Nadxieli Nieto

The contributors to this anthology were asked to write a very short story (less than 1,500 words) about something that scares them. Like all anthologies, this one is uneven, but there aren't any real clunkers, and there are quite a few standouts: stories that were especially creepy or funny or chilling. The authors are a mix of horror and literary writers, some of them well-known to me, and also seem to reflect a mix of backgrounds and perspectives. All this makes the stories nicely varied, with commentaries on everything from police shootings to illegal immigration to drug addiction to motherhood. I was particularly delighted by the index at the end to all the weird and scary subjects; I read it straight through--it was like a found poem. I also enjoyed the unsettling art that introduced each section of the book.… (mehr)

Tiny Crimes, edited by Lincoln Michel and Nadxieli Nieto, is a unique anthology of very short stories written by famous authors from around the world. As a nice touch, the editors include versions of the stories in their original languages as well. The forty stories in the collection all address the expression of humanity’s potential for darkness in a variety of styles and subject matter. Some of the stories are political in tone with a futuristic/dystopic view, others are more deeply psychological. The accessibility of each entry varies, depending on how experimental its form and the amount of cultural references. A few are a bit pretentious and overly wrought, but the majority are straightforward powerful punches. All have artistic merit and take only a few minutes to read, so Tiny Crimes would be good for those looking for something “interruptible” but still entertaining and thought-provoking.… (mehr)