The 2015 Short Story Advent Calendar

The Short Story Advent Calendar

by Michael Hingston (Editor), Pasha Malla, Jess Walter

The Short Story Advent Calendar is the first of its kind: a collection of 24 stories that readers will open, one by one, on the mornings leading up to Christmas 2015.

These two dozen stories (more than 500 pages in total) come from some of your favourite writers from across North America—plus a few new crushes you haven't met yet. Most of these pieces have never been published in book form. Some have never been published before, period.

Contributors include:

Pasha Malla (People Park)
Jess Walter (Beautiful Ruins)
Heather O'Neill (Lullabies for Little Criminals)
Richard Van Camp (The Lesser Blessed)
Zsuzsi Gartner (Better Living Through Plastic Explosives)

The calendar is here to help you ring in this holiday season, and then it's gone forever.

Each chapbook is sealed, so you won't know what story you're getting until the morning you open it. The collection also includes a gorgeous full-colour slipcase and lid—the better to be displayed on your shelves, or those of someone you love, for years to come.

Genres: Short Stories

514 pages, Chapbooks in slipcase

First published November 13, 2015

About the author

Michael Hingston is the author of Try Not to Be Strange, Let's Go Exploring, and The Dilettantes, and co-publisher of Hingston & Olsen Publishing. His journalism has appeared in Wired, National Geographic, the Washington Post, and The Guardian. Hingston lives with his family in Edmonton, Alberta.

Reviews

[Jason Laipply · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic concept, a collection of 25 short stories to be read, one each day, throughout the month of December in the leading to Christmas. The vast majority of the stories are not Christmas themed, and instead cover a broad range of styles and topics, each having been penned by different authors.

Particularly enjoyable were :

Flamingo by Jessica Westhead
No One Else Really Wants To Listen by Heather Burrell
When Orphans Glowed In The Dark by Heather O’Neill
Valerie’s Bush by Nancy Jo Cullen
God Loves Hair by Vivek Shraya
The Prize Jury by C.P. Boyko
Robin by David Whitton

Overall a fantastic collection and highly recommended.

[Barbara McVeigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back to the very beginning, the original SSAC. I loved it. Some stellar stories in here, some uneven, but part of the excitement is the reveal each new day. Reading SSAC2015 was a solo effort for me, a different experience from the communal read of the annual SSAC, as I was seven years late in getting my hands on this edition ;)

One thing I noticed right away when I opened the box: the stories were longer in this collection vs more recent editions. I also think (without doing too much analysis) that there were more Canadian stories included.

My faves:
-Jessica Westhead’s “Flamingo” (killer!)
-“Flex” by Naomi K. Lewis
-“When Orphans Glowed in the Dark” by Heather O’Neill ***
-the anti-Christmas tale, “Raccoons” by Russell Smith
-the Christmas-y “The Pigeon Cove Festival of Lights” by Kevin Wilson
-“How I Saved Christmas” by Richard Van Camp

[Kelly Macfarlane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the idea of a "short story advent calendar" and enjoyed most of the stories, and found a few new authors to read more of. I might have wanted a few happier stories (after all, it's an Advent Calendar!) but nonetheless, it was a lot of well-told stories by some really great authors. Here's hoping for a Short Story Advent Calendar 2016. :-)

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this! I received it as a gift and would love to do it again!

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope they do this again next year--I LOVED it. The idea of it. Also: what a great collection of stories. Some new, some old, Canadian writers, international too. Well done!

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent, mostly contemporary Canadian fiction, with a couple of classic stories thrown in. I'm just wondering who to give this to for next year!

[Desmond Reid · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a novel idea: 24 short stories, one for each of the 24 days before Christmas. This is a very literary version of the traditional Advent calendar, which only a thousand lucky souls were able to experience across Canada. In an age where experience now trumps consumerism, this 'pop up' experience cost $55 plus $15 for shipping. So, it better be good right?

I eagerly awaited my own precious package and was delighted when it finally arrived as predicted; a handsome printed box containing 24 individual booklets (19 X 12cm) of varying lengths. With each sealed with a clear sticker (no peeking!); a simple cover showing the number with a clean, minimal monogram, providing a mere whisper of the story behind the cover.

Enhancing this bespoke feel was the charming revelation inside the lid. This set was printed and 'hand packaged' by Friesens, a company located in the small town of Altona, Manitoba. So, expectations were peaking that first morning when I arose at the ungodly hour of 6:15am - in the middle of the night! - To cut that first seal. The pleasure was further enhanced by breathing in the beautiful pungent scent of the newly printed word.

