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From the Neck Up
The new collection of beautiful, strange and disarming short stories from the award-winning author of The Beauty, Clarke Award nominee The Loosening Skin and The Arrival of Missives, Aliya Whiteley. In 16 stories Whiteley deftly unpeels the strangeness of everyday life through beguiling gardens, rebellious bodies and journeys across familiar worlds, with her trademark wit and compassion.
Witness the future of farming in a new Ice Age, or the artist bringing life to glass; the many-eyed monsters we carry and the secret cities inside our bodies; the alien invasion through our language to the Chantress and her twists on the fairy tale. Fascinating and always unexpected, Whiteley is unlike any other writer working today.
Witness the future of farming in a new Ice Age, or the artist bringing life to glass; the many-eyed monsters we carry and the secret cities inside our bodies; the alien invasion through our language to the Chantress and her twists on the fairy tale. Fascinating and always unexpected, Whiteley is unlike any other writer working today.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 14, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
October 26, 2021
7.5/10 stars
My full review on my blog.
A collection of 16 short stories from the murky border of fantasy, horror and science fiction. Whiteley has a penchant for infusing the mundane with the strange and the uncanny, successfully punching holes in the surface of our perception of everyday life with her creepy little tales. She is a skillful writer, seemingly seamlessly combining lightness of style and a wide range of topics with socio-philosophical observation. As usual with collections of short stories, the quality is uneven – but I did find a few gems here, and I’m quite happy I gave this anthology a chance.
As usual, I will review and rate each story separately and in conclusion I will give a general rating which may, or may not, be a simple average of the stories’ scores.
Brushwork 8.5/10 stars
A cli-fi novella, almost 80 pages long, about a world roughly resembling that from Snowpiercer: the Gulf Stream stopped, the land started becoming colder and colder, the vegetation died off under heavy snow and frost, and only corporate farms offer a possibility of a secure live – for the price of freedom. There is a lot going on in this novella: reflections on aging and the division between young and old; meditation on living with one’s past regrets and difficult choices; inequality and terrorism, slavery and trust. It’s one of the strongest stories in the collection, and I enjoyed it quite a lot.
Many-eyed monsters 2/10
Meh. Didn’t care for this one at all. I had the impression that the author was trying too hard for the uncanny, which made the whole story feel forced and artificial. Also, it couldn’t seem to decide what it wanted to be: a satire, a horror, a critique of modern society and its propensity for artificially enhanced and groomed physical beauty, or something else altogether.
[...]
From the Neck Up 8/10
A sweet story of an early mid-life crisis and of finding meaning in life outside of the limits of the usual rat race. As the whole story starts off with a severed head, it’s at once gory and delightful, and highly imaginative. It’s a perfect example of Whiteley’s style, mixing uncanny with everyday: a severed head, talking and dirtying the duvet, becomes a source of a small epiphany after it sprouts leaves and roots.
The Tears of a Building Surveyor, and Other Stories 2/10
Eh meh. Didn’t care about this one. The main protagonist, Violet, struggles with an unprocessed trauma from the past, exacerbated by the ongoing trauma caused by the exhausting and painfully slow dying of her husband Tom. Her way of coping is to escape into her imagination, Walter Mitty-like, and experience grand adventures around the world. Neither her life nor her confabulations held any interest for me.
To the Farm 8/10
A popular theme in SF, the humanity of androids/AI. Lem, Asimov, Dick, all the greats have written about it at some point, and for a reason. Whether we ascribe humanity to sentient beings speaks more about us than about them. While Whiteley writes nothing new, I liked her melancholy little story, both for its careful optimism and its clean, precise structure. No word wasted.
The Spoils 7/10
An intriguing dragon story, with worldbuilding nicely tucked between the story threads and some skilled use of vignettes to create an immersive experience. Highly enjoyable, slightly nostalgic, evoking the cadence and rhythm of fairy tales.
All in all, I’m very pleased with Whiteley’s short story collection. She manages more often than not to hit that sweet spot between horror, fantasy and science fiction, keeping the genre trappings mostly elusive and symbolic, and concentrating on the psychology of the characters instead. Her stories are delightfully creepy and unusual, and while not every story in this collection worked for me, there are some gems that will stay with me for a long time.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks.
My full review on my blog.
A collection of 16 short stories from the murky border of fantasy, horror and science fiction. Whiteley has a penchant for infusing the mundane with the strange and the uncanny, successfully punching holes in the surface of our perception of everyday life with her creepy little tales. She is a skillful writer, seemingly seamlessly combining lightness of style and a wide range of topics with socio-philosophical observation. As usual with collections of short stories, the quality is uneven – but I did find a few gems here, and I’m quite happy I gave this anthology a chance.
As usual, I will review and rate each story separately and in conclusion I will give a general rating which may, or may not, be a simple average of the stories’ scores.
Brushwork 8.5/10 stars
A cli-fi novella, almost 80 pages long, about a world roughly resembling that from Snowpiercer: the Gulf Stream stopped, the land started becoming colder and colder, the vegetation died off under heavy snow and frost, and only corporate farms offer a possibility of a secure live – for the price of freedom. There is a lot going on in this novella: reflections on aging and the division between young and old; meditation on living with one’s past regrets and difficult choices; inequality and terrorism, slavery and trust. It’s one of the strongest stories in the collection, and I enjoyed it quite a lot.
Many-eyed monsters 2/10
Meh. Didn’t care for this one at all. I had the impression that the author was trying too hard for the uncanny, which made the whole story feel forced and artificial. Also, it couldn’t seem to decide what it wanted to be: a satire, a horror, a critique of modern society and its propensity for artificially enhanced and groomed physical beauty, or something else altogether.
[...]
From the Neck Up 8/10
A sweet story of an early mid-life crisis and of finding meaning in life outside of the limits of the usual rat race. As the whole story starts off with a severed head, it’s at once gory and delightful, and highly imaginative. It’s a perfect example of Whiteley’s style, mixing uncanny with everyday: a severed head, talking and dirtying the duvet, becomes a source of a small epiphany after it sprouts leaves and roots.
The Tears of a Building Surveyor, and Other Stories 2/10
Eh meh. Didn’t care about this one. The main protagonist, Violet, struggles with an unprocessed trauma from the past, exacerbated by the ongoing trauma caused by the exhausting and painfully slow dying of her husband Tom. Her way of coping is to escape into her imagination, Walter Mitty-like, and experience grand adventures around the world. Neither her life nor her confabulations held any interest for me.
To the Farm 8/10
A popular theme in SF, the humanity of androids/AI. Lem, Asimov, Dick, all the greats have written about it at some point, and for a reason. Whether we ascribe humanity to sentient beings speaks more about us than about them. While Whiteley writes nothing new, I liked her melancholy little story, both for its careful optimism and its clean, precise structure. No word wasted.
The Spoils 7/10
An intriguing dragon story, with worldbuilding nicely tucked between the story threads and some skilled use of vignettes to create an immersive experience. Highly enjoyable, slightly nostalgic, evoking the cadence and rhythm of fairy tales.
All in all, I’m very pleased with Whiteley’s short story collection. She manages more often than not to hit that sweet spot between horror, fantasy and science fiction, keeping the genre trappings mostly elusive and symbolic, and concentrating on the psychology of the characters instead. Her stories are delightfully creepy and unusual, and while not every story in this collection worked for me, there are some gems that will stay with me for a long time.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks.
August 15, 2021
4/5 stars
Aliya Whiteley explores our the horrors (large and small) of our modern day lives through 16 mesmerizing tales that warp the ordinary into the uncanny.
Combining elements of science fiction, speculative surrealism and horror, the author covers a variety of themes about the world we live in; ranging from environmental apocalypse to the nature of the bodies we inhabit. Varying in length and topic, all stories share the unifying atmosphere of unnerving strangeness, combined with hypnotic beauty that is accentuated by the authors lyrical writing.
I personally had a wonderful time with this collection: if you know me, this is the exact brand of horror that I love. Combined with Whiteley’s creativity and talent for painting a picture with her words, this was a match made in heaven. In fact, it made me even more enthusiastic to read her full length novels that are still on my TBR (particularly Skyward Inn and Greensmith), as I tend to personally prefer those over short stories.
For me, the biggest challenge when reviewing collections or anthologies is that you will inevitably like some parts of it more than others. The same rang true for From the Neck Up for me personally. Some stories were so engaging and fascinating that I was left wishing for a full length novel on the topic, only to realize that the story already encapsulated everything it needed to perfectly. That’s the art of a good short story to me: being able to condense an idea down to its core without losing substance. My personal favourites were “Many-Eyed Monsters”, “Into Glass” and “Reflection, Refraction and Dispersion”.
A few stories however, had me wishing for more in a different way: leaving me feeling like there was an original idea, yet little more to it explored.
Overall, this collection delivered a coherent and fascinating experience, that will at times get under your skin and linger there. Perfect for fans of Kirsty Logans Things We Say in the Dark, Samanta Schweblins Mouthful of Birds or the works of Jeff VanderMeer.
From the Neck Up is available from September 14th in online and physical stores. Many thanks to the publisher Titan Books and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Aliya Whiteley explores our the horrors (large and small) of our modern day lives through 16 mesmerizing tales that warp the ordinary into the uncanny.
Combining elements of science fiction, speculative surrealism and horror, the author covers a variety of themes about the world we live in; ranging from environmental apocalypse to the nature of the bodies we inhabit. Varying in length and topic, all stories share the unifying atmosphere of unnerving strangeness, combined with hypnotic beauty that is accentuated by the authors lyrical writing.
I personally had a wonderful time with this collection: if you know me, this is the exact brand of horror that I love. Combined with Whiteley’s creativity and talent for painting a picture with her words, this was a match made in heaven. In fact, it made me even more enthusiastic to read her full length novels that are still on my TBR (particularly Skyward Inn and Greensmith), as I tend to personally prefer those over short stories.
For me, the biggest challenge when reviewing collections or anthologies is that you will inevitably like some parts of it more than others. The same rang true for From the Neck Up for me personally. Some stories were so engaging and fascinating that I was left wishing for a full length novel on the topic, only to realize that the story already encapsulated everything it needed to perfectly. That’s the art of a good short story to me: being able to condense an idea down to its core without losing substance. My personal favourites were “Many-Eyed Monsters”, “Into Glass” and “Reflection, Refraction and Dispersion”.
