What do you think?
Rate this book
Blackouts
This exhilarating first book of fiction introduces Craig Boyko as a writer of astonishing range, inventiveness, and vision. Infused with a razor-sharp wit, Boyko’s stories illuminate those pivotal moments in every life when we discover how difficult it is to be true to ourselves — and to the people who think they know us best.
When a man grows tired of his outwardly comfortable life, a special “replacement program” allows him to go on — with one important difference. The promise of fame, immortality, and triple force fields enthralls a twelve-year-old when the boys in his neighbourhood vie for a coveted spot on an arcade game’s high-scores list. In a story set against the backdrop of Stalinist Russia, a seasoned political informant begins to question long-held beliefs after a series of charged encounters with a fallen aristocrat. When an elderly woman becomes convinced that traumas in her past lives are responsible for her ill health, her beleaguered husband is reluctantly pulled back into his own memories of their early life together. During the London Blitz, a professional skeptic attempts to refute the ESP experiments of a committed believer in the paranormal, only to have his own faith challenged by an unlikely source.
By turns humorous and elegiac, compassionate and intellectually playful, these stories lay bear the obsessions, longings, and frailties that define what it means to be human. With this audacious debut, Craig Boyko joins the front ranks of our most gifted and exciting young writers.
(Craig Boyko's subsequent books have been published under the name C.P. Boyko.)
When a man grows tired of his outwardly comfortable life, a special “replacement program” allows him to go on — with one important difference. The promise of fame, immortality, and triple force fields enthralls a twelve-year-old when the boys in his neighbourhood vie for a coveted spot on an arcade game’s high-scores list. In a story set against the backdrop of Stalinist Russia, a seasoned political informant begins to question long-held beliefs after a series of charged encounters with a fallen aristocrat. When an elderly woman becomes convinced that traumas in her past lives are responsible for her ill health, her beleaguered husband is reluctantly pulled back into his own memories of their early life together. During the London Blitz, a professional skeptic attempts to refute the ESP experiments of a committed believer in the paranormal, only to have his own faith challenged by an unlikely source.
By turns humorous and elegiac, compassionate and intellectually playful, these stories lay bear the obsessions, longings, and frailties that define what it means to be human. With this audacious debut, Craig Boyko joins the front ranks of our most gifted and exciting young writers.
(Craig Boyko's subsequent books have been published under the name C.P. Boyko.)
336 pages, Hardcover
First published February 26, 2008
4 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 31, 2008
There's definitely a reason why Craig Boyko is considered one of the top modern short story writers in Canada. This is his first collection, and it dazzles. He's very imaginative and inventive, and doesn't stick to any one theme or voice. Nice stuff.
October 29, 2019
Blackouts started out strong but ended in mediocrity. I understand the logic in starting the collection with the best story—yes, I was excited to read more—but after the first story, "Assistance," I quickly lost interest.
I enjoyed Boyko's style for the most part. He's a clever writer with a good grasp of imagery, character, and dialogue. The stories have a range of settings, but most of them involve death or contemplation of the meaning of life. However, there are a lot of things that I dislike about these stories. Many of them jump around too much and the shifting point of view doesn't actually add anything. Some of the later stories are even divided into sections and almost feel like half-assed, incomplete novels because there's so much exposition that doesn't actually lead anywhere important (the worst offender(s) are probably the last two stories, which feature the same bland characters).
Aside from the first story, the only other one I liked is "In the Dark." I also enjoyed portions of "The Mean" and "White Crows." I wish I could just cut out the first twenty-two pages of the book and get rid of the rest, because I'm not sure that Blackouts is worthy of a space on my shelf.
I enjoyed Boyko's style for the most part. He's a clever writer with a good grasp of imagery, character, and dialogue. The stories have a range of settings, but most of them involve death or contemplation of the meaning of life. However, there are a lot of things that I dislike about these stories. Many of them jump around too much and the shifting point of view doesn't actually add anything. Some of the later stories are even divided into sections and almost feel like half-assed, incomplete novels because there's so much exposition that doesn't actually lead anywhere important (the worst offender(s) are probably the last two stories, which feature the same bland characters).
Aside from the first story, the only other one I liked is "In the Dark." I also enjoyed portions of "The Mean" and "White Crows." I wish I could just cut out the first twenty-two pages of the book and get rid of the rest, because I'm not sure that Blackouts is worthy of a space on my shelf.
January 3, 2018
My favourites were the first story, "Assistance," and "In the Dark," which tapped into some common rejection feelings until it headed in a different direction.
September 14, 2020
It's so difficult to find a book of short stories that is consistently good story after story. This collection begins well but fades. "Assistance" "The Problem of Pleasure" "OZY" "Holes" and "Nadeshda Pavlovna" were my favourites, and they represent the first half of the book, with "OZY" being my favourite. No wonder it won the Journey prize. Boyko's stories are long -- averaging 30 pages -- heavy on narration -- there's little dialogue -- and they are varied in their subject matter. He employs psychological testing questions in his narrative, there's high seas tragedy, and communist party drama, just to name some of the most diverse. It's all over the map. I can only say that I have my likes and dislikes. I like Raymond Carver dysfunction and this wasn't it. I found myself wanting to put the book down after just one ho hum story, forgetting that Boyko had been able to hit home run after home run at the start of the book. It really is a tough job, putting out a book of short stories. You constantly have to reprove yourself to the reader. A good novel just gets to stay in that magical world. The author can seemingly do no wrong because those characters just keep being charming. But short stories, if they are similar to their brother and sister stories, are guilty of sounding the same, and if they are completely different then they offend the taste buds of the reader, who liked that last story. Just do that again but differently, but not too differently.
August 30, 2011
Boyko's first collection of short stories is consistently well-crafted and ranges over an interesting array of characters, situations, settings and time periods. With one exception, though, the stories are chilling, slightly surreal and vaguely off-putting. That exception is "OZY", a warm, wry, bittersweet reflection on life and the infinite from the perspective of a pre-teen boy, inspired by his and his friends' obsession with the scoreboard of an arcade game.
December 8, 2013
This is a collection of short stories by this Canadian author leaves much to be desired.
There are some that are done really well, or well enough that it leaves a lasting impression on you. But after reading many of them, I thought “what the hell did I just read?”, and not in a good way. Others, when it seemed as if it was about to become interesting, ended. I’m not entirely sure why.
As a result, I would not recommend this book to others.
There are some that are done really well, or well enough that it leaves a lasting impression on you. But after reading many of them, I thought “what the hell did I just read?”, and not in a good way. Others, when it seemed as if it was about to become interesting, ended. I’m not entirely sure why.
As a result, I would not recommend this book to others.
March 18, 2016
I was lucky enough to learn about this book at a reading held by our local independent bookstore Pages in Kensington. The author is witty and self aware. His book really reads like a reflection of Mr. Boyko's personality. I found it a wonderful read with moments of shared laughter.
January 22, 2016
Nothing but stellar writing. A talent to be sure. Another Canadian writer announcing all takers.
Library loan.
Library loan.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews