Status Updates From The Stories of Vladimir Nab...

"Terra Incognita" - 4.5 - VN toys with some of his longtime fixations--entomology, fictitious place names--to great effect. what a beautiful fusion of tacky ("...he was ready to do anything to get out of Zonraki, where they pass half the year brewing their von-gho and the other half drinking it.") and good SF ("porphyroferous," oh baby!). the adventure story is decent, but secondary to VN's transcendent wordplay.

"A Nursery Tale" omg...

"the aurelian" - 4 - we love stories about entomologists, bug freaks. excellent prose with some charming, well-placed touches of alliteration. the end is just a little bit too preordained, but the progress toward it is magnetic. interesting exercise in getting a full-bodied short story out of little more than a character's unspoken dreams or desires (and, of course, some florid historical-scientific details)

Safdie bros. fans be sure to check out "An Affair of Honor," in which a guy discovers his wife cheating with a friend, challenges the friend to a duel, and experiences the most stressful 24 hours of his life. it's not as harlequin or dialogue-driven as a Safdie but the side characters are absolutely hysterical and the tragicomic ending is an all-timer.

Christmas ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ beautifully written, moving, a great ending.