Sunday 22 January 2012

One Man's Opinion: WATCH YOU DROWN by CHRIS RHATIGAN

Chris Rhatigan has been making a big splash in the world of fiction.  He specialises in short fiction and is a real craftsman of the art.

Not only does he put out great work, he's a reviewer and an editor and this puts him at the cutting edge.

What I admire in this collection is two-fold.  First of all, it's lean and stripped of the unnecessary yet remains juicy and plump at the same time.  The stories a rich and the worlds have all the dimensions I could want as a reader.

The second reason is connected with his diversity - the themes, voices, territories and genres are really varied as is the length; he can thrill with a piece of micro-fiction, flash and short without faltering or losing his edge in any of these formats.

It's a really poweful mix you'll find here and I hope that your prepared to jump into its icy waters (for dark and chilled they mainly are) - I guarantee that you'll be woken up with a start and that you'll be diving straight back for more.

Only negative for me is the cover - and that's not the way I judge a book, no way.

Superb and super-cheap.

Take it in the US, the UK of from that other land called Smashwords.  Any which way you can.

I'll do you an offer, too.  Send proof of purchase over via my email and I'll send you a copy of Pulp Ink, the anthology Chris and I worked on together.  I haven't told him that yet, so Mum's the word.

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