Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Best author you are not reading

A few weeks ago I went into my local public library to the section where the short stories had been housed only to discover that the section had disappeared. When I queried the librarian I was told that no one reads short fiction and that the materials had been moved into the main fiction section.
I thought to myself , if no one reads short fiction then why do magazines like the New Yorker continue to publish it?
So, with this fact in mind the best author you are not reading is a gentleman by the name of Paolo Bacigalupi. Yes, I know, perhaps it’s his name that is the problem. If you can’t pronounce it much less spell it, it is pretty hard to ask for him in a bookstore or library.
He has the most fabulous collection of short stories. Most of the time after I’ve read something I tend to forget what I’ve read a few days later. I read this particular collection of short stories about six months ago and at least two of the stories remain vivid in my mind. They are science fiction but please don’t let this stop you. Go ahead try something different. Dive into these works and experience these meticulously crafted stories. Some of them will disturb you but I can guarantee that you won’t be bored.

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