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What You Make It
The first ever collection of Michael Marshall Smith's award-winning short stories. The first piece of fiction Smith ever wrote -- a short story called The Man Who Drew Cats -- won the World Fantasy award. It's included here along with many others, some unpublished, which show the incredible versatility of one of the most exciting writers working in Britain today. The collection is stuffed with surreal, disturbing gems 'When God Lived in Kentish Town' Someone comes up to you when you're quietly eating your stir-fried rice in a great Chinese take away, and tells 'I've found God'. You try to ignore them, right? But what if they have, and what if He works in a drab old electrical store on Kentish Town Road and he's not getting many customers? 'Diet Hell' Some people will do anything to fit into their old jeans. 'Save As!' What if you could back up your life? Save it up to a certain point and return to it when things went horribly wrong? 'Everybody Goes' An idyllic childhood day from a long, hot summer. The kind you want to last for ever. All good things must come to an end, mustn't they?
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
21 people are currently reading
615 people want to read
About the author
Michael Marshall Smith
259Ìýbooks1,037ÌýfollowersMichael Marshall (Smith) is a bestselling novelist and screenwriter. His first novel, ONLY FORWARD, won the August Derleth and Philip K. Dick awards. SPARES and ONE OF US were optioned for film by DreamWorks and Warner Brothers, and the Straw Men trilogy - THE STRAW MEN, THE LONELY DEAD and BLOOD OF ANGELS - were international bestsellers. His most recent novels are THE INTRUDERS, BAD THINGS and KILLER MOVE.
He is a four-time winner of the BFS Award for short fiction, and his stories are collected in two volumes - WHAT YOU MAKE IT and MORE TOMORROW AND OTHER STORIES (which won the International Horror Guild Award).
He lives in Santa Cruz, California with his wife and son.
He is a four-time winner of the BFS Award for short fiction, and his stories are collected in two volumes - WHAT YOU MAKE IT and MORE TOMORROW AND OTHER STORIES (which won the International Horror Guild Award).
He lives in Santa Cruz, California with his wife and son.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
February 29, 2008
Occasionally twisted, always mindcatching, Michael Marshall Smith had a lot of fun with this one. Stories set in a dark alter-Disneyland(when murderers are loose, who better to hunt them down than the Mouse and his pals?), or featuring sidewalk artists whose work comes to life in their defense, these are short but very memorable.
July 27, 2011
The man is a genius, what more can I say?
March 30, 2017
This set of short stories was generally pretty entertaining - the author focuses mainly on modern urban life with the occasional twist (generally sci-fi in nature) and writes well. There's humour and drama, and it reminded me a little of Dan Rhodes' stuff, which I also have enjoyed.
The best three or four ones were thought provoking insights about men and relationships - hitting the mindset perfectly, though none were disappointing. Quite shocking and challenging of subject at times.
The best three or four ones were thought provoking insights about men and relationships - hitting the mindset perfectly, though none were disappointing. Quite shocking and challenging of subject at times.
February 28, 2020
Whenever I try to push Michael Marshall Smith on people (and I do, frequently), I always say he's what you'd get if you threw Philip K Dick, Stephen King, Ray Bradbury and Clive Barker into a blender. Not literally,because that would be a waste of great talent. And also, you know, murder. But I digress. The comparison is probably unfair to MMS, who is very much his own voice. This was just as enjoyably terrifying as it was first time around, and if some of the technology in the stories has dated a bit in the twenty years since its release, the ideas behind it have only become more relevant.
There are three or four real beauties in here: Everybody Goes, one of those achingly gorgeous little tales that take you right back to the days when you were a kid and just starting to become aware of how weird and scary and... disappointing, adults could be; Hell Hath Enlarged Herself, a story of tech-horror that would make Michael Crichton cower in fear; A Place to Stay, which is a gorgeous and troubling little vampire story - I think; and the best of the bunch, The Man Who Drew Cats, which is one of those pieces of fiction that make you want to applaud the bravura you've just been witness to.
Short stories are an art form all of their own, and Michael Marshall Smith is one of the masters.
