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Dangerous Space

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"Dangerous Space" is a collection of seven short stories by Kelley Eskridge. Although some of them have scifi and/or fantasy elements, most are not what you'd call "strictly" scifi. These are the kind of edgy, intriguing stories that the term "speculative fiction" was invented for. I was not familiar with Eskridge's work before reading this, but I will definitely be seeking out her other stuff.

The "dangerous space" of the title can, of course, be interpreted in many ways. I think of it as that place inside you where your most extreme emotions live, where you keep them pressed down so that you can function; the place you go to, willingly or not, when something or someone touches you in just the right way. Eskridge's writing is all about exploring the intensity of emotions -- emotions that take you over, that drive your existence, that grab you and won't let go until they've shown you what you need to see, even if you don't want to see it.

Eskridge plays around a lot with gender and sexuality; several of the stories involve main characters whose gender is never explicitly made clear, and several include bisexual behavior. I'll be honest and say that in at least two cases I simply assumed the main character was female and didn't realize until the end that it had never really been specified. In another case, I noticed early on that Eskridge was avoiding any mention of the character's gender, and I found that it really worked in that case. Sex, being one of the things that people tend to feel pretty strongly about, appears in many contexts and configurations in this collection; many of the stories involve a strong undercurrent of lust: innocent and jaded, smooth and kinky, requited and un.

The first story, "Strings," is not necessarily the best way to start off this collection, in my opinion. I say this mainly because the ending is quite predictable and the overall premise -- a world where musicians must play every piece in exactly the same way, and everyone is monitored to make sure they don't dare improvise -- is a bit tough for me to swallow. Still, the story is very well-written and vibrates with the urgency of the protagonist's situation -- so it is certainly a good introduction to Eskridge's style and her no-punches-pulled approach to describing emotions.

"City Life" is a compelling and affecting story about a woman with the power to cure, and a city falling apart. One could argue that its conclusion is predictable as well, but it really works.

"And Salome Danced" is a fascinating and unnerving vignette about a person who can apparently change gender at will, and how he/she derails the protagonist from his/her comfort zone. It's the kind of story that might have your skin crawling if you read it late at night with your defenses down.

"Eye of the Storm" starts out almost familiar to those of us who are used to more "conventional" fantasy: a young person sets out on a journey to find his/her destiny. It takes a turn when that young person encounters a threesome of others and joins them in their quest to audition for the local military. It's a story about combat and sex, embarrassment and audacity. I found the protagonist of this one very sympathetic, and that's saying something from me, since I generally have little patience for "young foolish person goes on a quest and is taught many lessons about life" fiction. In this case, though, it works. You really feel the frantic mixture of emotions that the main character is suffering through: the hot pounding of desire, the confusion, the loneliness ("am I the only one who feels this way?"), the desperation mixed with determination. In many ways it's almost a stereotypical portrayal of the emotional struggles of adolescence -- but Eskridge makes it better than that. She makes the tension coil through the story tighter and tighter until you truly can't believe that the release, when it comes, will satisfy. And yet...it does.

"Somewhere Down the Diamondback Road" was difficult for me to read. Not because it was bad, but it hit a nerve for me personally. It's an edgy, unsettling piece with more questions than answers: a spare story that shows but doesn't tell.

The title story, "Dangerous Space," is the longest and, like several of the others, it's about artists -- specifically musicians. It describes the unique and brittle relationship between a budding rock star and the sound technician who keeps him grounded. I found it problematic in a lot of good ways (and maybe one or two not-so-good). It's beautifully written and keeps you on the edge of your seat, pardon the cliche.

"Alien Jane" is the perfect way to end this collection: a short, bittersweet piece with a deeply flawed narrator who lays it out for you like a punch in the gut. It ends not happily but well, the kind of ending that leaves you saying "no, no," hating Eskridge for doing that even though you know she was right.

