A collection of fourteen little stories, most of which contain some surreal or fantastical element. Death is a recurring theme, as are bad/loveless relationships and characters with less than zero emotional intelligence.

The best of these were, in their own deeply strange ways, good enough that they left me sort of sitting there going "wow" afterward. But even the ones that didn't seem, to my rational brain, as if they should be particularly effective stories were still somehow weirdly compelling, and the combined result made for a decidedly memorable reading experience. I don't think this one is for everybody, but if "dark and strange and affecting in ways you don't necessarily even always understand" is your jam, this one will probably be your jam. ( )

Pitch-black humor with a fantasy twist. A little too black for my tastes--I ended up more depressed than smiling. But I loved the surreal elements. Humor is highly subjective, so I'd still recommend this book to anyone who likes to read--and think--a little off the beaten path. ( )

I LOVED these stories. Coming to the end was like a tiny death for me. I can't wait to read more by Shearman. I've never seen Dr. Who but I will definitely look for it now. What an imagination! What a mind!! What a writier!!! The best I've read in a long time. ( )

The scripts of my favorite Doctor Who writer generally show a skill of depicting real people with real problems in surreal fashions, so it was no surprise that Rob Shearman's collection of short stories did the same. Much of the collection deal with death: dealing with it, avoiding it, experiencing it. And so many of the stories end bleakly; my favorite was probably the one about a man who went to Hell to find out if he really loved his wife, but still never got an answer. Some of them were hilarious, some of them macabre, frequently stories were both. How could you not like a story about the only man in the world not to get advanced notification of his time and cause of death, due to a clerical error? Or the man who has to room with Hitler's dog in Hell? They're almost all potent stories on their own; together, they make for a fantastic and clever first book. Shearman had better come up with more soon; I'll be there in an instant.

This is a great collection of strange short stories. No matter how bizarre the characters or situations are though, Shearman writes about them with such true emotion and honesty that you can't help but FEEL. Honestly, I shed a tear when a woman gave birth to a rusty tea kettle. How often can you say THAT after reading a story? I definitely recommend this book! ( )