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I just bought this collection of stories, edited by Michael Chabon. McSweeney’s bulked up on recognizable name talent this time and Number Ten features Harlan Ellison, Stephen King, Michael Chabon, Nick Hornby, Michael Moorcock, Michael Crichton, Dave Eggers, Rick Moody and Neil Gaiman among several others.
Chabon makes a point in his introduction to explain that he wanted to put together a group of plot driven stories that hearken back to an older style of short writing. I believe he cites Lovecraft as being an influence in this and he even references Stephen King as being the living master of short fiction writing. Chabon continues to relate how he complained about modern short stories and their self-introspective-style-where-nothing-happens to the point that Dave Eggers finally agreed to publish this collection for him. Chabon even lifts Warren Ellis’ old analogy about superhero comics and asks the reader: What would modern writing be like if it was comprised solely of all nurse romances?
I’ve only had the time to read the King, Gaiman and Moody stories so far. I enjoyed them. The Rick Moody story is actually a science fiction piece about a memory inducing drug called Albertine. The King story appears to be a teaser to the upcoming fifth installment of the Dark Tower series.
Now most of these writers are from either the genre of horror or science fiction and I get the impression that even the Chabon, Moody and Eggers pieces use fantastic elements as devices. If so, what does this say about the supposed modern plot driven story? Obviously I don’t think this about real fiction, but in terms of this collection, with some of the top selling talent in the business, why is it difficult to write a good short story set within the boundaries of the real world? |
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