Sea of Glass

by Rebecca Gransden

Smoke fills the city air, choking the street, curling up and around the tower. Kattar Bassis hits the ground and crawls blindly through the chaos. A light shines out in the black, leading him to the entranceway of his building. So begins his ascent and search for the ever elusive EXIT.

Genres: Horror

109 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 27, 2019

About the author

This author has always lived by the sea.

She tends to write about the edges of things so if you inhabit the fringes you may find something to like.

If you are interested in reading any of her books then send her a message and she'll get it to you in the digital format (PDF, MOBI, or eBook) of your choice.

Fellow indies - feel free to get in touch.

Reviews

[Harry Whitewolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a few days of pre-summer blue skies and warmth, it’s turned cloudy again today and there’s been a hint of rain in the air all day long. It felt like it would be the perfect day to read Rebecca Gransden’s new novella Sea of Glass, and I was right.

I’m a fan of everything this author has written to date, so I was very eager to dig into this one. As always, the language Rebecca Gransden uses amazes me, absorbs me and excites me. There’s no one else writing in the same style as Gransden. She’s a one off. Highly poetic words haunt, befriend and sometimes befuddle the reader. Specific adjectives and nouns are not always placed together as one would expect. Every few chapters there’s a word you have to look up. That could be annoying if anyone else tried to do it. But these words are written by a craft master. Above all though, Gransden knows how to make the reader FEEL. Although I’m now used to her writing style, it’s elevated to another level in this book due to the dreamlike, bizarre, suspenseful and horror-ish story that is weaved between the pages of Sea of Glass’s Esperanto-numbered chapters. The style and the story go hand in hand, which is one reason why this is probably Gransden’s best work. I say “probably” because I think her novel anemogram. might still be my favourite of her books, but objectively speaking: this is her best.

“What about the plot Harry?” Well, Kattar is trapped in a building trying to find the exit. “What, is that it, Harry?” Nah. But what Kattar encounters during his metaphysical, bizarre and gory Dante-esque journey is for you to discover yourself. It needs to be experienced. Trying to summarize the plot to this book would be like trying to build a house out of treacle.

I’m not going to pretend I understood every aspect of this story. It is somewhat intentionally left open for a reader to find his or her own take on events, but at the same time, it feels like with one or two more reads, a reader could discover much more of the book’s intentions. The idea of a building be some sort of ethereal embodiment of global capitalism is just one thing I’m not sure I’ve got quite right and want to revisit. This book works in exactly the same way as a David Lynch film. I watched Lost Highway for something like the seventh time recently and only then did I feel like I fully grasped it on all levels. Exactly how it should be. (And when in the theatre in the building in this story, “no hay banda” came to mind, from the scene in the theatre in Lynch’s Mulholland Drive. This book also reminded me a little of Cardboard Wall Empire’s other author’s book: Leo X. Robertson’s Bonespin Slipspace. The two books would make a great double-bill read.)

As with Gransden’s other books, I read this in one sitting. It only takes two or three hours to read, and it feels as though Sea of Glass is best read in one go in order to fully immerse yourself in its splendour. Anyone who still poo-poos independent authors really should read Gransden. Her stuff is better than any mainstream book I’ve read from the last decade. In fact, I believe she’s one of the greatest writers of our generation, despite being unknown to many. Will her stories appeal to one and all? Absolutely not. And that’s a good thing.

One more thing: I love the cover of this book. The building is as imposing as it is in the story’s words. It also appears to be a straight-sided triangular shape but it’s not. And when you look at the top part and notice where the straight lines bend, you get to see the perspective of the building’s top. But that’s not quite right either. It’s a bit like an Escher drawing in fact. Those thoughts about Gransden’s chosen image for the book cover mirror the perspective you will have when reading Sea of Glass. I feel like I’ve been walking on a Möbius Strip and now I don’t know how to get off.

[Kevin Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somewhere right on the edge of a nightmare, Kattar is stuck within the walls of a city giant, helpless and lost in his struggle to find the EXIT. Wonderful, dreamlike, even stomach-turning imagery at points, written in beautiful prose that falls from your lips in a whisper of song almost like poetry.

This thing is really good.

