The Children's War: Stories

(Paperback)

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Description

Stylistically, the stories in this collection range from contemporary realist fiction and episodic adventures to three-act, blank-verse plays and postmodern polyvocal narratives. Winner of the $10,000 Journey Prize for short fiction, and his stories have been published multiple times in the Journey Prize AnthologyBoyko's work is wickedly, darkly funny like the work of Patrick DeWitt (The Sisters Brothers).

Reviews

Praise for The Children's War

Graphic, tragic, beautiful, surprising, nuanced . . . and unmistakably genius. Kirkus

For readers who like their collections big and bold...Dense but readable, these stories are well developed and sufficiently tilted in content to attract a range of serious readers. Library Journal

[T]he farcical, absurd, deft story 'The Takeover of Founders Hall' . . . [is] a searing vision of folly and a picture of the Ivory Tower thats hilariously irreverent . . . Slamming together disparate genres, ['Andrew and Hillary'] impresses as a showcase of terrific writing and untrammelled invention. Quill & Quire

C.P. Boyko proves the broad reach of his talents in The Childrens War, a collection of six stories that range from novella to play to traditional short-story. His characters here are often intelligent and emotional, resulting in explosive conflicts; whether the setting be an oppressive school, an ever-busy factory, or the frontlines of a war between the armies on an unnamed island and its interfering super-power neighbor . . . Though the choices these characters make are not always effective, it is clear that Boyko understands this truth: action is always human and, even in failure, is often beautiful. Arkansas International

Praise for C.P. Boyko

UproariousBoykos ensemble of absurd, inexhaustible narcissists comes uncomfortably near to reality. Wall Street Journal

These stories are funny and sardonic, satirical, well-written, and keen . . . [Boykos] characters are larger-than-life, very funny, but more authentic than they first seem . . . well enjoy laughing at them, and laugh at ourselves at the same time. San Francisco Book Review

"Few writers in this country have a better poker face than C.P. Boyko . . . vivid and wickedly funny. The Globe and Mail

Laughter is Boykos preferred method in Novelists: He examines the pomposity and naked insecurities of his titular breed through humour, much of it painfully ironic . . . a highly amusing riposte to the culture of literary awards. National Post

Author Bio

C. P. Boyko lives and writes in Vancouver.