The Dark Dark: Stories – Samantha Hunt

Ambiguous, bizarre and compelling. The Dark Dark is a collection of short stories by Samantha Hunt mainly based around women, their wants and desires, life and mortality. If you are someone who likes a concrete understanding of what they are reading then this collection is probably not for you. Although if you love open-ended ambiguity then this is the read for you.

 

Hunt’s strength in this work is in her nuanced prose. The turns of phrase are well chosen and memorable. This collection was unlike any I had read before. Some of my favourites included All Hands, about a conservative high school afflicted with a surge in teenage pregnancies, Cortes the Killer, a late night trip between siblings and their horse, and Love Machine, about a female robot with a single mission.

 

I’m not completely convinced I understood or took away everything possible from the collection and definitely think it will be worth a reread in the future, This was a uniquely dark collection of short stories that appeal to the basic human nature and I do recommend this for  those who enjoy a challenge and loves of nuance, ambiguity and elegant prose. I also recommend looking up the playlist curated by Belletrist on Spotify to add some extra ambiance.