From the start you are tossed into the chaos, the panic that ensues from the death and destruction outside the building, streets clogged with blood and ash, though the real horrors lay waiting within the walls of your safety. The author does well to highlight the confusion and hopelessness of the lead character as he finds his way up, down and between floors, wandering into new rooms that act as the gateway to another dimension - something frightening and unbelievable - yet with just enough familiarity to make it that much more real and terrifying for the reader. Written with a voice that is as gentle and comforting as it is angry and frustrated, the story will probably mean something different to everyone, as I assume most usually do. This is put together with such thought and care that it definitely sticks with you, a story that will give you something new every time you come back to visit. I’ve read and enjoyed some of the author’s writing previously, but for me, this is on an entirely new level. Incredibly impressive piece of work, a story equally entertaining and disturbing, the nightmare of corporate and bureaucratic rule suffocating in our safe haven from the outside, while everyone is trying to get out.

Or maybe I got it wrong. Like I said, stories mean different things to different people. What’s important is that this thing is written so well, you are bound to find something inside that you can hold onto, keep it cupped in your hands and held close to your heart, warm and bright, as you fight your way through the madness in the real world. This is one of the most chilling reads I’ve had in a while, the language sharp and beautiful, a very enjoyable experience. So, I’ve already read it twice, certainly more to follow, and maybe I got it wrong, but you should pick one up and see what you take away from the story. This is one you don’t want to miss.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.

Surreal, crazy, horrifying and genius; I hardly know what to write. Sat (metaphorically speaking) in my own little pedalo and was swept along by the imagery, insanity and horror that is Rebecca's writing. I think that's pretty much all you can do.

Unique, but would appeal to lovers of VanderMeer (Area X) and King.

I loved Rusticles;
I loved this more...

[Jay Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rebecca Gransden's writing is both enthralling and discombobulating. It takes you out of your comfort zone, upends your assumptions, throws you a curveball. The only options you have are to go with the flow, reveling in the imagery and turn of phrase, and not ask too many questions, or else look for a map, a way of orientating yourself in relation to the (dis)pleasures of the text. It helps a little to have read her previous works, if only to reduce the inevitable sense of confusion that her writing produces, and to help compose yourself in the presence of a phenomenal and mercurial but oracular and enigmatic mind. But no matter how prepared you are, in Sea of Glass you'll never quite know which way is up. Or down. Or Out.

Among the notes I made while reading this book were comparisons to Kafka (the Trial, the Castle, and the Penal Colony), Dante's Inferno, J. G. Ballard (High-Rise, obviously), David Lynch, Matthew Barney's Cremaster cycle, Freud's concept of the uncanny, Clive Barker's Books of Blood, William Burroughs's cut-ups, James Havoc (but without the neediness), and a less-weird Padrika Tarrant. At one point, I observed, "This reads like the text has been back-translated from another language (Esperanto?)." It was meant as a compliment, needless to say.

Such comparisons are not just indicative of the gender imbalance of my fiction reading but also unjust, because Gransden's experimentalism transcends any and all efforts to categorise it. Like a Picasso, you just know a Gransden when you see it. Unlike a Picasso, it's almost impossible to imitate. All you can do is sit and wait for the next upending.

[Jack Stark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a newfound appreciation for just how great this story is. I first read it upon release, and I thoroughly enjoyed the unpredictable plot and trippy as hell visuals, but I came away feeling like I hadn’t really fully understood it’s messages and themes. So I knew it would only be a matter of time before I came back for a reread. With this second reading, I really took my time, considering each chapter, and scouring the text hunting for clues to what it all meant, skipping back and forth to confirm or eliminate little theories I entertained and making 5,000+ words of notes. I am very glad I took the time to do this.

This is a work of genius. Now, I am very aware that in my reviews I often lace them with intentional hyperbole and silliness, mainly as a way to stop myself from getting too pretentious. And I normally switch that to 11 when talking about Rebecca Gransden stories because I have read almost everything this author has released, and I’ve yet to read something that I haven’t enjoyed. Gransden is my favourite writer, possibly of all time, but there is no hyperbole here. Sea of Glass is so much more significant, so much deeper, than I first realised. Get ready for this, and come along with me, because I’ve put my pretentious hat on, and I’m going to attempt an analysis.

