Metamorphosis (2009)

This was a volume that I received in a grab bag of books from Subterranean Press, and since it was the smallest volume I received in the box, I decided to read it first off. The premise is interesting: the three stories included in the volume are collaborations by Blaylock with three of his students from a creative writing class that he teaches. Each story deals with a man who finds his perception of reality slightly shifted for just a moment, where he is able to perceive a world that may or may not be associated with our own. All the stories are well told, but the problem I have with the stories is that they may be too well told to be from the minds of high school students, and it's hard to determine where their ideas and writing would be distinguished from that of Blaylock. I'm not trying to disparage the writing of the three high school students in any way; I just wonder exactly how much influence Blaylock had over their writing.

Overall, a handsomely produced little volume and the added autographs from all five writers made for a nice surprise! ( )