The Valley of American Shadow – Gregg Voss
Dark, Realistic Stories of Phenomena Across America
The stories in The Valley of American Shadow are clever – I found myself asking, How did the author come up with this? The characters are so real it’s not funny – they could be anyone you know, anywhere.
Out of the 16 stories, I couldn’t pick a favorite, but there was one, (Super Doppler 12), where I was disappointed that it ended, not because it ended abruptly, but because I was just begging for a few more pages.
Known But to God brought tears to my eyes, Griefer made me grin, Dinner and a Movie made me laugh out loud. A lot of them made me think, every one of them has stuck with me. I can’t wait to read them again.
Each story takes place somewhere in America, which adds another layer to the depth these stories encompass. A couple of the places are made up, but they still must be based on a real place because the author does such an amazing job with description. The places are as real as the characters.
I literally couldn’t put The Valley of American Shadow down, stayed up way too late reading it, and carried it with me everywhere until I was finished. The writing is that good. I highly recommend this short story collection and can’t wait for more from Gregg Voss.
