Fionnáin reviewed Cosmogramma by Courttia Newland
Too much tell, not enough show
2 stars
As a reader, I like short stories to have a thread in a book that joins them together. Whether the link is social, thematic, tonal, or anything else, it always feels like the best short stories connect together somehow. Cosmogramma doesn't do this, or if it does then the connections are not visible to me. The speculative fiction/science fiction elements alone are not enough to connect the ideas.
Some of the stories (Scarecrow in particular) build tension and connection to the characters well and are memorable, but others (such as the book's title piece) rely too much on explanation and don't allow the reader to infer anything, telling without showing. The writing is careful and readable throughout but never particularly daring or beautiful. In the end this was a book of disconnected parts for me, sometimes enjoyable but overall unrewarding. Might suit a science fiction fan more as this …
As a reader, I like short stories to have a thread in a book that joins them together. Whether the link is social, thematic, tonal, or anything else, it always feels like the best short stories connect together somehow. Cosmogramma doesn't do this, or if it does then the connections are not visible to me. The speculative fiction/science fiction elements alone are not enough to connect the ideas.
Some of the stories (Scarecrow in particular) build tension and connection to the characters well and are memorable, but others (such as the book's title piece) rely too much on explanation and don't allow the reader to infer anything, telling without showing. The writing is careful and readable throughout but never particularly daring or beautiful. In the end this was a book of disconnected parts for me, sometimes enjoyable but overall unrewarding. Might suit a science fiction fan more as this genre often forgives the points that I found unenjoyable.