TRANSITORY, stories by Tobias Carroll (originally published by CCM)
(ISBN Paperback: 979-8-9877471-6-2, ISBN eBook: 979-8-9877471-7-9)
The stories in Transitory consist of familiar locations turned bizarre and longstanding relationships sacrificed to singular obsessions. Unearthly figures appear on a city street, the crew of a vessel in the North Atlantic see disquieting visions in the sky, and students become fixated on a film with mysterious origins. Tobias Carroll introduces us to a perspective of the world as uncanny as it is erudite, as revealing as it is hidden, where the absurd is often the most preferable of outcomes.
Originally published in 2016 by Civil Coping Mechanisms, Transitory is a wry cult classic that recalls the work of Cesar Aira — by way of New Jersey.
PRAISE
“Ingenious and mysterious, the stories of Tobias Carroll are spun with quiet loneliness and wild surprise. Transitory is that rare kind of collection where each story stands shining alone and, in the end, forms a beautifully melancholic whole. Tobias Carroll is an original and deeply exciting talent.”
– Laura van den Berg, author of The Third Hotel and Find Me
“The stories in Tobias Carroll’s Transitory sneak up on you. They wear their inventions lightly, casually exploring an impressive range of styles and effects. Filled with haunting mysteries, sly humor, and tender melancholy, these companionable tales promise to lodge themselves in your memory. You’ll want to revisit them again and again, right down to the liner notes.”
– Jeff Jackson, author of Destroy All Monsters and Mira Corpora
“This enthusiasm for language is in keeping with the other preoccupation of the collection, which is the lingering nature of art. The stories are full of remembered songs and VHS tapes, indie films and student paintings. People may be transitory, but through the years a work of art retains its emotional weight. Even art we no longer like.”
– The Rumpus
7.13 Books 