Better Than Fiction

This book is a Lonely Planet collection of short stories - all travel related, and all by authors recognised as fiction writers. There are thirty two stories, some of the authors are well known to me, others I have never heard of. The authors are from varied places, but largely - UK, USA, Australia & NZ.

The stories are set in varied places, and are varied in their complexity and intensity - some are more about emotion and situation, others are about the adventure, the travel and the experience.

Of the thirty odd stories, I would say 10 are excellent, and 10 were not for me. The rest sit in between.

Those which are memorable having finished the book include Huaxi Watermill, by Arnold Zable; Adfrift in the Solomon Islands, by Mark Dapin; Confessions of a Coconut Soup Eater, by Steven Amsterdam; Sudan - the Scarface Express, by Joe Yogerst; The Fairbanks Shakespeare Camp, by Stefan Merril Block.

3 stars.