Customer Reviews

Eclectica Magazine: Best Fiction, Vol. One

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For those who have been reading Eclectica Magazine on the net for the past seven years, it's no surprise that the first printed volume of the magazine's best fiction has resulted in this stunning collection. For the newcomer to Eclectica, these thirty short stories will undoubtedly inspire the reader to visit the popular online version of the magazine. Tom and Julie Dooley, Eclectica's magazine editors, have made a concerted effort to publish talented writers from all over the world, but more importantly, the editors have always concerned themselves with the elements of exceptional fiction. Regardless of the writer's background, there exists a tremendous storytelling ability at work in each story in this collection. The Eclectica anthology is jam-packed with stories that surprise, disturb, and ultimately intrigue the reader. In particular, Mike O'Driscoll's "Dancing With Creation" is a singular literary achievement. O'Driscoll is both eloquent and relentless in his bold observations of humanity and familial relationships in this tremendous and unsettling coming-of-age story. David A. Taylor's tightly composed and satisfying story, "Pelagro," is equally compelling in dealing with the complexities of one's limitations and failures, within the context of a father and son relationship. Zdravka's Evtimova's "The Little Boy" is a starkly realized tale of emotional struggle. Evtimova uses an impressively narrow lens for her descriptive narrative, and delivers a solid twist for the ending. Adam Marcus' highly original and surrealistic "Personal Assets" keeps the reader turning the page as the story gathers imaginative psychological momentum and stretches the limits of the character's dread and fear. Daniel Cubias' "The Big Inning" is an impressive stylistic accomplishment as Cubias' dark imagination travels from one baseball player's interior monologue to the next. Carolyn Steele Agosta's "Another Weekend With Susie" exposes the reader to the challenges of dealing with a schizophrenic relative. While Agosta's protagonist resents the burden of coping with the demands of an aging mother and a schizophrenic sibling (Susie), she also reveals a tremendous sense of loss and grief, and ultimately, her struggle to come to terms with the direction her family's lives have taken. Each story in this collection invites the reader into a unique and often disturbing world. Given the state of contemporary society, it's not unusual that the writers' themes tend toward humanity's struggle with its darker side. This fascination with the "struggle" is perhaps a recurring notion in this collection, but each story reflects an author who successfully takes thematic, imaginative, and emotional risks. True to their chosen title "Eclectica," the editors have gathered an impressive collection of diverse styles and thematic concerns, and the result is a must-have collection for readers who enjoy excellent, thought-provoking fiction.