SPOILER WARNING FOR… WELL, EVERYTHING.

It should be noted that with all great open-ended stories, one could interpret the messages and meanings in a multitude of ways. There’s always bound to be a little bit of interpretation through projection, and I think (like many Gransden stories) readers will be rewarded for putting a little more thought and time into reading deeper than what is said on the surface. I’ve seen some reviews comparing this to Dante’s Inferno, and comments about it possibly being a retelling. This is a good starting point. I think considering this tweet and this tweet from Gransden, Sea of Glass may not be a direct retelling, but a katabasis story of its own. A new katabasis for our modern times, but one paying homage to those that came before.

Now, most katabasis stories are allegory, and steeped in religious mythology. Dante’s Inferno with the Abrahamic religion’s depiction of hell, Orpheus’ journey into Ancient Greek Hades, Pwyll’s visit to the Welsh Annwn, and so on. I think the reason for this is because these stories were written, or told, at a time when religion was such a powerful influence on society. It controlled so much of everyday life. We are now in an increasingly godless society and so a visit to hell wouldn’t necessarily fit given our times. So, what is our equivalent for the modern age? Money. In one way or another, money has become our god, and globalised corporations are its church. We are slaves to the system. The majority of us work day in, day out, in order to have just enough to get by, and in order to make somebody else rich. We work ourselves ill, in search or hope of a promotion or pay rise. We present in a certain way, a way to please our employers, shareholders, and customers. It used to be that we did all we could to not be damned to hell. Now we do all we can to not get fired. To not be poor. We repent by fiercely protecting the job we hate, the job that eats at our souls. By following this line of thought, and considering three major aspects - the setting, our POV protag, Kattar, and the plot - the story really started to shine. Let’s do like a rapper, and break this down.

Setting! Sea of Glass takes place in a skyscraper tower. In many ways, the setting is its own character. It represents major corporations, powering an engine of consumerism, capitalism, and the inequality this breads within society. You see, corporations run on a hierarchical structure, meaning for every person at the top earning millions and having their needs met, there must be many, many, held down at the bottom to be the foundations. Some view this structure as giving people ambition and aspirations, but that is somewhat of a false impression fed to the masses by those at the top. For most people, globalised corporations will represent a dead-end 9-5 soul crushing existence until you’ve survived long enough to have served your purpose and be put out to pasture in retirement.

Kattar Everything that happens in the story is seen through the perspective of Kattar. Very little is said to describe him directly or give us too much knowledge into his past and current living situations. Instead the story is littered with little clues here and there that give us an insight into where he is in his life. A working class, lower class, fella plagued with self-doubt and belief in his lack of worth. Beliefs that have been forced into him by the corporate structure he is trapped in. He’s a lowly cleaner, believing he is where he belongs. He lacks ambition. He considers himself to not belong out in the cleanliness. He lacks the confidence to know what to do next in life, often just going with the flow, and often looking to others to be told what to do and where to go next, relying on their permission or right of access to move forward. He’s quite broken in many ways. Functioning, for sure, but also depressed and suffering a life of misery.

“Mummy told me a story about a clever doctor who when he was in the war got a very bad wound but instead of dying he chose to use himself as a test, and he treated his own wound and lived a long time with it all open for the world to see. Twentytwosix says that is a lot like you. Everyone sees your wound. But you don’t want people to see so it festers and weeps inside of you, until your blood is nothing but the sick tears the wound has been crying.”

Plot The story opens with the looming corporate tower setting fire to a delivery van, causing explosions and releasing a killer fog into the street. Kattar takes shelter from the outside world in the tower, where he just so happens to work as a cleaner. He ends up trapped, and sets off on a journey to find the EXIT. As he travels through the tower, higher, or lower, or just deeper (space is a little fluid at times), he encounters a number of staff, weird creatures, surreal scenes and the such until he finally climbs through the glass ceiling and is faced with his EXIT.

So, what does it all mean? That’s the golden question. Gransden will often write stories that are hidden between the lines of the story she presents on the surface. She often uses symbolism and metaphor to reflect a social or political situation or an aspect of human nature. It’s no different with Sea of Glass. We must consider the setting, the characters, and the plot together to make sense of the symbolism.

