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Collision
A collection of twelve of J.S. Breukelaar's darkest, finest stories with four new works, including the uncanny new novella "Ripples on a Blank Shore." Introduction by award-winning author, Angela Slatter. Relish the gothic strangeness of "Union Falls," the alien horror of "Rogues Bay 3013," the heartbreaking dystopia of "Glow," the weird mythos of "Ava Rune," and others. This collection from the author of American Monster and the internationally acclaimed and Aurealis Award finalist, Aletheia, announces a new and powerful voice in fantastical fiction.
214 pages, Paperback
First published February 19, 2019
35 people are currently reading
3130 people want to read
About the author
J.S. Breukelaar
19 books111 followersJ.S. Breukelaar is an award-winning author of dark fiction. Her collection, Collision: Stories was a Shirley Jackson award finalist, and won both the Aurealis and Ditmar Awards. She has also published three acclaimed novels, including, most recently, Remedy, and the Ditmar-award winning novella, The Bridge. Her stories can be found in numerous magazines and anthologies, such as Apex, Black Static, The Dark, Lightspeed, Tiny Nightmares, as well as several Years Bests. You find out more at www.jsbreukelaar.com and elsewhere at @jsbreukelaar.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
March 4, 2019
This was definitely not what I’d expected! I’ve read plenty of short story collections in my day, and the first thing that jumps out to me about this one is the amount of variety in genres. Some read a little adult contemporary while others were solidly science fiction.
The writing style is perhaps the most distinctive thing about these stories, and I was amazed at the author’s ability to weave a story in so little words. The figurative language was very powerful, and there were even a few mini plot twists that surprised me.
However, some of the stories did go over my head a bit, because the short story style meant that there wasn’t much room for world-building and it jumped directly into the action. Even for many of the stories I liked, especially Collision, I found myself disappointed that the story wasn’t longer and that there wasn’t much build-up to the endings.
With that being said, however, there were other chapters where I felt like the short story format worked perfectly and I greatly admire the author’s ability to end the story with a punching one-liner.
The stories are not very character driven; in fact, in many, the characters seemed like agents of the plot. They were described in terms of the backstory or plot, and as someone who can often be won over with great characters, I found the different names and figures hard to distinguish between as the book went on.
Overall, I quite enjoyed reading this though I definitely had my favorites: Collision, Ava Lune, Rogues Bay 3013, and Glow were the ones I loved the most, and if anyone is a fan of science fiction, adult contemporary, or even speculative fiction, I feel like this would be a great read for you!
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If you’re interested, here is a book synopsis!
A collection of twelve of J.S. Breukelaar’s darkest, finest stories with four new works, including the uncanny new novella “Ripples on a Blank Shore.” Introduction by award-winning author, Angela Slatter. Relish the gothic strangeness of “Union Falls,” the alien horror of “Rogues Bay 3013,” the heartbreaking dystopia of “Glow,” the weird mythos of “Ava Rune,” and others. This collection from the author of American Monster and the internationally acclaimed and Aurealis Award finalist, Aletheia, announces a new and powerful voice in fantastical fiction.
The writing style is perhaps the most distinctive thing about these stories, and I was amazed at the author’s ability to weave a story in so little words. The figurative language was very powerful, and there were even a few mini plot twists that surprised me.
However, some of the stories did go over my head a bit, because the short story style meant that there wasn’t much room for world-building and it jumped directly into the action. Even for many of the stories I liked, especially Collision, I found myself disappointed that the story wasn’t longer and that there wasn’t much build-up to the endings.
With that being said, however, there were other chapters where I felt like the short story format worked perfectly and I greatly admire the author’s ability to end the story with a punching one-liner.
The stories are not very character driven; in fact, in many, the characters seemed like agents of the plot. They were described in terms of the backstory or plot, and as someone who can often be won over with great characters, I found the different names and figures hard to distinguish between as the book went on.
Overall, I quite enjoyed reading this though I definitely had my favorites: Collision, Ava Lune, Rogues Bay 3013, and Glow were the ones I loved the most, and if anyone is a fan of science fiction, adult contemporary, or even speculative fiction, I feel like this would be a great read for you!
-
If you’re interested, here is a book synopsis!
A collection of twelve of J.S. Breukelaar’s darkest, finest stories with four new works, including the uncanny new novella “Ripples on a Blank Shore.” Introduction by award-winning author, Angela Slatter. Relish the gothic strangeness of “Union Falls,” the alien horror of “Rogues Bay 3013,” the heartbreaking dystopia of “Glow,” the weird mythos of “Ava Rune,” and others. This collection from the author of American Monster and the internationally acclaimed and Aurealis Award finalist, Aletheia, announces a new and powerful voice in fantastical fiction.
February 17, 2019
I have a full review of this coming to Ink Heist later this week, but allow me to just say this here. Collision is a five star collection cover to cover. Every single story is superb with no fluff or filler in between and Breukelaar's voice is both engaging and mesmerising. Watch for my review, but don't wait for it. Go preorder this sucker now.
January 21, 2019
"What entranced him about earth were its shenanigans."
Collision was my introduction to JS Breukelaar, and this was such a fun set of stories. They are all so strange, and there's a really good variety here. Breukelaar is so creative, and I enjoyed seeing what each story was going to bring.
There are eleven stories in this collection, and they all offer something different. Some are heavier on horror, some are heavier on sci-fi, and some are just downright weird. Every story in Collision received a positive rating from me, so there aren't any bad stories here. This collection also has many LGBTQ+ characters, and I enjoyed the variety of relationships throughout the stories.
My top three stories in this collection are The Box, Collision, and Like Ripples on a Blank Shore. I was fascinated by the stories for these three, and I would absolutely love to read a full-length novel about any of these. Many of the stories in Collision are haunting, and I've thought about quite a few of them since I finished the book.
I feel like some of the stories went a little bit over my head. Breukelaar's writing has a dreamy quality, and I wasn't always entirely sure what happened (this didn't lessen my enjoyment of the stories, though). I was talking to my friend Audra about it, and she compared the dream-like stories to Stephen Graham Jones, which made total sense to me. There aren't full answers for everything, but I think there's still enough to draw your own conclusions and get the main points.