A few stories however, had me wishing for more in a different way: leaving me feeling like there was an original idea, yet little more to it explored.
Overall, this collection delivered a coherent and fascinating experience, that will at times get under your skin and linger there. Perfect for fans of Kirsty Logans Things We Say in the Dark, Samanta Schweblins Mouthful of Birds or the works of Jeff VanderMeer.
From the Neck Up is available from September 14th in online and physical stores. Many thanks to the publisher Titan Books and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 19, 2021
A brilliant and surprising collection of strange tales that cover grief, love, regrets and both scare and cheer you. So much of a delight to read
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
January 17, 2022
People who read very few anthologies or short story collections, as well as people who read them frequently, deserve a great experience each time. From the Neck Up and Other Stories is just such a collection. This book contains 16 stories ranging in length from flash fiction to almost-novelette length and traverses a great many topics. One thing these tales have in common is the human experience, and Aliya Whiteley’s imagination in regards to this is impressive.
You can read Tracy's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read Tracy's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
August 21, 2021
I quite enjoyed the author’s Skyward Inn, so I figured I’d check out her short fiction. Granted, quite enjoyed isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement, but it’s…accurate, for there’s something about her writing that just doesn’t’ grab me as much as, say, pancakes, but it is, objectively very good.
This author seems to get slotted into the sci fi genre, but one can argue she’s more of a New Weird, some kind of weird anyway. These aren’t conventional science fiction stories, they consistently veer into the realm of surrealism. It’s good, it’s interesting, it’s genre busting…but it also stands to reason that it won’t be the right fit for fans of more conventional science fiction.
And because these tales spin so dreamily, so deliberately strange, so trippy at times, it’s difficult to know what to expect or how to describe them. They are conventional enough structurally, but thematically and tonally they are more of an experience, if you will. Meaning you have to be in the right mood for them and I was, mostly.
I didn’t like them all evenly, but then again they weren’t even enough to invite that kind of blanket adoration. But there’s magic within these pages. There were at least three stories I really loved…Many Eyed Monsters, Into Glass, Tears of a Building Surveyor. Actually, thinking of it now, those were the ones that were mostly metaphors on relationships, albeit exceptionally creative ones. There were other good ones the titles of which elude me presently, the first and longest story was an interesting read of agricultural sci fi. Is that a thing? Agri sci fi? There are so many subgenres out there.
Agriculture in general is heavily featured in this collection. Or…this collection, like all good diets, is heavily plant based. Literally. Gives it an interesting green angle.
Overall, this is an imaginative, original and intelligent collection and it’s certainly worth a read. Even if your personal emotional connection to these stories might vary or take its time establishing or just not show up, there’s still within these pages to appreciate on a purely intellectual level. Stimulate your brain, it is, after all, a muscle, and muscles should be exercised. Recommended for fans of something different and infinitely strange. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
This author seems to get slotted into the sci fi genre, but one can argue she’s more of a New Weird, some kind of weird anyway. These aren’t conventional science fiction stories, they consistently veer into the realm of surrealism. It’s good, it’s interesting, it’s genre busting…but it also stands to reason that it won’t be the right fit for fans of more conventional science fiction.
And because these tales spin so dreamily, so deliberately strange, so trippy at times, it’s difficult to know what to expect or how to describe them. They are conventional enough structurally, but thematically and tonally they are more of an experience, if you will. Meaning you have to be in the right mood for them and I was, mostly.
I didn’t like them all evenly, but then again they weren’t even enough to invite that kind of blanket adoration. But there’s magic within these pages. There were at least three stories I really loved…Many Eyed Monsters, Into Glass, Tears of a Building Surveyor. Actually, thinking of it now, those were the ones that were mostly metaphors on relationships, albeit exceptionally creative ones. There were other good ones the titles of which elude me presently, the first and longest story was an interesting read of agricultural sci fi. Is that a thing? Agri sci fi? There are so many subgenres out there.
Agriculture in general is heavily featured in this collection. Or…this collection, like all good diets, is heavily plant based. Literally. Gives it an interesting green angle.
Overall, this is an imaginative, original and intelligent collection and it’s certainly worth a read. Even if your personal emotional connection to these stories might vary or take its time establishing or just not show up, there’s still within these pages to appreciate on a purely intellectual level. Stimulate your brain, it is, after all, a muscle, and muscles should be exercised. Recommended for fans of something different and infinitely strange. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
June 1, 2021
Review appears in the June 2021 issue of Library Journal here:https://www.libraryjournal.com/?revie...
Three Words That Describe This Book: beguiling, the ordinary made strange, unnerving
Draft Review:
Winner of numerous awards for her short fiction, Whiteley is back with another excellent collection of 16, lyrical, thought provoking, and original stories that on the surface, incorporate the tropes of science fiction and fantasy but, at their heart are all more about making the reader feel the unease and discomfort of Horror. The stories, of varying lengths, feature cli-fi, monsters, aliens, fairy tale frames, and general weirdness that is just on the speculative side of normal, grabbing readers’ attention but leaving them unsettled at the conclusion of each. “Into the Glass,” a short but powerful body horror tale of love and art found near the center of this volume is a perfect example of how Whiteley melds darkness with beauty into her stories, showcasing how she lures the reader in, unsettles them, but still hooks them into turning the page and experiencing it all over again,
Verdict: This beguiling and beautiful, yet undeniably unnerving collection of tales of the ordinary made strange will captivate readers as it explores the similar provocative and intriguing feelings found in the short works of Samanta Schweblin, Kelly Link, and Carmen Maria Machado.
Notes: Lyrical and original. 16 stories. So unnerving yet readers are drawn to the beauty and originality of the storyline, it's weirdness that is just the speculative side of normal, but only a bit so that you, the reader, can see yourself in her protagonists.
Cli-fi, fairytales, monster, aliens...it's all here but "Into Glass"-- halfway through, perfect example of the entire book. Beautiful, thought provoking, and yet dark.
I think the first story-- novella length should have been later because the peppering of the shorter stories right after it captivated me, made me want more. Putting that further in might make it easier for people to be captivated from the start. That's really my only complaint. As a story collection goes this was great.
A great example of how women are taking the all speculative genres together to create stories that make us take a look at our real world through this lens of what cannot be, but infuse it all [sf or fantasy] with dread and unease and discomfort. It will be marketed as SF/Fsy but it is Horror. All about how it makes you feel.
Readalikes: Kelly Link and Samanta Schweblin- Mouthful of Birds. Carmen Maria Machado too.
Three Words That Describe This Book: beguiling, the ordinary made strange, unnerving
Draft Review:
Winner of numerous awards for her short fiction, Whiteley is back with another excellent collection of 16, lyrical, thought provoking, and original stories that on the surface, incorporate the tropes of science fiction and fantasy but, at their heart are all more about making the reader feel the unease and discomfort of Horror. The stories, of varying lengths, feature cli-fi, monsters, aliens, fairy tale frames, and general weirdness that is just on the speculative side of normal, grabbing readers’ attention but leaving them unsettled at the conclusion of each. “Into the Glass,” a short but powerful body horror tale of love and art found near the center of this volume is a perfect example of how Whiteley melds darkness with beauty into her stories, showcasing how she lures the reader in, unsettles them, but still hooks them into turning the page and experiencing it all over again,
Verdict: This beguiling and beautiful, yet undeniably unnerving collection of tales of the ordinary made strange will captivate readers as it explores the similar provocative and intriguing feelings found in the short works of Samanta Schweblin, Kelly Link, and Carmen Maria Machado.
Notes: Lyrical and original. 16 stories. So unnerving yet readers are drawn to the beauty and originality of the storyline, it's weirdness that is just the speculative side of normal, but only a bit so that you, the reader, can see yourself in her protagonists.
Cli-fi, fairytales, monster, aliens...it's all here but "Into Glass"-- halfway through, perfect example of the entire book. Beautiful, thought provoking, and yet dark.
I think the first story-- novella length should have been later because the peppering of the shorter stories right after it captivated me, made me want more. Putting that further in might make it easier for people to be captivated from the start. That's really my only complaint. As a story collection goes this was great.
A great example of how women are taking the all speculative genres together to create stories that make us take a look at our real world through this lens of what cannot be, but infuse it all [sf or fantasy] with dread and unease and discomfort. It will be marketed as SF/Fsy but it is Horror. All about how it makes you feel.
Readalikes: Kelly Link and Samanta Schweblin- Mouthful of Birds. Carmen Maria Machado too.
September 15, 2021
From the Neck Up collects 16 of Whiteley's stories, originally published between 2014 and 2020. The longest ("Brushwork") is an 80 page near-novella, most though are shorter, between 10 and 20 pages. The themes are riotously diverse, but often concern - or are set among - environmental and societal collapse whose consequences are being explored. In many of the stories we're located in a sanctuary - literal or emotional - which has escaped the worst consequences of the catastrophe.
That reminded me at times of Joan Aiken's stories in that, as did the skilful and even joyful juxtaposition of the weird and the normal. One can't, I think, fully appreciate the weird if it's presented in isolation, we need it to be interweaved with everyday life.
That's certainly true of the first story, "Brushwork", where we meet elderly Mel (many of the stories features older characters) who's working on a farm, tending melons in a greenhouse. Only gradually does Whiteley reveal the complexities of the setup; the catastrophe that causes Mel and her colleagues to be near prisoners, her background and the wrenching choice she was forced to make as things got worse - and the extent to which she has, since then, been sheltered (though it might not seem like it) from the harsh world outside. But she won't be able to escape reality forever.
In "Many-Eyed Monsters" the narrator is living an ordinary life until she begins to worry about something truly strange in her body. Initially trying to hide the problem, she's forced to accept that she is creating - or becoming - something new. Moving from unease, and the desire to suppress what is happening, she finds a sense of acceptance and solidarity. This story catches well, I think, the drive to try and contain the strange.
"Three Love Letters from an Unrepeatable Garden" describes not only an "unrepeatable" garden - one that can't be duplicated or, once lost, restored; its creator is gone - but seemingly one of those precious islands of beauty and normality (well, for certain values of "normal") left in a hostile world. That's why it needs protecting and nurturing. But if it's doomed anyway, might it not be justified to just, well, enjoy it before the end? Posing questions about the fragility of beauty and our duty to protect it, this one left me thinking hard.
