Autumn in the Abyss

This is a dark and intricate book of cleverly linked short stories. The first story was mind-bending, with the author referencing himself and spinning the story cleverly around in circles. By far the most intricate of the tales, it was difficult to follow and forced me to really concentrate on what I was reading. I especially loved that aspect! The language was poetic and John Claude Smith's poetic background was on full display. Quite beautiful. The rest of the stories were easier to follow and identify with, and I found this to be a solid collection that I enjoyed. At times grotesque, at times clever, and always written with skill, I'd recommend this for those who want something a bit different and who want their stories linked together deftly but not blatantly. I'll definitely pick up more of the author's work