Most people are unaware of the origin of the word “smithereen," assuming that, in light of its popular usage, it simply refers to “tiny pieces,” as in “the grenade blew him to smithereens." In actuality it comes from the name of a small town in British Columbia, whose residents are referred to as “Smithereens.” Etymological considerations aside, the word is now also used as the title of Steve Aylett's latest collection of short works.

Once again, Aylett impresses with his command of written alchemy. He bends words to his will, combining their leaden banality to form sentences of golden sublimity. Smithereens is much like a gallery of intricately fashioned modern art. Each one is different, but the maker has left his unmistakable signature on every piece. Readers will find some stories more aesthetically appealing than others. At the very least, however, they will leave with one etched into their mind's eye.

Two stories of particular note are “Voyage of the Iguana” and “Bossanova."

“Voyage of the Iguana,” the longest piece in the collection, exhibits the lightest, user-friendliest prose in the form of ship's log entries by one Samuel Light Sebastian (with an introduction penned by "Steve Aylett"). The log begins rather innocently and almost normally with the exception of one man “peeing over rail throughout.” Slowly the tale picks up strangeness and absurdity like a type-written snowball.

“Bossanova,” on the other hand, as the back cover describes, is “the closest thing Aylett has ever written to a traditional SF story.” This is very true, as there are robots and spaceships, but beyond that Aylett's hand can clearly be seen through the dialogue between Bossanova and its creator Professor Baum. Existential meanderings and back-and-forth banter showcase the author's grasp of the bizarre.

Required reading for any fan of Steve Aylett, Smithereens, while clever and fun, is no cheap collection of parlor tricks. Aylett delivers delicious insanity with each word. For those just coming into this singular literary world, Smithereens is a fine primer. Each unique story provides readers with a taste of the master's craft and will likely prompt them to move on to the main course.

– Emory B. Pueschel