Corwick, in "Corwick Grows", is one of those elusive islands amidst a wider world, always teasingly distant; the narrator has hunted for it but can't find the place until one day when they stumble into a remote farmhouse. Nothing will ever be the same again for them, or for Corwick - a place that seems to thrive on the imagination of its residents. Combining a calm acceptance of what is happening with a somewhat body-horror aesthetic, "Corwick Grows" suggests that some, at least, of those elusive places may be better left unfound.
"Loves of the Long Dead" takes an imaginative journey from Ancient Egypt to the abyss of the ocean to a modern research lab. When a spirit from the past seeks revenge, she becomes frustrated that time hasn't stood still and that the villain whom she hates no longer exists to suffer. Perhaps a substitute can be found...
In "Reflection, Refraction, Dispersion" the optical terms hint at some sort of visual phenomenon - the Effect - that is ill understood, indeed, whose nature and effects are argued and disagreed over but which seem to be dire (cancer? Suicide?) It is something to which Eliza, the narrator, was subject but about which she seems ambivalent. She does, though, want to understand and perhaps even re-experience it which leads her on a strange quest.
"Farleyton" is another of those islands of wholeness and order amidst a chaotic and sickening world. Many wish to travel there, lured by the stories of its wonders. Told in the voices of various groups - the enclave's guards, a travel agent facilitating migrants, workers seeking good jobs in the place, a girl en route to it - we see jarring and contrasting pictures, hinting that perhaps Farleyton is a different place to each, that perhaps it may not be able to be the same Heaven on Earth for all, that it may have limits, small print and abrupt endings. Trying to assemble a picture from the pieces given here is frustrating, suggesting truths that Whiteley avoids spelling out directly. One of my favourites in this volume.
"Into Glass" is a deeply weird story which opens with the unnamed narrator about to cut her sleeping lover with a scalpel. Only a small cut, the tiniest nick, blood from which she hopes will reveal something wonderful. It is an act that to her is deeply ominous - not just an assault, a violation of consent but a recapitulation of a dark history involving her parents and grandparent. But at the same it's a family inheritance, a gift. What to do? And what will happen? The story ponders the value of love - is it finite, can it be bled away? - as well as secrets. An achingly beautiful and sad story.
"Compel" posits an alien invasion, swift and sudden and complete, but not the normal death-ray wielding tripods, rather a glitch, an anomaly that leaves most humans literally speechless and lost. In face of this, Whiteley's narrator feels some duty to resist, but can only record, gradually losing coherence and the ability to tell what's happening - even as they start to grasp more fully the causes of the catastrophe.
"Chantress" is a fun story revolving around three women, the Chantress of the title, the Enchantress and the Disenchantress. Somehow unmoored from modern society - the Chantress has a mobile phone but signal is poor on the mountain - they seem to be acting out roles in a near fairy-story for the local villagers, but why, and where will it lead? Again, the mundane, human and normal are seen alongside the frankly weird.
"Blessings Erupt" is about Hope, a woman who has some kind of healing gift against the contamination caused in the near future by plastics and toxins. But it's a gift that takes its toll. Hope has the gratitude of so may whom she has saved, but she has become cynical about the whole process; are we to believe that she's now seeing through things to the truth, or has she herself become corrupted? In this story about a life drawing to its close we are also shown Hope's beginnings and left to wonder what version of the future is the truth. A moving and powerful story about community and responsibility.
"Star in the Spire" sees Sammie, travelling alone in the blighted waste of the future, find an oasis, a little patch of life and growth. But it also seems to contain death - there are some gruesome sights described. Whether, though, they represent a catastrophe, or a transformation, is very ambiguous.
In the titular story, "From the Neck Up", Megan is obsessed with decapitation and reality seems to meet her interest, offering a head if not on a platter, then on a bed. But despite being severed it seems to be a head with business of its own and not to be finished, not at all, with life. Veering from comedy as Megan tries to control the situation to a strangely moving depiction of the head's ongoing life, "From the Neck Up" was another of my favourites here, whether it's to be taken literally or as expressing something of Megan's (rather desperate) life and the changes she needs to make in it.
"The Tears of a Building Surveyor, and Other Stories" could be seen as the Walter Mitty-like fantasies of aging Violet - in a chaotic narrative of running away with a "chaperone", joining a nunnery, escaping a massacre and then becoming a clown - if it was not so touchingly and tenderly wrapped around glimpses of Violet's reality, of her life with Tom. The two ways of describing Violet's world are so different, yet so closely linked, that the reader needs, I think, to see them both as true to to unpick what each needs from the other. A beautiful, sad, and funny story.
"To the Farm" explores the potential darker consequences of artificial intelligence and both the limits, and unexpected graces, of love. Another very sad story (or it could be) leading up (as did "Brushwork") to a moment of letting go, of allowing for growth and change.
In the final story, "The Spoils" we return to a community living after some apocalypse (never made clear). They're an underground people, with a ritualised way of dealing with their world illustrated when a great beast - an Olme - is killed and divided between the community. Like a baffled Victorian explorer learning the customs of an unknown people, a lot doesn't make sense, even as it does. Again the story dwells on the different roles and lives of those who receive the body parts of the unfortunate Olme, and we might wonder why there is such a complicated routine here as there is no suggestion for example that they will all eat it. Some explanation is given when a daring member of the group decides to take her share to the surface, but story - both obscure and slightly menacing - leaves a great deal to the reader. A haunting story.
That reminded me at times of Joan Aiken's stories in that, as did the skilful and even joyful juxtaposition of the weird and the normal. One can't, I think, fully appreciate the weird if it's presented in isolation, we need it to be interweaved with everyday life.
That's certainly true of the first story, "Brushwork", where we meet elderly Mel (many of the stories features older characters) who's working on a farm, tending melons in a greenhouse. Only gradually does Whiteley reveal the complexities of the setup; the catastrophe that causes Mel and her colleagues to be near prisoners, her background and the wrenching choice she was forced to make as things got worse - and the extent to which she has, since then, been sheltered (though it might not seem like it) from the harsh world outside. But she won't be able to escape reality forever.
In "Many-Eyed Monsters" the narrator is living an ordinary life until she begins to worry about something truly strange in her body. Initially trying to hide the problem, she's forced to accept that she is creating - or becoming - something new. Moving from unease, and the desire to suppress what is happening, she finds a sense of acceptance and solidarity. This story catches well, I think, the drive to try and contain the strange.
"Three Love Letters from an Unrepeatable Garden" describes not only an "unrepeatable" garden - one that can't be duplicated or, once lost, restored; its creator is gone - but seemingly one of those precious islands of beauty and normality (well, for certain values of "normal") left in a hostile world. That's why it needs protecting and nurturing. But if it's doomed anyway, might it not be justified to just, well, enjoy it before the end? Posing questions about the fragility of beauty and our duty to protect it, this one left me thinking hard.
Corwick, in "Corwick Grows", is one of those elusive islands amidst a wider world, always teasingly distant; the narrator has hunted for it but can't find the place until one day when they stumble into a remote farmhouse. Nothing will ever be the same again for them, or for Corwick - a place that seems to thrive on the imagination of its residents. Combining a calm acceptance of what is happening with a somewhat body-horror aesthetic, "Corwick Grows" suggests that some, at least, of those elusive places may be better left unfound.
"Loves of the Long Dead" takes an imaginative journey from Ancient Egypt to the abyss of the ocean to a modern research lab. When a spirit from the past seeks revenge, she becomes frustrated that time hasn't stood still and that the villain whom she hates no longer exists to suffer. Perhaps a substitute can be found...
In "Reflection, Refraction, Dispersion" the optical terms hint at some sort of visual phenomenon - the Effect - that is ill understood, indeed, whose nature and effects are argued and disagreed over but which seem to be dire (cancer? Suicide?) It is something to which Eliza, the narrator, was subject but about which she seems ambivalent. She does, though, want to understand and perhaps even re-experience it which leads her on a strange quest.
"Farleyton" is another of those islands of wholeness and order amidst a chaotic and sickening world. Many wish to travel there, lured by the stories of its wonders. Told in the voices of various groups - the enclave's guards, a travel agent facilitating migrants, workers seeking good jobs in the place, a girl en route to it - we see jarring and contrasting pictures, hinting that perhaps Farleyton is a different place to each, that perhaps it may not be able to be the same Heaven on Earth for all, that it may have limits, small print and abrupt endings. Trying to assemble a picture from the pieces given here is frustrating, suggesting truths that Whiteley avoids spelling out directly. One of my favourites in this volume.
"Into Glass" is a deeply weird story which opens with the unnamed narrator about to cut her sleeping lover with a scalpel. Only a small cut, the tiniest nick, blood from which she hopes will reveal something wonderful. It is an act that to her is deeply ominous - not just an assault, a violation of consent but a recapitulation of a dark history involving her parents and grandparent. But at the same it's a family inheritance, a gift. What to do? And what will happen? The story ponders the value of love - is it finite, can it be bled away? - as well as secrets. An achingly beautiful and sad story.
"Compel" posits an alien invasion, swift and sudden and complete, but not the normal death-ray wielding tripods, rather a glitch, an anomaly that leaves most humans literally speechless and lost. In face of this, Whiteley's narrator feels some duty to resist, but can only record, gradually losing coherence and the ability to tell what's happening - even as they start to grasp more fully the causes of the catastrophe.
"Chantress" is a fun story revolving around three women, the Chantress of the title, the Enchantress and the Disenchantress. Somehow unmoored from modern society - the Chantress has a mobile phone but signal is poor on the mountain - they seem to be acting out roles in a near fairy-story for the local villagers, but why, and where will it lead? Again, the mundane, human and normal are seen alongside the frankly weird.
"Blessings Erupt" is about Hope, a woman who has some kind of healing gift against the contamination caused in the near future by plastics and toxins. But it's a gift that takes its toll. Hope has the gratitude of so may whom she has saved, but she has become cynical about the whole process; are we to believe that she's now seeing through things to the truth, or has she herself become corrupted? In this story about a life drawing to its close we are also shown Hope's beginnings and left to wonder what version of the future is the truth. A moving and powerful story about community and responsibility.
"Star in the Spire" sees Sammie, travelling alone in the blighted waste of the future, find an oasis, a little patch of life and growth. But it also seems to contain death - there are some gruesome sights described. Whether, though, they represent a catastrophe, or a transformation, is very ambiguous.