There are three or four real beauties in here: Everybody Goes, one of those achingly gorgeous little tales that take you right back to the days when you were a kid and just starting to become aware of how weird and scary and... disappointing, adults could be; Hell Hath Enlarged Herself, a story of tech-horror that would make Michael Crichton cower in fear; A Place to Stay, which is a gorgeous and troubling little vampire story - I think; and the best of the bunch, The Man Who Drew Cats, which is one of those pieces of fiction that make you want to applaud the bravura you've just been witness to.
Short stories are an art form all of their own, and Michael Marshall Smith is one of the masters.
November 3, 2012
There's an extra star here just for The Man Who Drew Cats and Hell Hath Enlarged Herself. There are many good stories in here, but those two are tremendous.
September 4, 2011
A timely collection, from "The Man Who Drew Cats" right up to "More Tomorrow". It's Michael Marshall Smith, how can you go wrong?
August 31, 2012
Tengo que empezar diciendo que, en general, no soy aficionada a los libros de relatos; y, cuando suelo ceder, normalmente lo hago si estos son de género: fantasÃa, ciencia ficción, terror... De hecho, puedo leer esta clase de narraciones sin problemas si hablamos de King y Hill, Bradbury y algunas recopilaciones tipo Premios Hugo o UPC...
Asà pues, ¿por qué tenÃa ganas de hincarle el diente a éste, desde el momento en que me lo encontré en la biblioteca? Fácil: por ser su autor quién es. Y es que, aunque me leà el resto de sus novelas disponibles en la biblioteca hace más de diez años, y de hecho ni del argumento me acuerdo apenas, lo cierto es que guardaba un muy buen recuerdo. Con este libro, he recordado porqué: no sólo son sus argumentos originales y hasta subversivos, sino que además Michael Marshall Smith es un narrador portentoso, de esos que te atrapan desde la primera lÃnea y, al mismo tiempo, te deja maravillado con su manejo del lenguaje y la originalidad de sus metáforas.
Asà pues, "Cuerpos Ajenos y Otras Historias Inesperadas" es una colección de relatos absorbentes y casi mágicos, que sin duda no deja indiferente, siendo sin duda su mayor seña de identidad esa capacidad para mezclar lo cotidiano con lo sobrenatural. Relaciones familiares y de pareja, maltrato, pornografÃa en la red... Vampiros, fantasmas, zombis, apocalipsis y otras criaturas difÃciles de clasificar... e incluso algunos casos en los que no hay elemento sobrenatural, pero no por eso están exentos de capacidad de sorpresa, aunque el giro inesperado, el ,momento de asombro o hasta el horror nazca de la propia naturaleza humana (sÃ, también hay algún psicópata).
17 relatos de gran nivel en su mayorÃa, narrados fundamentalmente en primera persona, lo cual para mà siempre es un extra porque, no sé muy bien porqué, me parece que asà las historias llegan más al lector. Sólo cuatro están narrados en tercera persona, siendo dos de ellos los únicos que tienen una figura femenina como protagonista... dato anecdótico al fin y al cabo. :)
En resumen, y por si a estas alturas hace falta decirlo: altamente recomendable.
PD: Investigando en internet he descubierto que sus últimas novelas publicadas (en 2010-2011) se encuadran en el género negro... SerÃa interesante ver qué tal se le da la cosa, viendo que la ciencia ficción y el terror lo tiene dominado.
Asà pues, ¿por qué tenÃa ganas de hincarle el diente a éste, desde el momento en que me lo encontré en la biblioteca? Fácil: por ser su autor quién es. Y es que, aunque me leà el resto de sus novelas disponibles en la biblioteca hace más de diez años, y de hecho ni del argumento me acuerdo apenas, lo cierto es que guardaba un muy buen recuerdo. Con este libro, he recordado porqué: no sólo son sus argumentos originales y hasta subversivos, sino que además Michael Marshall Smith es un narrador portentoso, de esos que te atrapan desde la primera lÃnea y, al mismo tiempo, te deja maravillado con su manejo del lenguaje y la originalidad de sus metáforas.
