A View of the Edge of the World: A Collection of Short Stories

by Sean McBride

We live in reality-in the moments and interactions of the day-to-day. We have faith in reality, because without it, there is no meaning and no truth. What is reality, though? Is it defined by the senses-taste, touch, smell, sight-or is it a state of mind? Does it only exist within the human brain, and if so, can one person's reality be in direct opposition to that of another? A View of the Edge of the World is a collection of stories that escapes the realm of our known reality and delves into the extraordinary. An obese child struggles to find meaning with the help of a supernatural stranger. A disillusioned soldier on the verge of insanity wrestles against time to save his mind, while strangers trapped in an all-night diner fight to solve a murder and save their lives. Each story takes a trip to the edge of the world, whether that edge is physical, psychological, or spiritual. Each story questions the truth of our reality. From the depths of space to the horrors created by one man's imagination, ask do you have the strength to step to the edge and look over? Or will the view leave you questioning your own sense of reality-and possibly your sanity?

244 pages, Paperback

First published August 17, 2010

Reviews

[Sean McBride · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes it's my book. Sorry. I would say that I fashioned this as a Twilight Zone inspired collection. I wanted to make some leeway into literary forms using Tobias Wolff and John Irving as mentors. Read it I dare ya...

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

A View From the Edge of the Worlds is the first book by Sean McBride.

Somewhere between modern a Poe (to which a few of his stories show homages to) and the Twilight Zone, not all the stories contain the fantastical, but they do all take place at the very edges of the human psyche. Of people and places taken to the breaking point.

McBride's locations without fail become a character in his stories, sometimes contributing a supporting cast of hotel rooms, or just one lead character in a diner, boathouse, or abandoned house.

With every collection of short stories some a merely good, while some are exceptional. My favorites in this collection were "We Proud, We Few","Dark Secret", "Purgatory", "The Sniper", "Final Punch" and the final longest story, "All-Night Diner."

I strongly recommend this book for anyone looking for a creepier read, whether it be around Halloween, or whether you just like the darker genres.

[Tom Gase · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great first book, and the first of many more (I hope) from a young and exciting new writer, Sean McBride. McBride's new collection of short stories, A View of the Edge of the World, is a breath of fresh air and a hope that there ARE actually great young storytellers in a world now dominated by bullshit reality television shows such as Dancing With the Stars, Glee and American Idol. McBride's collection wreaks of Alfred Hitchcock and Twilight Zone stories. His characters are some of the best I've read about in a long time, and I was sad when the book ended, because I knew I wouldn't read about them for the first time ever again. There are 12 stories in this book that will make your mind bend like never before. Some of my favorite stories included Purgatory, The Dream, Deja Vu, The Sniper and Final Punch. I recommend this book for anyone who is a fan of a good thrilling mystery. Well done.

[Danny]

An exciting collection of short stories has me looking forward for a novel.