Tales From the Liminal

Every collection of short stories is different, but one thing always stays similar. Some of the tales making up the anthology will resonate with you, and some will not. Happily, the majority of Tales From the Liminal did the first. The short stories are anchored in human emotion but often feature elements from science or speculative fiction. From Bigfoot enjoying himself on the beach to a sprout inching up toward the sky, each of the fifteen tales making up the collection has something to offer.

Unlike many short story collections I have read over the years, the tales woven here have a similar feel or theme to them without explicitly stating so. Quite a few are on the darker side, but each was thought-provoking in its own way. Overall, the writing style and voice largely felt cohesive too. You only get to spend a few pages with each character and the world they live in. Pulling from the title, these characters are in transition and dynamic by definition. Somehow, many of them still stick with me even after so short a time.

While I enjoyed the majority of the collection, I craved more from a few of the stories in Tales From the Liminal, and not just because I would have liked to read more. There was more than one of the short stories where I could have read a full-length novel based on what was started in the collection. I would have liked a little more buildup with the world the tale occupied, or had more information to attach to specific names. A few of the stories felt less polished than others, more in the context of editing than with content. Some have quite a few noticeable errors where others were flawless.

I don't want to list my favorites because I can't really describe why without possibly spoiling the stories, but I will say that Tales From the Liminal is one of the better short story collections I've read. Each of the fifteen tales puts us in a pair of uniquely different “shoes,” even if some might not have feet. I highly recommend the collection to readers who enjoy speculative or science fiction.