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Impressive scope, and actually, a fairly reliable guide to London life. At its best when it's incensed and funny, like London.Particularly enjoyed pieces by Saro-Wiwi, Ewen, Oyedeji.
Great idea for an anthology and a broad range of writers included. Most stories are good and a couple are really exceptional.
Fantastic anthology of stories, and a must-read for anyone in and around London. Particularly enjoyed stories by Nikesh Shukla, Kit Caless, Gary Budden and M. John Harrison, but so many gems in here.
A brilliant, brilliant collection. Stories about London, divided into north, east, south, and west (and it means those parts; no central London/Oxford Street/Tower nonsense, but the parts actual people actually live), some fantastical, some realistic, all bizarre and grimy as the city itself. I've never read anything quite so much in the spirit of the place, even when the stories are as gloriously implausible as the one about the man hunting a huge purple cryptid swan at Brentford Ait, let alone...
‘An Unreliable Guide to London’ is an anthology of twenty-three short stories set in the lesser known parts of our capital city. It is an exploration of the impact of nostalgia, resentments and a desire for recognition. It entreats the reader to observe what is and was, to reflect on all that is happening around them, wherever they may be.Cities exist in a state of flux, continuous change which many resist. Even long term residents are transients, memory subject to interpretation. A city is an a...
Bad Advice, Limited Scope, No Practical Use runs the line above the title, a tongue in cheek description of this rather wonderful collection of short stories about the nation's capital. These kind of anthologies can sometimes be a bit hit and miss, but on the whole, An Unreliable Guide hits far more times than it misses. The vast majority of these authors are new to me, but they all write with a distinctive voice and their tales cover everything from place, people, psycho-geography, love, life a...
At the start of this year I made a commitment to myself that I was going to do more with supporting Independent Publishers and Authors alike. It’s great working for STORGY and getting sent free books for review – but I wanted to do more, so have been making sure I personally purchase a book from an Indie Author or Publisher each month and review it on STORGY – some of the books I’ve reviewed since this commitment have been, Chain Linked, Don’t Try this at Home, Fortune Box, Not Everyone Is Speci...
Bit of a mixture, some very good and some ??
Like almost any short story compilation, there are hits and misses, but in general there is enough variety for everyone to find at least a few stories to love.
Got this (and helped financing the first imprint) mainly because it features a new and original story by M. John Harrison ("Babies from Sand") - which, unsurprisingly, turns out to be the highlight of the book. All in all, this is a motley mix of fact and fiction inspired by one of my favourite cities, and it features everything from psychogeography via urban legend and cryptozoology all the way to surprising and accidental (and thankfully largely illusory) horror. The queer anarchist tale of "
With 23 short stories from 23 different authors, this was always going to be a hit and miss collection. There's some exceptional writing here though.The collection is divided up into four parts - West, North, South, East - with each story offering a different view of a part of the city of London. Some of them perhaps work better if you know the area that's being written about...The highlights for me were:- In Pursuit of the Swan at Brentford Ait by Eley Williams, a glorious tale of a man's pursu...
Very much enjoyed having some of my geographic points tickled
Very weird book. Fiction, short stories.
The flavor of a city is the combination of its neighborhoods and all the stories of the people contained within. This off-kilter collection of tales and vignettes highlights many of the peripheral neighborhoods of London. Some stories are fantastical and absurdist, while others present a realistic take on a narrower London experience. Above all, the tales show a wonderful diversity of voice doing much justice to the multi-cultural and international megalopolis that is London.My absolute favorite...
If you ever thought of London as one sprawling city, Influx Press’s Unreliable Guide will disabuse you.Each one of these stories in set in a specific area of London. Taken together, they create the impression, not of an undifferentiated metropolis but a patchwork of neighbourhoods, each with its own character, instantly recognisable to those who come from its streets.The authors have found different ways to play with the notion of an ‘unreliable guide.’ Some seek to capture the essence of place
