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lilyn_g's review
3.0
This was not the book for me. I like some weird fiction, but generally it has to involve monsters or outright wibbly-wobblyness for me to get into it. While
Ludgwigsen is definitely a talented writer, these stories are weirdness of the more mundane variety. I applaud him for being able to keep me reading even when I wasn't truly interested in most of the stories.
Acres of Perhaps - the titular story- was so odd and surreal. It had a Twilight Zone feel to it that I appreciated even while I wasn't engaged.
The Zodiac Walks on the Moon - This was a really interesting story. I didn't love it, but I was definitely more engaged than I was in the first one. It's all about the Zodiac Killer, and his reminisces are disturbing and yet thought provoking.
Leaning Lincoln - This one engaged me and made me feel for the little kid. It dragged on a bit too long, but it was very good and mostly depressing.
Night Fever - This story had me "What the eff?"ing from the get-go. A disco-dancing Charles Manson? It was weird, off-putting, and the first one in the group that I really just did not like.
Poe at Gettysburg - This is the point where I realized I really just have no interest in alternate history weird fiction. None. I basically skimmed this story.
Now, interspersed between the longer stories are some scripts from episodes of Acres of Perhaps. I won't describe any of them, but I'll say that there was one that made me laugh out loud. I would read a book just of these scripts.
I'm also glad I read the author's note at the back of the book. Its a collection of explanations for each of the stories. I kind of wish they had been before the stories, because reading them made me think about things that went completely over my head the first go-around. (That, and it would have given me some sympathy I was missing.)
Overall, Acres of Perhaps was well-written, but I am not the target audience. I'm sure others will enjoy it much more than me.