In the titular story, "From the Neck Up", Megan is obsessed with decapitation and reality seems to meet her interest, offering a head if not on a platter, then on a bed. But despite being severed it seems to be a head with business of its own and not to be finished, not at all, with life. Veering from comedy as Megan tries to control the situation to a strangely moving depiction of the head's ongoing life, "From the Neck Up" was another of my favourites here, whether it's to be taken literally or as expressing something of Megan's (rather desperate) life and the changes she needs to make in it.
"The Tears of a Building Surveyor, and Other Stories" could be seen as the Walter Mitty-like fantasies of aging Violet - in a chaotic narrative of running away with a "chaperone", joining a nunnery, escaping a massacre and then becoming a clown - if it was not so touchingly and tenderly wrapped around glimpses of Violet's reality, of her life with Tom. The two ways of describing Violet's world are so different, yet so closely linked, that the reader needs, I think, to see them both as true to to unpick what each needs from the other. A beautiful, sad, and funny story.
"To the Farm" explores the potential darker consequences of artificial intelligence and both the limits, and unexpected graces, of love. Another very sad story (or it could be) leading up (as did "Brushwork") to a moment of letting go, of allowing for growth and change.
In the final story, "The Spoils" we return to a community living after some apocalypse (never made clear). They're an underground people, with a ritualised way of dealing with their world illustrated when a great beast - an Olme - is killed and divided between the community. Like a baffled Victorian explorer learning the customs of an unknown people, a lot doesn't make sense, even as it does. Again the story dwells on the different roles and lives of those who receive the body parts of the unfortunate Olme, and we might wonder why there is such a complicated routine here as there is no suggestion for example that they will all eat it. Some explanation is given when a daring member of the group decides to take her share to the surface, but story - both obscure and slightly menacing - leaves a great deal to the reader. A haunting story.
August 8, 2021
This was one very enjoyable, yet strange journey.
I have received this book in exchange of an honest review, thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity.
I have my own blog now, so please do give it a visit if you're interested in my other reviews :)
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I haven't read that many anthologies in my lifetime just yet, however, from the ones I did read and given the amount of stories in it, I would like to think that this anthology is one of the best. There are 16 different stories in the collection, varying in both length and topic, while strangeness seems to be the most prominent vibe I got from them. Despite that however, I found it very admirable that Aliya Whiteley managed to write them all without making them feel too similar to each other, and actually managing to make it enjoyable for the majority of them.
Obviously, there will always be some more enjoyable than others given it's a collection, but I can safely say that all of them were enjoyable, with the exception of two stories. One of those needed a little bit more tell than show for it to make bigger sense to me personally, while the other was just not an enjoyable read, which in turn makes it a great ratio to me and more than worth my time investment.
The writing and creativity is for sure the best parts of reading through this work, as the author is truly ambitious and capable of making their writing be enjoyable while pushing the boundaries of normal storytelling. Given that they aren't exactly broken apart in stories of the same length, going through each and every one of them is not wise to me. However, I will be talking briefly about the ones that I enjoyed the most from the 16.
The first one of those was the opening story, if you will, Brushwork. I personally appreciate a story a lot more when it's told from an older perspective these days and this one being so, while also being set in a somewhat post-apocalyptic world made it a delight to read. I especially enjoyed the need to protect and preserve the small area the characters can still call their own, the desperation that comes with it, how it differs from one character to the next and of course seeing snippets of the world at that time. Very fun, very sad and it's just so incredibly easy to get attached enough to want to see what else the author has in store.
Into Glass was the second story to really grip me, and it's easily because of how somewhat horrific it actually is. There is this strange mood to that story from page one, something really creepy as well and it was interesting to see how the characters dealt with it while also making the most of the situation. Blessings Erupt was also another story that made me super interested to see what is going on exactly in yet another application of a post-apocalyptic world although, in this story, it was much easier to see how something of this type will be more on the beneficial side than not.
I may have chosen only three to talk about, but that doesn't mean that the others aren't as enjoyable. Stories like Chantress, The Spoils and Loves of the Long Dead are also powerful candidates. Each of the stories, especially ones like Three Love Letters from an Unrepeatable Garden and The Tears of a Building Surveyor, and Other Stories discuss some harsher realities and how different some humans can be to others which I thought was an enjoyable read.
Anthologies in particular, especially given how short some stories are, need to be experienced. Especially if they're as atmospheric as this one. The way she combined this strange world of hers, and the ugliness of humanity at times made it a gripping read and I'll most likely be reading any other anthology she puts out after this one if I'm just as lucky. As a first impression, I'm very impressed.
I have received this book in exchange of an honest review, thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity.
I have my own blog now, so please do give it a visit if you're interested in my other reviews :)
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I haven't read that many anthologies in my lifetime just yet, however, from the ones I did read and given the amount of stories in it, I would like to think that this anthology is one of the best. There are 16 different stories in the collection, varying in both length and topic, while strangeness seems to be the most prominent vibe I got from them. Despite that however, I found it very admirable that Aliya Whiteley managed to write them all without making them feel too similar to each other, and actually managing to make it enjoyable for the majority of them.
Obviously, there will always be some more enjoyable than others given it's a collection, but I can safely say that all of them were enjoyable, with the exception of two stories. One of those needed a little bit more tell than show for it to make bigger sense to me personally, while the other was just not an enjoyable read, which in turn makes it a great ratio to me and more than worth my time investment.
The writing and creativity is for sure the best parts of reading through this work, as the author is truly ambitious and capable of making their writing be enjoyable while pushing the boundaries of normal storytelling. Given that they aren't exactly broken apart in stories of the same length, going through each and every one of them is not wise to me. However, I will be talking briefly about the ones that I enjoyed the most from the 16.
The first one of those was the opening story, if you will, Brushwork. I personally appreciate a story a lot more when it's told from an older perspective these days and this one being so, while also being set in a somewhat post-apocalyptic world made it a delight to read. I especially enjoyed the need to protect and preserve the small area the characters can still call their own, the desperation that comes with it, how it differs from one character to the next and of course seeing snippets of the world at that time. Very fun, very sad and it's just so incredibly easy to get attached enough to want to see what else the author has in store.
Into Glass was the second story to really grip me, and it's easily because of how somewhat horrific it actually is. There is this strange mood to that story from page one, something really creepy as well and it was interesting to see how the characters dealt with it while also making the most of the situation. Blessings Erupt was also another story that made me super interested to see what is going on exactly in yet another application of a post-apocalyptic world although, in this story, it was much easier to see how something of this type will be more on the beneficial side than not.
I may have chosen only three to talk about, but that doesn't mean that the others aren't as enjoyable. Stories like Chantress, The Spoils and Loves of the Long Dead are also powerful candidates. Each of the stories, especially ones like Three Love Letters from an Unrepeatable Garden and The Tears of a Building Surveyor, and Other Stories discuss some harsher realities and how different some humans can be to others which I thought was an enjoyable read.
Anthologies in particular, especially given how short some stories are, need to be experienced. Especially if they're as atmospheric as this one. The way she combined this strange world of hers, and the ugliness of humanity at times made it a gripping read and I'll most likely be reading any other anthology she puts out after this one if I'm just as lucky. As a first impression, I'm very impressed.
February 13, 2025
An interesting collection of short stories that really were short but a glimpse into some really interesting ideas. Also little glimmers of romance and softness were sweet given it is sci-fi.
October 24, 2021
A great collection of short stories with elements of horror, fantasy, dystopian, magical realism. Like most collections, I liked some stories more than others, but the writing quality was high and consistent throughout.
And obviously, the cover design is great!
And obviously, the cover design is great!
September 17, 2021
9/16/2021 Full review tk at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.
9/17/2021 Bluntly, I don't know anyone working in speculative fiction today who consistently writes such disturbingly weird shit. But not like in a gratuitous way. Aliya Whiteley doesn't want to shock you, necessarily, but she is unafraid to plumb into the deeper, uglier parts of the human psyche to examine the monstrous and strange, to ponder how humanity might react to the far futures that seem like science fiction now but might very well turn out to be reality, if humanity keeps on going in the direction we're headed.
This volume of 16 stories written between 2014 and 2020 covers a wide range of Ms Whiteley's interests, tho tend to circle back round to a world ravaged and, perhaps, recovering from a disaster all too often of humanity's own making. Other strongly recurring themes are the complexity of two people's interpersonal relationship, often via marriage or parenthood, and the convergence of minds. Fans of her terrific Skyward Inn will find exquisite variations on the main themes of that novella reflected in the stories here.
But this isn't just a book for fans such as myself, tho it's definitely a book that will bring her more admirers! I enjoyed these stories so much that I'm actually hard pressed to pick a favorite! So many of these stories land so well that it's hard to rate any of them better or worse than their fellows in this overall extremely strong, consistently entertaining collection. If I had to choose, I'd say that the opening novelette, Brushwork, stood out in large part because it gave Ms Whiteley more room to explore the macro of the world she'd created and the micro of the protagonist's feelings, especially towards Lucas. The bit where she admires the subtlety of his brushwork was like a shot through the heart for me.
Granted, there were moments where I felt less hit in the feels than missed by a reference flying far overhead. I didn't really understand the identity of the aliens in Compel, for example, which is pretty hilarious given my often grumpy insistence that words have meanings and people should say what they mean. I also felt that the title story was carrying a possibly British subtext that I just wasn't seeing somehow.
Otherwise, each story was filled to the brim with relatable, often subtle reactions in the face of huge and often creepy twists, with surprising acts of selfishness and generosity peppering the narratives. And that's the greatest strength of Ms Whiteley's collected body of work, her on-going depiction of the human determination to strive for better even in the face of the odds, no matter how trivial or seemingly insurmountable, no matter our weaknesses or flaws. She gives equal weight to courage and fatigue and love and restlessness, acknowledging that these are all valid human emotions for people to feel, whether faced with the mundane or the extraordinary.
Ms Whiteley might not yet be a household name amongst lovers of literature now, but she certainly should be, with stories that just keep getting better and stronger with the years. This is a book for anyone with any interest in modern speculative fiction, with its blend of science fiction and fantasy and horror, written by a master of the genre.
From The Neck Up by Aliya Whiteley was published September 14 2021 by Titan Books and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
9/17/2021 Bluntly, I don't know anyone working in speculative fiction today who consistently writes such disturbingly weird shit. But not like in a gratuitous way. Aliya Whiteley doesn't want to shock you, necessarily, but she is unafraid to plumb into the deeper, uglier parts of the human psyche to examine the monstrous and strange, to ponder how humanity might react to the far futures that seem like science fiction now but might very well turn out to be reality, if humanity keeps on going in the direction we're headed.
