Obsolete Your Idols » americana http://blog.manjusri.org Book Reviews and Blather Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:05:53 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 No Ticket http://blog.manjusri.org/2008/10/05/no-ticket/ http://blog.manjusri.org/2008/10/05/no-ticket/#comments Sun, 05 Oct 2008 21:29:29 +0000 binder http://blog.manjusri.org/?p=62 If there’s one writer whose writing I always get a kick out of reading, it’s my wife.  If there are two writers whose writing I always get a kick out of reading, it’s my wife, and Tim Powers.  I really groove on his blend of American culture and spooky metaphysical intrusions into that culture.  I’ve read nearly every novel he’s published and enjoyed the hell out of each one.

So I recently read Strange Itineraries, a collection of his short stories, including two collaborations with James Blaylock.

This collection is wonderful.  It’s a rising arc of strong writing, weird tales, drunken protagonists and unearthly encounters. Ghost stories galore, a nice time travel paradox story and California flavor.

Who might like this collection

  • fans of Tim Powers novels
  • fans of Americana ghost stories
  • fans of Donnie Darko

Who might not like this collection

  • people who enjoy the often long progression to the tipping point in a Tim Powers novel
  • people who need every aspect of a story to make sense
  • people who are sensitive to mentions of alcohol consumption
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