Asà pues, "Cuerpos Ajenos y Otras Historias Inesperadas" es una colección de relatos absorbentes y casi mágicos, que sin duda no deja indiferente, siendo sin duda su mayor seña de identidad esa capacidad para mezclar lo cotidiano con lo sobrenatural. Relaciones familiares y de pareja, maltrato, pornografÃa en la red... Vampiros, fantasmas, zombis, apocalipsis y otras criaturas difÃciles de clasificar... e incluso algunos casos en los que no hay elemento sobrenatural, pero no por eso están exentos de capacidad de sorpresa, aunque el giro inesperado, el ,momento de asombro o hasta el horror nazca de la propia naturaleza humana (sÃ, también hay algún psicópata).
17 relatos de gran nivel en su mayorÃa, narrados fundamentalmente en primera persona, lo cual para mà siempre es un extra porque, no sé muy bien porqué, me parece que asà las historias llegan más al lector. Sólo cuatro están narrados en tercera persona, siendo dos de ellos los únicos que tienen una figura femenina como protagonista... dato anecdótico al fin y al cabo. :)
En resumen, y por si a estas alturas hace falta decirlo: altamente recomendable.
PD: Investigando en internet he descubierto que sus últimas novelas publicadas (en 2010-2011) se encuadran en el género negro... SerÃa interesante ver qué tal se le da la cosa, viendo que la ciencia ficción y el terror lo tiene dominado.
December 26, 2013
I've been reading this for a while and there are lots of stories in this collection.
I have it downloaded to my phone so it's the one I read when I don't have my Kindle.
I have it downloaded to my phone so it's the one I read when I don't have my Kindle.
March 12, 2018
It's always difficult to comment on short story collection because it's such a mixed bag of experiences. in addition, reading this book has been the filter between novels offer the last few months, so it's hard to pick out a theme.
but here's the thing, Michael Marshall Smith is one hell of a short story writer, so you know you're going to be in for a great ride. Even if this first collection is not as awe inspiring as some of his later work, it's still well worth the entry fee.
but here's the thing, Michael Marshall Smith is one hell of a short story writer, so you know you're going to be in for a great ride. Even if this first collection is not as awe inspiring as some of his later work, it's still well worth the entry fee.
November 6, 2023
No lo terminé.
Relatos mundanos con toques noir, ciencia-ficcionescos, semi-apocalipticos, surrealistas y demás batiburrillo la mayor parte del tiempo aburrido. Esperaba más luego de leer tan buenas reseñas. Decepcionante.
Los relatos son legibles, pero la mitad que leà no van a ninguna parte y no me queda claro qué es lo que el autor intenta contar, definitivamente no son para mi.
Relatos mundanos con toques noir, ciencia-ficcionescos, semi-apocalipticos, surrealistas y demás batiburrillo la mayor parte del tiempo aburrido. Esperaba más luego de leer tan buenas reseñas. Decepcionante.
Los relatos son legibles, pero la mitad que leà no van a ninguna parte y no me queda claro qué es lo que el autor intenta contar, definitivamente no son para mi.
February 25, 2023
This is a fine author and with imagination. Rarely have I devoured stories that pull me in and make me a part of the scenery. I virtually physically clapped my hand over my mouth, and would have done so had I not been on the treadmill and needing to hang on. Each story is superb.
November 2, 2023
Read several of his other work, and liked the surreal element of it, but this seems anything but. Disappointed and often bored at times, shame, as I really looked forward to get my socks blown off. Think this also was marketed wrong. It's readable, that's the good thing.
November 21, 2023
Un recueil de nouvelles qui montre les difficultés de la vie
Des scènes ou l’état de l’auteur nous permet de découvrir le monde des alcooliques ou des drogués
Des scènes de fiction montrant la déchéance de l’homme sont très négatives quant à son avenir
Une écriture au passé simple très agréable
Des scènes ou l’état de l’auteur nous permet de découvrir le monde des alcooliques ou des drogués
Des scènes de fiction montrant la déchéance de l’homme sont très négatives quant à son avenir
Une écriture au passé simple très agréable
January 20, 2024
This book was my introduction to MMS and I am so grateful that I found it, so many years ago at a used books shop in London.
