She Treads Softly: A Sliver of Darkness

Saturday, November 5, 2022

A Sliver of Darkness

A Sliver of Darkness by C. J. Tudor
11/8/22; 256 pages
Random House

A Sliver of Darkness by C. J. Tudor is a very highly recommended collection of eleven chilling short stories.

After an introduction explaining why the short story collection was released, Tudor follows with eleven excellent short stories. All of the stories are introduced with a personal note, which provides a visceral context to the themes and the reason she wrote the story. The collection starts out strong with "End of the Liner" and follows it with ten more outstanding short stories. Stories include: End of the Liner; The block; Runaway Blues; The Completion; The Lion at the Gate; Gloria; I’m Not Ted; The Copy Shop; Final Course; Dust; Butterfly Island.

The characters are all relatable, realistic people which makes them very empathetic even when the situations they find themselves in seem fantastical. Tudor can make the most bizarre situation seem believable. Every story in this collection was a winner for me. As with any collection, some will resonate more with certain readers than others, but this collection provides ample opportunities for readers to certainly find several stories they will enjoy immensely. In general, fans of the Twilight Zone will appreciate this collection.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Random House via NetGalley.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.