Sea of Glass is about an outsider. A man struggling to fit into a world that is increasingly confusing and bizarre. A man struggling to live up to expectations. Kattar starts by witnessing the destructive force of a poisonous world. He tries to seek safety in the tower, in the workplace that has been somewhat of a safe haven for him and kept him grounded. But he’s trapped now, and as he moves through he learns of a destructive monster causing mayhem, and tearing people apart. He encounters characters, each damaged by the corporate world in one way or another. Many of them force Kattar to promise he will return for them, and that he will help them. They put pressure on him, and in many ways set him up to fail. As the story progresses, each chapter starting in a new space, or a redressed and reset stage, he witnesses more and more outlandish scenes. His personal safety is increasingly at risk, and a few times he barely escapes. Gransden very cleverly, and with great control, ramps up the action, the tension, the anxiety, the absurd and surreal imagery, the disconnect from a world we would recognise as real. The story becomes more bizarre as we travel on this journey with Kattar. I believe this story is about a man, an ordinary man, one that could just as much be you or me, slowly losing his sanity due to the pressure of being forced to live in a globalised, capitalist, consumer driven, world. A world he doesn’t feel he belongs in. A world he isn’t made for. A world he doesn’t have the right constitution for. A world where all he sees is damage and chaos and mayhem. A world that doesn’t make sense to him. He spirals deeper and deeper into this confusion as his reality becomes increasingly fake. Gransden utilises descriptions of fake or artificial materialistic objects throughout. For example, doorways are described as being artificial, doors and walls as potentially not really existing except in Kattars perception. Space doesn’t really make sense, with doors leading to places they shouldn’t. Couple this with how each chapter is titled using Esperanto - a made up language created by a man. There are other little clues to consider, such as how at one point, Kattar wakes in a padded room. In modern psychology, the descent of a person’s mind into a deep depression and the delusion or dissociation that can come along with it is sometimes referred to as katabasis. I know, right? Chills.

We follow Kattar, experiencing this messed up nonsensical world as he desperately searches for the EXIT. What is the EXIT? An exit from the corporate structure that suffocates those trapped in it’s grasp? An exit from the confusion of life? An exit from life? Maybe all of the above. In the end Kattar finds himself face to face with his EXIT after witnessing the most horrendous scenes of murder and mayhem. He doesn’t find the EXIT by playing their rules and climbing their towers. He finds it by going through those in power. He ascends to an ethereal space above a sea of glass where he is left with a choice. To go back to his hell, to suffer until the end of his time, or to stay high above. To disconnect from his reality, or dissociate, enough to the point where he will no longer know what is happening, to no longer feel the pain and suffering of life. But in doing so, he must go back on his word. He must leave behind the people he promised to help. It’s a selfish act, of sorts. He is damned if he does, and damned if he doesn’t. Because no matter what happens he, or we, can’t escape the system. And that’s the biggest horror of this story. What makes it so great is that it is a powerful, masterly crafted, tragedy reflecting one of the greatest tragedies of our modern lives.

This is the exit you’ve been searching for and you have no reason to go back. You’ll lose your mind here, that’s what you want isn’t it? Not to think anymore? In time, you’ll go to sleep; no memory, no awareness, no feeling.

Rebecca Gransden has created something very special here. This is a story paying tribute to the classics that came before it, and more importantly holds its own. It doesn’t look up to them with inspiration, hoping to one day be as good as them - it sits beside them as an equal in quality and significance. It’s full of little nods to mythology and theology throughout. Gransden’s descriptions are vivid and sharp, leaving a lasting impression in the mind. Shame on me for sleeping on this the first time around, because I make no exaggeration when I say this may be one of the greatest stories I’ve ever read. I’m not even sure I am finished reading it. It will stay with me for a long time to come. There are still aspects I don’t fully understand and would like to explore more. If you’ve read this far, you should definitely read the book also, and then come and discuss with me your interpretation and what you think it all means because I may have got it all wrong. Who knows?

Anyway, I’m off to quit my day job. Until next time, peace and love.



Jack CJ Stark
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[Bernard Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe you won’t choose Rebecca Gransden for your survival guide, but if you are looking for an expert guide through horror, gory, macabre, bizarre, and everything that borders with (in)sanity and survival, Rebecca Gransden is someone you’ll call!