Breukelaar adds a really nice touch to this collection - she adds a short author's note at the end of each story about her ideas for the stories or any other necessary information. I thought it was really cool to get to see into her head for a bit.
If you love weird stories, I highly recommend picking up Collision. It was an entertaining read, and I'm glad I had the chance to check it out. Thank you to Meerkat Press for sending me a copy. Collision will be out on 2/19!
Collision was my introduction to JS Breukelaar, and this was such a fun set of stories. They are all so strange, and there's a really good variety here. Breukelaar is so creative, and I enjoyed seeing what each story was going to bring.
There are eleven stories in this collection, and they all offer something different. Some are heavier on horror, some are heavier on sci-fi, and some are just downright weird. Every story in Collision received a positive rating from me, so there aren't any bad stories here. This collection also has many LGBTQ+ characters, and I enjoyed the variety of relationships throughout the stories.
My top three stories in this collection are The Box, Collision, and Like Ripples on a Blank Shore. I was fascinated by the stories for these three, and I would absolutely love to read a full-length novel about any of these. Many of the stories in Collision are haunting, and I've thought about quite a few of them since I finished the book.
I feel like some of the stories went a little bit over my head. Breukelaar's writing has a dreamy quality, and I wasn't always entirely sure what happened (this didn't lessen my enjoyment of the stories, though). I was talking to my friend Audra about it, and she compared the dream-like stories to Stephen Graham Jones, which made total sense to me. There aren't full answers for everything, but I think there's still enough to draw your own conclusions and get the main points.
Breukelaar adds a really nice touch to this collection - she adds a short author's note at the end of each story about her ideas for the stories or any other necessary information. I thought it was really cool to get to see into her head for a bit.
If you love weird stories, I highly recommend picking up Collision. It was an entertaining read, and I'm glad I had the chance to check it out. Thank you to Meerkat Press for sending me a copy. Collision will be out on 2/19!
July 9, 2020
I really wish I like this more. Breukelaar writes fantastic openings. "Union Falls", the first story and my favorite so far, starts:
And "Lion Man":
So I feel terrible because I'm not feeling more love. The hardscrabble characters are certainly quite lovable, slogging through their tough lives in rural Americana (or Australiana, as might be the case). And there are certainly intriguing and surprising misadventures, and loose ends are not tied up too neatly. But the language beyond the openings can often be tightened a bit more, and events often develop in directions that leave me somewhat unsatisfied. The openings of the later stories were much less stellar, and the science fiction stories didn't work for me.
But I'm sure there are readers who will really take to this.
When the girl turned up for the job in her black jeans and cute haircut and no arms, Deal just shook her head, no. Girl wiggled her shoulders and flicked her hair in that way.
"Just give me a listen," she said.
And "Lion Man":
When Turner blinked in the glare of the afternoon, the hand was still there. It lay on the leaf-strewn pine bark, where Clint Eastwood had bitten it off at the wrist.
So I feel terrible because I'm not feeling more love. The hardscrabble characters are certainly quite lovable, slogging through their tough lives in rural Americana (or Australiana, as might be the case). And there are certainly intriguing and surprising misadventures, and loose ends are not tied up too neatly. But the language beyond the openings can often be tightened a bit more, and events often develop in directions that leave me somewhat unsatisfied. The openings of the later stories were much less stellar, and the science fiction stories didn't work for me.
But I'm sure there are readers who will really take to this.
October 21, 2018
Oh, memory. How crappy you get with years. So as it turns out J.S. Breukelaar and I have met already as it were, on the pages anyway. Her story Glow has somehow blended in with all the other hysterical political end of the world stories in Welcome to Dystopia and I didn’t pay enough attention when I should have. And to be fair Glow (inspired by the author’s horrific personal experience of watching the 2016 election with a beloved relative who voted for Trump) doesn’t really showcase the width and breadth of Breukelaar’s talent, which is considerable. So yeah, I didn’t read Collision based on that story. I read it because the publisher has so generously emailed me the book out of the blue and I was intrigued and (yes, I judge books by the cover) liked the graphic with the girl on a bike. Weird short stories. Sure. Let’s try them. The book is prefaced by an essay, nay, a love letter, so glowing, so complimentary, so loaded with praise that it makes you two things…expect greatness and pure magic and always ask your friends (the author of this generous foreword is twice mentioned by the author as a good friend) to provides your book introductions. And thus with expectations high as a Canadian kite (can we make that joke now? too soon?) I read the first story and it was, in fact, pure magic. A tale of an armless piano player. Maybe my love of circuses and sideshows has biased me here, but it really was a great story. And from there on the collection alternating in surprising, delighting and challenging. Not sure if any of the stories have offered as much of a personal emotional connection as the first one, but they were all so very interesting and original. The author straddles genres or more like mix and matches them and, somewhere between science fiction and scary and just plain strange, her stories can probably be best described as weird fiction. The world slightly askew. Recognizable, but just different enough. Occasionally magical. One I certainly enjoyed a literary visit to, although wouldn’t want to actually set foot into, you know how it is with askew worlds, the gravity is iffy. So yeah, I liked these weird nuggets and I liked the author’s notes for each story, everyone should do that, it’s very informative and adds an extra dimension to the reading experience. Many thanks to the publisher for this lovely peculiarity. Recommended for fans of strange (not stranger, although that would probably work too) things.
February 18, 2019
Up next in my Women in Horror Month reviews is Collision by J.S. Breukelaar. Collision is a collection of short stories that extends past horror into all areas of speculative fiction.
This collection was my first encounter with J.S. Breukelaar's storytelling. I loved these strange and wonderful stories. I felt like I was taking a trip into Breukelaar's imagination.
These stories felt like they all had deeper meanings than what I was grasping on the page. I enjoyed each story, but I also felt like I was missing out on what Breukelaar was really sharing with each one. I was happy to find author notes for each tale at the end of the book. This was the perfect touch to conclude my journey through Collision.
I look forward to reading more of Breukelaar's work. I have a copy of Aletheia on my shelf that I can't wait to check out.
