August 23, 2008
Wilde Stories 2008
Michael Wood READ TIME: 1 MIN.
Steve Berman, editor
Lethe Press
I don't want to worry you, but this is an anthology. I know, I know. What is it with you gays and your short story anthologies? Are you really so flighty you can't write something long enough to be accepted at iUniverse? My human says I have ADD, but even I have the willpower to stare at that spot on the bathroom wall for hours at a time. Judging by this collection, can writing a novel really be that much harder? You see I have caught the inquiring spirit of this book, which is subtitled "The Best of the Year's Gay Speculative Fiction." It sure does lead to speculation! Like, what if someone wrote a ghost story that wasn't the least bit scary? You know I don't like to be harsh, but come on. The sound of crinkling plastic bags is enough to give me palpitations, but even I thought some of these stories were a little dull. And yet, some are really stylish and creepy. Why mix them all together? Is this the literary version of a buffet, where there's something for every taste? I've never had the chance to experience a buffet, but believe me I've thought about it. A lot. Is it dinnertime yet? Zai jian, bitches.
Michael Wood is a contributor and Editorial Assistant for EDGE Publications.