A Scandal in Bohemia by Arthur Conan Doyle

There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact.

Sherlock Holmes requires no introduction and describing the plot of A Scandal in Bohemia would be an exercise in futility. Come on, this is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the iconic Sherlock Holmes so you already know it's going to be a doozy. 

I was first introduced to Sherlock Holmes middle school when my homeroom teacher read us "The Hound of the Baskervilles" and it instantly became my favorite book of all time. Looking back, I am not sure my eight-year old self fully appreciated the author's clever wit, sophisticated prose and ingenious plots as much as I thought Sherlock Holmes was the coolest character ever. Also, I don't recall him using cocaine to sharpen his mind although the drug was obviously viewed differently back in the 1880's. I just thought this was an amusing side note worth mentioning.  

Quick, fun and highly entertaining, this story is quintessential Sherlock Holmes. It hooks the reader immediately from the very first sentence and doesn't let go: "To Sherlock Holmes, she is always the woman." Love it. So much intrigue built around such a simple statement that perfectly sets up the mystery. If you do end up reading this story, please let me know in the comments below if you successfully deduced the twist ending. I must confess that I did not.

Flying Carpets by Steven Millhauser

A whole new world...

Whimsical childhood reflections, magical realism and flying carpets sounds like an excellent recipe for a great short-story. Unfortunately, I found the overall result to be a mixed bag. Had it not been for Levar Burton's enthusiastic reading of this story, I probably would have liked it less. 

Essentially, we are presented with a coming-of-age story, with the first person narrator looking back on their childhood when every kid on the block wanted a flying carpet. You see, in this alternative world, flying carpets exist. They are the latest popular trend and the young narrator is totally over the moon when his father brings one home for him as a gift. Similar to learning how to ride a bike for the first time, flying a carpet requires practice. We follow the young protagonist as he develops his skills, building up the confidence to soar higher and higher up in the sky. The young boy's sense of freedom and pure joy while flying his carpet evokes those strong feelings of childhood innocence and optimism where anything seems possible. In the tradition of magical realism, the story presents fantastic events in the most commonplace surroundings and matter-of-fact tone. Millhauser emphasizes the power of the imagination, inextricably linked to childlike wonder and curiosity. Capturing this essence is the story's main strength despite the narrative falling flat. 

The Skull by Philip K. Dick

Smoke if you got em!

Philip K Dick's strong suit is story ideas, not characterization. If you are looking for complex characters and emotional or psychological depth, you are bound to be disappointed. Some of his early sci-fi pulp adventure narratives like The Skull are supposed to be fast-paced entertainments, nothing more. Personally, I see nothing wrong with this narrative approach and not every literary work needs to be some kind of profound intellectual exercise. Give me a good story well-told and I'm one happy camper. The pulps are often labeled as "trash" by literary pundits but I never subscribed to this elitist attitude. Sure, in this story, the characters are flat, driven by basic desires or they fall into various archetypes. The narrative can often feel disjointed and haphazard, moving frenetically towards the dénouement. Yet, despite these flaws, somehow the story is still an enjoyable read. It would not be until much later in his writing career when PKD is able to develop well-rounded characters and the prose becomes much more compelling as he transcends the limitations of genre fiction. 

Nonetheless, The Skull succeeds as an entertaining story about a time-traveling assassin. He is sent back to the early 20th century to kill an important figure whose pacifist views have serious repercussions on future society because according to pro-military officials, there can be no human progress without war. Similar to other stories by Philip K Dick, expect some clever surprises along the way. The protagonist is not provided much information from his superiors about the target or where to find him, only the general location and time period. He must rely on his wits and unique hunting skillset to track him down before time runs out. Much of the suspense and intrigue is created by keeping the protagonist in the dark about his mission and by extension, the reader. Entertaining stuff.

The Shawl by Cynthia Ozick

The grey zone.

I have been putting off writing this review for several weeks now because it feels like such a daunting task to unpack this remarkable work that continues to leave a lasting impression. The Shawl by Cynthia Ozick is the newest addition to my Short Story Hall of Fame for its technique, raw power and absolutely devastating depiction of the Holocaust. This masterpiece is easily one of the most heartbreaking pieces of literature that I have ever encountered in my life and some of the haunting imagery will forever be ensconced in my brain.

I am beginning to develop a certain affinity for authors capable of blending lyricism with realism. Even though language is inadequate to fully capture the horrors of the Holocaust, there is still value in telling these stories. Moreover, the paradox of history and truth is further complicated since so many victims in the concentration camps did not survive to describe what happened to them. Art has the difficult task of filling in the gaps of this erasure, expressing the inexpressible, conveying the silence of trauma. Writers of Holocaust fiction seek an artistic reconstruction of history in a meaningful way.

