I'd Really Prefer Not to Be Here With You, and Other Stories (Julianna Baggott)

I'd Really Prefer Not to Be Here With You, and Other Stories
Julianna Baggott
Blackstone Publishing
Fiction, Collection/Fantasy/Horror/Sci-Fi
**** (Good)

DESCRIPTION: A power glitch reveals a terrifying truth about the adults in an idyllic suburban development, a young woman's morphing tattoo demands she confront a traumatic childhood incident, a peculiar pandemic scatters memories to random people, an AI "gaslighter" begins to question its role in manipulating humans... these and more stories by noted author Julianna Baggott are collected in this volume.

REVIEW: As with many short story collections, these tales could be a mixed bag, though I liked them more than I didn't. Many explore themes related to memories, the traumas of childhood (and parenthood), and the need to confront past hurts and unhealthy patterns if one is to have any hope of a better future. There are also some that explore what personhood means, and how we decide who gets to be recognized and who gets to be silenced. A few felt long, a few others felt abbreviated, and sometimes Baggott didn't seem to quite know where or how to end, what final note would make the strongest impact. Overall, though, they explored some interesting ideas without feeling too repetitive.

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