So I guess this is what happens when magical realism becomes unbalanced: when there's magic, but more realism than magic, it becomes strange. And this is what Nothing is Everything *is: strange With a capital Strange. I thought I'd rate this lower than I ended up rating it; but I'm telling you it's all so strange. I thought the stories lacked a certain "oomph", but I don't know. 'All Reality Blossoms in Flames' was a remarkable close; 'In This Twilight' not so much (a remarkable opening), which

The stories in this diverse collection are beautifully written. Beware, however, that beneath the fine writing lies a rumbling that becomes ever louder, exposing seemingly impossible transformations and boundless trepidation. Be prepared to open your mind to everything, which springs from the darkness of nothing, then spins full force back into the light, where nothing will ever be the same.

“...in this moment of nothing, everything is possible, whatever you imagine.” I greatly enjoyed this collection of wildly imaginative stories. Each one is so unique and creative. Simon Strantzas is a brilliant author with an amazing ability to convey feelings of detachment and isolation in an oddly beautiful way. My favorite story? The Terrific Mr. Toucan, wherein an older married couple witness incredible marvels while at a dinner theatre. Though In the Tall Grass and The Fifth Stone are clo

Contents:009 - "In This Twilight" (new)029 - "Our Town’s Talent" (new)047 - "These Last Embers"059 - "The Flower Unfolds"077 - "Ghost Dogs" (new)109 - "In the Tall Grass"127 = "The Fifth Stone"141 - "The Terrific Mr. Toucan" (new)169 - "Alexandra Lost"189 - "All Reality Blossoms in Flames" (new)171 - Acknowledgements273 - About the Author

An absolutely fantastic collection from Strantzas. His fifth collection of original material and the third that I've read. I'm confidant stating that the evolution of his work and the maturation of his style have certainly secured this as my favorite. Ten remarkable tales all bound by a handful of similar themes: alienation, communication breakdown, anxiety, a sense of fatalism and, ultimately, surrender of self. The protagonists of these stories, all female by the way, share a characteristic br...

4 to 4.5. These are deeply woven tales, expertly written and evoking a sense of impending entrapment. But whether entrapment comes from outside forces or the is the character's own downfall is up for grabs. Much more dark fantasy and weird then downright scary, but great all the same!

My ratings for the stories in Nothing is Everything averages to 3.85, thus rounding up to 4 stars.My comments on the stories can be read here, posts 124 to 133.https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

The stories in this collection are incredibly varied, but all feature an amazing display of imagination by the author, Simon Strantzas. He has a unique and recognizable authorial voice, but the stories could not be more different. I read this on the recommendation of a person whose reading tastes I really trust, and I was not disappointed. I look forward to trying more work by this author.

Very good collection of stories. Some resonated with me more than others. My ratings are below. I never give 10s on first reading so 9 is top tier. Also the stories fit well together and form a collection that feels like a cohesive whole rather than random stories just thrown in there. In This Twilight and Terrific Mr Toucan are stratospherically good and the rest are definitely worth the read as well. These Last Embers (7/10)Alexandra Lost (4/10) The Flower Unfolds (3/10) In the Tall Grass (8/1...

4.5/5. This is a beautiful collection of stories. They all have Strange elements about them, yet they all deal with too-real emotions: isolation, alienation, discomfort; feeling like an exile in your own reality and looking for a light. And I love that the stories had that - light; light in unexpected places. The idea these stories revolve around is in the title, that nothing is everything.All the main characters are women, and I really liked this. The writing is incredible - the word choice, th...

Nothing is Everything is Simon Strantzas’s fifth collection, and though this is his first full publication by Undertow Publication he’s appeared in their anthologies Aickman’s Heirs (2015) and Year’s Best Weird Fiction, Vol. 3 (2016). It contains ten stories, five originals, one being a novella, illustrating that Strantzas is a master at telling strange, beautiful stories and also that his writing is weird with purpose.“Weird with purpose,” is something that came to mind each time I read a story...

May be his best collection yet. This is essential reading for fans of weird fiction, horror, dark fantasy (or whatever you wish to call it). I was mesmerized from beginning to end.

A couple of years ago I read Simon Strantzas’ collection of short stories, Burnt Black Suns, and dismissed it in my Goodreads review as “weird fiction by the numbers,” giving it two stars. And it completely was that and barely deserved the two I gave it. This collection, however, is one of the best I’ve ever read, by any author in any genre. It’s so different from Strantzas’ prior book that I don’t understand how they were written by the same person. Everything here is fantastic, and even the st...

Originally published at Risingshadow.As a devoted fan of all things dark and weird, I was delighted to read Simon Strantzas' Nothing is Everything. I found it to be an impressive collection with lush literary weirdness and excellent prose. It chillingly demonstrates that darkness and weirdness come in many forms and strange things can happen anywhere. Realism, uncertainty and strangeness collide and intersect in an exceptionally beautiful and haunting way in this collection.After reading the Sim...

Simon’s previous collection Burnt Black Suns was a masterfully written collection of weird fiction, Nothing is Everything is much the same but this time the horror is subtler and the stories weirder and more varied. This collection is just as good as the previous, it manages to illicit unease and awe in equal measures while also maintaining a high standard as each and every story in this collection is absolutely fantastic. I’d highly recommend this, it’s undoubtedly one of the best collections o...

What a fantastic collection this was! I'm still new to Simon Strantzas, having only previously read Burnt Black Suns, but his imagination seems to be kaleidoscopic. Each story I've read has been interesting in often different ways. In some, there's a certain quality that reminds me of what Aickman I've read, others more Lovecraftian, etc. But none feel reliant on these influences, instead taking them and forging something new. Truly a fantastic talent.

Simon Strantzas's fifth collection brings together ten prime examples of why he's considered one of the best authors of "strange stories" working today. He's a master at building a sense of unease and keeping his readers off-balance. You won't find explanations for supernatural occurrences in a Simon Strantzas story, but you will find yourself thinking about them long after you've read them. Among the strongest pieces in this collection, in my opinion, are the novella "All Reality Blossoms in Fl...

This book proves that Simon Strantzas has become a modern master of the slow burn horror story. His writing is hipnotic with an undercurrent of dread which kept my interest in every story.

An excellent collection.

Another fine collection with visceral psychological tales that explore real aspects of life with surreal weird tale mutations.Stories that worked for me:In This TwilightThere is a view of the darkness and one’s philosophy of it, man on floor of bus sleeping wakes up with new occupant and expounds Nothing is Everything.Embracing a darkness.“I bet you’re like everybody else; you only see the dark one way. You see it as a negative. Like it’s subtraction, the end of something. The light dies and fad...