What You Make It: Selected Short Stories

What You Make It has ratings and 35 reviews. Nick said: This set of short stories was generally pretty entertaining - the author focuses mainly on mo.
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Fiction Classics Literary Fiction.

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Also by William Faulkner. See all books by William Faulkner. About William Faulkner William Faulkner, one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century, was born in New Albany, Mississippi, on September 25, Inspired by Your Browsing History. Looking for More Great Reads?

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Download our Spring Fiction Sampler Now. I've been reading this for a while and there are lots of stories in this collection. I have it downloaded to my phone so it's the one I read when I don't have my Kindle. Jul 27, Donna rated it it was amazing Shelves: The man is a genius, what more can I say?

What You Make It: A Book Of Short Stories

Mar 12, Richard Barber rated it liked it Shelves: It's always difficult to comment on short story collection because it's such a mixed bag of experiences. Even if this first collection is not as awe inspiring as some of his later work, it's still well worth the entry fee. May 01, Jeff rated it liked it. Unfortunately the good stuff is so few and far between and a lot of it feels like filler. Sep 18, An Redman rated it it was ok.

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The main male characters were the same dude recycled into different names, places and scenarios. They were inwardly sarcastic, outwardly ineffectual. Heavy smokers, regular drinkers, computer nerds with desk jobs, dodgy past entanglements of love.

Selected Short Stories

Almost always presented in the first person perspective. Out of seventeen stories only two featured women, both of them dour and lacking real characterization. Most of the lady characters were throw aways, which bummed me the fuck out. At first I was di The main male characters were the same dude recycled into different names, places and scenarios. At first I was digging the retro feel to his stories, but the women were baggage and patronized and that's not cool, not in every story.

The wry, thoughtful way Smith presents stories is a real treat for me. I get giddy and smug when a characters thinks something obnoxious that I've come across in my own thoughts on my own time. Half the stories are too long and repetitive for their own good. Often I wish I could peel back some layers, or prune out the words that have become redundant. The climax of the stories always satisfy, but the slog to get there will erode the joy of finishing.

Not an abundance of horror, more like mundane sci-fi with some cyberpunk, slice of life and psychological thriller. Seriously, the author kills it when he dabbles with mindfucks and mental illness. A handful of stories were set in America but we're still peppered with British terms and euphemisms. But that's just really nitpicking, it is. Despite the 2 star rating for this book I look forward to reading another Smith anthology, Everything You Need, because Smith is a damn fine writer and I think hope the newer stories will be tighter, more varied and more accessible.

And through an odd quirk of luck I received a hard covered copy from a Florida library, discarded and signed. I hope the author would deem me worthy of possessing such a treasure. Jan 30, Mike Steven rated it it was amazing.


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I don't usually read short stories but some of these are outstanding and really powerful. The first story in the book "More Tomorrow" is probably good test of whether you will enjoy the rest of the stories. It's sinister, dark and creates a real impact on the reader. There are three or four other stand out stories in the collection - many of them dark - but it's this opening story that will probably make me pick up the book again sometime.

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I wouldn't say any of it is fun to read - although 'Always I don't usually read short stories but some of these are outstanding and really powerful. I wouldn't say any of it is fun to read - although 'Always' is kind of touching and made me feel emotional. However, it is macabre, well written and Marshall Smith has the ability to create a world very quickly, which is essential for a writer of short stories. Well worth a read. Jul 24, Intery rated it liked it. The collection features short stories which are both very different and very similar.

Almost all the stories are narrated in the first person by similar male protagonists, yet each of them manages to feel different to the reader. Insanity is a prominent theme, as is violence and tea.

The best piece for me was undoubtedly Everybody Goes which contains a The collection features short stories which are both very different and very similar. The best piece for me was undoubtedly Everybody Goes which contains a lovely bit of fridge brilliance. Aug 03, Psychophant rated it liked it Shelves: As in almost all collections of short stories, the quality is not uniform.

However most of these tales are quite good. It is not with a couple of exceptions a book of horror tales, but of disturbing tales. What this collection reminds me is of E. A londoner Poe, in the current time, and using computers, but with the same mix of mormality and the extraordinary. My favorites are "Later" and "The man who drew cats", and as they are in the beginning it may have lowered a bit the total score.

Apr 20, Rae rated it liked it Shelves: I love the novels I've read by Michael Marshall Smith and this collection, though a little up and down, had more hits than misses and struck many of the chords I've come to expect from him. Clint Hazard is a modern-day cowboy who risks everything for his habits and hang-ups. For a man who had everything, why would he risk losing it all?

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Write a customer review. There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. I have read a lot of short story compilations over the years, and I have to say that most of them have been somewhat of a disappointment, though I do give some credit to King's Everything is Eventual, most have a couple of good stories, with a lot of filler, and knowing that Michael Marshall Smith is my new favorite author, who I have been reading unquenchably as of late, I had to get this book, even though a part of me told me to not have my hopes set too high, as most people who do not write extensively in this format, really don't know how to make short stories complete or tight enough, and I have to say that I was really surprised at how the author was able to put his unique stamp on every single story, and has gotten more in my head with this book than almost any other, except maybe for Straw Men, but I also have to give credit to him on just how diverse this selection is.

If you are a horror or suspense fan with sick sense of humor, this book should be heavily sought after. One person found this helpful. MMS got me hooked from his first outing, "Only Forward". This anthology, though, shows why MMS is still an author not to be taken lightly. There's an edgy, uncomfortable feeling you get when reading some of these stories - the kind you get when you watch the news about how the guy next door to you just got nailed for murdering his neighbour on the other side. Some of the ideas in the book are so damn simple, yet come across as fresh and new, and you hope that the next short story will leave you just as breathless.

Alas, this isn't the case. Some stories lack that 'oomph', and are merely interesting rather than creepy, merely normal not abnormal. If you like safe stories, you're better off not ready MMS anyway, but if you want something different, deep, yet wholely possible to imagine while you wend your way to work, this book can provide some nice recipies. Like the guy who recognises a co-worker from the images he downloads from a BDSM newsgroup, or the poor soul going mad trying to back up the data in his brain, or the unique ways to get even when you know you're going to hell in a handbasket.

To expect a read as good as his best, you'll be disappointed. But I guarantee that there'll be at least a couple of stories in here that you'll carry in your head for the rest of your life. Spooky stuff for the unspookable. This book contains some amazingly simple and intresting ideas and thoughts, a real page-turner. Truth be told, most of the stories are unsettling, but also beautiful. I enjoyed this book immensely, and I recommand it to anyone intrested in dark philosophy, beautiful stories and a way of keeping the mind occupied.