Indigenous Beasts

by Nathan Sellyn

Disturbing, energetic, and uncommonly insightful, these chilling stories peer into the lives of men — from young men struggling to maturity to old men realizing that youth is gone — that attract even as they repel. Intriguing, seductive, sometimes despicable, they’re lost in their efforts to make sense of their relationships, both with the women in their lives — girlfriends, mothers, strippers — and the men — fathers, coworkers, dealers. The stories are savage and seething, intense with despair and depravity. They're bloody and beautiful and full of wisdom discovered by pathetic heroes that lurch toward a truce with some unattainable and off-kilter moral standard. They’re also perfectly crafted, with a keen sense of place. An extraordinary debut from a young Canadian writer, Indigenous Beasts reveals a cultural identity that mirrors the Canadian landscape: raw, elementary, and strangely beautiful.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Canada

184 pages, Paperback

First published May 22, 2006

Reviews

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not one for short stories but these were pretty good, bold and different. They were well constructed and a bit wild at the same time.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this collection several years ago and I remembered it as being one of the better ones on my shelf. There are some excellent stories but the first half of the book is underwhelming. Overall I enjoy Sellyn's writing style, although he tends to digress a lot and I'm not sure if it contributes much to the stories.

The stories really worth reading are "You Want to Win," "Ma Belle," "Such Sights to Show You," and "The Basics of the Species." It is barely worthy of a spot on my shelf, but it will stay...for now.

[George Ilsley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of hype here and some good writing, but also at times shocking bad. Some of the stories just did not add up to anything (such as the title story. Typically the title piece is one of the best; not here).

Too many of these stories felt like writing exercises. Imagine yourself as a 30 year old. Imagine a gay son. Imagine ... but the results are limited. The 30 year old is attractive to no one anymore (!) and the gay son is of course bullied, and of course, is caught cross-dressing by his father.

This is, as they say, "a writer to watch." I'm willing to watch him get better. He has a gift for writing, but ... but needs to know more about what he wants to write about.

[Ryan Baron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sellyn's "Indigenous Beasts" explores all those things that make us human; exploring a central theme of relationships, Sellyn puts his all-too-real characters through all the paces. Raw, visceral and shocking, "Indigenous Beasts" redefines the classic anti-hero through disturbing tales of lives gone despicably wrong.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good, solid collection of short stories. Kind of reminded me of Jesus' Son.

[Lynn Bornath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark, often violent, sometimes disturbing. Read the full review.

[Anne Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

no bias involved based on my friendship with nate...his book rocks