Product Description

In 1999 a spiky anthology of young writing was the first title to appear from the Tindal Street imprint and the first on a prize-winning road ahead. Ten years on, Tindal Street Press celebrates a decade of publishing - and of commitment to the short story and the wealth of regional writing talent - with a showcase that's just as ground-breaking. Prize-winning author Catherine O'Flynn here presents a range of exciting new voices from the next generation of English short story writers.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #176676 in Books
• Published on: 2009-09-17
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Customer Reviews

Love short stories, love this book
I was compelled to write after the above review. If you bought Roads Ahead thinking it was WRITTEN by Catherine O'Flynn then return it: and don't make a judgement based on your mistake. However, if you read the cover and the product description and you're looking for SHORT STORIES that take the temperature of the art then this is a great read. The modern short story is all about distinctive voices and there are plenty here. Far more than a collection of vignettes. Not one story fails to be moving, amusing, or to leave you with that sense of something understood which all great writing should do. As most of the voices here are new, this is an especially good read for new writers who want to know what the gold standard is.

A collection of very short vignettes of modern life
I ordered this book as I read 'What was lost' by the same 'author', which I thought was OK and by an author of some potential. This however is a collection of very short stories edited by Catherine O'Flynn (whatever that means!), and not a novel. This was not clear to me from the bookcover and the advertising, which actually describes Catherine O'Flynn as the author which is clearly not correct.

The writers are described as young and up and coming. The stories themselves are very short (there are 22 of them) and average no more than 10 pages in length. Therefore they are really just descriptive vignettes of assorted characters in modern life in assorted geographies and situations. Some are interesting, some less so. A mixed bag.

Thrilling new voices from across the country
'Roads Ahead' is an anthology of short stories selected and edited by Catherine O'Flynn, to celebrate the tenth birthday of Tindal Street Press, the independent publisher which published O'Flynn's own debut novel.

And I think it is far more than a collection of mere vignettes, but an anthology of thrilling stories from young, exciting authors. The quirky and amusing opening story, 'The Chest', by Kathryn Simmonds, sets the tone for the unique voices which emerge, culminating in Luke Brown's brilliant, Gonzo-esque offering 'Borges in Buenos Aires'. In between, there are stand-out stories by the likes of Megan Dunn, Mehran Waheed and Chris Smith.

I really enjoyed the anthology, and thought it was a great and admirable way of showcasing talented, regional authors, espeically since the short story format seems to have been overlooked recently. If you like discovering strong new voices, too, then this book is certainly for you.