The Devils in the Details

by James P. Blaylock and Tim Powers
Subterranean Press
$35 (Signed and numbered hardcover)

Anyone who has read any Powers and Blaylock knows that they share some thematic similarities—though their approaches may differ, their styles easily slip within one another, fitting together like the sort of comfortable clothing which takes on its wearer's form. Though Powers usually deals in secret histories and complex (fantastical but extremely convincing) motivations, and Blaylock generally focuses on the kind of magical construct you might see in "heightened" peripheral vision, here they unite for a mini collection with neither of their usual preoccupations, settling instead for an almost spiritual exploration of conscience, loss, and (in one case) religious black humor. Alas, William Ashbless, their shared-dream poet persona, is not in attendance this outing.

Tim Powers (The Anubis Gates, On Stranger Tides, The Stress of Her Regard, the Last Call "trilogy," and Declare) first gives us a shaky, Wild Turkey-sipping priest and a most unusual session in the confessional—with a penitent ghost. His faith and beliefs will be tested, but what will be the cost of absolution? Quiet horror—almost a whisper—asks us to face ourselves and our convictions in this eloquent, elegant parable.

James Blaylock (Homunculus, Lord Kelvin's Machine, Night Relics, All the Bells On Earth, The Paper Grail, and The Rainy Season) looks in his own back yard (academia) for "The Devil in the Details," a cautionary tale about PC-style campus diversity gone awry when elevated to religious statu—and what might lurk at the other end. The tale meanders a bit, but it's a biting portrait of the campus politics involved in building a truly representational chapel.

The last story is "Fifty Cents," a Powers and Blaylock direct collaboration in which a sweaty drive in the desert turns out to be quite something else, and two quarters take on a fateful significance. It's a clever, nostalgic manipulation of time and space hidden behind the seemingly mundane which builds to an almost shocking conclusion. And George Lyle's poignant quest to locate a book, a long-lost gift from his dead wife, will stick with you.

The slim volume is rounded out by several extras. Powers ruminates on the two writers' long friendship in a chatty Foreword, while Blaylock's discussion of these stories in particular is included as a separate Afterword booklet. Phil Parks provides excellent cover and interior art in this typically gorgeous Subterranean Press production that's a must-have for fans of this distinctive duo.