This volume of 16 stories written between 2014 and 2020 covers a wide range of Ms Whiteley's interests, tho tend to circle back round to a world ravaged and, perhaps, recovering from a disaster all too often of humanity's own making. Other strongly recurring themes are the complexity of two people's interpersonal relationship, often via marriage or parenthood, and the convergence of minds. Fans of her terrific Skyward Inn will find exquisite variations on the main themes of that novella reflected in the stories here.
But this isn't just a book for fans such as myself, tho it's definitely a book that will bring her more admirers! I enjoyed these stories so much that I'm actually hard pressed to pick a favorite! So many of these stories land so well that it's hard to rate any of them better or worse than their fellows in this overall extremely strong, consistently entertaining collection. If I had to choose, I'd say that the opening novelette, Brushwork, stood out in large part because it gave Ms Whiteley more room to explore the macro of the world she'd created and the micro of the protagonist's feelings, especially towards Lucas. The bit where she admires the subtlety of his brushwork was like a shot through the heart for me.
Granted, there were moments where I felt less hit in the feels than missed by a reference flying far overhead. I didn't really understand the identity of the aliens in Compel, for example, which is pretty hilarious given my often grumpy insistence that words have meanings and people should say what they mean. I also felt that the title story was carrying a possibly British subtext that I just wasn't seeing somehow.
Otherwise, each story was filled to the brim with relatable, often subtle reactions in the face of huge and often creepy twists, with surprising acts of selfishness and generosity peppering the narratives. And that's the greatest strength of Ms Whiteley's collected body of work, her on-going depiction of the human determination to strive for better even in the face of the odds, no matter how trivial or seemingly insurmountable, no matter our weaknesses or flaws. She gives equal weight to courage and fatigue and love and restlessness, acknowledging that these are all valid human emotions for people to feel, whether faced with the mundane or the extraordinary.
Ms Whiteley might not yet be a household name amongst lovers of literature now, but she certainly should be, with stories that just keep getting better and stronger with the years. This is a book for anyone with any interest in modern speculative fiction, with its blend of science fiction and fantasy and horror, written by a master of the genre.
From The Neck Up by Aliya Whiteley was published September 14 2021 by Titan Books and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
September 28, 2021
Summary: From the Neck Up by Aliya Whiteley is a wild and wonderfully weird short story collection. Over sixteen stories it takes us into worlds not unlike our own, but with sometimes shocking differences.
-Recommended for fans of weird short stories
-Not recommended if you like settings with overt magical abilities
-Recommended if you enjoy stories that explore earth in a future that sees human life transformed
-Not recommended if you like all ideas to be explored in a lot of depth
As always, reviewing a short story collection can feel like a lesson in madness. But Whiteley has made it easier on me by providing common threads and themes I can discuss, as well as an astonishingly good opening novella.
We’ll start at the beginning, with Brushwork. Brushwork is set in an approximate future, where Britain is in an ice age, and the elderly are given jobs growing fruit and vegetables for the wealthy in special facilities. Mel is one such worker, and she paints her memories using the same brushes that she uses to pollinate the melons she looks after. A group of ‘agro-terrorists’ takes over the facility, and Mel strikes up a singular friendship with a young man in that group. The whole story is exquisitely crafted, both heartbreaking and heartwarming, and is the only story in the collection that I will outright state my rating for. It got a rare 10/10 for me.
So now, moving onto more overall themes, the future and our relationship with nature after we ruin the planet seems to be one that crops up a lot, whether it is the strange adaptations that occur when children ended up living on plastic islands in the sea, or plants trying to form a symbiosis of sorts with humans.
Other themes explored more than once are: dissatisfaction with the life you’ve found yourself living; revelations as to core meanings in your life; things imposing on human bodies; memories and rituals.
Whiteley manages to always write with a subtle beauty, which kept me going for stories that didn’t quite work for me as well as the others. Her worlds are rich with half glimpsed details, but often ideas come so fast that there is so little time to mull on them before the story is over. Out of all of the stories there was only one that I didn’t end up finishing.
Highlights (other than Brushwork) include Three Love Letters From an Unrepeatable Garden – a perfectly plotted epistolary story about a flower with a transcendental aroma; Into Glass – a dark introspective story about turning love into beautiful sculptures; Blessings Erupt – a sci-fi tale about a now bitter woman who can take away a disease of others, but to the detriment of herself; and The Spoils – which follows the ritual butchering of a strange underground creature, and the effect it has on the people chosen to receive its parts.
The construction of this collection falters for me in that my favourite story is placed right at the start, and and then is followed up with two other of the stronger stories – I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed when my enjoyment of the stories dropped for several in a row, and then became more varied after that. That said, the overall quality balances out to the point where I would heartily recommend From the Neck Up to anyone looking for short stories that surprise, haunt and touch your heart.
Rating: 8.5/10
Thanks to Netgalley and Titan Books for providing me with an e-arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
For reviews like this and more, visit my blog
-Recommended for fans of weird short stories
-Not recommended if you like settings with overt magical abilities
-Recommended if you enjoy stories that explore earth in a future that sees human life transformed
-Not recommended if you like all ideas to be explored in a lot of depth
As always, reviewing a short story collection can feel like a lesson in madness. But Whiteley has made it easier on me by providing common threads and themes I can discuss, as well as an astonishingly good opening novella.
We’ll start at the beginning, with Brushwork. Brushwork is set in an approximate future, where Britain is in an ice age, and the elderly are given jobs growing fruit and vegetables for the wealthy in special facilities. Mel is one such worker, and she paints her memories using the same brushes that she uses to pollinate the melons she looks after. A group of ‘agro-terrorists’ takes over the facility, and Mel strikes up a singular friendship with a young man in that group. The whole story is exquisitely crafted, both heartbreaking and heartwarming, and is the only story in the collection that I will outright state my rating for. It got a rare 10/10 for me.
So now, moving onto more overall themes, the future and our relationship with nature after we ruin the planet seems to be one that crops up a lot, whether it is the strange adaptations that occur when children ended up living on plastic islands in the sea, or plants trying to form a symbiosis of sorts with humans.
Other themes explored more than once are: dissatisfaction with the life you’ve found yourself living; revelations as to core meanings in your life; things imposing on human bodies; memories and rituals.
Whiteley manages to always write with a subtle beauty, which kept me going for stories that didn’t quite work for me as well as the others. Her worlds are rich with half glimpsed details, but often ideas come so fast that there is so little time to mull on them before the story is over. Out of all of the stories there was only one that I didn’t end up finishing.
Highlights (other than Brushwork) include Three Love Letters From an Unrepeatable Garden – a perfectly plotted epistolary story about a flower with a transcendental aroma; Into Glass – a dark introspective story about turning love into beautiful sculptures; Blessings Erupt – a sci-fi tale about a now bitter woman who can take away a disease of others, but to the detriment of herself; and The Spoils – which follows the ritual butchering of a strange underground creature, and the effect it has on the people chosen to receive its parts.
The construction of this collection falters for me in that my favourite story is placed right at the start, and and then is followed up with two other of the stronger stories – I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed when my enjoyment of the stories dropped for several in a row, and then became more varied after that. That said, the overall quality balances out to the point where I would heartily recommend From the Neck Up to anyone looking for short stories that surprise, haunt and touch your heart.
Rating: 8.5/10
Thanks to Netgalley and Titan Books for providing me with an e-arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
For reviews like this and more, visit my blog
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September 3, 2021What an absolutely wonderful selection of tales is to be found in "From the Neck Up and Other Stories". I loved each and every story (but I do have my favourite - and I'm not telling!). Spread throughout this collection is a delightful array of characters, eye-widening plots, superb settings, and it's all carried by beautiful writing. I'm definitely a fan!
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
January 17, 2022
I refuse to waste another second of my life reading this collection of nothing. It reads like it was written by a rookie AI. Nothing makes sense, it reeks of hipster randomness. This has cured me of any desire to read short fiction for the remaining year. Zero out of five.
March 23, 2022
Every story has the grace and complexity of a bird in mid-flight. The prose opens up to meet you slowly and on it's own terms leaving. The story's work is ambitious in it's vulnerability and tight weft
May 31, 2022
I have bought 2 more books by Whiteley because I'm sure I'll enjoy them. These stories were great.
November 19, 2023
Mind-blowing Worldbuilding 😍weird, twisted, and body-horror SF stories. Loved most of them.
May 30, 2023
I fell in love with Aliya Whiteley's writing and creativity after reading her fascinating novella, 'The Beauty', when it first came out in 2014.
'From the Neck Up' is Whiteley's collection of 16 short stories that both scare and inspire you.
Her stories are an interesting blend of science fiction and speculative horror.
The stories cover a variety of themes about the world we live in, ranging from environmental apocalypse to exploring the uglier parts of the human psyche.
The genius of her writing is in how normal and mundane surroundings grow increasingly more strange and uncanny.
Like most short story collections this is a bit of a mixed bag, some stories are more gripping and impactful than others. My personal favourites were 'Into Glass' and 'Blessings Erupt', which I suggest you look up online.
But what this collection does best is highlight Whiteley's dreamlike prose and her wild imagination.
I highly recommend this to anyone who's into semi-disturbing and weird fiction like I am.
'From the Neck Up' is Whiteley's collection of 16 short stories that both scare and inspire you.
Her stories are an interesting blend of science fiction and speculative horror.
The stories cover a variety of themes about the world we live in, ranging from environmental apocalypse to exploring the uglier parts of the human psyche.
The genius of her writing is in how normal and mundane surroundings grow increasingly more strange and uncanny.
Like most short story collections this is a bit of a mixed bag, some stories are more gripping and impactful than others. My personal favourites were 'Into Glass' and 'Blessings Erupt', which I suggest you look up online.
But what this collection does best is highlight Whiteley's dreamlike prose and her wild imagination.
I highly recommend this to anyone who's into semi-disturbing and weird fiction like I am.
February 26, 2023
i don’t read a lot of short stories but i thought this collection was really good! good october book!
August 10, 2023
This is a collection of short novels composed and created by Aliya Whiteley. I have decided to review each short story individually and then rate the overall rating an average of those scores. Efficient and logical.
