Catherynne M. Valente

Science fiction and fantasy stories about Japan by the multiple-award winning author and New York Times best seller Catherynne M. Valente. A collection of some of Catherynne Valente’s most admired stories, including the Hugo Award-nominated novella Silently and Very Fast and the Locus Award finalist “13 Ways of Looking at Space/Time,” with a brand-new long story to anchor the collection.

The Melancholy of Mechagirl

taryn a.

I think perhaps my hopes were too high after reading Valente's Deathless, which earnestly nothing can compare to. Some stories I adored, others were so (intentionally) laden with technological phrases or terms I was almost frustrated and nearly confused. Still, Valente's metaphors and prose remain wonderful

A woman who dreams of machines. A paper lantern that falls in love. The most compelling video game you’ve never played and that nobody can ever play twice. This collection of Catherynne M. Valente’s stories and poems with Japanese themes includes the lauded novella “Silently and Very Fast,” the award-nominated “Thirteen Ways of Looking at Space/Time,” and “Ghosts of Gunkanjima”—which originally appeared in a book smaller than your palm, published in a limited edition of twenty-four. Also included are two new stories: the semiautobiographical, metafictional, and utterly magical “Ink, Water, Milk” and the cinematic, demon-haunted “Story No. 6.” -- VIZ Media

it is clear that valente has garnered well-deserved attention and acknowledgement among her peers. but i feel like her talent far outweighs her presence in the cultural conversation and it is a great shame.

her writing is atmospheric and haunting, with the quality of a fairy tale and - yes - infused with a certain sense of melancholy that permeates this collection and makes its way to the reader's heart. valente has an uncanny ability for creating vivid imagery and for moving profoundly her audience.

but even if stripped of that, 'the melancholy of mechagirl' is a fascinating collection of poems and short stories.

on one hand, its semi-autobiographical nature allows for an exploration of personhood that feels very intimate. when valente interacts with japanese culture she does not do that through an exotic and impersonal foreign lens. rather, she describes a dialogue between herself and a culture that she is foreign to (rather than 

); the interaction feel tangible and its participants - vivid and real and fully realised. it is a reality that has clearly been lived in.

on the other hand, there are themes and motives that will later be infused into valente's subsequent works. her specific style of exploration of matters of power and marriage and self-actualisation has already taken shape in the works exhibited here.

each short story and poem included within the collection is stunning. 'the melancholy of mechagirl' and 'the girl with two skins' are deeply intriguing, while others like like 'one breath one stroke' read like fairy tales. 'killswitch', of course, has a cult following online (which is, ironically, how i ended up finally picking this up - though nothing i heard did this justice). 'fade to white' was also very strong and perhaps an ancestor of 'comfort me with apples'.

one cannot recommend how much each of the stories included here must be read. however, the indisputable highlight of the collection is 'silently and very fast' which is an excellent sci-fi story that stays on one's mind for a long time.

it is clear that valente has garnered well-deserved attention and acknowledgement among her peers. but i feel like her talent far outweighs her presence in the cultural conversation and it is a great shame.

her writing is atmospheric and haunting, with the quality of a fairy tale and - yes - infused with a certain sense of melancholy that permeates this collection and makes its way to the reader's heart. valente has an uncanny ability for creating vivid imagery and for moving profoundly her audience.

but even if stripped of that, 'the melancholy of mechagirl' is a fascinating collection of poems and short stories.

on one hand, its semi-autobiographical nature allows for an exploration of personhood that feels very intimate. when valente interacts with japanese culture she does not do that through an exotic and impersonal foreign lens. rather, she describes a dialogue between herself and a culture that she is foreign to (rather than it being foreign to her); the interaction feel tangible and its participants - vivid and real and fully realised. it is a reality that has clearly been lived in.

on the other hand, there are themes and motives that will later be infused into valente's subsequent works. her specific style of exploration of matters of power and marriage and self-actualisation has already taken shape in the works exhibited here.

each short story and poem included within the collection is stunning. 'the melancholy of mechagirl' and 'the girl with two skins' are deeply intriguing, while others like like 'one breath one stroke' read like fairy tales. 'killswitch', of course, has a cult following online (which is, ironically, how i ended up finally picking this up - though nothing i heard did this justice). 'fade to white' was also very strong and perhaps an ancestor of 'comfort me with apples'.

one cannot recommend how much each of the stories included here must be read. however, the indisputable highlight of the collection is 'silently and very fast' which is an excellent sci-fi story that stays on one's mind for a long time.

The Melancholy of Mechagirl

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