Review – Noisy Outlaws, Unfriendly Blobs...
The McSweeney's Anthology of Short Stories for Young Adults
Nov 12, 2009
Edited by Ted Thompson and Eli Horowitz, the McSweeney's anthology Noisy Outlaws, Unfriendly Blobs, and Some Other Things That Aren't As Scary... is a remarkable collection of short stories for young adults, featuring tales that are by turns funny, frightening, and incredibly odd.
Unlike many an anthology, this lengthily-titled collection (its full name tops 50 words) can easily be read from cover to cover; the quality of the writing is unwavering, and yet each story feels fresh.
Here are some standout favourites:
"Sunbird"
This story by Neil Gaiman (best known as the author of American Gods and Coraline) is a delightfully off-kilter look at the Epicurean Club, a group of five eccentrics who have dedicated themselves to tasting every animal that has ever existed–or been supposed to exist–on this Earth.
Zebediah T. Crawcrustle, perhaps the oddest in the group, responds to the grumbles of the others who believe they've tried everything by suggesting they taste the Sunbird of Suntown, Egypt. Little do they know what eating the Sunbird really entails...
Gaiman brings ancient mythology to life with trademark dexterity in this inventive tale, written, as he explains in his introduction to 2006's Fragile Things, in the style of R. A. Lafferty. The result is as quirky as it is multi-layered, and well worth a couple of re-readings. Peter de Sève's ink and watercolour illustrations are an added delight.
"Monster"
This story, written by Kelly Link and illustrated by Shelley Dick, begins like a typical What I Did This Summer tale and quickly turns sour. James is not having fun at camp. The weather is terrible, the kids are mean, and the inhabitants of Bungalow 4 have seen a monster.
And while James does get the opportunity to speak to this monster after it has wreaked some gory havoc, this is no misunderstood monster tale: the creature turns out even more ruthlessly cruel than James would have been able to believe.
Sharp readers will note a wealth of subtext in this disturbing tale that questions what it means to grow up.
"Grimble"
Originally published in 1968, this is a widely overlooked little gem from the late Sir Clement Freud. Grimble, a bright and inquisitive young boy, has been left at home alone by his rather unconventional parents. Prone to leaving suddenly, Grimble's parents always leave behind instructions and money so that Grimble can get by, and it's by means of these provisions that Grimble navigates the week or so of freedom that this tale describes.
There's something completely unique about the tone of the narration in "Grimble", especially in the way it captures how the mind of a boy of ten works. Grimble's homework assignments are especially touching, and rendered in high style by the story's illustrator, Marcel Dzama.
Publication
Noisy Outlaws, Unfriendly Blobs, and Some Other Things That Aren't As Scary... is currently in print in a profusely illustrated paperback edition by McSweeney's Books. The edition also includes, for the reader to complete at his or her leisure, a crossword and a half-finished story by Lemony Snicket.
Notable entries not discussed here include Jonathan Safran Foer's post-9/11 fairy tale, "The Sixth Borough", George Saunders' look at familial paranoia, "Lars Farf, Excessively Fearful Father and Husband", and "Small Country", Nick Hornby's story of a very important soccer game.
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