All together, a fascinating collection of very different stories, and for me an excellent introduction to Eskridge's work. These are stories that will stick with you for days.

Rarely have I been so amazed, so impressed, so flat-out blown away by a collection of short stories. Even among those few writers who are skilled at the form (John Varley and Connie Willis spring to mind for science-fiction readers), their short stories can't compare to their full-length novels. They may be enjoyable, interesting thought exercises, but short stories never seemed to carry the heft or the excitement that I knew an author was capable of.

Well, scratch all those assumptions when it comes to Kelley Eskridge. As much as I loved "Solitaire," her only novel to date (and let's work on that, can we?), "Dangerous Space" moves Eskridge into another level entirely, as far as I'm concerned. The stories in this collection span the spectrum, from contemporary fiction to classic sword-and-sorcery fantasy to hard sci-fi and speculative fiction. And yet, while in another author you might be frustrated by this flitting from one genre to another, Eskridge is so talented at whatever she sets her hand to that I found myself wondering what else she might be capable of.

Love, and the many maddening, variable, indefinable forms it takes, are major themes of Eskridge's work. That's what makes the character of Mars so wonderful. It might seem a gimmick to have such a gender-neutral recurring character - indeed, from a lesser writer, that's exactly what it would become. But Mars is more than an exercise. S/he challenges our very assumptions about gender, making us first obsess about his/her sex, and then gently showing us, by the end of each story, how silly and unimportant such concerns are. Man, woman - it doesn't matter, Mars is a force of nature, one of the most complex, complete, and fascinating characters I've ever had the pleasure to read. I wish we could get a Mars novel, but I suspect that Eskridge couldn't keep the secret for that long without it becoming awkward. For now, we have "And Salome Danced," "Eye of the Storm," and the title story "Dangerous Space."

Other stories address the irrepressible creativity of the human spirit (the Harrison Bergeron-like "Strings"); the nature of pain and our humanity (the heartbreaking "Alien Jane"); and the rarely-discussed price that must be paid to balance the scales when someone is offered a unique, even magical gift ("City Life"). Few of these stories have typical happy endings, and many of them are downright disturbing, in that delicious, claw-their-way-into-your-subconscious fashion. These are stories that will stick with you long after you put them down.

Ms. Eskridge, please, please don't make us wait another five years for your next offering!

This collection of stories gives more than reading pleasure, it gives a view into many places most people don't even think to look. Using various settings and characters Kelley Eskridge tells the story of people. Through these characters we are in their skin as Eskridge skillfully reaches into the feelings and motives of the stranger you are sharing a public space with or acquintainces who you can follow from limited knowledge to the most intimate of friends and lovers.

Using art in all it's forms makes it possible for the author to share insights through the eyes and feelings of her characters. In doing this the author shows her observational abilities to the nth degree. For me the most powerful of these arts was the music. I don't know if this author is also a musician but she really gets the scene, it's authentic. It's difficult to say in just a few words how smart this book is.

I can recommend this book without hesitation. This is idea-driven fiction, but not the kind that wastes words on explanations and excuses. More dreams and nightmares than mere stories, they lead down unexpected roads to destinations made familiar by the raw emotions they evoke. The gender ambiguity of the characters has the effect of turning them into mirrors, accessible to any reader -- an incredible accomplishment given how strictly gendered art often is (and society at large). And the writing is cool the way a cult movie is cool, with a daring intensity and an underground edge unmatched in the mainstream. All in all, an amazing collection of stories.

Although I loved Dangerous Space as a whole, the character that appeared in 3 of the stories and who stood out for me the most was the gender ambiguous Mars. I have tried to put into words just how powerfully and interestingly I thought Mars was written below (there may however, be spoilers in this review, so please do not read on if you would rather wait to discover Mars for yourself).
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Mars And `Dangerous Space'.

"And Salome Danced"


This first Mars story did not fail to haul me in and intrigue me about Mars from the very beginning. Here, the character's voice strikes me as strong, vibrant and female, even though no allusion to gender is ever mentioned, apart from where concerned with the morphing of Salome. I am not sure if this is just me imposing my mental voice and liking of strong female voices on Mars or if it is something else about the character that does this.

Within this first Mars incarnation, the raw and magnetic dance of power and sexuality that (s)he has with Salome is almost like a duel for each other's soul. Salome strikes me as the ultimate emotional vampire, eager to manipulate one's concept of perception and self for the rich energy and life source that can be derived from the passion of desire, and yet - Mars, quite uniquely, where others (like Lucky) are confused, at every step of the way - seems to understand this hidden game and draw on the power of essence almost innately, no matter how much (s)he is both pulled towards and repelled by this attraction and the dangerous space it compels Mars to.

By the end of the account, I was almost mentally breathless with both wanting Mars to fight Salome's spell, and an intense curiosity to find out what would really happen if (s)he succumbed to this strong and seductive desire as well.

Throughout the 3 incarnations in this book, I love that Mars is so deeply connected to his/her centred feelings of emotion, desire, and overall, control. Mars is so *there*, so *present* - so assuredly themselves, and in "And Salome Danced", and other carnations within "Eye of the Storm", and "Dangerous Space", (s)he seems so wonderfully and finely tuned to that unique essence that gives Mars that deeper view of the world. (S)he is like a finely attuned musician, who can hear the beauty and patterns of the music of life, where the rest of us can only wonder. Beautiful.

Finally, in "And Salome Danced", even after the tumultuous dance, I got the sense that although Mars had his/her most inner desires and temptations are forcefully manipulated from the inside out, the fact that (s)he had the strength to hold onto her core seems to make Mars stronger.

By the end of this tale, one feels as if that sense of understanding of one's own dangerous space has been enhanced, tinged with a little bit of stark realisation, but also a sense of renewed understanding as well.



"Eye of the Storm"


In this second incarnation of Mars, again, the gender of the character remains unmentioned, leading to that subtle hint of ambiguity that lends to the richness of Mars character throughout. And here, this younger version of Mars is on the cusp of their lives - a difficult childhood, spent fighting for the right to be his/herself due to the unfortunate circumstance of his/her birth as the child of a war rape has left Mars both torn and saddened at the relationship with his/her mother, and also on the fringes of the village life that she has no choice but to exist in. From the start, Mars is both complex and beautiful, a product of her environment, but also a constantly evolving form, adapting and changing as life happens, and all along, forming a unique sense of self.

I love the way that Mars so wonderfully learns how to fight as the "Eye of the Storm", and how, because this is the only way (s)he has been taught how to truly feel desire, it becomes such an intricate, unusual and beautiful part of Mar's emotional make-up, that is the core of how (s)he relates to things/people, is able to teach others, and ultimately governs the way Mars survives.

Again, throughout, Mars is so finely tuned into the rhythms of nature and the patterns of life, that when later on (s)he is confronted by a different kind of magic with the prince's character (who is also refreshingly gender ambiguous until a little later in the story) and secret, magical dance , Mars knows innately how to deal with it, because at a very core level Mars understands where the prince is coming from. Stunningly beautiful in and of itself. With each incarnation I can't help but become a little more in love with Mars, and on a deeper, more personal level both understand and empathize with his/her unique take on things. It is so reassuring to see how complicated can also seem so beautiful too.



"Dangerous Space"


This is my favourite of the Mars incarnations. Reading this, again, felt like one was witnessing an exquisite dance of souls. Though for me, there were three souls involved in the dance this time. (1) Mars, the ultimate musical conductor, who at an innate level can understand, tune into, and harness the raw power of the band's music. (2) The band leader himself (Duncan), who is the tortured and complex channel of the raw talent of the music that drives him to create. And then, (3) music itself, which to me seems like an like an entity all of itself, a wild child - raw, demanding, powerful, inquisitive, driving and beautiful - almost like that perfect storm sailors speak of - all that wild energy that one can never quite tame, but can only hope to harness so one can get to the other side, and hopefully live. A wonderfully described and evolving element throughout, that seems to bend with, play and almost consume the key characters at times.

The connection that this raw power of music has between Mars and Duncan, is at the same time a lure, and a bane. They both know that for all the right reasons they must resist, for the good of the band, its members, and the music that is eventually half-tamed and produced. Yet at the same time, it is also that magical pull of raw musical energy that also manages to turn them both inside out. Mars is the focus for it, both a muse and an anchor that Duncan is tempted and inspired by. And for Mars, Duncan, with his raw channelling of this wild essence of himself through the music is something Mars is both fascinated and in love with. Mars' connection to the energy of this raw music and Mars' talent for mastering and tuning it to the public's ears is a wonderful thing to see.

Again, the writer makes reading/witnessing all of this such an effortlessly intricate and visual experience, that one feels one is a hidden and highly honoured observer in this beautiful dance.

The ending of this tale is thoroughly engaging, raw, passionate and organic, and something that definitely does not disappoint. In a way, this also mirrors the character of Mars, who throughout, remains a strong, evolving, magnetic and thoroughly intriguing entity. Again, I was quite captured with how, in each incarnation, Mars remains true to self, in that unique way that (s)he is tuned into the intricacies of life - forever observant, and wonderfully skilful in a most unusual way - and filled with an innate understanding of honour, the intertwining patterns of life - all painted in such an interesting way by the author, that reading about Mars is almost like experiencing a rather individual and intriguing piece of organic art.



Summary

All I can say is that I really loved the experience of 'Dangerous Space" - it was like having my mind and soul invited to an unusual, complicated, intriguing, fascinating and dangerous dance, that left me both awed and inspired. I don't think I have ever read anything that has been able to reach inside me and play my thoughts, perceptions and emotions in as much as this writing seems to have so effortlessly done, and in such a unique and intelligent way too.

The writing is very, very visual, and even reading on a crowed London train, at the height of morning rush hour and in the midst of commuting hell, I was effortlessly transported to another space - not always comfortable, but definitely always interesting, and always challengingly beautiful.
I was strangely saddened to have to put the book down afterwards (which very, very rarely happens with me). Vainly hoping for some more (very soon), but also feeling as if I had learnt something about the world and my own dangerous spaces too.

Kelley, thank-you.

Greatness in writing is hard to achieve. But it's not as hard to recognize. Great writing reaches right through the page to you, so that you are no longer reading, you are experiencing the world the author has created. Most writers never touch it, or touch it only for a moment. So when you find an author who lives in that space, you are blessed. You see life in a different way, and you are never the same again.

Kelley Eskridge is such an author. Her new collection, Dangerous Space, proves it. Weeks after reading it, I find myself wondering, "What's Mars up to? How is it working out for him and ..." Then I stop. For a moment, I might have sent him an email, or picked up the phone. But the Net doesn't go where he lives, and the country code is nowhere listed. For a moment, reality hangs by a thread, and I might go over to that music bar, Lillie's Place in Seattle, and see him working the board for Noir, a band that just might be the next big thing...

In the title story, Noir does a song with the refrain, "The water is deep here, the ground is uncertain / It's dangerous space this far inside of me". You don't read it, you hear it. And your world expands to hold it...

Buy this book.

Writers who can do both novels and short stories with equal style and power are rare. Kelley Eskridge proved herself a novelist of the first water with "Solitaire." Now there's "Dangerous Space."

The book is her first short story collection, from Aqueduct Press. Most of the stories included here I'd read before, in various places. The centerpiece, though, is brand new, the title novella.