If you're a fan of strange and fantastic fiction (or you want to sample the work of J.S. Breukelaar), Collision is a great choice. The range of genres combined with the unexpected directions she takes in her stories make Collision a fun and interesting collection.
Review copy provided by publisher
This collection was my first encounter with J.S. Breukelaar's storytelling. I loved these strange and wonderful stories. I felt like I was taking a trip into Breukelaar's imagination.
These stories felt like they all had deeper meanings than what I was grasping on the page. I enjoyed each story, but I also felt like I was missing out on what Breukelaar was really sharing with each one. I was happy to find author notes for each tale at the end of the book. This was the perfect touch to conclude my journey through Collision.
I look forward to reading more of Breukelaar's work. I have a copy of Aletheia on my shelf that I can't wait to check out.
If you're a fan of strange and fantastic fiction (or you want to sample the work of J.S. Breukelaar), Collision is a great choice. The range of genres combined with the unexpected directions she takes in her stories make Collision a fun and interesting collection.
Review copy provided by publisher
April 17, 2019
A diverse and intriguing collection of short stories that span genres - horror, sci-fi, and just the right amount of bizarro for funsies - and showcase Breukelaar's range as a writer.
Favorites include Union Falls' mysterious armless piano player; the subtle story of Ava Rune's white trashiness; the fierce secrets of Lion Man and unlikely friendship that forms in Fairy Tale; and War Wounds' cowboy roughness, for their more straight-forward story telling.
Stories like The Box, Rouges Bay 3013 were a bit too heavy on the strange for my tastes, and Fixed, which was a pretty decent story overall, lost me when . She broke my cardinal rule with that one!
The rest just hovered there nicely, sitting prettily between the covers. A perfect set of stories for someone looking to lose themselves in a collection unlike any other.
Favorites include Union Falls' mysterious armless piano player; the subtle story of Ava Rune's white trashiness; the fierce secrets of Lion Man and unlikely friendship that forms in Fairy Tale; and War Wounds' cowboy roughness, for their more straight-forward story telling.
Stories like The Box, Rouges Bay 3013 were a bit too heavy on the strange for my tastes, and Fixed, which was a pretty decent story overall, lost me when . She broke my cardinal rule with that one!
The rest just hovered there nicely, sitting prettily between the covers. A perfect set of stories for someone looking to lose themselves in a collection unlike any other.
December 30, 2018
If there's one thing that characterises these stories, I'd say it's a pervasive sense of unease. Imaginative, idiosyncratic and often macabre, these tales are narratively challenging and not suitable for the reader who likes to be spoon-fed. But if you enjoy atmospheric noir, you won't be disappointed.
November 19, 2018
I’m frequently disappointed with short stories because all too often they can feel unfinished in one way or another, leaving me feeling frustrated and dissatisfied. However, as this collection is being published by Meerkat Press, and as I have never yet been disappointed with anything from publisher Tricia Reeks, I was encouraged to feel optimistic that I would be in for a treat. To my delight, as soon as I read the first story, “Union Falls” (about an armless piano player and full of humour, pathos and a touch of magical “other-worldliness”) I knew that my optimism would be rewarded!
I immediately felt captivated by J.S. Breukelaar’s evocatively descriptive style, her convincing observations of human behaviour and the incisive quality of her dialogue. At times it felt as though her characters, and the worlds they inhabited, were leaping off the page, demanding my full attention. Although each of the stories is very different, what remains constant throughout the collection is the author’s skill in drawing her readers into the fantastical worlds she is describing. Yet these are worlds which, albeit in slightly distorted ways, are often all too easily recognisable, possibly because there is always an element of people struggling to make sense of, and adjust to, the world they are inhabiting. Although there were themes of violence, horror, terror, cruelty and pain, these were offset by unexpected moments of humanity, delight, love and hope. For me, one of the most satisfying aspects of reading these stories was this “unexpected” quality; reading them felt akin to going on a voyage of discovery, with surprises around every corner.
At the end of each story the author adds notes to explain what had inspired it. I really appreciated this because it added a very welcome extra dimension to my reading, allowing an intimate glimpse into her creative thought-processes. Her writing is both bold and elegant, quite an unusual combination but one which she manages with impressive, and enviable, style.
Keith Rosson, the supremely talented illustrator and author, designed the eye-catching cover, which evocatively captures something of the energy and unexpected twists and turns which run through the stories. In addition, his dramatic black and white illustrations, which appear throughout the book, add yet another rich dimension to the power of these stories.
Whatever your favourite fantasy genre – horror, mystical, gothic, magical, science-fiction, dystopian – you will be sure to find it in this remarkable collection, sometimes even merged in one story! Without writing a separate review of each of these tales it’s difficult to do full justice to the quality of this author’s writing, but what it is very easy to do is to urge you to read these haunting, disturbing and thought-provoking stories for yourself. If you enjoy the weird, the quirky and the unexpected, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.
With thanks to Meerkat Press for an ARC of this book.
August 5, 2021
Okay...first off, I must mention that Meerkat Press are my favorite publishers of weird fiction. They always get it right, so no matter which of their authors you choose, you know you're in for something extraordinary.
Collision was no exception. My first read of Breukelaar's did not disappoint. The first story, Union Falls, blew me away. The note I made at the end read, Amazing!!! And after that, I felt pretty much the same way about the rest of them. These stories should not be taken on face value. Dig beneath the surface and you will find hidden layers of meaning that encourage you to think more deeply, so much so that I can honestly say this is a collection I will re-read; a rare thing for me.
There were tender moments, poignant moments, darkly humorous moments, all delivered in such a bizarre fashion that I found myself in awe.
I highlighted so many passages, but will just quote a few. This is the opening of Fairy Tale...
"Spring came late that year. I had just finished planting the cherry tree in the yard when I heard the grind of a skateboard out on Route 90, the thuckathuck of tiny wheels up the driveway. I set the shovel down, wheeled around and there she was, the same girl who put a bullet in my spine in Kabul." See what I mean? And from there, dear reader, the story goes from strength to strength.
And then there's this description from the story War Wounds of the dead calf, delivered by two boys...
