New review in Broken Pencil 55

The latest issue of Broken Pencil, issue 55, contains my review of The Girl on the Escalator, by Jim Nason. You can read the review on Broken Pencil‘s website as well.

This issue displays the results from the Indie Writers’ Deathmatch, the fifth incarnation of the short story writing contest in which stories are pitted against each other to fight until one emerges in all its ragged and bloody gory, I mean glory.

I’ve never participated, because, frankly, it scares the shit out of me. My skin isn’t tough enough to endure the beatings that take place in the comments. Though afterwards I always read the results in BP.

This issue features the winning story from Chase Baird, and several runners up. My favourite of those presented here was actually Claire Ferris’ “Twenty-Somethings,” a parody of hipsterdom taken to wicked extremes. I have a soft spot for hipsters. They’re so cute!

Also featured this ish is Incongruous Quarterly‘s Emma Healey. I had no idea she’s only 21. I feel like such a slacker now.

It’s a great magazine, check it out.