Hits and misses
3 stars
I've enjoyed reading Aliya Whiteley's novels before, particularly Skyward Inn which I loved, so I was disappointed to find From The Neck Up and Other Stories to be more hit and miss for me. The collection consists of 16 tales all of which, I think, have previously been published in various magazines and anthologies so I appreciated having them grouped together in this one publication. There are a number of award winners amongst the collection too. I found myself being blown away by some of the stories while others left me underwhelmed or simply baffled, but then I understand that as a hazard of reading such an inventive writer as Aliya Whiteley. Sometimes I just can't keep pace with the concepts she explores.
That said, I did love several of these stories such as the very first one, Brushwork, which is set in a future icy dystopia where the Gulf …
I've enjoyed reading Aliya Whiteley's novels before, particularly Skyward Inn which I loved, so I was disappointed to find From The Neck Up and Other Stories to be more hit and miss for me. The collection consists of 16 tales all of which, I think, have previously been published in various magazines and anthologies so I appreciated having them grouped together in this one publication. There are a number of award winners amongst the collection too. I found myself being blown away by some of the stories while others left me underwhelmed or simply baffled, but then I understand that as a hazard of reading such an inventive writer as Aliya Whiteley. Sometimes I just can't keep pace with the concepts she explores.
That said, I did love several of these stories such as the very first one, Brushwork, which is set in a future icy dystopia where the Gulf Stream's vanishing makes Britain's climate resemble present-day Siberia. Whiteley makes good points about how different people understand freedom and what restrictions we can accept in return for elements of comfort. I also connected with the story Loves Of The Long Dead where an ancient Egyptian princess, betrayed in life, sees an opportunity for revenge in death. The third of my favourites, To The Farm, was particularly poignant and resonated with my own ideas about the heartlessness of abandoning pets although, of course, Whiteley takes the idea much, much further.