Heraclix & Pomp

Heraclix & Pomp: A Novel of the Fabricated and the Fey Forrest Aguirre 4/5	Published 2014 First Sentence "Heraclix's view of his own creation as a birth was much more than idle Romanticism, though this was the zeitgeist that had then begun to take hold of Europe."
Publisher's Description: Heraclix was dead and Pomp was immortal. That was before Heraclix’s reanimation (along with the sewn-together pieces and parts of many other dead people) and Pomp’s near murder at the hands of an evil necromancer. As they travel from Vienna to Prague to Istanbul and back again (with a side-trip to Hell), they struggle to understand who and what they are: Heraclix seeks to know the life he had before his death and rebirth, and Pomp wrestles with the language and meaning of mortality. As they journey across a land rife with revolution and unrest, they discover the evil necromancer they thought dead might not be so dead after all. In fact, he might be making a pact to ensure his own immortality . . .
Dear Reader, How did I come across this book? Well, a recent "Goodreads" friend of mine wrote this book. I'm grateful I found him on goodreads because he writes some fantastic reviews and so far his presence on my Goodreads homepage has greatly entertained me. So when I realized this new "Goodreads" buddy has written a book, I had to jump at the chance to read it. Boy, was I glad I did, this man can write! Not only write but he can tell a great story. Forrest should be placed in that pool of Authors with the capability to envelop us in a new world, essentially creating a new fairy tale, which is always refreshing from the mash-ups we've been inundated with lately. Heraclix & Pomp certainly stands on two solid legs (maybe flying with wings would be a better analogy). After the first few chapters I fell in love with both Heraclix (the enormously adorable golem) and Pomp (the first introspective fairy I've encountered). Heraclix meets Pomp during the beginning chapters where they team up and travel together to solve the mystery of existence (on an individual level and as a whole). Those are some BIG themes for a fairy tale, which is the perfect way to bring that magic to adults. Unsure about life? Don't know why people do the things they do? Just read this book and you can be taken through the mind of a fairy who is learning about mortality for the first time, or stand beside the golem as he reflects on what makes him human (or not). The depth of each character struggling to find themselves is pretty fascinating when set within a fantasy world. Reading this gave me that same feeling of elation I used to get while watching The Dark Crystal as a child. If only Jim Henson could rise from the grave, read this book and option it for a movie! How great would that be? The adult language and some situations would probably have to be altered a bit or maybe just target that audience who grew up with all those books/movies. I'm waiting for a comeback on that style, it was so prevalent in my youth and I miss it so much. Reading books like this brings back that feeling. I have to applaud anyone with enough magic in their hearts and talent in their minds to elicit THAT kind of feeling. I'll be talking about this book and probably using it as a comparison for others for a long time. It deserves to be read and should be done with a sprinkle of magic dust in the air. Happy Reading, AmberBug

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Stone Mattress

Stone Mattress Margaret Atwood 5/5	Publication Date: September 16th, 2014 First Sentence "The freezing rain sifts down, handfuls of shining rice thrown by some unseen celebrant."
Publisher's Description: A collection of highly imaginative short pieces that speak to our times with deadly accuracy. Vintage Atwood creativity, intelligence, and humor: think Alias Grace. Margaret Atwood turns to short fiction for the first time since her 2006 collection, Moral Disorder, with nine tales of acute psychological insight and turbulent relationships bringing to mind her award-winning 1996 novel, Alias Grace. A recently widowed fantasy writer is guided through a stormy winter evening by the voice of her late husband in "Alphinland," the first of three loosely linked stories about the romantic geometries of a group of writers and artists. In "The Freeze-Dried Bridegroom," a man who bids on an auctioned storage space has a surprise. In "Lusus Naturae," a woman born with a genetic abnormality is mistaken for a vampire. In "Torching the Dusties," an elderly lady with Charles Bonnet syndrome comes to terms with the little people she keeps seeing, while a newly formed populist group gathers to burn down her retirement residence. And in "Stone Mattress," a long-ago crime is avenged in the Arctic via a 1.9 billion-year-old stromatolite. In these nine tales, Margaret Atwood is at the top of her darkly humorous and seriously playful game.
Dear Reader, Atwood has my heart, she is fast becoming one of my favorite writers. Remember how I said short stories aren't usually my thing? Atwood can give me short stories ANYDAY and I'd gobble them up. This grouping was surprisingly dark and gothic which always tickle my fancy. I'm also very partial to story collections that have central themes and this one had two big, fat themes; mortality and revenge. Both of those topics can be seductive and macabre at the same time. The first three stories relate by interconnecting characters, each one centralizing around the idea of growing older and leaving behind (or NOT leaving behind) old grudges. I loved how most of collection revolved around Authors, and I wonder if any of the stories speak a little about Atwood on a personal level. I have my favorites from this collections, like the story of an uprising younger generation bent on "taking care" of the elderly, and by "taking care" I don't mean feeding, clothing and sheltering them. The idea is this: the next generation of kids will hate us for what we've done to the world and the state we have left it in. Surprisingly, this exact theme is touched upon in David Mitchell's The Bone Clocks which I was reading consecutively. Is this something we should be worried about? Apparently some of the great minds in literature have been tossing around this theme and maybe we should pay a little more attention to it?! I have to commend Atwood for having given me a story collection to read that had me interested throughout the entire thing. Often, I find myself wondering if I should 'skip' to the next story (if I'm not quite fancying the one I'm reading). I NEVER did that with Stone Mattress, each story had me enchanted enough to keep my interest. I did have favorites but I can honestly say that I didn't dislike/hate any of them. I found something useful and interesting with every single one. I would highly recommend this collection to anyone who loves short stories and especially to those skeptics, this one might change your mind. Happy Reading, AmberBug

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