The Story Until Now
A Great Big Book of Stories
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- $27.99
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- $27.99
Publisher Description
Called “one of our brightest cultural commentators” by Publishers Weekly, Kit Reed draws from life—with a difference. This new collection brings together thirty-four of her strong, original stories, from early classics like “The Wait” and “Winter” to six never-before-collected short stories, including “The Legend of Troop 13” and “Wherein We Enter the Museum.” An early favorite, “Automatic Tiger,” is the first in a series of Reed’s stories about animals. There’s a monkey who grinds out bestsellers with the help of a “creative writing” app. Her uncanny black dog can enter a crowded room and sit down at the feet of the next man to die. Her characters confront war in various arenas: mother/daughter battles, the war of the sexes, the struggles of men scarred by war. Kit Reed’s self-described “transgenred” fiction is confirmation of an “extraordinary talent” (The Financial Times). The range and complexity of her work speaks for itself in The Story Until Now.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The prolific Reed (What Wolves Know) has been a significant figure in speculative fiction and literature for over 50 years. This impressive tome collects 34 of her short works, including six previously unpublished stories and others gathered from across the expanse of her career. Reed appears to have an essential dissatisfaction with the world, but the manner in which she expresses it varies greatly from story to story: claustrophobic generational paranoia in "Denny," absurdist humor in "The Attack of the Giant Baby," melancholy survivor's guilt in "In the Squalus," and smirkingly betrayed revolutionary ideals in "Songs of War." Reed's fiction shows a remarkable consistency of quality; her prose is carefully shaped, with the clarity of diamonds. Often dark but always worth reading, this collection is a must-have for both those new to Reed and those who have been following her work for decades.
