Short Story Monday - Smoke and Mirrors Part IV

With Christmas and New Year's messing up my schedule, I skipped Short Story Monday the last few weeks. But I'm back today with another edition from Neil Gaiman's FABULOUS book, Smoke and Mirrors.

Only the End of the World Again was written for an anthology of stories set in H. P. Lovecraft's fictional town of Innsmouth. It's about a man named Larry Talbot, who just happens to be a werewolf. He moves around a lot, and just recently came to Innsmouth. Surprisingly enough, the townsfolk seem to know what he is because they are continually offering him ways to relieve himself of his condition. (I might add, there's an extremely unsettling image dealing with fingers that you are just going to have to read about yourself!) But what do the townsfolk really know and what do they want with Larry?

Bay Wolf is a story/poem that mixes a little bit of Beowulf with a little bit of Baywatch! Ok....that really sounds kind of cheesy, but somehow Gaiman makes it work!! And very well, I might add. Again, Larry Talbot joins us as he tries to find out what is killing people on Venice Beach.

We Can Get Them for You Wholesale is a story about a man who is looking for a little revenge. He finds out that his girlfriend/fiance is messing around with someone at work, so he starts to look for an assassin. And he finds what he is looking for in the yellow pages under "pest control". This is a story for all of you that really enjoy finding a bargain!!

One Life, Furnished in Early Moorcock is the story of a young boy that is completely enamoured with the stories of Elric of Melnibone. (OK...I had to look this one up. I have never heard of Michael Moorcock or Elric the albino "White Wolf" and his sword Stormbringer).

Cold Colors is another poem/story dealing with computers, technology and basically, the devil himself. Would you sell your soul for a ten-pack of floppies?

Finally, The Sweeper of Dreams is a short, 2-page narrative that was written about one of Lisa Snellings statues. This one is of a man who is a janitor and is leaning on his broom. He is the "Sweeper of Dreams" and it really is a fantastic read!!

This week's stories were all over the place in terms of genre: werewolves, hired killers, computers and the enigmatic Sweeper. I have to say, I didn't really "get" the Moorcock story. But maybe that's just me. I absolutely adored Bay Wolf and The Sweeper of Dreams. And I had to laugh at the man trying to find a bargain as well as trying to knock off the competition. Who thinks this stuff up anyway? Oh yeah. Neil Gaiman!! So far, this collection is proving to be just as good as Fragile Things. I really didn't think it could get any better, but he just keeps cranking out some fascinating characters!!

Till next week. Only 2 more posts for Smoke and Mirrors, then I'll have to find some other author to occupy my short story Monday slot!!