Customer Reviews

Unwelcome Bodies

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was intrigued by the themes and whole concept of the work. The cover is very stark and fitting. I thought the whole package-the art, the stories and ideas behind them, as well as the author's comments-really gave a first rate experience.

"For the Plague Thereof Was Exceeding Great" was one of my two favorites. It was disturbingly close to misconceptions of today and while it was sci fi, it also required little thought to make the leap. Replace AIDs with any unknown future virus, the rantings of the priests and doomsayers with those of today and it makes for a truly frightening picture. But it was so well done and so moving...a wonderful piece.

"Brushstrokes" was my other favorite. I loved the starcrossed lover approach but with a unique and modern twist. It too was so close to sentiments of today that it made me angry at the citizens of that world, as well as happy that someone has the courage to write about it. The tale was beautifully written and very poignant.

"Last Bus" was another I enjoyed, simply because it felt like a mid 20th century play. Sorrow and starkness combined (storytelling and plot-wise), but over all, hopeful.

"Immortal Sin" was fascinating. Maybe it's because I could understand how the man came to those assumptions being Catholic myself (seeing how people are able to twist words in the name of religion or how `guilt' feeds into a person's everyday thought process). Or maybe because I saw it, not so much as a sci-fi story, but as a thriller. Sane people find it hard to understand how anyone could make such a jump as the main character did with the waitress; reading as the character, though, it was obvious he was obsessive, off-kilter, and able to twist words and intentions in his own mind.

"Captive Girl" was enjoyable in its own twistedness. Definitely not the typical love story. It's not something most of us could relate to...but it certainly gave me pause for thought and I always enjoy stories that do that.

"Firebird" amused me, simply because as a fan, I was able to relate to it...and was yet utterly turned off by that fan fanaticism as much as I was by the religious and bigoted fanaticism of the other stories.

Overall, this collection is stunning. I can't recommend it enough. I think any reader of sci-fi or horror will completely enjoy it. For those not inclined towards short stories, this very well may change your mind. Additionally, the author is not only a wonderful writer, but genuinely interested in the process and her fans. She's given several great Q&A's.

Pelland is one of the most powerful writers crafting short fiction today. "Unwelcome Bodies" is a welcome addition to anyone's collection.

UNWELCOME BODIES is a short-story collection that focuses on a variety of issues: the environment, religion, and terrorism, and the one thing that unites these stories is the character's body image and how they fit into the world/society around them. Each of the stories are different and unique, and most all of the stories balance a wonderful blend of science fiction and horror. This collection is an easy one to recommend. Pelland has a smooth, clean writing style, and the ideas that fuel each story really make you sit up and take notice.

This is the best short story collection I've ever read. The stories explore various facets of human nature, and how we treat each other. They're all engaging and compelling, but they also leave you thinking -- each SF story has a theme that matches up very well with our own world and culture. Utterly brilliant. If you like SF, like short stories, or just like challenging, thought-provoking fiction, read this book.

I discovered that after reading each story I needed recovery time, the same way I did when I first read Harlan Ellison (his stories from the 60s, before he disappeared up his own enfant-terrible legend), because however fantastic or futuristic the settings, the people and emotions are true and the stories cut deep. I read "Big Sister/Little Sister" in the evening, and it seriously interfered with my sleep, so consider yourself warned. On the other hand, there are pieces like "When Science Fiction Cliches Go Bad" which are just plain fun, almost guaranteed to leave you unscarred.

Unwelcome Bodies is a collection of, well, frankly, utterly unnerving tales. It's rare for me to review SFF and rare for me to review short stories, so a combination of both is practically unhead of. However, Jennifer Pelland's collection looked to be full of intriguing ideas and I wanted to try something new.

Pelland presents a range of scenarios that range from slightly eerie to full blown frightening. From the story about the woman whose sister has been sewn into her body to the man on a quest to find the key to eternal life, these are thought provoking stories of what life in the future could be like. I found myself flitting from repulsion to fear to awe as I worked my way through the volume.

Each story is a relatively short length and easily digestible. All are followed by notes from the author, divulging `the story behind the story'. The volume is well narrated by Linette Geisel, who applies a steady pace and clear enunciation, making this a relatively easy listen for such a disturbing volume. If it lacks in one thing, it's quite possibly in the editorial of the narration. There were times when the end of a story and the beginning of the `notes' ran so closely together it took me a moment to realise that the story had finished. However, this is a minor complaint and only occurred a small number of times across the seven hour volume.

As a fan of John Wyndham and Isaac Asimov I often wonder why I don't really consider myself a science-fiction fan these days. Reading/listening to a volume such as this makes me realise that this isn't a genre I should close myself off to. This was one of the most intriguing volumes of short stories I've encountered. Pelland is an excellent storyteller with a vivid imagination. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her writing or to look out for future volumes.

This is not a book for light reading; it's a book to make readers think about big questions. With a range of styles on display, the collection allows readers to taste unconventional storytelling while still getting a satisfying plot and character arc. Even in the more stories with more experimental writing styles, the characters and action take center stage. Be ready for frank discussions about bodies in all states of repair, and some rather frank discussions of what we do with them alone and in combination. Themes dealing with how our bodies relate to our humanity are treated with such an intensity that I found myself reading one or two stories at a time and needing to let them percolate in my brain for a day before moving on.

I would recommend this book to beginning short story writers. These stories are from the start of Jennifer Pelland's career, which has now gone on to include a second Nebula nomination ("Ghosts of New York," in addition to "Captive Girl" which is in this collection) and more than 30 short stories. In addition to being an enthralling read, it's a chance to to gauge the level of writing that well-published beginners are bringing to the table and see what sort of growth comes over even 11 stories.

Each of the stories is followed by a brief paragraph that gives a little insight into the inspiration for the story. Notes for the first story in the collection, "For the Plague Thereof Was Exceedingly Great," also include the scene break paragraphs that Strange Horizons asked Jennifer Pelland to remove for a rewrite. Reading what Strange Horizons eventually published, and what the editor asked her to delete, is an object lesson for writers, demonstrating how killing one's darlings can, indeed, improve a piece.

The stories in this book are dark. They also run the range of disturbing, creepy, sweet, stark, touching, and horribly beautiful. Though some stories are stronger than others, really, every one of them is a winner. Fans of dark sci-fi hit the jackpot with this collection.

This is an amazing book! It's social relevant and very interesting, exploring both science fiction and humanity. If English classes read books like this more kids would be true reading die hards.

Pelland speculates about the future and cuts to the core of the human soul with a collection of story that should be required reading.

Wow. I was blown away by this collection. It kept me turning pages long into the night. Each story got better and more intriguing than the last. Not for the faint of heart, a dark look at human fears, motives and a thoroughly thought provoking ride. Can't wait to see what's next.