THE RELIVE BOX, AND OTHER STORIES

Nobody expresses misplaced indignation better than T.C. Boyle. As the characters in his short stories blame everyone else for their problems, Boyle's almost frantic outpouring of words conveys the unwarranted entitlement they feel. It's genius, really. His characters are often not very likable, and many of his stories are futuristic and weird--elements include custom-designed "dogcats" and "micropigs," and the addictive "relive box" featured in the title story, in which a father relives the past digitally at the expense of his daughter. By contrast, "The Designee" is set squarely in the present, with an elderly widower scammed of all his retirement funds. Boyle sets a more sedate pace for this story, and it is heartbreaking. Boyle proves again that he belongs in the small club of fiction authors who expertly perform their own work. A.B. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2018]