BRUSHWORK was a definite 4/5 stars for me. There's always something so compelling about reading from the narrative viewpoint of an older individual. I was hesitant of Lucas at first but the ending was really nice!
Many Eyed Monsters was shorter than the previous story but an easy 5/5 for me. The lil guys kind of reminded me of trebbles! I've always wanted one of those SO bad.
Three Love Letters From An Unrepeatable Garden was boring to me. 2/5 stars. I would give in and smell it too though.
Corwick Grows was more enjoyable than the last one but the abrupt shortness of it leaves much too to be desired. It was okay but wasn't anything life changing. Wasn't a story that caught my affectionate attention and it didn't have enough time to grow on me to gain it. 2/5
LOVES OF THE LONG DEAD had me hesistant at the beginning with the presented premise but quickly became a top five for this collection 4/5 easy!
REFLECTION, REFRACTION, DISPERSION was meh. Intresting premise but I didn't fuck with it. 2/5 It was okay.
FARLEYTON 3/5 Okay this one grew on me with the last three segments of it. I liked it.
INTO GLASS was cute. I really like the way Aliya Whiteley writes old people. Specifically old people in love. 3/5 stars
COMPEL has the top spot in this list lmao. Aliens and anything in particular related to them are always gonna catch my attention. In the wake of an alien invasion we read the diary entries of a person who found a loophole in writing about the aliens, the person detailing these entries calls them "the compellers". For in this seperate world we read about; our fellow humans cannot speak, write, or share anything about the invasion. Anything about the compellers. It details what the writer says is the last three days of humanity. 5/5 stars
CHANTRESS 2/5 It was okay. Wouldn't read a whole book of it.
BLESSINGS ERUPT was spereated into two parts but to me it felt like one whole connected story. 4/5 The last one was also about singing and I didn't resonate with it, even though that's a very specific trope I ADORE to read in fiction. This one was really good though.
STAR IN THE SPIRE. Not even gonna rate this one because my eyes glazed over so many times reading it.
FROM THE NECK UP. Hell yeah Title short story and it's about body horror. Hmmm idk it didn't really measure up to the other stories I REALLY liked but it was pretty neat. Kind of reminds me of a fanfic I read once. 3/5
THE TEARS OF A BUILDING SURVEYOR, AND OTHER STORIES was definetly a top five. I had my little reading app read this own out load to me and WHEW the little automized (and sometimes really horrible) voice added to my experience. 4/5 for sure.
The Farm was not memorable. 2/5 I suppose.
Didn't really like The Spoils. 2/5
I wish I had choosen to read this over the course of a longer time instead of just binge reading it in a few days. Some of the reoccurring themes lost their novelty quickly.
Average is a 3/5.
BRUSHWORK was a definite 4/5 stars for me. There's always something so compelling about reading from the narrative viewpoint of an older individual. I was hesitant of Lucas at first but the ending was really nice!
Many Eyed Monsters was shorter than the previous story but an easy 5/5 for me. The lil guys kind of reminded me of trebbles! I've always wanted one of those SO bad.
Three Love Letters From An Unrepeatable Garden was boring to me. 2/5 stars. I would give in and smell it too though.
Corwick Grows was more enjoyable than the last one but the abrupt shortness of it leaves much too to be desired. It was okay but wasn't anything life changing. Wasn't a story that caught my affectionate attention and it didn't have enough time to grow on me to gain it. 2/5
LOVES OF THE LONG DEAD had me hesistant at the beginning with the presented premise but quickly became a top five for this collection 4/5 easy!
REFLECTION, REFRACTION, DISPERSION was meh. Intresting premise but I didn't fuck with it. 2/5 It was okay.
FARLEYTON 3/5 Okay this one grew on me with the last three segments of it. I liked it.
INTO GLASS was cute. I really like the way Aliya Whiteley writes old people. Specifically old people in love. 3/5 stars
COMPEL has the top spot in this list lmao. Aliens and anything in particular related to them are always gonna catch my attention. In the wake of an alien invasion we read the diary entries of a person who found a loophole in writing about the aliens, the person detailing these entries calls them "the compellers". For in this seperate world we read about; our fellow humans cannot speak, write, or share anything about the invasion. Anything about the compellers. It details what the writer says is the last three days of humanity. 5/5 stars
CHANTRESS 2/5 It was okay. Wouldn't read a whole book of it.
BLESSINGS ERUPT was spereated into two parts but to me it felt like one whole connected story. 4/5 The last one was also about singing and I didn't resonate with it, even though that's a very specific trope I ADORE to read in fiction. This one was really good though.
STAR IN THE SPIRE. Not even gonna rate this one because my eyes glazed over so many times reading it.
FROM THE NECK UP. Hell yeah Title short story and it's about body horror. Hmmm idk it didn't really measure up to the other stories I REALLY liked but it was pretty neat. Kind of reminds me of a fanfic I read once. 3/5
THE TEARS OF A BUILDING SURVEYOR, AND OTHER STORIES was definetly a top five. I had my little reading app read this own out load to me and WHEW the little automized (and sometimes really horrible) voice added to my experience. 4/5 for sure.
The Farm was not memorable. 2/5 I suppose.
Didn't really like The Spoils. 2/5
I wish I had choosen to read this over the course of a longer time instead of just binge reading it in a few days. Some of the reoccurring themes lost their novelty quickly.
Average is a 3/5.
September 26, 2021
Award-winning author Aliya Whiteley is certainly no stranger to horror. Her latest collection of short fiction, From the Neck Up, is another foray into this familiar land that marries horror with the uncanny. Sixteen wonderful tales comprise this collection, with something for every reader.
Many of these sixteen short stories follow themes that may be familiar for many of Whiteley’s fans. The horror found in Whiteley’s tales is a slow, creeping thing. Common themes that run through these stories are the horrors of the everyday. Very normal, mundane settings grow increasingly uncanny, odd, or strange in wonderful ways that can’t always been foretold, even by seasoned readers.
Body horror is played with in very interesting ways here. This isn’t the sort of horror that it may first sound like, either. Rarely does Whiteley venture into the territory of the bloody and gruesome. No, this is something slower, something gets under your skin and lingers. However, it is also something that is oddly comforting in many ways. That may sound strange to some, but what is horror if not searching for answers to our own fears and anxieties, no matter how outlandish or unreal a fashion they may be presented?
Age and the human body play major parts in many of the tales within From the Neck Up. Many of the main characters in these stories are much older than typical main characters, dealing with issues that, one day, we all shall face. Relationships, especially long-lasting, well-established relationships are also explored.
Short stories included vary greatly in length. A few of the shorter tales could stand to be just a few pages longer, which would allow for a more thorough exploration of the themes presented. However, there’s a certain chill that comes with such short vignettes. Having the window onto someone’s life snapped shut without, say, knowing that everything will work out okay for them is a certain horror in and of itself.
Fans of Whiteley and readers looking for horror of a slower, creeping nature will find a lot to love in his collection, which is perfect for the coming fall season.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This review is originally found on Looking GLass Reads.
Many of these sixteen short stories follow themes that may be familiar for many of Whiteley’s fans. The horror found in Whiteley’s tales is a slow, creeping thing. Common themes that run through these stories are the horrors of the everyday. Very normal, mundane settings grow increasingly uncanny, odd, or strange in wonderful ways that can’t always been foretold, even by seasoned readers.
Body horror is played with in very interesting ways here. This isn’t the sort of horror that it may first sound like, either. Rarely does Whiteley venture into the territory of the bloody and gruesome. No, this is something slower, something gets under your skin and lingers. However, it is also something that is oddly comforting in many ways. That may sound strange to some, but what is horror if not searching for answers to our own fears and anxieties, no matter how outlandish or unreal a fashion they may be presented?
Age and the human body play major parts in many of the tales within From the Neck Up. Many of the main characters in these stories are much older than typical main characters, dealing with issues that, one day, we all shall face. Relationships, especially long-lasting, well-established relationships are also explored.
Short stories included vary greatly in length. A few of the shorter tales could stand to be just a few pages longer, which would allow for a more thorough exploration of the themes presented. However, there’s a certain chill that comes with such short vignettes. Having the window onto someone’s life snapped shut without, say, knowing that everything will work out okay for them is a certain horror in and of itself.
Fans of Whiteley and readers looking for horror of a slower, creeping nature will find a lot to love in his collection, which is perfect for the coming fall season.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This review is originally found on Looking GLass Reads.
February 7, 2022
Individual Ratings:
Brushwork: 4 - dystopian cli-fi centered around a agricultural compound for the elite
Many-Eyed Monsters: 2.5 - cute body horror
Three Love Letters...: 4.5 - magical flower examining preservation and ignorance
Corwick Grows: 3 - body horror about a growing (quite literally) town
Loves of the Long Dead: 3 - trauma and vengeance that permeates generations
Reflection...: 4 - phenomenons around the world cause people to search for answers in unanswerable circumstances, and see what we miss in our pursuit of such answers
Farleyton: 3 - utopian city just out of reach for many examines hope in an impossible dream and the cost of such utopian societies.
Into Glass: 5 - an examination of love; is love finite, what do we owe to loved ones, what can come out of love, etc.
Compel: 3 - alien invasion story that leaves people befuddled and purposeless rather than riotous or scared. This one went over my head honestly.
Chantress: 5 - three "witches" on a mountain story, but examines the ways in which society and the individual grapple with roles we are given.
Blessings Erupt: 4.5 - body horror/tumor eating cli-fi; examines ways in which we perceive our purpose, our lives, our responsibilities to society
Star in the Spire: 3 - annihilation vibes, a girl searches for life in a dead, hot world; possible religious commentary.
From the Neck Up: 4 - body horror, decapitation; what motivates people, how does an individual stuck in life help themselves step forward?
Tears of a Building Surveyor...: 3 - a meditation on the past, individual context, growing apart, aging...
To the Farm: 3.5 - not the most original story but charming; a driver struggles with himself over a synthetic child his employers are returning.
The Spoils: 4 - questions of ignorance vs experience, expectations vs reality, does purpose and responsibility drive the continuation of life and love, etc.