"Dicky and the dead calf were head-to-head and mouth-to-mouth, Dicky's tongue extended in concentration, the calf's lolling in death, its unformed eye fixed on Jack." Powerful stuff! A definite favorite of mine.
Breukelaar should be crowned 'Queen of metaphor' and she should wear that crown with pride. For example, in Fairy Tale, her use of metaphor to exemplify the character's acceptance of his condition and his determination to overcome adversity is incredibly effective.
All the stories have a dreamlike quality which feels both real and impossible at the same time.
Overall I rate this collection 4.5, purely because I'm not a sci-fi fan and some stories had a definite sci-fi bent. Having said that, I was surprised to read in the story notes (which I love, by the way) that the author finds sci-fi difficult to write. I would never have guessed from the writing, in fact her references to quantum mechanics in particular came across as intelligent and authentic. To me that's a bonus point: a writer who is prepared to push herself out of her comfort zone.
So, to sum up... this collection offers one hell of an adrenaline-fueled ride, no caffeine required.
Collision was no exception. My first read of Breukelaar's did not disappoint. The first story, Union Falls, blew me away. The note I made at the end read, Amazing!!! And after that, I felt pretty much the same way about the rest of them. These stories should not be taken on face value. Dig beneath the surface and you will find hidden layers of meaning that encourage you to think more deeply, so much so that I can honestly say this is a collection I will re-read; a rare thing for me.
There were tender moments, poignant moments, darkly humorous moments, all delivered in such a bizarre fashion that I found myself in awe.
I highlighted so many passages, but will just quote a few. This is the opening of Fairy Tale...
"Spring came late that year. I had just finished planting the cherry tree in the yard when I heard the grind of a skateboard out on Route 90, the thuckathuck of tiny wheels up the driveway. I set the shovel down, wheeled around and there she was, the same girl who put a bullet in my spine in Kabul." See what I mean? And from there, dear reader, the story goes from strength to strength.
And then there's this description from the story War Wounds of the dead calf, delivered by two boys...
"Dicky and the dead calf were head-to-head and mouth-to-mouth, Dicky's tongue extended in concentration, the calf's lolling in death, its unformed eye fixed on Jack." Powerful stuff! A definite favorite of mine.
Breukelaar should be crowned 'Queen of metaphor' and she should wear that crown with pride. For example, in Fairy Tale, her use of metaphor to exemplify the character's acceptance of his condition and his determination to overcome adversity is incredibly effective.
All the stories have a dreamlike quality which feels both real and impossible at the same time.
Overall I rate this collection 4.5, purely because I'm not a sci-fi fan and some stories had a definite sci-fi bent. Having said that, I was surprised to read in the story notes (which I love, by the way) that the author finds sci-fi difficult to write. I would never have guessed from the writing, in fact her references to quantum mechanics in particular came across as intelligent and authentic. To me that's a bonus point: a writer who is prepared to push herself out of her comfort zone.
So, to sum up... this collection offers one hell of an adrenaline-fueled ride, no caffeine required.
June 10, 2019
J S Breukelaar’s Collision is speculative fiction that crosses genre. It is a medley of fantasy, horror and science fiction—now and then in a single story, as in ‘Rogue Bay 3013’, with its lethal angels and engineered beings, and in ‘Like Ripples on a Blank Shore’, the closing novella about sentient hosts on rampage in Deerport.
The author’s cleverness as a writer lends a unique sharpness to the text, and it stabs you with acute openers and razor-keen dialogue that slice through the weight of silence, the sepia of dusk.
In its most wicked endings, the ethereal lights up the page in a fluorescence of language where you listen to the drone of an ocean and follow the illusion of a trail before you splash headlong into brick red water garlanded by headlands.
Stories are ruthless, nothing is safe—even the child who offers a lollipop and loses a wrist to the Clint Eastwood dog. Breukelaar experiments with the Gothic and queries the queer. Bedded within the tales is a voluptuous energy that turns pages. Tables pirouette in a blink and, before you know it, the story is eleven shades grimmer.
Not much will guide you to foreshadow this cross-genre assemblage that is also distinctively illustrated. What you will find is a crafty muse and an inventive metaphor that induce the reader to be astonished.
The author’s cleverness as a writer lends a unique sharpness to the text, and it stabs you with acute openers and razor-keen dialogue that slice through the weight of silence, the sepia of dusk.
In its most wicked endings, the ethereal lights up the page in a fluorescence of language where you listen to the drone of an ocean and follow the illusion of a trail before you splash headlong into brick red water garlanded by headlands.
Stories are ruthless, nothing is safe—even the child who offers a lollipop and loses a wrist to the Clint Eastwood dog. Breukelaar experiments with the Gothic and queries the queer. Bedded within the tales is a voluptuous energy that turns pages. Tables pirouette in a blink and, before you know it, the story is eleven shades grimmer.
Not much will guide you to foreshadow this cross-genre assemblage that is also distinctively illustrated. What you will find is a crafty muse and an inventive metaphor that induce the reader to be astonished.
February 25, 2019
This review is a part of the blog tour for Collision! Be sure to check out the other stops and enter the giveaway on my blog (https://www.shelfstalker.net/blog/col...) for a $25 giftcard now through March 8!
The twelve stories in J.S. Breukelaar’s Collision encapsulate a wide range of speculative fiction and are captivating, strange, and amorphous in ways that I didn’t expect, but ways that truly delighted me.
With blurbs from Kathe Koja and Stephen Graham Jones, this book was instantly intriguing to me. From a story about a pianist with no arms to a twenty-first century Frankenstein and his monster, there is such a range in these stories, you just don’t know what you’re going to get with each new page.
Breukelaar has an excellent ear for dialogue especially, and though she uses it sparingly, I found the interaction between characters vivid and realistic even despite the often heightened reality of the situations.
Beyond the weirdness, the stories wrestle with interesting and relevant themes, such as how “Glow” brings up obvious themes of immigration and racism in our current political state though it is a story about space aliens. The brilliant novella “Like Ripples on a Blank Shore” that closes the collection was a definite favorite of mine and is a zombie story of sorts, as characters deal with people who aren’t all there. What defines humanity? Where do we draw the line and who should have rights?
