An absolute gem!

Do you remember what Forrest Gump's mother always said?
"Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

"The same applies to A Small Fiction," says Tau and as a Belgian she can know
That the chocolates in this book are really delicious. In one word: "Wow!"

Don't be fooled by the packaging

Whether the cover appeals to you or not, pick up this book!
You will be pleasantly surprised.
Over and over again.

Because - like the title already says - it is all about 'small fiction'.
As in: lots of little stories of just a few sentences and maximum 140 characters.
What started as an exercice in creativity on Twitter, became an almost daily habit and resulted in this book.

There's no arguing about taste

That is a truism.
But the good news is: there's for everyone's taste in here.
Philosophical and poetic observations, science-fiction with robots and aliens, fantasy with ghosts and death and oracles, romances with a twist, …
Even a true wedding proposal!

You never know what you're gonna get

At first sight the stories are published in random order and not by theme or genre (although several themes keep coming back throughout the book and some may appeal more to you than others).
But when you look a little closer, you begin to see that there is always some connection between two successive stories. Sometimes it's the setting, sometimes just a keyword. Anyway, it's nice to see that the book was compiled with so much eye for detail.

Although you never know where the next story may take you, there are a few constants.
Several stories contain references to poems, books, … (always fun if you recognize them)
Others are supported by pictures made by Jefferson Miller, the brother of James Miller (the author). These black and white pictures often form a beautiful symbiosis with the words.
There is also a lot of inventive wordplay, which will delight language lovers.
And most importantly, there is humour in abundance. From witty over absurd to mostly dark.

Beware: as addictive as chocolate

This is definitely a book to read and reread, especially when you can use a bit(e) of inspiration or humour to brighten up your day!
And if you need a higher dose, you can always take a look on the Twitter-account of A Small Fiction where new stories are still regularly posted or on the website ;-)

*Disclaimer: Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this free e-book in exchange for an honest review.
** This review also appeared in an article on my blog World of Tau.