Brushwork: 4 - dystopian cli-fi centered around a agricultural compound for the elite
Many-Eyed Monsters: 2.5 - cute body horror
Three Love Letters...: 4.5 - magical flower examining preservation and ignorance
Corwick Grows: 3 - body horror about a growing (quite literally) town
Loves of the Long Dead: 3 - trauma and vengeance that permeates generations
Reflection...: 4 - phenomenons around the world cause people to search for answers in unanswerable circumstances, and see what we miss in our pursuit of such answers
Farleyton: 3 - utopian city just out of reach for many examines hope in an impossible dream and the cost of such utopian societies.
Into Glass: 5 - an examination of love; is love finite, what do we owe to loved ones, what can come out of love, etc.
Compel: 3 - alien invasion story that leaves people befuddled and purposeless rather than riotous or scared. This one went over my head honestly.
Chantress: 5 - three "witches" on a mountain story, but examines the ways in which society and the individual grapple with roles we are given.
Blessings Erupt: 4.5 - body horror/tumor eating cli-fi; examines ways in which we perceive our purpose, our lives, our responsibilities to society
Star in the Spire: 3 - annihilation vibes, a girl searches for life in a dead, hot world; possible religious commentary.
From the Neck Up: 4 - body horror, decapitation; what motivates people, how does an individual stuck in life help themselves step forward?
Tears of a Building Surveyor...: 3 - a meditation on the past, individual context, growing apart, aging...
To the Farm: 3.5 - not the most original story but charming; a driver struggles with himself over a synthetic child his employers are returning.
The Spoils: 4 - questions of ignorance vs experience, expectations vs reality, does purpose and responsibility drive the continuation of life and love, etc.
September 14, 2021
Aliya Whiteley has been on my radar for quite some time. Between The Beauty and The Loosening Skin, I have heard a slew of wonderful things all pointing towards the notion that her work is weird AF. Does it take more than that to intrigue me? No, it does not.
Thank you to @titanbooks for an advanced digital copy for review. I don't typically gravitate towards short story collections. However, I've been wanting to mix things up with my reading habits and I'm really glad that I did. Whiteley has been promoted to an auto-buy author for me and all it took was sixteen short stories.
From the Neck Up is an interesting blend of science fiction and speculative horror with plenty of lines to read in-between for the reader. I was surprised to discover that almost all of the stories worked for me. Collections can go either way and that's never a bad thing. Only a few left me feeling more confused than not, and even after a re-read, I still couldn't grasp what was going on. Several stories left me wanting more, not due to lack of closure, but because I was truly invested in the small and brief world that was created.
It's incredibly hard to pick favorites, as there truly were only a few stories that I didn't care for. I won't post a synopsis about any of them because I feel like it's better to go in blind. Also, I don't think I could properly summarize Whiteley's ability to create unique and vivid worlds in such a short amount of words. If you've been on the fence about her work, this collection is perfect for getting your toes wet. It certainly worked for me. I highly recommend this book if you're a fan of: surrealism, dystopian settings, and science fiction with a dash of the bizarre.
Thank you to @titanbooks for an advanced digital copy for review. I don't typically gravitate towards short story collections. However, I've been wanting to mix things up with my reading habits and I'm really glad that I did. Whiteley has been promoted to an auto-buy author for me and all it took was sixteen short stories.
From the Neck Up is an interesting blend of science fiction and speculative horror with plenty of lines to read in-between for the reader. I was surprised to discover that almost all of the stories worked for me. Collections can go either way and that's never a bad thing. Only a few left me feeling more confused than not, and even after a re-read, I still couldn't grasp what was going on. Several stories left me wanting more, not due to lack of closure, but because I was truly invested in the small and brief world that was created.
It's incredibly hard to pick favorites, as there truly were only a few stories that I didn't care for. I won't post a synopsis about any of them because I feel like it's better to go in blind. Also, I don't think I could properly summarize Whiteley's ability to create unique and vivid worlds in such a short amount of words. If you've been on the fence about her work, this collection is perfect for getting your toes wet. It certainly worked for me. I highly recommend this book if you're a fan of: surrealism, dystopian settings, and science fiction with a dash of the bizarre.
September 30, 2021
I've read two Aliyah Whiteley books before From The Neck Up, and have found that her writing is a very unique, almost lyrical style, one that lends itself well to her unusual way of writing. This new book presents readers with a collection of sixteen short stories that I think give a good taste of what Aliya's writing is like, and shows how even when trying out different genres and themes there's something to her work that's so distinctly, and uniquely, hers.
The best way to describe this book is speculative. I know that's a term that is often used in conjunction with other genres, but Whiteley manages to write across so many different genres and themes in this book that this is really the best way to describe it as a whole. Whether it's a story that's leaning more towards horror, or is more obviously sci-fi, or one that seems to be only a few steps removed from our current world, the one thing that unites all of these stories is speculation.
Everything in this book is asking a question, whether that's wanting us to look at how we treat our planet, how we think of human lives, how we view love, sacrifice, or even mental illness. Whiteley seems to like challenging her readers, but in ways that don't feel confrontational, or like she's tying to make a point or teach a less. Instead, she simply presents her stories and her characters, and allows those events to lead the reader to a certain point, without them necessarily realising they've been made to thin about a difficult subject.
One of the downsides of a collection like this, however, is that not all of the stories feel as strong as the others. I'm not saying any of them are bad, as they're certainly no bad ones in this collection, but I've found that when work is being selected from the body of a single author there are sometimes examples that are so much stronger than the others it can lead to some of the stories feeling less effective.
Some of the stories in this collection that I feel are so good that they kind of overshadow some of the others include 'Into Glass', a strangely beautiful body horror story that touches on love, abuse, and sacrifice; 'Blessings Errupt', a eco-dystopia story that speculates on a possible future where we've begun to live with nature, but the sacrifices some people are having to make to keep that society going and the pain it causes them; 'From The Neck Up', an odd ghost like story featuring a severed head and a young woman learning to pursue her passions and the things in life that bring her joy; and 'Brushwork', which imagines a future where the elderly are employed in special farm domes to grow produce whilst the world experiences a second ice age outside.
'Brushwork' in particular stuck out to me as better than most of the other stories in the book due in part to it being the longest story in the book. It was more of a novella than a short story, and was longer than several of the others combined. It gave readers the chance to really get to know the characters, and spend time in that world. However, because it was the first story too it really felt out of place. I ended up expecting all of the stories in the book to be longer in length than they actually were because of the way the book began, and I was somewhat disappointing that they weren't all given the attention 'Brushwork' was.
I think that's perhaps my biggest criticism with the book, that I felt that I wanted more from the vast majority of these stories. I wanted to spend more time learning about these strange worlds what Whiteley had created, to see how these characters evolved and grew, and to have more of my questions answered. There are many stories here that felt like they could have gone on to become their own novel length fictions, and I'm a little sad they didn't.
Overall, there's a ton of stuff in this book to like. There are so many stories on offer here, of various different genres and themes that I think you'd be hard pressed to come away without liking at least one; or more realistically several. It's amazing to see how this author is able to turn their hand to so many different types of stories and make them all feel engaging and strange in some way, that they all end up drawing you in an wanting more.
If you're a long time fan of Aliya Whiteley you're going to love this book, and if you've never read any of her work before this book is definitely going to end with you wanting to read more of her work.
The best way to describe this book is speculative. I know that's a term that is often used in conjunction with other genres, but Whiteley manages to write across so many different genres and themes in this book that this is really the best way to describe it as a whole. Whether it's a story that's leaning more towards horror, or is more obviously sci-fi, or one that seems to be only a few steps removed from our current world, the one thing that unites all of these stories is speculation.
Everything in this book is asking a question, whether that's wanting us to look at how we treat our planet, how we think of human lives, how we view love, sacrifice, or even mental illness. Whiteley seems to like challenging her readers, but in ways that don't feel confrontational, or like she's tying to make a point or teach a less. Instead, she simply presents her stories and her characters, and allows those events to lead the reader to a certain point, without them necessarily realising they've been made to thin about a difficult subject.
One of the downsides of a collection like this, however, is that not all of the stories feel as strong as the others. I'm not saying any of them are bad, as they're certainly no bad ones in this collection, but I've found that when work is being selected from the body of a single author there are sometimes examples that are so much stronger than the others it can lead to some of the stories feeling less effective.
Some of the stories in this collection that I feel are so good that they kind of overshadow some of the others include 'Into Glass', a strangely beautiful body horror story that touches on love, abuse, and sacrifice; 'Blessings Errupt', a eco-dystopia story that speculates on a possible future where we've begun to live with nature, but the sacrifices some people are having to make to keep that society going and the pain it causes them; 'From The Neck Up', an odd ghost like story featuring a severed head and a young woman learning to pursue her passions and the things in life that bring her joy; and 'Brushwork', which imagines a future where the elderly are employed in special farm domes to grow produce whilst the world experiences a second ice age outside.
'Brushwork' in particular stuck out to me as better than most of the other stories in the book due in part to it being the longest story in the book. It was more of a novella than a short story, and was longer than several of the others combined. It gave readers the chance to really get to know the characters, and spend time in that world. However, because it was the first story too it really felt out of place. I ended up expecting all of the stories in the book to be longer in length than they actually were because of the way the book began, and I was somewhat disappointing that they weren't all given the attention 'Brushwork' was.
I think that's perhaps my biggest criticism with the book, that I felt that I wanted more from the vast majority of these stories. I wanted to spend more time learning about these strange worlds what Whiteley had created, to see how these characters evolved and grew, and to have more of my questions answered. There are many stories here that felt like they could have gone on to become their own novel length fictions, and I'm a little sad they didn't.
Overall, there's a ton of stuff in this book to like. There are so many stories on offer here, of various different genres and themes that I think you'd be hard pressed to come away without liking at least one; or more realistically several. It's amazing to see how this author is able to turn their hand to so many different types of stories and make them all feel engaging and strange in some way, that they all end up drawing you in an wanting more.
If you're a long time fan of Aliya Whiteley you're going to love this book, and if you've never read any of her work before this book is definitely going to end with you wanting to read more of her work.
September 13, 2021
I got my first taste of the weirdness that is Aliya Whiteley when I read Skyward Inn, and I fell in love with her storytelling then.
Her latest short story collection, From the Neck Up and Other Stories, doesn’t disappoint in the weird department either. This collection is a trip into the uncanny and the bizarre through speculative fiction. The stories range from anything from a talking severed head to a city that continuously grows—all of them filled with an underlying strangeness that is utterly captivating.