These moments are the moments why horror is so important to me. Horror gives us a safe place to examine real issues, real fears, and say what if? It also allows us to hold up a mirror to what is going on in the world and, sometimes in crazy and ridiculous ways, say, look what we are all doing wrong. I love horror as a medium for change.
There are also great comic book-type illustrations that accompany each story—this is a new trend I am seeing with short story collections that I really love.
My thanks to Meerkat Press for sending me a copy of this one to read and review as part of the blog tour for the book.
The twelve stories in J.S. Breukelaar’s Collision encapsulate a wide range of speculative fiction and are captivating, strange, and amorphous in ways that I didn’t expect, but ways that truly delighted me.
With blurbs from Kathe Koja and Stephen Graham Jones, this book was instantly intriguing to me. From a story about a pianist with no arms to a twenty-first century Frankenstein and his monster, there is such a range in these stories, you just don’t know what you’re going to get with each new page.
Breukelaar has an excellent ear for dialogue especially, and though she uses it sparingly, I found the interaction between characters vivid and realistic even despite the often heightened reality of the situations.
Beyond the weirdness, the stories wrestle with interesting and relevant themes, such as how “Glow” brings up obvious themes of immigration and racism in our current political state though it is a story about space aliens. The brilliant novella “Like Ripples on a Blank Shore” that closes the collection was a definite favorite of mine and is a zombie story of sorts, as characters deal with people who aren’t all there. What defines humanity? Where do we draw the line and who should have rights?
These moments are the moments why horror is so important to me. Horror gives us a safe place to examine real issues, real fears, and say what if? It also allows us to hold up a mirror to what is going on in the world and, sometimes in crazy and ridiculous ways, say, look what we are all doing wrong. I love horror as a medium for change.
There are also great comic book-type illustrations that accompany each story—this is a new trend I am seeing with short story collections that I really love.
My thanks to Meerkat Press for sending me a copy of this one to read and review as part of the blog tour for the book.
October 14, 2018
I’ve read and enjoyed a number of books published by Meerkat Press, so when LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer program noted that there was an ARC available for a new book from that publisher, I leapt at the chance. "Collision: Stories," by J. S. Breukelaar, is a collection of short stories by this very talented young writer; her fiction is difficult to categorize as there are often elements of science fiction, horror, fantasy, urban legend and, well, ordinary life all mixed into one tale. What *is* easy to state is that her prose style is quite visceral at times and quite elegant at other times; she strikes me as a very versatile stylist, which is not as common as one might think. Over the years, I have lost much of my taste for horror, so some of the stories in this volume (“Lion Man,” “War Wounds”) were not fun for me to read, but others, particularly the title novella, “Fairy Tale” (based on a Ray Bradbury story) and “Union Falls” (which features an armless piano player) were quite a joy to read. Another very nice touch to this volume is that the author follows each story with a brief paragraph describing her inspirations for the tale; it’s always nice to get a glimpse into the creative process in that way! I’m not sure when the book is coming out, but it’s definitely worth a read, especially if you’re a lover of “weird” fiction - recommended!
December 18, 2018
J.S. Breukelaar's collection of weird tales are more than meets the eye. Each story has a solid horror premise with great unsettling details (eg. A driver who has lost her way, while the meat she bought at the market warms up in the back of her car, the car inexplicably filling with blood as she gets more and more lost), but behind the horror is a mix of emotions (wistfulness, hope, love, loss, regret) that are the real backbone of the storytelling.
Highlights for me included Raining Street (the one with the blood in the car), The Box (being trapped by a jealous lover in a virtual reality of their making) and Fairy Tale (a young orphan girl appears at the house of a war vet, and he is convinced she is the child soldier who shot him in the war).
Highlights for me included Raining Street (the one with the blood in the car), The Box (being trapped by a jealous lover in a virtual reality of their making) and Fairy Tale (a young orphan girl appears at the house of a war vet, and he is convinced she is the child soldier who shot him in the war).
February 12, 2019
These intelligent stories are energetic and original. You must not trust the narrator in these craftily told metaphors, however. Reality serves to emphasize the anguish, loss and despair of our mostly young protagonists. The title story is a standout and the young woman, full of determination, tries her best to negotiate the Mobius strip of circumstance, only to find herself arriving back at her satisfied point of origin. If that's not enough to entice you, how about the author's own words, "The tongue is not just a muscle in our species, but the primary inceptor organ." A minor peeve is a slight feeling of heavy handedness; but, that’s what authors do! So, don’t sweat the details, just enjoy the ride.
February 26, 2019
Collision is a group of dark, thought-provoking, and wonderfully told strange and speculative fiction short stories. Each story is so different and they drew me in with their oddities and prose. My favorite story is of the no-armed pianist that opened the collection and really made me scratch my head. I knew from that first story that this was going to be quite the interesting, original, and weird read! Breukelaar writes with such a mesmerizing style in dream-like stories. This is definitely a collection that will make you think!
Thank you to Meerkat Press for sending me this copy to read and review as part of the blog tour for the book.
Thank you to Meerkat Press for sending me this copy to read and review as part of the blog tour for the book.
March 6, 2019
J.S. Breukelaar is very talented. I wish I could come up with these stories. Her range from horror to sci-fi is impressive. There is mental health issues, LGBTQ relationships, aliens, and so much more.
Union Falls ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Raining Street ⭐⭐⭐
The Box ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ava Rune ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lion Man ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fairy Tale ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fixed ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rogues Bay 3013 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
War Wounds ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Collision ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Glow ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Like Ripples on a Blank Shore ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I am becoming more and more particular about short story collections and I loved this one!
I will definitely be reading J.S. Breukelaar's full length novels very soon.
Thank you to Meerkat Press for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Union Falls ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Raining Street ⭐⭐⭐
The Box ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ava Rune ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lion Man ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fairy Tale ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fixed ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rogues Bay 3013 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
War Wounds ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Collision ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Glow ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Like Ripples on a Blank Shore ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I am becoming more and more particular about short story collections and I loved this one!
I will definitely be reading J.S. Breukelaar's full length novels very soon.
