THE FEVERISH STARS: New and Uncollected Stories by John Shirley

Independent Legions Publishing, 2021

ISBN 978-88-31959-87-2

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition  ( Amazon.com )

A prolific, successful novelist and short story writer in the fields of dark fantasy and science fiction, John Shirley is back with a hefty new collection, assembling twenty-one stories (two of which are  previously unpublished).

Most of the included tales are quite enjoyable and well worth reading, although I must admit that I’m partial to the dark fiction pieces rather than to the science fiction stories.

“A State of Imprisonment”is an excellent mix of science fiction and horror, set in a future time when Arizona is transformed into a huge prison. A journalist trying to investigate suffers imprisonment and abuse aimed to prevent her from revealing the real nature of the place.

“ Sebillia” is a superb story (despite a weak supernatural side),  in which dark family secrets are finally revealed ,leading to a tragic ending.

The very short “Nodding Angel” effectively portrays the unusual power of a peculiar angel appearing to a family’s female members, while the quite original “Exelda’s Voice” describes a GPS program – which is actually much more than that- taking an active part in the escape of a bank robber.

“Hum- Hurt You. Hum-Hurt You. Hum- Hurt You”, is partly science fiction, partly technological horror that revolves around a fake house, which is really a shell for dangerous transmitters.

“ The Claw Spur”, perhaps my favorite story in the volume, is an excellent Western about killing and vengeance,  with a creepy supernatural side, graced by spectacular storytelling.

The insightful “ The Camera and the Rollercoaster” provides a proper ending to the collection, describing how a man riding a rollercoaster relives the various moments of his life while reaching his final destination. Recommended.

Contains: occasional violence and sex.

Reviewed by Mario Guslandi