times, but It became tiresome for me and I wanted something different as I went through the ten stories.
The first story "How to Win an Unwinnable War" ran the theme of a precocious child with dysfunctional parents, which is one I never get sick of!
Younger readers will enjoy this collection more than I did.... I read it all and it was worth my time, it just wasn't as relatable for me.
The first story "How to Win an Unwinnable War" ran the theme of a precocious child with dysfunctional parents, which is one I never get sick of!
Younger readers will enjoy this collection more than I did.... I read it all and it was worth my time, it just wasn't as relatable for me.
December 16, 2014
The Brink is a mixed bag of stories. Some are very good, most are mediocre and some are not good at all. My favorite of the stories is "The End of the Age is Upon Us". It is told in letters from the letter writer's perspective and is quite enjoyable. It is also somewhat believable and could have happened. My least favorite story is "Griefer". It was somewhat disjointed to me. None of the stories, other than "The End of the Age is Upon Us" is memorable. They just seem to fade into the forgetting area of the brain.
This would be an ok book to have with you when you want something to pass some time while waiting on line or in a doctor's office and have a small bit of time to kill.
I received this book free from Good Reads First Reads.
This would be an ok book to have with you when you want something to pass some time while waiting on line or in a doctor's office and have a small bit of time to kill.
I received this book free from Good Reads First Reads.
November 7, 2016
Some stories were truly extraordinary like "Monster," where you get a diverse point of view. In fact, I would say that about 3 or 4 stories in here. But there were a few stories in the collection that really killed it for me. One concerned something about a columbus era ship of explorers, and there were a couple others that were just leaving me thinking, what's the point? I know this is a rather shallow review, but I have other books to read right now. The stark contrast between fascinating and incredibly dull just left me thinking, Austin, you could have done so much better with just leaving the dead weight out and just have a slightly shorter book. But I haven't published anything yet personally, so I won't gripe too much.
January 14, 2016
Reviewing a short story collection with just a single rating seems kind of odd. Therefore I've decided to rate every story individually and then give an overall rating as well.
How to Win an Unwinnable War: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Griefer: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Getting There & Away ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The End of the Age is Upon Us: ⭐️
The Worst You Can Imagine Is Where This Starts: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ledge: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Everything All at Once: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hazard 9: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When You Are The Final Girl: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Curious Father: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
How to Win an Unwinnable War: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Griefer: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Getting There & Away ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The End of the Age is Upon Us: ⭐️
The Worst You Can Imagine Is Where This Starts: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ledge: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Everything All at Once: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hazard 9: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When You Are The Final Girl: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Curious Father: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 1, 2016
I enjoyed about half of the stories. The ones I did not enjoy were no fault of the writer, who is concise yet detailed and great with sensory details, it is because I was not so interested in the subject of the story. I loved “Getting There and Away" and "The Ledge" best.
January 3, 2016
Whoa! Who is this guy?? I had never heard of Austin Bunn until his book of short stories showed up on my Amazon page. I bought it on a whim; short stories aren't even my type of book at all. I'm so glad I did. I'll be on the lookout for more from him!
August 27, 2016
Some of the stories are a bit hit and miss... but if you like odd stories with quality descriptive language then check it out. The audiobook has each of the stories performed by different speakers which made it much more enjoyable than a lot of audiobooks that Ive listened to in the past.
February 19, 2017
Wonderful. Each story was its own gem. What a gifted writer & again, it's people's minds that can so intrigue me and Mr.Bunn definitely has a very fascinating one. I look forward to finding more by him, and hopefull sooner than later.
August 30, 2015
I was surprised by the number of typos and clumsy errors in this book. Can't Harper Perennial afford a decent copy editor?
August 7, 2015
3 1/2 stars. Closer to 4.
Like all short story collections, some stories were better than others. For the most part, the stories are very good.
Like all short story collections, some stories were better than others. For the most part, the stories are very good.
March 13, 2016
A beautifully crafted collection of vaguely apocalyptic stories.
June 9, 2016
I really liked Mr Bunn's take on fantastical stories. Where he could have gone full-on bleak, he pulled back (or dug in?) to infuse his tales with charm and hope.
October 5, 2016
This is an amazing set of short stories! I loved listening to the Audible version of this book.
December 14, 2020
Good short stories about people at turning points of their lives.
April 14, 2017
This collection of short stories, while small (213 pages), packs a powerful punch. I've always liked the genre of short stories but don't read enough of them. I'm glad I ran across this one. The range of voices throughout the stories is quite amazing. Great writing style and good stories!
April 26, 2017
Maybe a 2+. There are 10 short stories in this uneven collection, written across a few genres. I can't say I have a favorite although the cultish one was an interesting style. A little heavy handed on the gay stuff althouth maybe the stories were his weekend.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews