Going Home Again: Stories

by Howard Waldrop

The words "inimitable" and "unique" are bandied about too often in artistic circles, so much so that critics seem to have forgotten those words were invented to describe Howard Waldrop's fiction. Waldrop's mastery of arcane knowledge, his transcendent wit, and the way his stories explode like cheerty bombs inside a reader's mind have all made Howard Waldrop one of the most beloved writers of the past two decades. Readers who encounter his work never forget the experience, and this new collection compiles nine such experiences (heretofore uncollected), "Flatfeet!", a madcap tour of this century's first decades, courtesy of the Keystone Kops."Ocean's Ducks," an homage to those brave black actors of the 1930s. Remember those "Little Moron" jokes in the schoolyard, like "Why did the Little Moron throw the clock out the window?" "He wanted to see Time fly." Now ask yourself again "Why Did?"And beware the masked Mexican wrestlers of "El Castillo de la Perserverancia"!Howard Waldrop's unique and inimitable talents are on full display here. Read on, marvel, and rejoice.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Collections, Fiction, Short Stories, Humor

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 1998

About the author

Howard Waldrop was an American science fiction author who worked primarily in short fiction, with shorties that combined elements such as alternate history, American popular culture, the American South, old movies, classical mythology, and rock 'n' roll music. He received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2021.

Reviews

[David H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I continue my read of Waldrop's work! This collection has 9 of his stories, and while it's good, and quite well-written, it doesn't hit for me emotionally as well as his earlier work. That said, I did really appreciate "You Could Go Home Again" (what if Thomas Wolfe lived and the Technocracy worked out?), "Household Words; Or, The Powers-That-Be" (Charles Dickens retelling A Christmas Carol in a very different Britain), "El Castillo de la Perseverancia" (what if we retold a 14th century morality play with luchadors!), and "Flatfeet!" (what if the Keystone Kops demonstrated Thomas Cole's paintings of The Course of Empire?). All in all, he's a very interesting writer, and he also provides great afterwords to each story, even if they don't always illuminate what I want explained, ha!

[Tony Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely scintillating collection! If you have even a passing interest in history, science, or fiction, read this now!