His stories are unique and will haunt you for ages. Hell Hath Enlarged Herself is one of my favorite stories ever.
His stories are unique and will haunt you for ages. Hell Hath Enlarged Herself is one of my favorite stories ever.
April 8, 2019
Some interesting dark and humourous stories.
January 8, 2024
4.0 Stars
January 10, 2025
Book of short stories. Clever and well written and thought provoking. Dark as hell
May 10, 2018
I probably should have read this twenty years ago around the time when I read “Only Forward�, one of my favourite novels of all time. There is gold herein, and when Smith hits his stride it’s delicious. Unfortunately the good stuff is so few and far between and a lot of it feels like filler.
September 19, 2016
The main male characters were the same dude recycled into different names, places and scenarios. They were inwardly sarcastic, outwardly ineffectual. Heavy smokers, regular drinkers, computer nerds with desk jobs, dodgy past entanglements of love. Almost always presented in the first person perspective.
Out of seventeen stories only two featured women, both of them dour and lacking real characterization. Most of the lady characters were throw aways, which bummed me the fuck out. At first I was digging the retro feel to his stories, but the women were baggage and patronized and that's not cool, not in every story.
The wry, thoughtful way Smith presents stories is a real treat for me. I get giddy and smug when a characters thinks something obnoxious that I've come across in my own thoughts on my own time. Half the stories are too long and repetitive for their own good. Often I wish I could peel back some layers, or prune out the words that have become redundant. The climax of the stories always satisfy, but the slog to get there will erode the joy of finishing.
Not an abundance of horror, more like mundane sci-fi with some cyberpunk, slice of life and psychological thriller. Seriously, the author kills it when he dabbles with mindfucks and mental illness.
A handful of stories were set in America but we're still peppered with British terms and euphemisms. But that's just really nitpicking, it is.
Despite the 2 star rating for this book I look forward to reading another Smith anthology, Everything You Need, because Smith is a damn fine writer and I think (hope) the newer stories will be tighter, more varied and more accessible. And through an odd quirk of luck I received a hard covered copy from a Florida library, discarded and signed. I hope the author would deem me worthy of possessing such a treasure.
Out of seventeen stories only two featured women, both of them dour and lacking real characterization. Most of the lady characters were throw aways, which bummed me the fuck out. At first I was digging the retro feel to his stories, but the women were baggage and patronized and that's not cool, not in every story.
The wry, thoughtful way Smith presents stories is a real treat for me. I get giddy and smug when a characters thinks something obnoxious that I've come across in my own thoughts on my own time. Half the stories are too long and repetitive for their own good. Often I wish I could peel back some layers, or prune out the words that have become redundant. The climax of the stories always satisfy, but the slog to get there will erode the joy of finishing.
Not an abundance of horror, more like mundane sci-fi with some cyberpunk, slice of life and psychological thriller. Seriously, the author kills it when he dabbles with mindfucks and mental illness.
A handful of stories were set in America but we're still peppered with British terms and euphemisms. But that's just really nitpicking, it is.
Despite the 2 star rating for this book I look forward to reading another Smith anthology, Everything You Need, because Smith is a damn fine writer and I think (hope) the newer stories will be tighter, more varied and more accessible. And through an odd quirk of luck I received a hard covered copy from a Florida library, discarded and signed. I hope the author would deem me worthy of possessing such a treasure.
July 4, 2023
If you're a fan of strange horror type short stories that stick with you long after you've finished reading, Michael Marshall Smith may just be the best in the game.
Strongly recommend.
Strongly recommend.
February 9, 2017
Historias mundanas con un toque psicológico que te mantienen en vilo en cada uno de los relatos, como suele pasar unos mejores que otros según opinión personal de cada uno. Recomendado para todos aquellos lectores de scfi, terror y fantasÃa que quieran leer algo fuera de estos géneros pero sin salirse de ellos.
January 30, 2017
I don't usually read short stories but some of these are outstanding and really powerful.
