NIGHT
IN THE SUN: STORIESKyle Coma-Thompson. Dock Street Press, $16.95 paperback (229p) ISBN: 9780991065776
Coma-Thompson
creates hauntingly unsettling/beautiful realities in this exceptional follow-up
to his debut collection The Lucky Body. The timely and terrifying “Idaho”
touches upon an indiscriminate shooting of Senegalese merchants. “Master and
Man” builds meticulously and spans years in a wonder of literary invention in
which a guru rises to great power and a Frenchman requires unusual visual aids
to reach sexual climax. In the sweet and nearly eerie “Collectors”, two people
share stories in a bar and learn each has a distinct penchant for the property
of others. “Europe Redux” offers a short though powerful glimpse into a future
where time travel exists as commercial industry. Not every story in this
collection was mind-blowing to this reader, yet each was interesting and
original. A particular standout was “Odin’s Daughters”, where we’re immediately
met by a dead gunslinger who breathes through his bullet holes. Another was “Andrej
Lives”, which comes in the form of a lengthy note to a friend who reached out
for help detailing why they shouldn't commit suicide. Coma-Thompson commands a
unique and exquisite voice, and proves yet again that when it comes to
short-story writing he can do anything. (July 2016)
Purchase
Night in the Sun HERE.
Reviewer
bio: Mel Bosworth is the author of the novel Freight. Visit him at melbosworth.com