However, my personal favorites are as follows:
“Many-Eyed Monsters.” An oddball dark comedy about a woman who keeps coughing up little many-eyed creatures and she must wrestle with her growing attachment to them.
“Into Glass.” An introspective story about a woman who has inherited a strange ability from her family. She secretly removes pieces of her husband in order to turn them into glass sculptures at night. However, she begins to questions the effects this might have on him.
“Star in the Spire.” An unnerving and Lovecraftian tale about a girl plagued by memories and dreams who visits an old village filled with scarecrows only to uncover a startling truth.
All in all, Whiteley’s wild imagination and her ability to craft vivid, surreal imagery never ceases to amaze me, and I cannot recommend this collection enough for lovers of the fantastical and the bizarre.
Thank you, NetGalley and Titan Books, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Her latest short story collection, From the Neck Up and Other Stories, doesn’t disappoint in the weird department either. This collection is a trip into the uncanny and the bizarre through speculative fiction. The stories range from anything from a talking severed head to a city that continuously grows—all of them filled with an underlying strangeness that is utterly captivating.
However, my personal favorites are as follows:
“Many-Eyed Monsters.” An oddball dark comedy about a woman who keeps coughing up little many-eyed creatures and she must wrestle with her growing attachment to them.
“Into Glass.” An introspective story about a woman who has inherited a strange ability from her family. She secretly removes pieces of her husband in order to turn them into glass sculptures at night. However, she begins to questions the effects this might have on him.
“Star in the Spire.” An unnerving and Lovecraftian tale about a girl plagued by memories and dreams who visits an old village filled with scarecrows only to uncover a startling truth.
All in all, Whiteley’s wild imagination and her ability to craft vivid, surreal imagery never ceases to amaze me, and I cannot recommend this collection enough for lovers of the fantastical and the bizarre.
Thank you, NetGalley and Titan Books, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 4, 2021
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I adore Aliya Whiteley's writing. I knew it from the moment I read and loved Skyward Inn and From The Neck Up just cemented this. Each and every story stands out and there isn't a single story that is weaker than the others. Whiteley is a power house in spec fic writing and you just need to start reading her works if you haven't already.
This is the type of collection where when you flick back to stories you remember them and what was going on. I could have read all of them as full-length stories, but Whiteley manages to pack in the perfect amount of plot and character development. They range from 80 pages to as short at 10 pages, but yet they are all as strong as each other. It's incredibly hard for me to pick a favourite from the collection.
Whiteley explores a whole range of situations, and all of them are set in our recognisable worlds. From what happens in a new Ice Age, to rainbows filled with human faces, and a vengeful Ancient Egyptian priestess. There is a huge variety within this collection but it forms a perfectly cohesive book that you will find hard to put down.
Honestly, I absolutely loved this. Whiteley is top of her game and her works are unlike anything else.
I adore Aliya Whiteley's writing. I knew it from the moment I read and loved Skyward Inn and From The Neck Up just cemented this. Each and every story stands out and there isn't a single story that is weaker than the others. Whiteley is a power house in spec fic writing and you just need to start reading her works if you haven't already.
This is the type of collection where when you flick back to stories you remember them and what was going on. I could have read all of them as full-length stories, but Whiteley manages to pack in the perfect amount of plot and character development. They range from 80 pages to as short at 10 pages, but yet they are all as strong as each other. It's incredibly hard for me to pick a favourite from the collection.
Whiteley explores a whole range of situations, and all of them are set in our recognisable worlds. From what happens in a new Ice Age, to rainbows filled with human faces, and a vengeful Ancient Egyptian priestess. There is a huge variety within this collection but it forms a perfectly cohesive book that you will find hard to put down.
Honestly, I absolutely loved this. Whiteley is top of her game and her works are unlike anything else.
May 23, 2022
This book made me realize I'm not a huge fan of short story collections where every story is written by the same person. I absolutely love anthologies that feature a number of different authors, but something like this book often gets a little repetitive to me after a while. It's a little bit like reading a number of books by the same author in a row, which is just not something I can do. So even though I spaced those stories out over a longer time, only reading about one a day at first, at some point it just got too much of the same writing style and approach to things.
Those stories were still pretty interesting though, they definitely had a lot of unique concepts and each on its own was pretty fascinating and often pretty creepy, and I would have probably enjoyed them more had they all been in different anthologies between other authors' stories. However, I also often wanted a little more, I felt like the point of the story wasn't quite clear, that they needed just a sentence or two more to make them feel complete, which was a little frustrating.
Those stories were still pretty interesting though, they definitely had a lot of unique concepts and each on its own was pretty fascinating and often pretty creepy, and I would have probably enjoyed them more had they all been in different anthologies between other authors' stories. However, I also often wanted a little more, I felt like the point of the story wasn't quite clear, that they needed just a sentence or two more to make them feel complete, which was a little frustrating.
July 19, 2025
"It was a horrible, evil thing, this vomiting up of little bags of skin with questing eyes."
This collection of 16 stories is like many of the music CDs I still own in that it contains three "tracks" I really like and consider the other 13 not at the same level. Of those three, two are undoubtedly the gnarliest--the title track's talking decapitated head and the tumor-eating scenes in "Blessings Erupt." Also memorable in the latter is how the cost of goods in that alternate world are figured in terms of the buyers' years of life. The third, "The Tears of a Building Surveyor, and Other Stories," seems an achievement not only for containing a whole "memoir" in such a short space but for the pathos it conveys behind the memoirist's made-up adventures. The other 13 struck me as long on imagination and originality but short on satisfaction and seemed mainly like drafts of good ideas.
First line [from "Compel"]:
"It's a bizarre business, to feel grateful for an alien invasion."
September 5, 2021
3.5 stars! (coming out Sept 14!!!)
**Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
#FromtheNeckUp #NetGalley
Pros
+ dark short stories from the same author who wrote Skyward Inn
+ English author
+ The stories I loved the most were all eco-dystopian body horrors (no one is shocked)
+ common themes: eco-dystopian setting, body horror & physical mutations, dead heads, plants/nature, older person POVs, slow deaths
+ 4-stars (6 stories): Brushwork (eco-dystopian, fruit/veg biodomes, elderly workers, eco-terrorists), Many Eyed Monsters (flesh balls with many eyes, body horror), Corwick Grows (literal city growth, body horror), Into Glass (glass animal art, toxic love), Blessings Erupt (eco-dystopian, mutations, tumor-eating), Star in the Spire (eco-dystopian, body horror, scarecrows)
+ 3.5-stars (2 stories): Three Love Letters from an Unrepeatable Garden (love letters, gardener of a magic bloom), To the Farm (chauffeur, synthetic child)
Neutral
/ I didn't really feel like the stories were a family. Some were very short and some were much longer. Some were fantastical and others were very realistic. I wish there had been some curating to provide a more cohesive collection.
/ 3-stars (4 stories): Loves of the Long Dead (vengeful murdered Egyptian princess spirit, modern scientist), Reflection, Refraction, Dispersion (rainbows, dead heads), From the Neck Up (severed head, flower nursery), The Spoils (butchering, subterranean beast corpse)
Cons
- The stories which I didn't really like involve secondhand narrative styles (someone telling a story to someone else, diary entries, or memoir chapters). However, if you DO like those styles, then these stories may work better for you.
- 2.5-stars (1 story): Chantress (singer of useless songs)
- 2-stars (3 stories): Farleyton (utopian city), Compell (old man writing a diary, aliens), The Tears of the Building Surveyor, and Other Stories (old woman writing fantastical memoir)
TW: murder, dementia, death, frostbite, body horror, vomiting, tube insertion, spirits, cutting, partner/child abuse, scars, tumors, decapitation, cancer, pedophilia (off-page), butchering an animal corpse
**Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
#FromtheNeckUp #NetGalley
Pros
+ dark short stories from the same author who wrote Skyward Inn
+ English author
+ The stories I loved the most were all eco-dystopian body horrors (no one is shocked)
+ common themes: eco-dystopian setting, body horror & physical mutations, dead heads, plants/nature, older person POVs, slow deaths
+ 4-stars (6 stories): Brushwork (eco-dystopian, fruit/veg biodomes, elderly workers, eco-terrorists), Many Eyed Monsters (flesh balls with many eyes, body horror), Corwick Grows (literal city growth, body horror), Into Glass (glass animal art, toxic love), Blessings Erupt (eco-dystopian, mutations, tumor-eating), Star in the Spire (eco-dystopian, body horror, scarecrows)
+ 3.5-stars (2 stories): Three Love Letters from an Unrepeatable Garden (love letters, gardener of a magic bloom), To the Farm (chauffeur, synthetic child)
Neutral
/ I didn't really feel like the stories were a family. Some were very short and some were much longer. Some were fantastical and others were very realistic. I wish there had been some curating to provide a more cohesive collection.
/ 3-stars (4 stories): Loves of the Long Dead (vengeful murdered Egyptian princess spirit, modern scientist), Reflection, Refraction, Dispersion (rainbows, dead heads), From the Neck Up (severed head, flower nursery), The Spoils (butchering, subterranean beast corpse)
Cons
- The stories which I didn't really like involve secondhand narrative styles (someone telling a story to someone else, diary entries, or memoir chapters). However, if you DO like those styles, then these stories may work better for you.
- 2.5-stars (1 story): Chantress (singer of useless songs)
- 2-stars (3 stories): Farleyton (utopian city), Compell (old man writing a diary, aliens), The Tears of the Building Surveyor, and Other Stories (old woman writing fantastical memoir)
TW: murder, dementia, death, frostbite, body horror, vomiting, tube insertion, spirits, cutting, partner/child abuse, scars, tumors, decapitation, cancer, pedophilia (off-page), butchering an animal corpse
November 23, 2021
3.5-4 stars. As with many short story collections, some stories carry more weight and resonance than others. "Brushwork" was, by far, the most engaging and felt the most complete in the sense that the author spent a lot of time on it. I enjoyed the strange fairy tale atmosphere and implications of "Corwick Grows," and the Parable of the Sower-esque feeling of "Farleyton." "Lovers of the Long Dead" was highly imaginative and something I could easily see made into a movie, unlike "Blessings Erupt," which was wonderfully grotesque. The last one to make me feel anything was "To The Farm," which was horrifying in the way only humanity could be. The rest of the stories I could leave behind, but that's me personally, and ymmv. One thing is certain: this is the first but not the last work I've read of Whiteley's, and I'm glad to have come across this collection.
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