Transmutations of Fire and Void

by Matthew Buscemi

A facility generates power by obliterating aesthetic beauty from parallel universes; a “pink brick” defies the analytical capacity of a team researching an alien culture; a temple remains serene and unperturbed even as the world around it plunges into war; a young man with relationship problems is tormented by his own reflection; a deadly poisonous organism masquerades as an art show piece.

Buscemi’s short stories make a hairpin turn into the violent fluctuations between fury and desolation in his second short story collection. The world as you know it is about to be forged into something new: something between chaos and order, calamity and stasis, fire and void.

120 pages, Paperback

Published March 1, 2016

Reviews

[Christopher Kulp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection of short stories. I particularly enjoyed Right and Proper, Lunar Eclipse, and Temple of the Setting Sun. If you like short story collections, check this one out, you won’t regret it.

[Apex Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite Kafka, not quite Bradbury...but somewhere in-between.

That’s the impression readers are sure to be left with after finishing Transmutations Of Fire And Void. Touching on everything from alien civilizations to death-inducing artwork to religious symbolism, author Matthew Buscemi’s collection of mind-bending short stories is intriguing, to say the least. In it, Buscemi delicately toes the line between harmony and dystopia, inviting the reader along as he delves into the tortuous depths of his own unique imagination. The less initiated may be somewhat off-put by the more violent, chaotic motifs in Transmutations, but those who understand the raw nature of pure creativity will likely appreciate the bold chances Buscemi takes in going to extremes for the sake of genuine expression.

Strangely appealing, Transmutations Of Fire And Void is definitely not for the casual reader, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.


Gary Ferguson
Apex Reviews

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

In reviewing Lore & Logos by Matthew Buscemi I described it as a clever and thought provoking foray, with a certain descriptive economy prevailing throughout. This is the same here as he again avoids the pitfalls of flat and prescriptive dialogue. Where Transmutations of Fire & Void scores higher for me is he adds a degree of emotional vulnerability to many of his characters which in turn makes unfolding events all the more poignant. They’re not overstated, in fact with purposely stoic settings there’s an unspoken duality that provides the opportunity to decipher deeper meaning from each story if you take the time to reflect on them. Which you should do!

[Ryan Link · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matthew Buscemi has a heavyweight imagination. This collection is loaded with glimpses into the strange yet intriguing places and scenarios inside his mind, always with a distinctly human touch.

[Libro Brothers · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHmf2...