The first story in the book "More Tomorrow" is probably good test of whether you will enjoy the rest of the stories. It's sinister, dark and creates a real impact on the reader. There are three or four other stand out stories in the collection - many of them dark - but it's this opening story that will probably make me pick up the book again sometime.
I wouldn't say any of it is fun to read - although 'Always' is kind of touching and made me feel emotional. However, it is macabre, well written and Marshall Smith has the ability to create a world very quickly, which is essential for a writer of short stories.
Well worth a read.
The first story in the book "More Tomorrow" is probably good test of whether you will enjoy the rest of the stories. It's sinister, dark and creates a real impact on the reader. There are three or four other stand out stories in the collection - many of them dark - but it's this opening story that will probably make me pick up the book again sometime.
I wouldn't say any of it is fun to read - although 'Always' is kind of touching and made me feel emotional. However, it is macabre, well written and Marshall Smith has the ability to create a world very quickly, which is essential for a writer of short stories.
Well worth a read.
July 31, 2011
The collection features short stories which are both very different and very similar. Most of them are either predictable or downright clichés, but the author possesses the skill to make them interesting and gripping nonetheless. Almost all the stories are narrated in the first person by similar male protagonists, yet each of them manages to feel different to the reader. Insanity is a prominent theme, as is violence (and tea). The best piece for me was undoubtedly Everybody Goes which contains a lovely bit of .
January 2, 2010
As in almost all collections of short stories, the quality is not uniform. However most of these tales are quite good. It is not (with a couple of exceptions) a book of horror tales, but of disturbing tales. What this collection reminds me is of E.A. Poe. A londoner Poe, in the current time, and using computers, but with the same mix of mormality and the extraordinary.
My favorites are "Later" and "The man who drew cats", and as they are in the beginning it may have lowered a bit the total score.
My favorites are "Later" and "The man who drew cats", and as they are in the beginning it may have lowered a bit the total score.
March 7, 2017
I love the novels I've read by Michael Marshall Smith and this collection, though a little up and down, had more hits than misses and struck many of the chords I've come to expect from him. 'More Tomorrow' has a chill that's only heightened by the entertaining period descriptions of the early-nineties internet. 'Hell Hath Enlarged Herself', though it starts off similarly to Greg Bear's godawful novel Blood Music, takes the same conceit to a creepiness and a lovely sustained note of sadness that were quite unexpected.
April 20, 2016
I have been dipping in and out of this book for a long time and recently finished it. Some of the stories are quite dated now with regards to the mentioned technology but that doesn't diminish their impact too much. There was one story that I absolutely hated, 'The Dark Land' it irritated the shit out of me and I was glad when it was over. Of the other stories I particularly liked 'Hell hath enlarged herself', very creepy. A fair few of the stories are creepy or disturbing in some way but very good.
October 24, 2010
I found this book really hit or miss. The occasional short story was good, but the majority of them were just disappointing. I can't say I'm a fan of short stories in general, they tend to go nowhere, just as they're gaining momentum the author slams on the emergency break in the form of a 'shock ending' that brings the story to an abrupt ending. Unfortunately, this book was no exception.
January 22, 2013
A couple of these stories are good but overall I got tired of the wacky switchbacks and turnarounds. Didn't feel they earned them, sometimes real emotional impact was sacrificed for the sake of weirdness. Some stories also went on too long. Felt like a lot of scripts for short films, and the layers of irony dates this to the 90s even more than the digressions about that new internet thing.
August 15, 2016
I've been reading this in parallel with other books. It's a collection of short stories in classic marshall smith style. Some great stories, some a bit mediocre. Most of them involve a twist or an ambiguous ending. Some are fairly thought provoking.
Sadly, the story i liked the least was the one which titled the book. Ah well.
If you like MMS, worth a shot.
Sadly, the story i liked the least was the one which titled the book. Ah well.
If you like MMS, worth a shot.
May 30, 2007
Brilliant collection of short stories many of them dealing with the subject of bereavement or perhaps those were the ones that stuck in my mind more. Several stories will stay with me for a long time.
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