Splice: Anthology #1

by Daniel Davis Wood (editor)

In 2018–2019, Splice published three collections of stories—Dana Diehl’s Our Dreams Might Align, Michael Conley’s Flare and Falter, and Thomas Chadwick’s Above the Fat—each of which, in its own distinctive way, unwove the veil between reality and the irreal. Now, in this first anthology from Splice, the authors of those collections come together with new work and new affinities, each one paired up with a new author of their choice whose fictional world shares a border with their own. So Reneé Bibby, Abi Hynes, and Victoria Manifold enter the company of Splice’s explorers of ethereal, and the points of slippage between our world and others multiply in these pages...

137 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 1, 2019

About the author

Daniel Davis Wood is a novelist and essayist based in Scotland. He is the author of BLOOD AND BONE, which won the 2014 Viva La Novella Prize in his native Australia, and AT THE EDGE OF THE SOLID WORLD, as well as the shorter works UNSPEAKABLE and IN RUINS. He is also the founder and editor of Splice, a small press and online review of contemporary fiction.

Reviews

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I am a bit wary of the short story, there are some publishers I trust. Splice have been setting a high standard in the format. Last year I review Thomas Chadwick’s Above the Fat (there’s a contribution from Hardwick as well) and to say I was impressed is an understatement. So when I was kindly sent their first anthology, I was more than happy to review it.

Splice are known for doing things different and this anthology is no exception. Six of their writers contributed a new story or a previously published one followed by a segment of another one of their stories (which provide a URL so you can continue reading it online). Each story has an introduction by one of their authors. It’s a neat little package.

All the stories are excellent so really it’s up to the reader to choose their standouts. For me., Reneé Bibby’s That Boy is a stunner ; it’s about a black man whose hair has the ability to talk, which leads to deeper subtext of race relations and #metoo.

I also liked Abi Hynes A Conversation Recorded Before the End of an Experiment, which could be about an extraterrestrial trying to get a clear picture of Earth. It’s both witty and funny.

A third standout was Michael Conley’s Big Lads, which satirises media expectations of macho culture.

The introductions are a great read and the teasers should be checked out – I recommend Dana Diehl’s The Sanctuary.

As I have stated many times this blog supports indie publishers and small presses due to the fat that they are publishing cutting edge literature and are constantly looking for ways to subvert notions of certain literary genres. This collection is proof that even the short story anthology can be tackled in a different way.

Splice : Anthology 1 was gifted from the publisher

[Jackie Law · Rating 5 out of 5]

Splice was set up by Daniel Davis Wood in 2017. It has three main pillars: a small press that publishes short story collections by outstanding writers; online, in-depth book reviews; a biennial anthology showcasing previously unpublished work by three of the press’s authors, each of who selects and introduces the work of another writer deserving more attention. These selected writers will then be

“commissioned to publish new work in future and to nominate new and interesting writers of their own.

In essence, the anthology functions as a way of consolidating the Splice community and broadening its scope.”

Splice 1, as its title suggests, is the first anthology. It opens with a foreword by the editor, Daniel Davis Wood, who also writes the introduction to the work of the three Splice authors included: Dana Diehl, Michael Conley, Thomas Chadwick. After each introduction there is a complete short story from the author plus an extract from a further work by them (the full second story is available to read on the Splice website). The author then introduces their chosen writer whose contribution is presented in the same format – a short story and an extract.

Having read and reviewed the three featured authors’ short story collections, it was interesting to read the editor’s take on their work – what drew him to want to publish them. The short stories included here are all impressive examples of the form. One features an apartment that is carpeted in three feet of soil. Another has a character whose hair starts to talk when he allows it to grow. A story written entirely in dialogue is set on what I assume is a distant planet. Fantastical though these concepts may be they do not read as fantasy. The authors have grasped the essence of writing fiction and created distinctive and mesmeric voices.

As a reader I will have personal preferences but can recognise fine writing even in those stories I don’t enjoy so much. The final writer, Victoria Mansfield, includes vivid imagery that I found unpleasant in Whitegoods for Your Daughters. She describes sex, food and even travelling by public transport in ways that made me recoil. Yet I can appreciate her way with words and the emotional resonance. For those less squeamish than me her work may be better appreciated.

Despite such a strong field, my choice of standout story was by Abi Hynes. A conversation recorded before the end of the experiment presents man and alien attempting to communicate. The arrogance of humans is skillfully foiled by the encounter. Man is trying so hard to be reasonable, failing to comprehend the purpose and place in this new world that he has been granted. It is a fabulous tale, perfectly paced, both humorous and tragic.

Honourable mentions must go to Dana Diehl’s The Earth Room and Renée Bibby’s That Boy. Both stories draw the reader into the day to day difficulties individuals face and how they regard themselves, particularly when dealing with others. They are quirky and clever but never too much of either. The tales flow and entertain while offering much to consider.

I also enjoyed Thomas Chadwick’s The Unsuccessful Candidate. Office workers rarely wish to raise their heads above the parapet for fear of becoming a target for blame. The idea that someone could turn up daily for work, despite being rejected at interview, and co-workers would be flummoxed about how to deal with them, was just delicious, especially as the successful candidate was proving far from ideal.

The extracts included in the anthology provide tantalising tasters. I must find time to seek out the rest of Thomas Chadwick’s Politics. It opens

“David killed the Queen. It was nothing personal he said. It was just politics. All he wanted was to make a political statement about the abuse of power in the country”

The media twists the facts to fit their agendas. Peers are interviewed and quoted out of context.

“”Who told you that?”
“We can’t say.”
“Was it Charles? Because if anyone needs locking up, it’s Charles. He thinks wealth trickles down. He knows all the verses of the national anthem. He sleeps beside a copy of Atlas Shrugged.”
David was told that for all his sins Charles had not shot the Queen.”

Splice 1 provides excellent and varied reading. It is also a fine introduction to a literary endeavour that deserves wider attention from readers.