Strange Itineraries

Tim Powers

5/6/2006

Strange Itineraries is a collection of supernatural short stories by Tim Powers. Most of the stories have ghosts, but there are also immortals, tomato worms, and ether bunnies. These aren't scary stories but rather unnatural happenings that begin to feel as if they could have or have already happened.

The first two stories, "Itinerary" and "The Way Down the Hill" cling with me the most. "Itineray" is time travel - sort of. We learn the problems and powers of being immortal in "The Way Down the Hill". "Night Moves" is poignant, leaving feelings of a will o' the wisp in the area. "Fifty Cents", written with James P. Blaylock, reminds me of an episode of Rod Steiger's Twilight Zone.

Names are often repeated. But what if a ghost with your name is seeking you out? Ask "Pat Moore". During "The Better Boy" I laughed aloud at the incident with the favorite pair of pants. Many of us have that favorite outfit - Bernard Wilkins' were his 'inventor's pants'. They don't fare well in a comical scene before we meet the tomato worms or ether bunnies. How can twins affect each other's lives if one is dead? Or is he? That's the question in "Where They are Hid". "We Traverse Afar", written with James P. Blaylock, doesn't have any supernatural beings. Instead, it's a sad commentary of current day life. In "Through and Through" a priest meets an unusual confessor.

A person's imagination can be fascinating. Tim Powers' certainly is. These stories leave the reader vaguely uneasy. They also open up new ideas and paths. Strange Itineraries is well worth reading.

You can find more about this book at .