Unwelcome Bodies by Jennifer Pelland Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Unwelcome Bodies
Book Review: Captivating and thought provoking science fiction
Summary: 5 Stars
Wow. I was blown away by this collection. It kept me turning pages long into the night. Each story got better and more intriguing than the last. Not for the faint of heart, a dark look at human fears, motives and a thoroughly thought provoking ride. Can't wait to see what's next.Book Review: Deep and powerful fiction
Summary: 5 Stars
Pelland is one of the most powerful writers crafting short fiction today. "Unwelcome Bodies" is a welcome addition to anyone's collection.Book Review: Excellent theme collection
Summary: 4 Stars
(originally posted on SFReader.com: http://www.sfreader.com/read_review.asp?book=1198)
"It's too early in my career! What were they thinking?" And so Jennifer Pelland reveals her initial insecurity in the acknowledgments of Unwelcome Bodies, her first collection of short stories. Reservations aside, her hybrid approach to science fiction and horror is fresh and imaginative, reflecting a new wave of speculation.
I first came across Pelland's work while catching up on "Psuedopod," a weekly horror podcast that featured "Immortal Sin" months ago. Her twist on religious devotion and one man's obsession with mortality prompted me to track down the written version. Two and half minutes on the Internet and a few business days later, Unwelcome Bodies was sitting in a stack of unread books on my shelf. I had no idea what she had in store for me.
When younger authors write around a particular topic, stories tend to blur, often repeating character types and relationships. Defying that inclination, Pelland explores a single theme from disparate, unexpected angles. All of the stories in Unwelcome Bodies deal with cognition and perception of the human body. She tackles fear, self-loathing, aging, self-discovery, and submission over eleven memorable tales. Anybody can relate to at least one of those.
Standout pieces include "Big Sister/Little Sister," a delightfully morbid take on sibling rivalry and revenge, "Captive Girl," a 2007 Nebula nominee about service and submission, and "Firebird" a story about personal myths. The inclusion of "The Call" is surprising as the second person, all-question style mutes the images of the piece---it feels more like a writing exercise than a story. In contrast "Songs of Lament" uses a dual-narration gimmick to great effect.
Pelland's strength as a writer is her ability to immerse the reader in a unique, insular world in each story through vivid details that, much like fine brush work in the foreground of a painting, suggest the completeness of the larger setting. Her style is matter-of-fact and conversational, letting the narrator expose character as plot advances.
The plight of the protagonist in "Captive Girls" is a wonderful example of this:
It's never easy. But these are the rules.
She grabs her canes and limps over to the walker. It's a terrifying contraption--one that she'd never seen with her own eyes for all the year she spent in it. Dull metal, faded padding, straps and buckles, and that rail circling the entire thing, trapping the occupant inside
Trapping her inside.
Pelland employs one common science fiction and horror cliché in half of the stories: the post-apocalyptic scenario. She manages to keep it fresh by using unapologetic narrators immersed in the logic of the times, and in the case of "The Last Stand of the Elephant Man," a narrator displaced from body as well as world. And there is something to be said for Pelland's other use of a common device: sex, and plenty of it, is always entertaining.
It would be interesting to see what Pelland could do in a novella or novel-length format. Expect great things from her in the future.
Book Review: Great Collection!!
Summary: 5 Stars
UNWELCOME BODIES is a short-story collection that focuses on a variety of issues: the environment, religion, and terrorism, and the one thing that unites these stories is the character's body image and how they fit into the world/society around them. Each of the stories are different and unique, and most all of the stories balance a wonderful blend of science fiction and horror. This collection is an easy one to recommend. Pelland has a smooth, clean writing style, and the ideas that fuel each story really make you sit up and take notice.Book Review: Must Read!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was intrigued by the themes and whole concept of the work. The cover is very stark and fitting. I thought the whole package-the art, the stories and ideas behind them, as well as the author's comments-really gave a first rate experience.
"For the Plague Thereof Was Exceeding Great" was one of my two favorites. It was disturbingly close to misconceptions of today and while it was sci fi, it also required little thought to make the leap. Replace AIDs with any unknown future virus, the rantings of the priests and doomsayers with those of today and it makes for a truly frightening picture. But it was so well done and so moving...a wonderful piece.
"Brushstrokes" was my other favorite. I loved the starcrossed lover approach but with a unique and modern twist. It too was so close to sentiments of today that it made me angry at the citizens of that world, as well as happy that someone has the courage to write about it. The tale was beautifully written and very poignant.
"Last Bus" was another I enjoyed, simply because it felt like a mid 20th century play. Sorrow and starkness combined (storytelling and plot-wise), but over all, hopeful.
"Immortal Sin" was fascinating. Maybe it's because I could understand how the man came to those assumptions being Catholic myself (seeing how people are able to twist words in the name of religion or how `guilt' feeds into a person's everyday thought process). Or maybe because I saw it, not so much as a sci-fi story, but as a thriller. Sane people find it hard to understand how anyone could make such a jump as the main character did with the waitress; reading as the character, though, it was obvious he was obsessive, off-kilter, and able to twist words and intentions in his own mind.
"Captive Girl" was enjoyable in its own twistedness. Definitely not the typical love story. It's not something most of us could relate to...but it certainly gave me pause for thought and I always enjoy stories that do that.
"Firebird" amused me, simply because as a fan, I was able to relate to it...and was yet utterly turned off by that fan fanaticism as much as I was by the religious and bigoted fanaticism of the other stories.
Overall, this collection is stunning. I can't recommend it enough. I think any reader of sci-fi or horror will completely enjoy it. For those not inclined towards short stories, this very well may change your mind. Additionally, the author is not only a wonderful writer, but genuinely interested in the process and her fans. She's given several great Q&A's.
More Unwelcome Bodies reviews:
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