Tenth of December

A new short story collection from George Saunders and the birds are singing, the internet isn't buffering, the sun is out. This master of the form isn't the most prolific of short story writers so this new collection is cause for much celebration.

We are in the usual George Saunders landscape: oodles of satire and dystopia, weird product brand names, awkward characters doing odd things at opportune moments and big belly laughs. His stories are about the America of now as they are about the world of tomorrow. And because he has gone on record to say that any theme he wrestles with appears to him late on in the writing of a short story, it's easy to project your own opinions on to each of them. I read the bizarre drug trials and sexual misconduct of 'Escape from Spiderhead' as being about the next step for internet dating. The memo from Todd Birnie has whispers of 'well, you can't say anything in a workplace without incurring litigation' about it. 'Victory Lap' has a curious subtle hidden violence that pulses in the background of a story about childhood innocence.

What we get with Tenth of December is a set of stories that bulge with jokes. The texture of Saunders' writing, whether he is being nasty or warm, is also focused on the ridiculousness of any situation. Rarely does anything unfold in a way recognisable to normal civilised human beings, and therein lies the charm of his brilliantly off-the-wall short stories. He is a master. You won't regret reading any of his books. This is a great place to start.