Dave Versace has the gift of being able to immerse readers in his story worlds while making every story tone and feel unique.
In his commentaries following each story throughout the collection, he says that some of the story ideas rattled around in his head for years, which may be why they feel so rich and visual.
It certainly made it tough to pick favourites.
The Dressmaker and the Colonel’s Coat comes in first on my list, though it’s a tough call. The story’s an old-western style narrative which explores family relationships, history and small-town politics, and has a magic system that reminded me of the Seventh Son series of books by Orson Scott Card. I’d love to see a longer work based on this story and its protagonist.
Next I’d have to go with the title story, Mnemo’s Memory, a beautifully written steampunk whose heroine uses brains and cunning rather than brawn in pursuit of her goals.
The Lighthouse at Cape Defeat was another one of my favourites, though very different again. It’s a dark and gritty tale about a former soldier tasked with manning a lighthouse, and with the added duty of ‘babysitting’ a researcher who’s digging into a history best left alone.
Plastic Reclamation was high on my list too, though shorter than the others already mentioned, and more of an exploration of an idea than character. I liked it because it explored a concept I’d love to have written myself had I come up with it.
Another of the shorter stories that resonated with me was Gorilla Dentists. It too explored an idea that’s quite relevant to the modern age and current technologies.
One particular story I identified with for personal reasons was Dave’s take on the Chinese legend of the Monkey King: The Nature of Monkey, mainly because I loved the old TV show I used to watch as a kid.
There’s plenty more to choose from, but they’re the ones I’d like to put a ‘favourite sticker’ on.
If you love stories with immersive worlds, great ideas and characters that leave you wanting more, grab a copy of Mnemo’s Memory and Other Fantastic Tales by Dave Versace. It’s well worth your time.
