Trigger Warning

Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances by Neil Gaiman, 310 pages

In the introduction to Trigger Warning, Gaiman warns us that the subsequent stories are filled with unsettling ideas, with triggers that may set off some innate fear or discomfort, and that those triggers may be different for different people (he gives the example of a friend who has a fear of tentacles; one does make an appearance in Trigger Warning).

For the most part, these stories have been published elsewhere, in magazines, anthologies, online, etc. However, for those of us who haven't previously experienced them, Trigger Warning is a great collection of classic Gaimanesque tales. My favorites were "The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury," which is a beautiful tribute to the author; "Feminine Endings," which is probably the creepiest love letter ever; the wonderfully silly "'And Weep, Like Alexander'"; and, because it's a Doctor Who story, "Nothing O'Clock." Also, it may be odd to say it, but I particularly like the introduction, which explains the stories behind the stories and which I read only after I read everything else. Even if you've read most of these stories elsewhere, pick up Trigger Warning just for the introduction.