Ben Loory

A collection of extremely short stories, micro fiction I guess? This is one of the oddest books I've read in a long time. Overall I found it more interesting than enjoyable, the quality of the stories was extremely variable and by the end of the 40th, some of the authors "ticks" began to wear thin but the ideas were intriguing and while I don't feel compelled to find anything else by this author I am glad I read it. It made for a nice break from longer or heavier books.

These tales or fables read like minimalist Beckett, if Beckett had been taught how to write by Aesop, Isak Dinesen, and someone with the faith in humanity of Dickens. They are puzzling, wise, always clever, and often just plain funny, but they all make you think. Great sophomore outing. Revised from 4 to 5 stars because I keep thinking about them.

Imagine observing a highly-proficient artisan specializing in balloon animals or origami. Twist and fold, twist and fold. Then there's that last turn and the obscure creation suddenly pops into being, large as life. But Ben Loory is a tad more skilled than most and when his bizarre inventions abruptly open their eyes, gain consciousness of their artificial existence, and then scream wildly (or saunter up to you for a cuddle) - well, it's at that moment you realize you've hit on something show more extraordinary. - Adam show less

Raymond Carver put me off short fiction for many years. A short story never engages me emotionally the way a novel does, plus I found Carver’s work, in particular, rather dry, oblique and difficult to interpret. But in recent years a new brand of short fiction has risen to popularity, best exemplified by the work of Kelly Link (Magic for Beginners), Karen Russell (St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves) and Aimee Bender (Willful Creatures). This stuff is eccentric, surreal and show more whimsical. And, just like that, I am now a fan of short fiction.

Ben Loory’s fiction definitely falls squarely into that category, so if you’re turned off by all things quirky, this is not for you. The stories in Tales of Falling and Flying are mostly very short and easy to read. Many of his characters (both human and animal) are strivers and dreamers. Some succeed while other fail spectacularly. Thus the title. But there’s also a fair amount of literal flying and falling as well. A personal favorite, “The Squid Who Fell in Love with the Sun,” is about a squid who, inspired by his love for the sun and his desire to be with her, reaches Leonardo DaVinci/Nikola Tesla heights of invention in his quest to achieve his goal. Ultimately, like Icarus, his success is also his downfall. In “The Fall” a man who sees a woman fall from a cliff and reports it to a policeman, only to find that he imagined the entire thing. Or did he? “Toward Earth” opens with a woman falling from a plane, only to discover that she has the ability to fly (and that skeptical geese can talk).

There’s also a couple who just barely survives a zombie apocalypse, a girl with a dragon for an imaginary friend, a man who eats rocks, an epidemic of homicidal giant spiders, a monster in the closet and an overworked Grim Reaper. This is a varied and hugely entertaining book. On the surface, the stories are mostly humorous, but there’s also a certain pathos that gives them extra depth. I actually read quite a few of them twice too look for clues to their meaning.

This is a very entertaining read. show less