On the surface, this story is about motherhood, human suffering and survival under the most dire circumstances. The resilience and fortitude of Rosa to keep her baby alive even when facing death, is a testament to the human spirit. She only lives to protect the child and the reader becomes fully immersed in her harrowing plight. This 'silence' becomes an important metaphor loaded with meaning: the silence of trauma, the silence of history, the silence of unspeakable horrors. There is also Stella but she exists on the periphery, a shadowy figure only seen through Rosa's perspective. In fact, the entire narrative construction is full of shadowy fragments. Ozick's elliptical, impressionistic and sparse prose further contributes to this ambiguity. This aesthetic creates a disorienting effect, a hallucinatory style to reflect Rosa's intense trauma. Another salient feature includes vague descriptions and a bare minimum of information, forcing the reader to infer through context. The poetic lyricism and metaphors might seem inappropriate for the subject matter (finding beauty in horror) but this narrative technique paradoxically serves to represent the un-representable. For example, pay attention to the animal metaphors in relation to survival, hunger, starvation. Ozick also utilizes ironic contrasts for dramatic effect: flowers and fecal matter; butterflies and electric fences. 

There are so many rich layers of complexity packed into a few pages, which, for me, is usually indicative of a great short-story. The Shawl is an important and unforgettable artistic achievement. 

The Simplest Equation by Nicky Drayden

Fractals of love.

Queer love, aliens and mathematical equations take center stage in this wonderfully poignant short-story. 

Levar Burton does an excellent reading here and even comments afterwards about this story being deeply personal for him because his daughter identifies as queer. The struggle for acceptance and feeling marginalized in this heteronormative society, especially as a black queer woman, hits close to home for him. He was even crying while speaking on the subject and I found this all to be quite moving.

The first-person narrator is a young black woman unsure of herself, trying to find their passion and sense of place in the world. She is a top-notch math student although remains uncertain if this field of study is the right career path for them. She also has a crush on the new classmate who happens to be of the non-human species variety. Paradoxically, the black "other" is normalized and the alien takes on this role. We are never provided any historical background information about this new race although they look similar to humans despite a few extra limbs and teeth. They are intelligent beings, with a proclivity for mathematics. The idea of mathematical equations--more specifically, fractals--as being another form of storytelling is brilliantly conceived. The story's crescendo with the protagonist's expression of love through fractals is beautiful, heartwarming and bittersweet.

The author effectively juxtaposes the familiar and unfamiliar, creating a sense of cognitive estrangement. Yet, irrespective of these science-fiction genre tropes of "otherness", this coming-of-age story remains deeply rooted in universal human experiences. 

It is always exciting for me to discover new authors working within the aesthetic movement of black speculative fiction. The term "Afrofuturism" is often thrown around haphazardly to describe any work by a black artist that depicts black people in a futuristic setting. Within a literary context, black representation is only one aspect of a much larger and complex aesthetic that is constantly being redefined, evolving and pushing the boundaries of genre fiction through a racialized lens. 

Gotcha! by Ray Bradbury

Honey, do you want to play a game?

I think it is time to take a break from Ray Bradbury and mix it up with some different authors. I have been binge reading his short-stories lately, revisiting old favorites and discovering many hidden gems along the way. Unfortunately, there are plenty of duds in between and others like this Gotcha! that fall somewhere in the middle. My hyper-fixation tends to get the better of me and I would like to avoid burning out. 

Gotcha! is all about metaphors over story. A couple is in the honeymoon phase of their romantic relationship. Check out this sexually implicit opening sentence:

"They were incredibly in love. They said it. They knew it. They lived it. When they weren't staring at each other they were hugging. When they weren't hugging they were kissing. When they weren't kissing they were a dozen scrambled eggs in bed. When they were finished with the amazing omelette they went back to staring and making noises."

Oh Mr. Bradbury, how scandalous! Essentially, this couple can't keep their hands off each other and during another erotic evening, the woman Beth asks the man if he would like to play a game. Of course, he thinks this will inevitably lead to more sexy times but she has a different type of game in mind--one that is a little more sinister in nature. Real or imagined, the story delves into horror and the fantastic. The woman takes the game too far, scaring the man out of his wits. For the first time in this relationship, the blood rushes back to his brain and he begins to wonder if he actually wants to be with this woman. The game itself becomes a poetic metaphor for an unhealthy relationship: breaking trust, disrespecting boundaries and not having open communication. A quick read but often feels contrived and lacks that Bradbury spark. 

