Alternative Medicine

The stories in Alternative Medicine can be broadly defined as black comedy with a twist of surrealism. This collection features two Bridport finalists (2004, 2005) and one Willesden Herald finalist (2007). In the story ‘Sprout’ a woman starts sprouting feathers after purchasing a demonic duvet. The narrator of ‘The Most Ordinary Man in the World’ glimpses a life free from his sister’s tyranny only to end back firmly under her thumb. In ‘The Killing Jar’ a boy’s spider spies on his adulterous father and reports back to its owner. In ‘The New Heart’ a man experiences somebody else’s memories after receiving a heart transplant. The story ‘Mandy’ features a strangely obsessed protagonist. Everyday sadness at a refugee going blind is sketched out in ‘Blindness’. Childhood relationships are depicted in the short story ‘Pets’ and in ‘Piano Lessons/War Stories’ the narrator reflects upon her grandfather’s time fighting in World War 2. A girl’s disappointing relationships with her parents are portrayed in ‘The Eternal Disappointment of the Much Anticipated Event.’ The stories show human life in various forms and endeavours.