Thank you to Meerkat Press for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 7, 2022
The characters in this collection are often battered; the masterfully written stories, dark yet philosophical. Fairy Tale is one such story, focusing on a war veteran suffering from PTSD.
Opening sentences: “Spring came late that year. I had just finished planting the cherry tree in the yard when I heard the grind of a skateboard out on Route 90, the thuckathuck of tiny wheels up the driveway.”
Opening sentences: “Spring came late that year. I had just finished planting the cherry tree in the yard when I heard the grind of a skateboard out on Route 90, the thuckathuck of tiny wheels up the driveway.”
October 16, 2018
The blurb on the cover compares the author favorably to Straub, Koontz, and King. I disagree. I might mention a passing resemblance to Mieville and maybe a touch of Joe Hill, but that would be just to put a reader in the right ball park. Intriguing stories, often thinly veiled, with enough oomph to keep me reading, but not quite enough to swallow me whole.
March 8, 2020
J.S. Breukelaar has given us a fascinating series of stories, many of which can only be described as weird fiction. At her best, Breukelaar combines the fringe dwellers of society - the drifters, the unhinged, the marginalised, the traumatised - with the entry of the weird into the real world. She deals explicitly in liminal spaces and liminal people, and the best stories reflect those worlds. The striking string beans of Raining Street, reminiscent of Cortazar in places, or the outback Norse combo of Ava Rune, or my favourite, Fixed, which deals with the harrowing trauma of dealing with relatives with addiction. All feel very real and very surreal at the same time, which is a hard line to walk. The sharp descriptions and punk rock sensibility reminds me of Elizabeth Hand's work.
February 16, 2019
If you like smart speculative stories that flow seamlessly past the bounds of neatly defined genres, then you owe it to yourself to check out J.S. Breukelaar's Collision.
This short story collection of literary horror, weird fiction, science fiction, and/or other genres is full of truly original tales that, no matter how far away from contemporary realism they get, remain grounded in strong, consistent characters with very relatable wants and needs.
I'm a sucker for stylistically strong writing (which Breukelaar provides aplenty), and I love intelligent, multi-layered stories (there's also an abundance of that), but what I'm really looking for when I sit down to read fiction is a powerful emotional experience, which the stories in Collision definitely delivered. I also loved how genuinely inclusive of LGBT and disabled people this collection was--no paper thin token minorities here.
But I think what impressed me most about Collision was its ability to pull me into stories with strong genre elements that I'm usually not drawn to: namely, weird fiction and hard science fiction. And yet, because the stories were about people dealing with real human problems, I eagerly read about a girl dealing with the collision of two worlds in the multiverse, artificial humans, immigrant extraterrestrials, etc.
And speaking of stories, there wasn't a single one that I didn't enjoy, but I'd say my absolute favorites were Union Falls, The Box, Lion Man, Collision, and the excellent novella, Like Ripples on a Blank Shore.
Also, the author's notes on the inspiration behind and development of each story were a welcome addition. I loved reading about how each story came to be, and appreciated the extra insight.
So to wrap things up, if you want to read some truly unique, character-driven, and just all around excellent literary speculative fiction, I highly recommend picking up Collision: Stories.
This short story collection of literary horror, weird fiction, science fiction, and/or other genres is full of truly original tales that, no matter how far away from contemporary realism they get, remain grounded in strong, consistent characters with very relatable wants and needs.
I'm a sucker for stylistically strong writing (which Breukelaar provides aplenty), and I love intelligent, multi-layered stories (there's also an abundance of that), but what I'm really looking for when I sit down to read fiction is a powerful emotional experience, which the stories in Collision definitely delivered. I also loved how genuinely inclusive of LGBT and disabled people this collection was--no paper thin token minorities here.
But I think what impressed me most about Collision was its ability to pull me into stories with strong genre elements that I'm usually not drawn to: namely, weird fiction and hard science fiction. And yet, because the stories were about people dealing with real human problems, I eagerly read about a girl dealing with the collision of two worlds in the multiverse, artificial humans, immigrant extraterrestrials, etc.
And speaking of stories, there wasn't a single one that I didn't enjoy, but I'd say my absolute favorites were Union Falls, The Box, Lion Man, Collision, and the excellent novella, Like Ripples on a Blank Shore.
Also, the author's notes on the inspiration behind and development of each story were a welcome addition. I loved reading about how each story came to be, and appreciated the extra insight.
So to wrap things up, if you want to read some truly unique, character-driven, and just all around excellent literary speculative fiction, I highly recommend picking up Collision: Stories.
October 14, 2018
I’ve read and enjoyed a number of books published by Meerkat Press, so when LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer program noted that there was an ARC available for a new book from that publisher, I leapt at the chance. "Collision: Stories," by J. S. Breukelaar, is a collection of short stories by this very talented young writer; her fiction is difficult to categorize as there are often elements of science fiction, horror, fantasy, urban legend and, well, ordinary life all mixed into one tale. What *is* easy to state is that her prose style is quite visceral at times and quite elegant at other times; she strikes me as a very versatile stylist, which is not as common as one might think. Over the years, I have lost much of my taste for horror, so some of the stories in this volume (“Lion Man,” “War Wounds”) were not fun for me to read, but others, particularly the title novella, “Fairy Tale” (based on a Ray Bradbury story) and “Union Falls” (which features an armless piano player) were quite a joy to read. Another very nice touch to this volume is that the author follows each story with a brief paragraph describing her inspirations for the tale; it’s always nice to get a glimpse into the creative process in that way! I’m not sure when the book is coming out, but it’s definitely worth a read, especially if you’re a lover of “weird” fiction - recommended!
October 17, 2018
A very good introduction to JS Breukelaar's somber and fascinating universe. A powerful collection of haunting stories, each carrying its specific amount of shock, violence, horror and humanity. If you want to read something out of the beaten track, idiosyncratic and challenging, then this collection is definitely for you.
June 14, 2019
JS writes with a very casual and compelling prose that makes the reader feel at home within a few words. But reader be warned—it’s a trap, a blissful entrance into her weird world of obscure and horrific tales.
