Other Seasons

The Best of Neal Barrett, Jr., Volume 2

By: Neal Barrett Jr.

Narrated by: T.W. Ashworth

"Reading one of his stories is a trip through different seasons, different doors...."

Neal Barrett, Jr. answers (sometimes) to a number of names: Odd, Weird, Gonzo, and, as a former collection points out: Slightly Off Center. Barrett is all of the above, and more. From readers who have followed his career come accolades such as "brilliant", "unique", "sheer genius". Other writers respect his status as a master of words, his ability to weave rhythm and poetry into his tales.

Barrett jumps in and out of genres at will, or simply invents one of his own. He likes to bring his favorite characters together and see what they'll do. Neal Barrett, Jr. has made a special effort to give us a number of dark, funny, and hopefully impossible views of the future.

Clearly, Nostradamus missed the boat. Read and enjoy. Stories included in this collection:

• "Grandfather Pelts"
• "Tony Red Dog"
• "The Last Cardinal Bird in Tennessee"
• "Hit"
• "Rhido Wars"
• "Slidin'"
• "Radio Station St. Jack"
• "Tourists"
• "Getting Dark"
• "The Heart"
• "Limo"

©2012 Ruth Barrett (P)2021 David N. Wilson

Madcap Vintage Stories

These stories are peculiar and have a undeniable experimental flavor. The range and variety of genres is refreshingly madcap. Many of the stories end with a zinger 'mic drop' that twists with irony but sometimes feels abrupt in audiobook delivery. Curiously this second installment seemed weaker more inconsistent in quality than the first. It has an odd humor that seems more grotesque in parts and more literal in execution. Some of the tropes it uses that felt nostalgic in the first part here seem folksy with some ideas that feel outdated. Overall it plays like an bizarre weird anthology series. My favorite segment was The Heart about an Indian heart that won't quit beating and a fate one would never guess.