My Own Devices

by Corey Frost

My Own Devices is a concept a series of stories in which the main character, Corey Frost, is left to his own devices in Japan, St. Petersburg, Sumatra, Macau, Montreal, and other locations. His devices include various telephones, cameras, tiny Japanese cars and mini-disc recorders, as well as a backpack full of witty, occasionally satirical literary gimmicks. It's a fun, irreverent take on the first-collection cliché, full of post-colonial unpredictability and tinged with début-de-siècle angst.

162 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2002

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a strange one-- about half of it is more or less straight adventure-travel writing, whether true or false. And then, there'll be a totally great piece of writing that's trying to do something different, like the story that turns up on Harp and Altar as Montreal System.

I love those stories to death, enough that I want to read more. But I'm less taken with the travelogue type pieces.

[Jennifer Coleman-Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading this during my own travels and I loved it! He has a great sense of humour. There are also a lot of fun descriptions of foreign cities as well as a story set in the infamous ice storm in Montreal! So much fun. I laughed out loud!