May 7, 2019
Speculative fiction is a broad marquee sheltering sci-fi, fantasy, horror and almost innumerable sub-genres extending from those three main branches. One such sub-genre is ‘weird fiction’, and it serves as the connecting tissue for these short stories from J. S. Breukelaar. Weird fiction defies any firm definition or classification, except that it typically contains bizarre or surreal events applied to satirical or thematic effect. That’s certainly an apt description of Collision.
The weirdness in Breukelaar’s stories runs the gamut, from the simple but startling situation of a dog biting off a child’s hand, to entire tableaus given over to dark and disquieting fairy-tale imagery.
In ‘Union Falls’, the lead-off story and one of the strongest, a girl arrives at a bar and asks to audition as the keyboardist for the house band. Not so odd, you might say, except the girl, Ame, has no arms. As it turns out, she shows the other band members, particularly bar owner Deel, that they are the ones with no arms, metaphorically speaking, and helps them recover from their miserable situation.
The best stories in Collision follow this mould, drawing up a strange or uncanny scenario and then using it as a sort of lever to deliver a message. In ‘The Box’, a man employs computer technology to create a virtual world where he and his dead wife can exist together once more. But the world is artificial and unwholesome and rather dishonest, more his idealised fantasy than a true representation of their life together. Below its sci-fi trappings, ‘The Box’ is really about letting go of a deceased loved one and thereby freeing yourself, even though the act itself may be painful.
Where ‘Union Falls’ and ‘The Box’ are simple human stories that examine the human condition, Breukelaar’s confessed love for Ray Bradbury (mentioned in the notes at the end of the collection) comes to the fore in the story ‘Raining Street’. What begins as an awkward suburban situation with an odd neighbour slowly spirals into a black pilgrimage of grief laced with allusions to classic fairy-tales, including ‘Hansel and Gretel’ and ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’. While it’s hard to know exactly what’s going on – the protagonist certainly doesn’t – this story typifies the author’s mastery of segueing from the everyday to the outright bizarre with such delicacy the reader barely notices.
This approach works to even better effect in ‘Fairy Tale’. It is about a returned serviceman who thinks he sees the girl that shot him in the back while he was stationed in the Middle East and left him in a wheelchair. Except now she is dressed in cut-off shorts and high tops and rides a skateboard. He slowly befriends the girl – under the self-deception of ‘keeping his enemies closer’ – and becomes a kind of mentor and guardian, taking her into his home teaching her to play soccer. Once again, fairy-tale allusions play a big part in the story and it’s never certain whether the girl is real or part of a grand prescription-drug delusion.
Not every story succeeds, however, and those that don’t tend to be gratuitous; to indulge in weirdness for the sake of it. Take ‘Lion Man’, which begins with the aforementioned scenario of a dog biting off a child’s hand while her mother is on her mobile phone with her back turned. This startling image is the reader’s introduction to Turner and his dog Clint Eastwood, and a memorable introduction it is, but the story begins to lose focus after this auspicious start. I expected it to unfold into a biting satire, but instead it became just another weird tale (albeit one with some unforgettable imagery). It reminds me of Stephen King’s later work, where his apparently unquenchable desire to link everything to the Dark Tower universe has often led to weaker stories.
Then there are Breukelaar’s political allegories, which are rather too melodramatic for my taste. ‘Glow’, in particular, is about as subtle as a category five cyclone. But even these are tremendously effective in their use of language and style.
Misfires are few, though. In ‘Rouges Bay 3013’, combining human DNA and computer code leads to some unusual family dynamics and a different take on the afterlife; ‘War Wounds’ is a curious but effective mash-up of coming-of-age tale and ghost story in a bucolic post-war setting; and I adore the sense of place Breukelaar creates in ‘Ava Rune’ (which could well be retitled ‘Carrie in Rural Australia’).
Weird fiction can be confusing and tiresome if it doesn’t have a strong narrative drive, but Breukelaar’s delectable prose draws in the reader and I frequently found myself in that perfect hypnotic state where I forgot I was reading – the highest honour one can bestow on an author, in my opinion.
The weirdness in Breukelaar’s stories runs the gamut, from the simple but startling situation of a dog biting off a child’s hand, to entire tableaus given over to dark and disquieting fairy-tale imagery.
In ‘Union Falls’, the lead-off story and one of the strongest, a girl arrives at a bar and asks to audition as the keyboardist for the house band. Not so odd, you might say, except the girl, Ame, has no arms. As it turns out, she shows the other band members, particularly bar owner Deel, that they are the ones with no arms, metaphorically speaking, and helps them recover from their miserable situation.
The best stories in Collision follow this mould, drawing up a strange or uncanny scenario and then using it as a sort of lever to deliver a message. In ‘The Box’, a man employs computer technology to create a virtual world where he and his dead wife can exist together once more. But the world is artificial and unwholesome and rather dishonest, more his idealised fantasy than a true representation of their life together. Below its sci-fi trappings, ‘The Box’ is really about letting go of a deceased loved one and thereby freeing yourself, even though the act itself may be painful.
Where ‘Union Falls’ and ‘The Box’ are simple human stories that examine the human condition, Breukelaar’s confessed love for Ray Bradbury (mentioned in the notes at the end of the collection) comes to the fore in the story ‘Raining Street’. What begins as an awkward suburban situation with an odd neighbour slowly spirals into a black pilgrimage of grief laced with allusions to classic fairy-tales, including ‘Hansel and Gretel’ and ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’. While it’s hard to know exactly what’s going on – the protagonist certainly doesn’t – this story typifies the author’s mastery of segueing from the everyday to the outright bizarre with such delicacy the reader barely notices.
This approach works to even better effect in ‘Fairy Tale’. It is about a returned serviceman who thinks he sees the girl that shot him in the back while he was stationed in the Middle East and left him in a wheelchair. Except now she is dressed in cut-off shorts and high tops and rides a skateboard. He slowly befriends the girl – under the self-deception of ‘keeping his enemies closer’ – and becomes a kind of mentor and guardian, taking her into his home teaching her to play soccer. Once again, fairy-tale allusions play a big part in the story and it’s never certain whether the girl is real or part of a grand prescription-drug delusion.
