Showtime is the fifth book in the Twelve Planets series published by Twelfth Planet Press – a series showcasing the quality and variety of Australian women’s speculative fiction through short collections of short stories and novella’s.
They are a chance for each of the invited authors to showcase their talent, to have a little fun, to produce work they might not get the freedom to produce elsewhere.
Showtime is an excellent example of that. I found the title a perfect fit for the collection and having listened to Narrelle speak at Continuum 8 I get the sense that this collection is an extension of her vibrant and dramatic persona.
Showtime is an eclectic mix in both tone and content. Comprised of 4 stories, Stalemate captures beautifully the oppression of the everyday, the suffocation of domesticity and family. Thrall gives the reader a modern take on the monstrous but slightly out of date European vampire. The Truth About Brains is a quaint story that every older sister would appreciate – your kid brother turned into a stinking zombie (some might say there’s not too much difference) and Showtime gives us a window into Harris’ characters from her longer work The Opposite of Life featuring the Gary the Hawaiian shirt wearing vampire ( who I picture played by Bruce Campbell).
This collection was a bit of a hoot, though there’s some seriousness and comment in both Stalemate and Thrall. As a showcase it’s worked – I am sorely tempted to pick up Narrelle’s longer fiction – featuring vampire’s sans glitter.
So in summary a very neat little package. My favourite’s Thrall as it returns us to the “evil vampire” and yet also casts that vampire as a relic of a bygone age.
Disclaimer: I am a fan of Twelfth Planet Press and contribute to the Galactic Chat podcast.
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