Synopsis from Amazon:
Have you ever had a dream so wonderful it followed you into the waking world? Do you lie awake, listening to the creaks and groans of a settling building, and believe that something strange and terrible is happening? Have you ever been unable to tell the dream from reality?The Night Alphabet is a collection of 26 short stories dragged from the edges of sleep: marrying nightmares to detective fiction, ghosts to science, and the weird to the nonsensical. Author David Donachie weaves stories together from the ideas that cross the dozing mind, creating fantastical tales which will take you deep into the dream world and beyond. Inside you will find: cloud castles, flooded cities, haunted dreams, aliens, talking heads, insomniacs, and lots of cats.
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My Review:
I believe this book was one that I won in a giveaway during an event some years back, and it's been sitting in my queue while I chased down the next amazing book from authors I already followed, or started a series from a new author whose concepts I was absolutely onboard with.
The thing about short story collections is it's always kind of a mixed bag, you never know what you're in for, and they are often difficult to summarize for a decent blurb.
Having read The Night Alphabet, here's what I can say about David M. Donachie: place him on your list of "Authors To Watch" because out of 26 stories, there was not one that I didn't at least find intriguing, and four that stand out as thoroughly enjoyable!
Donachie does very well with setting the stage for each story. With a few deft sentences, the reader gets a sense of whether this story is going to be creepy, pleasant, mystical, comical, or just plain ordinary. There were a handful that made my skin crawl with their vivid descriptions of horrific creatures and scenarios--but that just means that fans of horror stories will likely relish the same sensation as they read! Reading the whole collection straight through, I saw a few instances of name-borrowing, even character-hopping, as a character from one story shows up in another... but what author hasn't borrowed from past stories as they create new ones?
I have done an A-to-Z challenge before, and while on the one hand, coming up with 26 distinct and unique stories sounds like a daunting challenge, Donachie meets the challenge with unfettered inspiration, coming up with terms for each letter of the alphabet that range from mundane to esoteric--and each story centers around the concept used with admirable skill.
The Night Alphabet earns a full *****5 STAR***** rating, and I'd even add an Upstream Writer Certified RECOMMENDED endorsement. If you're interested in discovering a new author without the commitment of a full novel, then consider this collection of short stories--and pay close attention to which ones were your favorites, as that could be an indicator of how well you'll like other things the author has written! (In case you're wondering, my favorite stories in particular were the ones for letters F, J, W, and Y)
Further Reading: (Anthologies/Short Story Collections)
Punk Anthologies--Writerpunk Press Group
-Sound & Fury: Shakespeare Goes Punk, Vol. 1
-Once More Unto The Breach: Shakespeare Goes Punk, Vol. 2
-What We've Unlearned: Classic Literature Goes Punk
-Sound & Fury: Shakespeare Goes Punk, Vol. 1
-Once More Unto The Breach: Shakespeare Goes Punk, Vol. 2
-What We've Unlearned: Classic Literature Goes Punk
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