Kelley is rough, but not in the sense of unpolished. She writes some of the most seductive prose I've ever seen. It's impossible not to think of sexual similes--you read her and you think, "Wow, very sexy, this'll be nice, a very fine one night stand" and you wake up the next morning in love. Or at least unwilling to stay away. I choose the comparison intentionally, because the title story is about sex. About music. About the psyche you find in the mix, where music touches that which is most intimate, and the only other thing that comes even close to such an affect is sex, the best sex, the sex that teaches.

But it is very much about music. I felt occasionally that she was describing me (but only coincidentally) and the way I feel about music, about certain bands, certain songs, certain artists. She knows this stuff, too, from the inside out. She writes like someone who has been backstage, during set-up or break-down; she's seen the aftershocks of a great performance, and she can describe that fulfilled-empty space that is creative aftermath.

And she makes you feel it. That's the rough part. Because anything that good has down sides. It's only ever all good when the experience is superficial. Which is to say that it's not that good, but there's nothing substantive to compare it with except a warm afterglow that's entirely of your own making. Nothing's been shared until you get close to the whole package, which is rough.

Kelley is one of those few writers that intimidates me, that makes me question why I bother. Oh, I get over it, and I count that reaction as a positive thing, because it makes me try a little harder next time.

I'm not going to talk about the rest of the stories--there's a foreword by Geoff Ryman and he clearly observed more about these stories than I did, even while I helped workshop a couple of them, and I can't add anything substantive to his remarks, just keep nodding and going "Yeah, yeah"--except to say that they are wonderful. And that music is the best way to describe the flow of them, the sensuality they evoke.

So, yeah, this is a recommendation, very much so. But a caveat, too--prepared to get personal when you read these stories. They're rough that way--and very beautiful.

Eskridge is a glorious writer, subtle, and writing about things that I didn't even know about myself until I found them in her words. I was nodding and saying, "Yes, that's me, too." In my opinion, the best writers open up new understandings or awarenesses of the self and world. She is one of those writers.

I had previously read some of these stories on Eskridge's website, after having become intrigued by her beautiful novel "Solitaire" when it first came out. That being said, even skimming the table of contents and realizing that there would be a bit of repetition in what I read gave me no pause while purchasing this book. So although I was prepared for a few of the stories, and reacted sort of in the same way you would when meeting an old friend that you hadn't seen in a while, what I was not prepared for was the impact of the stories as a collection. It's breathtaking.

The gender ambiguity that threads through the stories, particularly in the character of Mars but also subtly accented in the sexuality and qualities of Eskridge's other characters, was not, for me, the main focus. It evidences the author's skill in her prose, as well as an incredible openness about human potential. To me however, the book is about people, the way they become broken or mended, the way they become open or closed.

But "Dangerous Space" is not just about those places, geographic and symbolic, where we can become vulnerable. It's also about the thresholds that we need to cross, the moments that we need to share with other people to get there. Whether though love, or affection, or friendship, or lust, or just though a single moment of shared understanding, this is a set of stories filled with hope about the human capacity to connect. It is consistently delicately raw, and delightful.

These stories got so far inside me I need something to dig them out with. Eskridge is a brilliant writer who writes with heart. She's doing stuff here that is new and daring, and she executes so well most of us don't even notice she's doing it.

There are two reasons I don't usually enjoy reading short stories. One of them is because I want to be fully engaged when I read fiction; most writers can't give me enough in a short story to really bring me in. That is not the case with the stories in this collection. If you like to read things that make you feel something inside, or make you ask questions about yourself, or look at things a little differently than you might have otherwise, you will like this book and this writer. These stories have a way of getting under your skin and pulling you in. Sometimes the author had me wondering, why have I never thought of it like that before, and other times, I thought -- how did she know (I felt) that? One thing you will be sure of after you read this book: Kelley Eskridge is a great writer; she is not only intelligent but also courageous enough to show us some of the depth of her heart in her stories. Do yourself a favor and order this book. Then do yourself another favor and order her novel SOLITAIRE if you haven't already. Oh... and if you want to know what space she means is dangerous, you'll have to read the story; it's a space we all have to face.