And so, we all set off. Such a cross section of Canadian literary talent invites the following caution. Of course, there is an inverse coloration between monetary value and taste. I am paying a princely sum for a unique experience; therefore my own literary pleasure will reflect the amount paid. Oh, if was so simple and direct.

The vastness of the written word in all its infinite forms, tastes and voices is entirely at the whim and proclivities of the reader. Reviews can only provide an opinion of any literary source. Ultimately one must experience a book to appreciate its value or not, especially with an experience as unique as this.
This literary collection runs the fill gamete. From the very traditional: one story by F. Scott Fitzgerald ('A Luckless Santa Claus') no less, to huh? Really? But, in between, all manner of slices of life. A little sci-fi here, heavy on social reality there.

This collection is also rich in whimsy. Tis Christmas after all. A Monte Python throw back take on King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table doesn't quite make the mark despite the reveal ('The Princess Doctrine' by Chris Bachelder). If at first you can't get a decent date, then date a dead one, preferably a celebrity. (Two-Part Invention' by Doretta Lau).

Fanciful or odd it may be, but these tales can either delight or pass by without a second thought. Unfortunately, most did the latter especially a skewed thumbnail sketch of the varying countries of Central America ('America's' by Jason Lee Norman).'There is God in the World' by Pasha Malla, which I couldn't recall despite just 6 pages in length. With a newly single Lesbian fretting about her Vijay Jay about to be trimmed ('Valarie's Bush by Nancy Jo Cullen) and a Bollywood take on gay wakening ('God Loves Hair' by Vivek Shraya), this may be a Canadian Collection reflecting this great country. Here you can also include the dire exchanges of midterm mothers within an on-line chat room into the mix. ('No One Else really Wants to Listen' by Heather Birrell). Simply put, they weren't that entertaining, being more fluff than substance.

Yet, for all this literary fodder, there were clear gems among the pages. It would take until Day 8, to read a story that really pulled on the heartstrings. A Tim Burton tinged take on the horrors of war experienced by children lingered afterwards. ('When Orphans Glowed in the Dark' by Heather O'Neil). A tale of a road trip by siblings also raised the bar. 'Bison Burgers' by Lee Henderson tells a tale of a visit to a newly retired Father, who is now a Bison Rancher in Alberta. It's an experience many Canadians can relate to and smile through all our collective passage of time.

Of course, what is a good short story? It can be a distilled story, rich in essence and details, with a clear narrative and leaving some impression after its conclusion. 'Jobbers' by Spenser Gordon does this and more. This bittersweet tale of childhood teenage hi-jinx has the pantomime world of wrestling and the WWE as its backdrop. The twist was unforeseen and certainly did lingered long afterwards.

Another surprise was Jess Waller re-evaluation of his hometown. Written in point form, it certainly makes one question how we all view where we come from. ('Statistical Abstract for My Hometown, Spokane, Washington/Addendum').

Apparently Russell Smith is 'one of Canada's funniest and nastiest writers'. His takes on one man's attempt to untangle himself from his cheating ways, just didn't hit the mark. ('Racccons').With Richard Van Camp 'How I Saved Christmas' (Let's just say he didn't really), maybe 'Canadian humour is just...different and an acquired taste.

But there again, I did leave the shores of England 25 years ago....

Yet, there was still a cautionary tale on the age old problem of Christmas excess. One is better for reading it, especially as it was assigned to Day 23 and the night before Christmas Eve itself. The very apt story: 'The Pigeon Cove Festival of Lights' by Kevin Wilson.

By Christmas Day and 25 stories later, even the esteemed New Yorker magazine proclaiming ' a miracle of quiet beauty' couldn't shift that bloated feeling of post indulgence blues after the very last story. 'Rock Crystal' by Adabert Stifter, a 60 page (!) tale concerning a couple of kids caught in the mountains somewhere in Europe was redundant in all its painful detail by page 20. They got lost and were found! End of!

Beautifully packaged and presented, this unique experience was eagerly anticipated. Yet, overall it only failed to deliver (for this reader at least), as most stories just didn't capture my attention. Christmas is a time to reflect and look back at the year; celebrate success, keep what did work, ditch what didn't. A little enlightenment, a little cheer goes a long way in the dark month of December.

Nevertheless, there were hidden gems here. Of which 'Jobbers' by Spencer Gordon shined brightest of all.

I would certainly have to think if I would do this again 7/10

[J.E. Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great idea instead of chocolates!