Dislocations: Nine Stories of Speculation and Imagination [Paperback]

It gets bigger and better from NewCon Press with this second anthology. Now there are nine stories instead of eight: spanning a total of 136 pages as opposed to the 102 pages in Time Pieces. Value for money or what?

There are a few other changes: ISBN; printer; book layout - all are different, not better, not worse just different. This time around only the inimitable Ian Watson provides Ian Whates with invaluable editorial advice. The cover artist has also changed; Andy Bigwood's electrified planet amidst blackness heralds a shift of theme for this anthology: it is still predominately a haven for science fiction advocates but with the stories following fresh and inventive angles on the theme of displacement.

The stories and authors are: Tales from the Big Dark: Among Strangers by Pat Cadigan; Terminal by Chaz Brenchley; The Drifter's Tale by Hal Duncan; The Immortals of Atlantis by Brian Stableford; The Glass Football by Andrew Hook; Remorse by Adam Roberts; The Convention by Amanda Hemingway; Impasse by Andy West; Lighting Out by Ken MacLeod.

For all of you who cried special treatment on Time Pieces, there is no story from Ian Whates this time around just more information about the editor come author. Again, there is the usual author biography with, arguably, an even more impressive bunch than last time.

Once more the stories are competently edited with the majority of lumps and bumps rolled out. This time, they are decidedly more sinister.... foreboding... dislocated. I was left feeling disjointed, with that slight churning in the pit of the stomach: no matter where or when I read these contrasting visions of life on the edge, just about to topple. A minor niggle would be, generally, the stories are weighty on internal monologue, with scant speech, character interaction, scenery interaction, or even palpable action to break the narrative.

For me, the four stories that stand out from the crowd are:

Terminal - I can see exactly what Mr Brenchley is trying to achieve, and I like his vision, but I had to read this one several times before the penny dropped. It made more sense on subsequent reads (gosh, I guess I am saying I am slow-witted) with everything coming full circle at the end. I felt His loss keenly but thought it is what He wanted even though She would be back, reborn, in a new body. Wouldn't she...?

Impasse - I enjoyed this story the most. If pressed for a favourite, I would choose this, mainly because I liked the contrasting thought processes of alien cultures as a demigod like being went mad and was finally put to rest by the evolved sensibilities of the new human race. Nice viewpoint shifts. Competently told even if it is prone to entrenched internal monologue. But hey, why would a god need to interact verbally?

The Drifter's Tale - I remember this hearty and rapturous monologue about the origins of Drifters because of the Scotsman, arguing with himself, whilst at the same time being charming and witty, and making love to the world. If you like stories with gratuitous swearing, this one is for you.

The Glass Football - An intriguing and readable yarn where the viewpoint character suffers no remorse or misgivings for his scandalous actions both in his youth and later in life. He got his comeuppance, though. The non-character Dermot is a nice touch.

To summarise: An ambitious and different collection of speculative (science) fiction stories. If these comments appear negative, maybe the despondent feel of the stories left its mark? Maybe the authors and editor(s) did their job? Give it a read. See for yourself.