The first pages of her novella Sea of Glass left me glued to the sudden chaos happening outside the tower. Yet the true chaos is to begin when Kattar Bassis escapes the street inferno and finds shelter within the glass walls of his building. Roaming its floors, he only wishes to find EXIT and survive, on his way discovering and stumbling upon things beyond our imagination.

Rebecca Gransden’s mind is eons away from average literary efforts and accomplishments, her brain works with cybernetic precision in creating the atmosphere and feelings of hopelessness, fear, frustration and the impossible. Her voice is soothing as she narrate-walks us through the labyrinth of puzzle-like crafted sentences that sometimes leave us wondering and contemplating and sometimes with a suppressed exclamation Wow! on our mute lips.

Still waiting to see whether it will leave a permanent mark on my psyche, I can conclude that Sea of Glass is a story to be re-read, Sea of Glass is a story for the highest acclaim.

BJ
www.bernardjan.com
Bernard Jan

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best things about reading a Rebecca Gransden book is that she weaves a tale that leaves your imagination to interpret what is going on. There are so many ways to understand the story that a small group of people would have their own ideas on the plot. This is my theory:

The Sea of Glass is a modern retelling of Dante's Inferno, instead of travelling downwards through hell to locate the route to Heaven, Kattar (our hero/traveller) is travelling up a big corporation's building to locate the EXIT. Each door he goes through could be a promotion to the next level on his way to the top. Kattar meets various people on his journey, who are being tortured in their own way having sold their souls to the big corp. As in the Inferno the people Kattar meets ask for his help, he meets somebody he knows and he has help himself from various guides. Having got the Inferno idea stuck in my head early on this made it a very interesting read.

It's nice to see the horror side of Rebecca's writing with her adding her surreal twist to things. Only downside to this book is how does one go about entering a tall building knowing they may never make it out again?

Blog post: https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2019...

[Ben Arzate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full Review

Sea of Glass is an excellent novella. Despite its often dense, heavily descriptive prose, it remains a fast-paced, engaging story that’s funny, often unsettling, and full of unexpected moments. I think it’s a novella well worth reading, despite the fact many may find the prose difficult and the ending unsatisfying. I highly recommend picking up this book and reading it one sitting. It’s the kind of book that should be experienced all at once as a kaleidoscopic nightmare.

[Casey Kiser]

Wow! This sounds so good! I can’t wait to have some extra time to check it out!!

[Ben Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm dazzled by Sea of Glass, a visionary epic in the guise of a humble novella.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a few weeks since I finished reading this, and my mind still keeps going back to certain images that have been imprinted in my memory.
I love Rebecca's writing - she is a master of her craft. She just knows how to find the right word (which I often realise IS the right word once I've looked it up in the dictionary) for any situation or image. Her words flow with such a calmness and easiness that quite often you are lulled into a false security, until you can feel your heart rate increasing and your panic levels rising because you are so enchanted. And this is what happened as I read this book. Lured by her sophisticated words into the brutal, gory, life-or-death situations the main character Kattar has to endure to get to the EXIT and save his own life. Who he meets, and what he hears and sees, is haunting and unforgettable, making this novel an absolute pageturner. And just when you think that Gransden has finished trying to shock you with the horror of what you have just read, there's another door waiting for you to enter.
I really enjoyed this book as it is poles apart from her other novel Anemogram (also amazing), and showcases the talent that this wonderful writer possesses. I'm really looking forward to reading this again once I stop having flashbacks of it.

[Adam Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sea of Glass is an ocean of the macabre; of twisted bodies, flayed skin and idiosyncratic prose. It is Kattar's journey through the haunted halls of a not-quite nondescript tower in the middle of a city. The story flits from the metaphorical to the real, a dreamlike consciousness, with tangible cornerstones for the reader to grab hold of - something they can recognise - before being thrust back into a bizarre world of tower-dwelling maniacs, floating stars, half-women, flaming zombies, and more.

It breaks as many rules as it creates, both in the story and the way it is told. You might need a dictionary with some sentences - I didn't mind this as it added to the sense of 'otherworld', but I can see why another reader may feel interrupted. The prose interferes here, it is not a story you can truly get lost in, the writing and the story are wrapped in one. This works well here as it adds to the sense unease as Kattar makes his way up the tower. The visuals are very graphic, raw - something a horror fan would enjoy. While the narrative can be poetic and make you think. Recommended read!

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Bunyan and Milton had a love child who happened to write the script for a reality show about dysfunctional relationships in hell (in esperanto) this might be a possible result.
I have always felt that Rebecca Gransden writes in a very onionesque manner but she has surpassed herself in layering this time.
I don't pretend to have understood much of the narrative and symbolism in Sea of Glass but for me it spoke of hopelessness, despair and betrayal (ok, enough of the positive stuff).
I cannot blame the author for my lack of understanding and feel that I was challenged and stretched intellectually whist being borne onwards at a rather uncomfortable pace by Rebecca's ever lyrical writing.
Mi atendas estontecon kun pli Gransden en ĝi

[David Kuhnlein · Rating 5 out of 5]

When literature correctly strives to be gonorrhea of the throat, each book should burn till the chords melt. Sidewalk chalk in a storm as your magnum opus, an erasure more meaningful than birth. A little dribble in the void never killed anybody. Rebecca Gransden's novella seeps from ileum to Iliad. Cavities keep congested with mythic creatures and quests. Gransden makes sport of woe, taking the escalator to every island in Homer’s Odyssey.

Full review here @ 3:AM Magazine: https://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/post-...

[Jake Beka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every year, I try to read at least one book for the spooky season, and this year, I don't think I could've picked a better option. Dreamylike quality. 100% atmospheric. VERY disturbing at times. Amazing wordplay and images (actually so impressed with the rhetoric of this book I'm jealous). I'm not going to try and summarize this book, nor try to explain what I think it means. It's a book that is meant to be experienced and not fully understood. However, some themes I managed to pull from it were the grinding down of individuals as a result of capitalism, how language often fails to convey what we actually mean, how meaning can be found within chaos, and how it is imperative to have chaos. Lastly, this book reminded me of and is like a wild combination of Anna Kavan's 'Ice,' Ann Quin, Silent Hill, and Resident Evil. I think I remember reading somewhere that one of the characters in Gransden's book was inspired by Nemesis or Mr. X from Resident Evil, and I got that impression, but don't quote me on that. I think more literature should draw from other media formats like video games.

[Adrian Coombe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hard to know what to rate this. Some parts were really good, some quite "out there" scenes and ideas, but some social commentary within I felt a little overplayed. Sometimes it wrapped itself up trying to be clever, but I felt it confused me at times more than impressed in those instances. Still, worth a read. An amazing cover for sure.

[Todd Wittenmyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Visceral horror! Dark, gruesome, and stomach churning! My best comparison to known authors would be a cross between Kathe Koja and Clive Barker! I gave this one a 4.5! (I loved the Mr. Wayfarer character!)

[Russ]

There's something interesting going on here, though I couldn't quite figure out what. Almost DNF but stuck it out. Worth checking out, I didn't get much out of it, but maybe you will.

[Stuart Coombe · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that felt it was trying too hard, a wink wink look how many adjectives I can throw in. I don’t hate it, in fact parts were amazing, but it is very self knowing.

I also find it slightly ironic that a book about someone trying to escape feels very much like a story trying to escape its own nightmare.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

What’s it about?

It’s a twisted dark game: a battle between good and evil after an unknown sense-messing explosion. Kattar takes refuge in a building, taking granted ‘what is’, and he only wants to find the exit, for there is danger lurking within the tower.

First impressions

I did find the premise to be interesting: someone trapped in a glass tower looking for the exit, and I wondered if I was reading some form of visionary crime thriller, though the reviews told me otherwise. First impressions were of surreal oddness, smacking of retro science fiction style. Something was happening, and I wasn’t sure what, beyond a sense of chaos and crazy irrelevant characters made relevant by such statements as ‘there’s not much sense around’, and objects made convenient by their bizarre lack of convenience, with an old man’s glasses for example. I rather think this style continued throughout, and it was unusual.

