Black Box

by Pete Langman

A collection of short stories from the dark side, Black Box is about sex, death, impotence, storytelling and the legend of Robert Johnson. The final piece, 'a short, dark season', uses survivor narratives to draw a vivid picture of the brutal realities of the 1942 refugee crisis in Burma, when thousands died fleeing the advancing Japanese.

'Langman is a fine writer. Dark yet witty, both light and profound. I found myself frequently both amused and disturbed. It’s a rare gift.' Anthony McGowan, award-winning author

'Pete Langman's stories invite you into a cold, unsettling world in which ugly things happen. His writing, however, is clean and perceptive; you are transported into strange minds and settings and you leave feeling like you know a bit more about the human condition.' Araminta Hall, author

166 pages, Paperback

First published January 24, 2014

About the author

Pete Langman is an editor, academic, cricketer and sometime rock and roll guitarist who holds a PhD on Francis Bacon (the other one), keeps wicket for the Cricketers' Club of London, and was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease at 40. His non-fiction encompasses Cricket, Parkinson’s Disease, Music, History of Science, literature and culture, and has appeared in publications ranging from The Guardian to Guitar and Bass Magazine. He lives between Leiden and Brighton with his partner Dr. Nadine Akkerman, award-winning author of Invisible Agents, who supplies him with extra historical expertise and keeps asking if they can have a cat now, please.

Reviews

[Sami · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blackbox is a book of compelling dark stories with several separate but good ideas. I liked many of the short stories, my favourite one being "Nigel, prince of darkness". I enjoyed Pete's take on the human psyche and caught myself often thinking about the motives and the questions raised. However, I feel that some of the short stories could have been developed further to add depth. Perhaps this was the motive for the last story, which is roughly the same length as the rest of the stories combined.

It's been a few weeks since I finished the book, however, that does not mean that I have forgotten it, like some many other books. I have found myself thinking about some of the stories even now. It may not be the best book ever written, but certainly worth the time it takes to read it.