From the Bookshelf of Weird Fiction…

Velocities

Kathe Koja

Start date: June 1, 2020

Finish date: June 30, 2020

Discussion leader: Dan

Why we're reading this: Winner of the June poll for group read.
[close] Winner of the June poll for group read.

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Mar 06, 2020 Zach rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: weird-fiction, fiction, short-stories

Thanks to Meerkat for the ARC - my review is up at Strange Horizons. ...more

14 likes · Like · see review

Jun 08, 2020 Catherine McCarthy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: best-reads-of-2020

Where to begin? My book reviews are usually short and to the point, since I like to review everything I read and simply don’t have time to review at length. However, Koja’s collection deserves so much more than a few short sentences.
This is the first work I have read by her, but it certainly won’t be the last. I have to admit to being smitten. I read the whole collection in just two sessions, and even read three of the stories twice, and aloud, since they have that lyrical quality that demands Where to begin? My book reviews are usually short and to the point, since I like to review everything I read and simply don’t have time to review at length. However, Koja’s collection deserves so much more than a few short sentences.
This is the first work I have read by her, but it certainly won’t be the last. I have to admit to being smitten. I read the whole collection in just two sessions, and even read three of the stories twice, and aloud, since they have that lyrical quality that demands to be heard, not just read in silence.
Original, unconventional, inspirational: Koja crawls into the attic space of your mind and stays there. In fact, it’s as if she’s always been there, speaking to you from your subconscious, that place where nobody is invited.
It’s difficult to say which stories are my favorite, since I loved them all, but I will attempt to do so. I’m also aware that I don’t wish to give spoilers, so here we go...
At Eventide: for the way in which the woman overcomes past adversity, those seemingly insignificant details which are actually of great significance. Anyone who has suffered trauma should connect with this story on a personal level, and if you haven’t, then all it takes is a bit of imagination, a wander into that realm of dreading the worst.
Baby: for evoking connections - “...sometimes I let my feet leave the patio, just a few inches, just balancing there on the railing, in thin air...” and the creepiness of Baby in opposition to the love and devotion she feels towards the doll.
Road Trip: written in second person POV, which demands the reader imagine himself as the MC. And that description of the accident! Short, succinct, the way in which all logical thought deserts you in such moments. And the guilt, and how is it possible to deal with something so immense?
La Reine D’enfer: evocative of old theaters, Victorian music halls, but in an non-glamorous way, warts and all. And the way in which Koja plays with the magic of language in this story – superb!
Throughout the collection, the words, phrases, sentences, bring a musical quality to the work and a sense of movement, too, which is why they deserve to be read aloud.
This is not just a work of fiction; this is a performance on a page, a textual dance, and I can’t wait to read more of her work. ...more

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Aug 15, 2020 Dan rated it really liked it

Shelves: short-stories, horror

Most of these stories only made marginal sense to me. I can tell they're well written and that the author has talent. But, to my perception, the stories lacked both a standard plot with rising actions and climaxes, and the characters had motivations I either didn't understand or couldn't sympathize with. I get the impression almost every character in the book has little use (other than sexual) for men.

Two stars for the good writing and belief that I just didn't get it, but that something worthwh ...more

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