An interesting short story collection but not really to my taste. Not really SF or fantasy, more weird fiction, possibly magical realism. The stories had distinct horror overtones and I don't really like horror much. I also didn't much care for the stream of consciousness style of writing; I tend to find it disjointed and distracting from the story.

Kathe Koja is smarter than me.

*deep, soul stirring sigh*

There. I said it. Out of my system. With this, her second collection of short stories, she flexes her creative muscles and gives the world another reason to latch on (heh heh...you’ll get it after reading...).

“Velocities” collects 13 stories, eleven previously published and two brand new, further illustrating her complete mastery of words, moods, and messages. I’ve been waiting months to read this, and thanks so much to Meerkat Press for providing me with a free copy of the collection.

At 144 pages, I was sure I was going to knock this one out in one quarantine sitting. I mean, story starts, story plays out, story ends. Smile in awe and on to the next one. But no, Miss Koja says; not so fast.

Each tale here is plenty dense and mind tickling. I would read the 10 (give or take) pages and have my immediate reaction. But then, something strange happens. I think back to a paragraph or sentence and reread. And think did I miss something here? So I go back and reread the whole story and see another layer I’d initially overlooked. And now it’s snowballing. I have another question and need to look up a word or a phrase to make sure I am getting the right connotation and find another thread I’d missed. Now the story is getting after me like Tyson got after Holyfield, chewing at my mind. I need a digestive break.

One hundred and forty four pages is not just 144 pages. It’s like Danielewski’s House of Leaves, bigger on the inside that it looks on the outside. It’s like Wrightson’s “I Will Be With You On Your Wedding Night” pen and ink drawing from Frankenstein, always something else drawing your attention on closer inspection. It’s an unsettling journey into all our fears, inadequacies, and feelings, moving faster and faster as the meanings and intent continue to unfold on closer inspection. You NEED time to settle after reading these. You NEED to work a little reading these. So yeah, no quarantine binge reading here. These stories are dark and immersive and they just keep coming at you long after you finish them. Faster and faster.

To paraphrase the Joker, where does she get these wonderful ideas? My favorites here included Road Trip (a woman deals with loss and grief evangelically), The Marble Lily (a corpse that won’t decompose and the janitor who looks after her), and Le Reine D’Enfer (wink wink nudge nudge with very subtle euphemisms I needed to look up). And if you didn’t know better you’d say they were written by three different authors as Koja uses a unique, distinct voice in each one, further illustrating her mastery of the written word. And the story “Baby” (haunted dolls? *shiver*) is just plain creepy.

This is all why I never read more than two stories on any given evening. I’m still rereading several of them as they pick up momentum and barrel through my brain. But what else would I expect from the woman who wrote one of the most chilling horror novels ever in The Cipher. Koja plies her craft deftly and with confidence, knowing who her audience is and how to get at them. And we are left in her inestimable wake.

Now please excuse me while I go reread the story Urb Civ. I think something just clicked in my mind and it’s coming at me again.

4.3 out of 5 stars. Reserving the ability to bump up to 5 stars once I reconcile some additional meanings I may have originally missed. ( )

I received this via the early reviewer's giveaway. While not the type of book I normally read, I actually really enjoyed these short stories. They are dark and full of emotion and the writing style is so vivid! I was able to picture every scene so clearly. ( )

Velocities by Kathe Koja is a group of intense, bold, deep and dark short stories. There are thirteen stories and each story is a masterpiece in itself. The stories cover a wide variety of topics from love, death, pain, hope and a lot of others.

At Eventide, Toujours and The Marble Lily are my favorite stories. I really do not want to discuss the stories here but in some stories the author brings the darker side of the regular emotions for the reader to feel. They are dark and intense yet sensible and heart-breaking. The elements of the stories are rich and cunning in a special way.

Author Kathe Koja's writing style is not regular but diverse and unique and she successfully presents her incredible vision to the readers in the most amazing way. This is the first time I am reading something like this. It definitely triggered a lot of emotions inside me.

I received the advance reviewer's copy of this book from Meerkat Press for an honest review.

This book is releasing on 21st of April, 2020. I recommend this book to everyone who wants to try something different ( )

This is a placeholder review for VELOCITIES: Stories, by Kathe Koja. This should not be taken as a finished review until I have assigned a star rating.