Other Voices by Andrew Humphrey

The opening story of Andrew Humphrey’s collection, Other Voices, is a science fiction tale of love and compassion. Set in a time when the world is at war and society is falling apart, “Grief Inc” is about people who have special “gifts” whom the government is making use of as it fights a losing battle.

Carter has a gift which is of little help in the war, and, being a cold and calculating individual, he uses his ability to absorb grief from others in order to line his pockets. But as the story unfolds, Carter comes to understand that a life lived without caring about anyone is not worth living. Interesting and well constructed, this story includes some truly tender moments hidden among the political and social commentary.

Political and social commentary are also the order of the day in “Tilt,” where science and God compete for the responsibility for a severe and volatile weather front and a series of disturbing events around the world. Is it punishment from a higher power or the ultimate result of man’s continued destruction of the planet? Readers are left to make up their own minds.

Humphrey seems to like playing with concepts involving reality, and “Holding Pattern” is a great example of how he uses an off-kilter reality to create atmosphere and tension. Douglas, a married man who is obviously more devoted to his wife than she is to him, sees his life fall apart as cracks begin to appear in his reality. As his sanity and his relationships crumble, he totally loses his grip on what is and isn’t real. Douglas is an excellent creation, believable in an utterly bizarre setting.

“Dogfight” is another story that plays with reality and also displays Humphrey’s aversion to giving the reader too much information. Very much a story open to interpretation, “Dogfight” is about a difficult relationship between a father and son after the mother has died. The boy resents his father for misdemeanours, whether real or imagined, committed while his mother was still alive. Away for a weekend together, the two struggle to establish a bond and get to know one another. A nicely told story, though not particularly memorable.

Despite being the title story of the collection, “Other Voices” is probably the weakest offering. Still highly enjoyable and well told, it doesn’t offer the same depth evident in many of the others and is a little too obscure. Steve Troughton is an alcoholic police officer who is becoming increasingly disoriented as the line between fantasy and reality blurs. The sense of confusion Humphrey creates to help the reader identify with Steve is well done, but ultimately leaves a lingering frustration.

While some readers may enjoy Humphrey’s tendency to leave many facts open to his readers’ imaginations, he sometimes leaves out more than he includes. This can result in a story which lacks substance and has little to say, as is the case in “War Stories.” About a man who allows his partner to yo-yo in and out of their relationship until one day she leaves for good, it’s well written and interesting, but one can’t help but feel that it’s trying to say more than it actually does.

In contrast with “War Stories,” “Strawberry Hill” is one of the best offerings of this collection, with its strong characters and tense atmosphere. Jeff Derbyshire is a happily married man, settled in his life and happy with his lot. All that changes when an old face from his past unexpectedly comes back into his life and dredges up memories of a childhood event which he has spent years trying to forget. Time has not erased the guilt, and his entire life changes when he is forced to confront what he did. This is a suspenseful story with a chilling concept—no matter how far you go or how much time passes, your past will always catch up with you.

“Old Wounds” is an intriguing little story about the mess people make of relationships and the devastating effect that lies and deception can have. Memorable, if only for the brilliantly conceived ending which Humphrey tells so subtly, resisting the temptation to lay thick the emotion.

Another story about messy relationships and betrayal is “Butter Wouldn’t Melt.” The characters here are well realised, and the premise wouldn’t be out of place on a daytime talk show—which means it’s certainly entertaining—but the best part is the form of revenge the jilted wife takes on her cheating husband.

“Think of a Number” is a shocking account of child abuse, murder, and revenge. Humphrey portrays the bitterness of the protagonist brilliantly in this deeply moving and highly disturbing story.

“Three Days” is an excellent and sensitively handled portrayal of the devastating effects of child abduction. In a time of tragedy, panic, and ultimate fears becoming reality, the cracks in the relationship between two people become huge fissures. The return of their daughter is enough to bridge the gaps, though, uniting them as a loving, happy family. But things are not entirely as they seem.

Another winner of the collection is “Mimic,” a science fiction tale about a group of soldiers tasked with cleaning up potentially awkward or embarrassing situations which their government would rather not acknowledge. Their original brief was to get rid of the aliens after they finished studying them, but not all of the subjects sent to them in their underground bunker are from another planet. Everything goes wrong when a subject arrives who looks identical to one of them. Fast paced and interesting, if not entirely original.

The final story in the collection is “Last Kiss.” When John saves a stranger from a suicide attempt one night while walking home from the pub, he has no idea that it will lead to the destruction of his carefully balanced life. His wife suffers from depression, but he cannot muster any compassion or sympathy for her. Instead, he accuses her of attention seeking and spends afternoons with another woman whenever he can get away. Very much supporting the old cliché that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone, but well paced and a good read, nonetheless. The only frustration is the total lack of explanation about who the mysterious stranger is and what his motives are.

Overall, Other Voices is a thoroughly enjoyable collection. While a smattering of stories are frustrating due to the lack of information presented, all are well written and worth reading.

Publisher: Elastic Press (Jan. 2008)
Price: $11.64
Paperback: 200 pages
ISBN: 0955318149