Top 20Internet Top 100 Short Stories Novellas, NovelettesHomeHugosNebulas P.K. Dick Locus Grand MastersNewbery

Stations of the Tide

Michael Swanwick
Nebula 1991

Fits in the "mind-candy" genre ­ lots of fun and excitement, not much nutritonal value. More of a stream of consciousness, bizarre and poetic art form than thought-provoking mind challenge but the stacatto deluge of fascinating images makes it quite enjoyable and hard to put down.

Though short on plot, the creative characterizations and situations make up for the shortfall and supply a large dose of old-fashioned entertainment. In a sense, the story has the familiar ring of everyday life with it's meandering from disjointed experience to unexpected occurance. The familiarity though heightens interest in the fascinating differences.

Nice blend of personality characteristics - no clear good guy/bad guy over simplification. Although enormously strange and bizarre, the people are complex and multi-faceted enough to feel believable.

Swanwick mainly writes short stories and novelettes and this has that feeling - like a long novelette or a few short stories tied together.

Parental discression: graphic, Tantric sexual encounters.

HomeHugosNebulas P.K. DickLocus Grand MastersNewberyTop 20 Internet Top 100Short StoriesNovellas, Novelettes