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I tend to prefer my supernatural fiction "vintage", by which I understand that it should be written before 1950 and/or in the style of the classic ghost, gothic or horror story. Nevertheless, I do enjoy the occasional foray into the "New Weird". In December 2014 I had read and enjoyed China Mieville's [b:Looking for Jake and Other Stories|10755520|Looking for Jake and Other Stories|China Miéville|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327942096s/10755520.jpg|895195] and, more recently, his other short story collection [b:Three Moments of an Explosion|24044142|Three Moments of an Explosion|China Miéville|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1426654001s/24044142.jpg|43365539]. Over Christmas 2015 I had opted for another anthology of short fiction: Neil Gaiman's Fragile Things. I am revisiting my review, now that the collection has been reprinted in the wake of the movie "How to talk to girls at parties"

I can't say I know Miéville and Gaiman well enough to compare them but, if forced to do so, I'd say Mieville strikes me as grittier and more politically committed, his style owing as much to noir and thriller genres as to the tradition of supernatural fiction. On the other hand, Gaiman seems more fascinated by the world of faerie, folk tale and myth; by the sometimes subtle, sometimes shocking intrusion of the weird into everyday life. Another recurrent inspiration in this collection appears to be the act of "writing" and "creating" itself. Not only is the anthology preceded by an introduction in which Gaiman explains the genesis of each of the pieces, but some of the stories themselves are either *about* writing, writers and storytellers, or else reinterpret known literary works. For instance, in the opening story - "A Study in Emerald" - the worlds of Conan Doyle and Lovecraft combine as Sherlock Holmes is placed in an alternative 19th Century ruled by "Old One" Queen Victoria. It's the sort of divertissement which shouldn't work but ultimately does. "The Problem of Susan" presents a more disturbing and abstruse reinterpretation of characters from the Chronicles of Narnia. "Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire" veers between parody and pastiche and features an author living in a typical candle-lit Gothic world of crumbling castles and stormy nights who is suffering from a particularly acute case of writer's block. A critic described this tale as "facetious nonsense" (which it probably is), but it is hilarious - after all, parody has always been an element of the Gothic tradition.

A highlight of the collection is "October in the Chair", in which, at a story-telling reunion between the months of the year, October relates the tale of a bullied boy who befriends a ghost. A prototype for [b:The Graveyard Book|2213661|The Graveyard Book|Neil Gaiman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1303859949s/2213661.jpg|2219449] , it is touching and unsettling at the same time.

In other tales we meet child zombies, haunted playrooms, beautiful aliens and magical instruments. There is a return of "Shadow" from [b:American Gods|4407|American Gods (American Gods, #1)|Neil Gaiman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1258417001s/4407.jpg|1970226] in the novella "Monarch of the Glen", where the protagonist finds himself pitted against a Grendel-like monster of old. In this story there is also a cameo appearance by the repulsive "Mr Smith and Mr Alice", who also get their own story - "Keepsakes and Treasures" is violent, quite revolting but strangely fascinating.

With such a varied anthology there will be entries which do not work for you. In my case, I didn't particularly like the poetry and there were stories which lost me because they seemed to lack an internal logic. Gaiman points out that supernatural tales are rarely "story-shaped", so others may actually relish the feeling of being "bewildered" by a seemingly illogical tale. I don't.

If Goodreads would allow me, I'd give this collection 3.5 stars. Instead, I'll opt for 4. I'll also make a mental note to venture into "New Weird" more often - possibly starting with some of Gaiman's and Mieville's full-length novels. ( )

A fantastic set of short stories by Neil Gaiman. Many of the stories have been published in the past, but there are some that were written long ago but never published. Majority of them have a horror or spooky theme. Many of them I loved and would want to read more, some are satisfying, and some are mostly enjoyable. I don't think any of the stories are bad. If you are fan of Neil Gaiman, then this is definitely a collection to check out. ( )

Not my kind of stuff, but he does it really well,with a fine sense of humor. Listened to the audiobook and Gaiman’s voice is wonderful. ( )