Sunday, March 23, 2014

And this title was just right



I had read a bevy of Suzanne Church’s stories before and became a bigger and bigger fan with each one.  When I heard the title of her collection would be “Elements” I humphed.  It seemed too simple to me.  Her stories cover horror, fantasy, science fiction (in a myriad of sub-genres) – with poignancy, bending tension and welcome dose of humor.  They are, none of them, simple.  After reading the bundle, I’ve changed my humph to a nod.  All the elements of great story telling are here and working wonders.  Families, fear, love, death – the fundamentals of being human drive Suzanne’s stories even when the characters are not human’s at all.  The combinations make the collection fun, exciting and tearful.  One of my criticisms of many things I read is their lopsidedness.  So dreary, so flighty, so thick with drama – that they become immersions in one emotion. The balance in this collection is refreshing in its perfection.  Not too hot, not too cold.  Just right.

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