Man V. Nature by
Diane Cook is a marvelous accomplishment. I felt cautious going in; at
first glance, this appears to be (yet another) suite of stories about the world
winding down, the apocalypse, our slow decline as a species. Yes, this is true. But this collection adds something strange,
off kilter to each story. Cook’s tales spill over beyond the borders of post-apocalyptic themes.
What we get is the uncanny. Stories of worlds that are
familiar and yet off; a persistent pull when reading for normalcy, of the
standard emotions we all feel in any given situation, and Cook’s extraordinary ability purposely withholds
this. What we get is a world we can’t grasp or understand.
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