The Time Out Book of London Short Stories

by Nicholas Royle

Release Date: 31 October, 2000

Edition: Paperback

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Good Mix of Stories

Seven years after the first collection of London tales under the Time Out magazine aegis, we have 29 new selections set amidst the sprawling metropolis that is London. In his brief introduction, editor Royle notes that "Cities are breeding grounds for... above all, narrative" and that the stories that can be written about London are "endless". This is certainly true, and while many of the stories here are good, few of them have much to say specifically about London. No one can argue that London is a distinctive place with it's own vibe, but trying to capture that in a short story is rather difficult. Many of the stories here could just as easily be set in New York or any other large Western city.

This is not to say there aren't plenty of good stories. 'cause there are. My own favorites included Geoff Nicholson's hilarious "Wittgenstein's Mattress", Paul McAuley's ghost story "Bone Orchards", Stewart Home's brilliant two and half-pager "Didn't I Blow Your Mind", Robert Elms' enigmatic "My Thing", Elizabeth Young giving Bridget Jones the two fingers in "Jonesing: The End" and John O'Connell's bizarre "Gone To Earth".

It also must be said that the book does contain an excellent mix of styles, from bleak kitchen-sinkers (Leone Ross' "Mudman", Michael Moorcock's "London Blood") to predictable shocker/thrillers (Courttia Newland's "Suicide Note", Michele Roberts' "The Cookery Lesson"), to bizarre otherworld visions of the city (Christopher Kenworthy's "Waste Ground", Conrad Williams' "Known"), to relationship tales (Toby Litt's "Unhaunted", Jacqueline Lucas' nicely done "Touching Base") to out and out pretentious (Gareth Evans' "Ultima Thule", Tamara Smith's "The Watcher"), to drug addict monologues (Steve Grant's "Portions" and the aforementioned "Jonesing") and one story that seemed very oddly out of place, having little to do with London whatsoever, Maureen Freely's "Rapprochement". So, whatever the anthology's shortcomings as a window into London, it does provide a nice mix and a good way to check out a wide range of authors.