What do you think?
Rate this book
Drowned Moon
The stories in Drowned Moon are set in Southeast Texas, where the Old and the Lost Rivers meet and empty into the bay. This unique geographic location, with its unpredictable waters, its sinking swamps, its bayous and sloughs, provides a haunting landscape for Glenn Blake's characters.
120 pages, Paperback
First published December 27, 2000
1 person is currently reading
12 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 26, 2012
Today’s Wired blog turned me on to Rudy Rucker’s blog which had an interesting article about How to Write. He gives some excellent advice on avoiding one-dimensional characters, writing about what you know and love, and crafting realistic dialog. Now, I’m not sure that I agree about needing a big climatic finish, especially a happy one. Mr. Rucker’s thought is that fantasy and science fiction is an escape – well, true to a certain point – but I always feel ripped off when every thread gets wrapped up neatly and everyone lives happily ever after. I like to have something left for my mind to chew on – a tidbit to debate with friends over beer when discussing our favorite books.
Reading Mr. Rucker’s article fired some long-unused neurons and took me back to my fiction writing class in college. The course was taught by Glenn Blake, the author of one of my favorite non-geek books, Drowned Moon. The book is a collection of short stories set in the Deep South – each filled with quirky characters, beautifully rendered in tight prose. It is amazing how quickly a reader can become immersed in a well-developed character, even if the setting is bleak and hopeless. Mr. Blake’s stories are not heroic fiction, but they examine a small slice of humanity, carefully turning it over and examining its place in life’s ecosystem. And, there are no big finishes and certainly no happy endings.
I’m not saying that every book published should be as gut-wrenchingly reflective as Drowned Moon – one of the joys of reading, for me, is the expansive variety of the story telling craft. I know that my mood is oftentimes reflected in the book I choose off the bookshelf. One of the most important pieces of Mr. Blake’s advice that sticks with me today is: write stories that you like. If you like the story, others will too. Don’t worry about what is popular or trendy; just find your own voice. I guess the same advice is good for publishers too.
Reading Mr. Rucker’s article fired some long-unused neurons and took me back to my fiction writing class in college. The course was taught by Glenn Blake, the author of one of my favorite non-geek books, Drowned Moon. The book is a collection of short stories set in the Deep South – each filled with quirky characters, beautifully rendered in tight prose. It is amazing how quickly a reader can become immersed in a well-developed character, even if the setting is bleak and hopeless. Mr. Blake’s stories are not heroic fiction, but they examine a small slice of humanity, carefully turning it over and examining its place in life’s ecosystem. And, there are no big finishes and certainly no happy endings.
I’m not saying that every book published should be as gut-wrenchingly reflective as Drowned Moon – one of the joys of reading, for me, is the expansive variety of the story telling craft. I know that my mood is oftentimes reflected in the book I choose off the bookshelf. One of the most important pieces of Mr. Blake’s advice that sticks with me today is: write stories that you like. If you like the story, others will too. Don’t worry about what is popular or trendy; just find your own voice. I guess the same advice is good for publishers too.
August 31, 2012
It's rare that a short story will linger in the memory like one of your own lost memories, but that's what happens at an amazing clip in this collection. Blake writes fantastical stories of the everyday, which is no mean trick, and with an easy, direct confidence. Definitely worth the read.
March 11, 2008
Glenn Blake himself turned me on to this book...is that chutzpah, or what? Most of these stories are either good or very good. "Chocolate Bay", however, is nearly great.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews