Thomas Tessier
Description
From Booklist Here are 20 tales that range from science fiction to Lovecraftian horror to the simply off-the-wall bizarre. Readers who favor gothic da
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rkness will savor such tales as "Food," in which an obese woman's obsession with eating precedes a massive metamorphosis that proves unfortunate for her neighbor. In "Blanco," a travel writer's curiosity lands him in hot water with a well-disciplined town's local custom. "I Remember Me" tells of a future where a virus is slowly destroying everyone's memory, and identities are lost and found with every turn of a corner. There are also stories of the simply inexplicable, such as "Nocturne," in which a man out for a stroll stops in at an obscure tavern and witnesses either a suicide or a strange piece of performance art. As with his dark collection of short stories in Fog Heart (1998), Tessier shows skill and potential. Eric RobbinsCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved From Publishers Weekly Utterly disturbing and beautifully written, these 20 stories showcase quietly spectacular literary craftsmanship. Although thoroughly modern, they are also reminiscent of the best of the classic horror tradition, with convincing characterization and suspenseful structure. These are tales of ordinary people confronted with the exceedingly extraordinary, the familiar made unnerving, reality suddenly altered. A man vacations in the mysterious eponymous country of "Blanca" and finds himself caught up in paranoia and an oddly repressive political system. Everyone forgets everything in "Remember Me." In "The Last Crossing," a 50-year-old man loses his job and his bearings in life. Everyday life is surrealistically jarred, then returns to normal (if there is such a thing), in "Nocturne." A young composer is literally possessed by musicDor somethingDin the title tale. As in his novels (Fogheart, etc.), Tessier's prose is invariably elegant, even when adroitly portraying a transvestite street hustler and a primal biker, as in "The Dreams of Dr. Ladybank." This first collection of short fiction from the vastly talented author offers only more proof that he is a masterful practitioner of the art of dark fiction. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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