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benghan's review against another edition
5.0
Probably the most striking work of Speculative Fiction in Canadian Literature I have read in a good long while.
The stories here stay with me long after I finish them.
The stories here stay with me long after I finish them.
fallohide's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Kept thinking that I wasn't enjoying this book but the way that the stories start to come together and unfold/unravel toward the end was really cool, and very fun to read
readwithbells's review against another edition
3.5
This collection was just too smart for me lol, it was well written and definitely played with some cool ideas but I don’t even know where to begin on thinking about it.
dessa's review against another edition
4.0
As with any story collection, some were stronger than others. Very much enjoyed the way Compton played with telling stories outside of traditional structure - in a series of posters, for example, or in a series of (I'm assuming fake??) calls for grant proposals. One story in particular really shook me, really stuck with me. And of course, the cover is gorgeous. But so are the insides.
lauren_endnotes's review against another edition
4.0
Performance art and activism. New volcanic islands. Immigration. Possession and belonging. LARP-ing. Grant proposals. Condominium floor plans. Conjoined twins. Crowd control through holograms.
Just a few of the themes in Wayde Compton's The Outer Harbour short story collection! Many of the stories interlock, picking up characters and scenes years later in a different circumstance.
I learned about Compton's work when I was browsing a local authors' end cap at a Vancouver book store. Compton writes Vancouver into every story, with geography and neighborhoods, and I liked seeing this alternative/speculative version of the city that I've walked around many times.
The present-tense writing style was not my favorite, but I could look over that and enjoy the ride through Compton's Outer Harbour world.
Compton has an essay collection about African (North) Americans in Canada, After Canaan: Essays on Race, Writing, and Region, and I'm eager to read that after this short story collection.
Just a few of the themes in Wayde Compton's The Outer Harbour short story collection! Many of the stories interlock, picking up characters and scenes years later in a different circumstance.
I learned about Compton's work when I was browsing a local authors' end cap at a Vancouver book store. Compton writes Vancouver into every story, with geography and neighborhoods, and I liked seeing this alternative/speculative version of the city that I've walked around many times.
The present-tense writing style was not my favorite, but I could look over that and enjoy the ride through Compton's Outer Harbour world.
Compton has an essay collection about African (North) Americans in Canada, After Canaan: Essays on Race, Writing, and Region, and I'm eager to read that after this short story collection.
bail33's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
This collection of short stories is beautiful. The way that characters weave through the stories and are interconnected with other characters made for an interesting experience as a reader. I rarely give five star reviews but I found that Compton did an incredible job building a world within Vancouver that, in some neat future dystopia, seemed like it really could exist.
blundershelf's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
A spiderweb of encounters that I followed with increasing belief.
erindillman's review against another edition
3.0
Maybe this just didn't jive with me because I don't normally read short stories. Or maybe because a lot of bad things happened whenever I was reading this.
On a better note, the stories are gorgeous. I felt like I was in Vancouver, though I've never been there. Great Canadian author to continue to look out for.
On a better note, the stories are gorgeous. I felt like I was in Vancouver, though I've never been there. Great Canadian author to continue to look out for.