I really like his later novels, and these early stories were a little disappointing. Really great sci-fi premises but a little heavy handed. If you like Lethem they're still worth a go. ( )

Dark and devious, insightful and enthralling. My favorite story is Hardened Criminals. I think it is a brilliant way to deter crime. ( )

Each story was completely different except for one aspect; Lethem's penchant for plunging the reader deep into the story and making you swim for the surface. The first few pages of each one baffled me as to what was happening, but then slowly, by inches, he reveals what is going on.

Imagination like this is just amazing to me. I can almost visualize how he came up with the story for Hardened Criminals. Shockingly literal, but with heart, it's unlike anything I've ever read. As are the rest of the stories - Five Fucks is surreal and warped. As is Forever, Said the Duck. Bizarre doesn't even begin to describe these.

The Happy Man is the most disturbing of them all - it focuses on a man who is dead, but revived so he can continue to support his family. However, he's not always there. Sometimes he's transported to his own private Hell, in which he is presided over as a small boy by The Happy Man, a rapist whose rape sets him free into his life again. A double edge sword he must endure to visit with his wife and son. The resolution of this brings up more questions than it answers and made me think a while after reading it. Very well done.

I cannot be sure that his use of language is deliberate or just forgetful and kind of sloppy. The lack of continuity in use of words and style bugged me at first, but I chalked it up to style and let it go. Let it take me. And it did. Everyone on the plane disappeared while I swam up through each story to air and daylight. ( )

Some great stories here. Surreal. Strange. ( )