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An artist communicates solely through a bizarre mosaic, a
father and his dying daughter seek hope in plague-ridden Scotland,
a London pensioner's existence is inextricably bound to that
of his pet canary, and in the jungles of Borneo a criminal
searches for his missing son hoping for reconciliation before
the end of the world. Neil Williamson's collection of bittersweet
tales features fourteen stories of impermanence: from the
ends of love affairs and the brief sanity of wartime convalescence,
to the fading away of old languages and the dying of humanity
itself...
I'd
just like to start this review of Neil Williamson's collection
of short stories The Ephemera by saying I officially
hate this man. There I was working on a collection of short
stories that perfectly captured moments in time, vignettes
of pure human experience that would make you laugh, cry or
think and what does my editor send me but just such a collection.
Not only that but every one of the stories in the book is
a gem. I hate this man.
Published
here together for the first time by Elastic Press, this science
fiction collection represents stories from the last ten years
which you may have missed as they have been published in various
magazines and anthologies, also included is a new story The
Codsman and His Willing Shag - and no its not an erotic
tale.
Given
that the book is a very respectable price, what you get is
sixteen emotionally engaging stories spread across two hundred
and seventeen pages. It may be a bargain bin price but not
so the writing. There is a limited signed hardback version,
which is most probably worth hunting down as I think this
guy is destined for great things in the future.
Given
the sheer quality that shines through, and I'm salivating
at the thought of his forthcoming full novel The Moon King,
at least that way I could add him to the other Scottish greats
of Ken Macleod and Iain Banks.
Don't
just take my word for it, go out now and buy the book and
you too can be full of envy.
 
Charles
Packer
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