Next, we behold a sense of wonder. What situation is Kattar in exactly? He’s trapped in a building because of a black cloud caused by the explosion of a white van, causing the building to be in lockdown, and he can’t get to the areas he usually does. It turns out he actually works in the building as a cleaner. Kattar was already a part of the building and whatever happens in it before the start of the novella. Surely, it can only be in lockdown for a temporary period of time, and so we’re introduced to a fascinating series of events that may play out, but we’re still not sure what exactly. Will there be a mass killer on the loose and he has to find the exit? Have they no rooms for him to stay in during the night?

Praise

Imagery in Sea of Glass could make you cringe, hide, vomit, or gaze in stupefied, fascinated terror. And that’s before you’re introduced to what may be happening in the tower. There is fear, pervasive inability to escape, and ruthless punishment. The rest is the reader’s surprise!

The author should write more of this fiction, being unique, entertaining, stimulating, and macabre. The premise was excellent, which helped. The imagery and description was the most gruesome I’d ever read. Kattar’s experiences were eye opening, all the better described and imaginative for being nonsensical and of dubious relevance.

I’m feeling two things about the existence of Rebecca Gransden’s fiction: elation it exists, and concern.

Criticism

As a novella, I’m unsure how well the story worked. My impression was one of vivid, yet fleeting images, much of it deliberately nonsensical as a result of the style. It could be that I was not used to the symbolism and the metaphorical language, leaving me in the dark. There were a few passages I had to reread, and this didn’t always bother me unless I couldn’t fathom the subject. I believe this was personal taste; I don’t know how the existence of the symbolism and metaphorical language could be changed.

We weren’t given opportunity to explore some aspects as much as I’d have liked. Some reviewers commented on how the places could have been described with more clarity, and I think I agree. In the theatre, I still wasn’t sure what was where. A bit more time for Kattar to take his bearings before the author describes them may have helped me develop a clearer image.

Author’s message

There was, I believe, with the poetical and metaphorical language and digressions, a corporate thread or message in Sea of Glass and I wasn’t sure exactly what was being shown, but perhaps the twisted, hellish, sadistic, broken-relationship that can exist in such environments. There were characters with their own selfish agendas and realms within the building that differed enormously. That theatre was sinister! I’d quite like to hear more about author Rebecca Gransden’s message.

Conclusion

Sea of Glass was an experience in reading a style I haven’t come across, with writing that has a sense of shocking immediacy and scenes that bend so far away from reality it makes you wonder why it is you’re so engrossed in them. Author Rebecca Gransden is wielding some powerful writing material.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author fashions imagistic prose somersaulting with passages of delicious wordplay-reverb... a language coursing through her sea of words almost mesmerizing with intriguing nuances and whatnot, but too bad the plot -- or what passes for one --gets clunkily in the way. Trapped in a glass tower her protagonist Kattar needs to find the EXIT in a hurry, but just can't find the right door. A plethora of ghoulish characters (including a mysterious Mr. Wayfarer, the demonic force terrorizing one and all) have materialized in his way, and the live-carrion scenes revel in gooey blood & guts galore. Overkill might be the operative word here. Midway through this sanguine exercise in tasteless banqueting things go from interesting to disgusting, almost comically descending into a revolting indulgence of gratuitous gushing lollapalooza, eventually swallowed-up by the novel's cannibalistic Chairman -- and even Kattar dives into that deep throat of insatiable body horror to finally escape it all. Enough said! The reader might get a prolonged dose of (il)literary indigestion, and something horribly gone wrong doesn't always make for good or compelling horror. Are we really immersed in a diabolical sea of glass, or just plain quagmire of sinking metaphors leaving this splendid writer's craft dead in the water?

[Jack Skelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

William Gibson invited Kafka and (Dante’s) Beatrice to his garage (décor by H.R. Giger’s half-sister). He served ketamine spaghetti. Down a K-hole of fleshy plasticity they all toppled, landing – like eyes-agog Alices – in a lost Sam Raimi “Evil Dead” prequel, set in a corporate tower, with dark-ride boardrooms, haunted theaters and Gertrude Stein pronouns. Music by Aphex Twin.

Adamant in nightmare non-logic, they narrate their quest of questionable resolution via Rebecca Granden’s opacity, mouthing the words “now” and “wow.” Accent on the wow.