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A so-so short story collection that drew me in by putting its best foot first. ‘Until the Seas Rise�, which sees a thwarted crush play out against the backdrop of a tsunami warning, took me straight into the world of the book. It’s a vivid, tangible story with instantly real characters. Unfortunately, there’s only one other in the book that comes anywhere close to this standard. Coincidentally, or maybe not, it’s one that expands on a detail from ‘Until the Seas Rise�: the presence of ‘fog catchers�, who quite literally trap fog in jars. In ‘The Fog Catchers�, a paranoid conwoman hooks up with a guy she meets at a hotel, only to attract exactly the type of attention she’s trying to avoid. Lots of interesting ideas and details.

Overall the book is intriguing and definitely cohesive, with a sense of all the stories taking place in the same universe, both because specific details recur, and because the themes are consistent: time travel, climate change, how relationships are impacted by technology. However there’s a repeating problem of inconclusive endings, and so many stories feel like they could have been tighter and more focused � actually, it almost feels like they haven’t been critiqued at all. ‘The Encroachment of Waking Life� has a promising setup, but as soon as you ask a few questions about the premise it falls apart. ‘A Minor Disturbance� builds tension without payoff. Another story is a retelling of a classic fairytale that telegraphs its whole deal within the first few sentences; why make it so obvious what’s going on?

Felicelli obviously has talent, but I just don’t think these stories have been through the sort of editing process that would help them reach their full potential. Too many weak endings here, too many similar protagonists.