Chivalry by Neil Gaiman

The Damsel of the Sanct Grael
by Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1874)

I have started listening to the Levar Burton Reads podcast on my morning commute to work, making the travel time far more pleasant. As long as there are no transit delays, I am usually able to finish at least one story by the time I reach my destination. Today, it was Chivalry by Neil Gaiman, which I enjoyed quite a bit. My only exposure to his work is the novel American Gods back in the early 2000's, when it was all the rage. I recall struggling with the bloated narrative that seemed to meander without any purpose and something about the prose just irked me. I eventually abandoned the book and never read anything by Niel Gaiman again. After listening/reading this delightfully whimsical short-story about an old lady who discovers the Holy Grail at a thrift shop (not a spoiler and is revealed in the very first sentence), I am willing to give him a second chance. Similar to Haruki Murakami, I get the feeling that his short-stories will appeal to me more than the novels. 

Elements of the fantastic intertwine with ordinary life creating a captivating sense of magical realism. The Arthurian legend and Galahad's search for the holy grail in a small suburb of England during the 20th century is not only believable but surprisingly moving as well. 

Mrs. Whitaker is a widow, living a quiet and modest life. She enjoys afternoon tea with her friend and tending her small garden. Visiting the local thrift shop and browsing their eclectic wares is a weekly tradition where she usually leaves with one of those paperback harlequin romance novels that can always be found at these kind of stores. After discovering the beautiful chalice hidden amongst some odds and ends, she believes that it would look great on her mantlepiece. Later on, she is surprised to receive a gentleman caller claiming to be Sir Galahad and explains that he is a on noble quest in search of the Holy Grail, which has led him to her. Their budding relationship is tender and sweet, similar to the way a loving grandmother might dote on her grandson. The light-hearted humor is most effective during their interactions. This is an amusing and entertaining story with a well-drawn and empathetic protagonist.

This story got me thinking more about our unhealthy attachment to material things. It's funny, we are born into this world with nothing, struggle to accumulate all these things and then leave this world with nothing. Mrs. Whitaker might be in possession of one of the most sought-after ancient relics in human history, but it's value does not hold the same weight as the picture of her deceased husband located next to it on the mantlepiece. This story provides a gentle reminder that life is short and ephemeral. We can attach meaning to objects to help fill the void but they to are subject to time. 

No Man's Guns by Elmore Leonard

Yee-haw.

Similar to Ray Bradbury, Elmore Leonard was an extremely prolific writer during his lifetime. He has over 30 novels to his name during a career spanning six decades! He is more well-known for his crime fiction, with many of his works being adapted into movies and television shows (Get Shorty, Out of Sight, Rum Punch and Justified to name a few). However, he started off writing Western short-stories for Pulp magazines during the 1950's, including this one, which first appeared in Western Story Roundup in 1955.

Elmore Leonard's concise and pared-down writing style is perfectly suited for short-stories. This is not Hemingway minimalism although he does subscribe to a certain level of brevity. Anything superfluous to the story which detracts from the narrative flow is discarded. He is very selective with his words, avoiding any extraneous details or descriptions. There is no fluff, no filler, no fancy prose. He uses simple and direct language, understanding that readers are likely going to skip over these nonessential details in search of the actual story. This is not to suggest that Leonard's writing is prosaic, reduced to simple entertainments--quite the opposite. The ability to construct a nuanced and compelling narrative within the constraints of the short-story form requires a great deal of creative skill.

No Man's Guns is not your typical action-packed Western adventure with cowboys and wild shootouts. In fact, not even a single gun is fired in the entire story. This is more of a psychological character study, examining the internal struggle of accepting death due to unfortunate circumstances. In a case of mistaken identity, an ex-soldier crosses paths with some bandits and rounded up by some hired guns for execution. Building intrigue through omission is quintessential Elmore Leonard. The brisk pacing creates a forward momentum, continually increasing the suspense with some unexpected twists and turns.

The Wonderful Ice-Cream Suit by Ray Bradbury

Cheesy 90's movie marketing at it's best.

It pains me to say it but this is by far my least favorite Ray Bradbury short-story. Five Mexican friends from the poor working-class decide to pitch in $10 each in order to buy a fancy white suit for them to all share over the course of an evening. Let the comedic hijinks begin. They believe this magical suit will raise their social status and attract beautiful women. The story is a screwball comedy filled with cornball humor that completely misses the mark. It relies on racial stereotypes and the gimmick becomes tiresome very quickly. 

I was even shocked to discover that this story was adapted into a feature-length movie in the 90's starring a young Edward James Olmos and Joe Mantegna! It is bound to be atrocious but a small part of me is somewhat curious to seek it out.