The Sea Beast Takes a Lover by Michael Andreason, 227 pagesWhat a quirky mix of fantastical stories Andreason has presented here, in his debut collection! From dropping a crate of old men into the ocean (so they don't burden their families with dying at home) to a bizarre baptism ritual to a porn star's obsession with the never-landing, always-swooping Rocketboy of her home city to the everyday life of headless Jenny and her put-upon brother, these stories are marvelous. I honestly did not know what I would find when I turned the page, though I was never diasppointed.
Andreason manages to capture the true reactions and emotions of each story's participants in situations that most of us onlookers would find horrific. Take, for example, the titular story, which finds a former naval vessel and its crew slowly sinking in the grasp of a many-tentacled sea creature. The crew has been in this situation for months, and their annoyance and boredom and slowly unraveling psyche comes through loud and clear. I absolutely loved this collection, and I can't wait to read more by Andreason.
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