Not every story succeeds, however, and those that don’t tend to be gratuitous; to indulge in weirdness for the sake of it. Take ‘Lion Man’, which begins with the aforementioned scenario of a dog biting off a child’s hand while her mother is on her mobile phone with her back turned. This startling image is the reader’s introduction to Turner and his dog Clint Eastwood, and a memorable introduction it is, but the story begins to lose focus after this auspicious start. I expected it to unfold into a biting satire, but instead it became just another weird tale (albeit one with some unforgettable imagery). It reminds me of Stephen King’s later work, where his apparently unquenchable desire to link everything to the Dark Tower universe has often led to weaker stories.
Then there are Breukelaar’s political allegories, which are rather too melodramatic for my taste. ‘Glow’, in particular, is about as subtle as a category five cyclone. But even these are tremendously effective in their use of language and style.
Misfires are few, though. In ‘Rouges Bay 3013’, combining human DNA and computer code leads to some unusual family dynamics and a different take on the afterlife; ‘War Wounds’ is a curious but effective mash-up of coming-of-age tale and ghost story in a bucolic post-war setting; and I adore the sense of place Breukelaar creates in ‘Ava Rune’ (which could well be retitled ‘Carrie in Rural Australia’).
Weird fiction can be confusing and tiresome if it doesn’t have a strong narrative drive, but Breukelaar’s delectable prose draws in the reader and I frequently found myself in that perfect hypnotic state where I forgot I was reading – the highest honour one can bestow on an author, in my opinion.
October 15, 2018
I thought this collection of macabre short stories would be very fitting for Halloween so I was very pumped to try this author out. I'll admit I wasn't a fan of every story in the collection and I thought some were much stronger than others. I was however a huge fan of the afterword following each short story, which outlined the author's inspiration for each tale. It made me appreciate the stories a little more, even if I didn't love them all. From amputees to aliens to ghostly dogs and vile, monstrous acts; this collection really is all over the place. The writing is unique, lush, and dark; very fitting for all the stories. These aren't tales with happy endings where everything gets wrapped up neatly with a bow at the end. The final and longest story, was definitely my favorite. It felt the most complete and visceral for me; and I could absolutely see it being a movie or season of American Horror Story. It was very chilling and very well written. J.S. Breukelaar is definitely an author to watch out for!
March 27, 2019
Mind-blowing, assumption-shredding from the first line, this collection of extraordinary stories by JS Breukelaar will pepper your brain with holes while the wind howls through.
For example, from Union Falls:
"When the girl turned up for the job in her black jeans and cute haircut and no arms, Deels just shook her head, no."
And then the last line is a killer. And it's only the first story.
Each of these stories astonishes. JS drives her impossible writing with such ease, that as we catch our breath at the end, we cannot believe they would have ended any other way.
The characters are unique and we can smell and touch them, hear and see them, feel their thoughts. Their worlds are bereft and dangerously near the edge, and with nothing more than a desperate desire to connect, they collide, careening spectacularly off each other to different paths with various bits broken off and missing. How we risk intimacy and rejection, how we balance fear and need and love, it is our humanity that is showcased so brilliantly in this mixed-genre, weird, fantastic, spec-fiction collection.
For example, from Union Falls:
"When the girl turned up for the job in her black jeans and cute haircut and no arms, Deels just shook her head, no."
And then the last line is a killer. And it's only the first story.
Each of these stories astonishes. JS drives her impossible writing with such ease, that as we catch our breath at the end, we cannot believe they would have ended any other way.
The characters are unique and we can smell and touch them, hear and see them, feel their thoughts. Their worlds are bereft and dangerously near the edge, and with nothing more than a desperate desire to connect, they collide, careening spectacularly off each other to different paths with various bits broken off and missing. How we risk intimacy and rejection, how we balance fear and need and love, it is our humanity that is showcased so brilliantly in this mixed-genre, weird, fantastic, spec-fiction collection.
February 26, 2019
This collection covers a wide variety of horror/thriller tropes, including some I wouldn't normally pick up, but they do have a couple of things in common. The writing is excellent and the author certainly has the short story/novella length read down to a fine art. Each story pulled me in quickly and held on tight. Regardless of the particular trope, each tale has a tone of disquiet, and they all make you think outside the box, way outside the box in some cases. This is not a book for those who need everything laid out and tied up in a neat little bow, but if you like stories that stretch the imagination sometimes to point of scratching your head in wonder, then I recommend giving this one a read. Some stories are more complicated than others, but each is thoroughly thought-provoking. I took my time with the book, reading one story every day or so to fully digest each crazy, twisted world the author has created.
January 17, 2024
COLLISION is the remarkable short story collection by multi-award-winning, expat Australian author, J.S. Breukelaar. It is a wonderfully sensory read, with emotionally impactful stories. The underlying mood of each will linger with you for days afterwards. All of the stories are speculative. Some infuse science fiction or elements of the weird. Many are experimental and employ clever literary devices. This is a showcase for the tremendous creativity and flair of the author. Definitely a labour of love. There are 12 stories in total. There’s the tale of the unnerving girl, with no arms, who can play the piano like nobody’s business (“Union Falls”); the one about the single mother, sent on a fool’s errand , trying to find her way back home (“Raining Street”); the one about the programmer trying to cling on to life before the accident (“The Box”); dismemberment, talking pets and ghosts (“Lion Man”); and many more. This was an excellent, captivating read and I recommend it.
January 29, 2019
If you are looking for a delightfully, unique collection of horror and weird (in a good way) stories, than, you should check out this anthology. Each story was something that I can't recall having ever read before; despite the fact that some of my favorite stories, Lion Man, Fairy Tale, and The Box were previously published. Another story that I really liked was Ava Rune.
Although, I will say that while, I was not over the moon with all of the stories in this anthology; there was about half to a little more than half of the stories that I did enjoy. Some of the characters were like "carnies" types from a carnival. These stories might be things of nightmares but not all nightmares are bad. I do suggest you check out this collection of stories.
Although, I will say that while, I was not over the moon with all of the stories in this anthology; there was about half to a little more than half of the stories that I did enjoy. Some of the characters were like "carnies" types from a carnival. These stories might be things of nightmares but not all nightmares are bad. I do suggest you check out this collection of stories.
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