Reviews

The New Uncanny: Tales of Unease by

pookykun's review

2.0

Some very interesting stories here. I feel like sometimes the exploration of the uncanny doesn't go deep enough, though - maybe just because its so hard to get a grip on what the uncanny really is and really means, and how to apply it to the modern day. A couple of really enjoyable stories, some very striking scenes, a couple of uncomfortable moments... Probably won't come back to it again, though I'd be tempted to share a couple of the stories with my friends.

fiaharringbook's review

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

lene_kretzsch's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense

2.5

Uneven anthology featuring some usually very fine authors working well below their customary standards. The only stand-outs for me were A.S. Byatt's "Doll's Eyes" (not so much for the story itself which is rather wan as for the writer's confident, crystalline prose) and Frank Cottrell Boyce's "Continuous Manipulation". The rest vary from interesting but flawed (Matthew Holness' "Possum", Sara Maitland's "The Double", Christopher Priest's "The Sorting Out") to instantly forgettable (Jane Rogers' "Ped-o-matique", Alison McLeod's "Family Motel", Nicholas Royle's "The Dummy", etc.) to finally downright dreadful (the less said, the better). Disappointing as a whole. 

cazzalarouge's review

2.0

Mixed

I was left a bit disappointed by the collection as a whole. The stand out story really is Possum, I can see why it was made into such a successful film.

Many of the other stories feel either too basic and under developed or too obscure to really feel a connection with. There is some good, tense prose but it often feels a bit empty.

oddreads_nicolestins's review

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Overall I really enjoyed this collection! Initially I picked it up for Matthew Holness' "Possum". After seeing the adaptation for "Possum" I HAD to read the short story. Highly recommend this collection, it delivers just what it claims to: the uncanny.

I only took off a half-star because

"The Un(heim)lich(e) Man(oeuvre)" by Ian Duhig was truly insufferable. I considered skipping on that one, but because I was already invested in the story I saw it through. Beware! But also note that it may be not so bad to you as a reader. I think the effect of the writing-style was intended, but left me irritated and wanting to put the book down.

davidwright's review

4.0

Hey - what?! There's a SHIRLEY JACKSON AWARD????!!!! Some very good tales in here indeed, although it is quite a broader definition of uncanny than I'm quite used to - some stories are really over the top and pretty outrageously gothic, while others are more subtly unnerving, like one about a woman who finds her house broken into and somehow rearranged without clearly understanding how. For readers who enjoyed this particular title, I would suggest Michele Slung's "Stranger: Dark Tales of Eerie Encounters" and Joan Kessler's "Night Shadows: 20th Century Stories of the Uncanny." I found both of these to be excellent.

Now I need to pay attention to what else wins this Shirley Jackson award.

caninesapien's review

3.0

I liked about half of the stories in this book. I gave up on one or two of the tales before I'd gotten halfway, but the stories that I did enjoy were very good. Matthew Holness' tale of Possum was amazing - I'd love to read a full length novel by him at some point. There were also others that stuck to the more gothic elements of the uncanny that were equally creepy and well-written in good measure.

omnibozo22's review

5.0

Short stories exploring various angles on the uncanny valley concept. I picked this up just for the AS Byatt story, which turned out not to be the strongest story, though she does employ her skill to lay out a wonderfully demented ending. The strongest, most bizarre story is the first one, Possum. If it doesn't totally freak you out, you didn't pay attention. Loved it.

arnzen's review

A theme anthology in which authors were all invited to read Freud's essay on 'Das Unheimliche' and respond through horror fiction. The stories are moderately successful; often funny and always weird. Good stuff. I teach this book now in several of my classes at Seton Hill U. http://fiction.setonhill.edu

maccymacd's review

3.0

A mixed bag of creepy stories. My favourite was "Tamagotchi" about a toy that takes on a mind of its own. Some where too weird to be scary, and others didn't feel particularly well written.. I find more and more with these short story collections that they have one or 2 good stories and the others are really forgettable. I wonder what Sigmund Freud would've thought about these authors trying their hand at writing their own interpretations of the uncanny.