I had actually read 3 of Little's novels previously - The Walking (pretty cool), The House (eh),and Dominion (Cheesy but readable). I was not a Little fan, but I could read him in a pinch. His style is mildly irritating (stilted, but readable), and his gratuitousness seems to know no bounds (Dominion, especially). But this collection has actually made me opposed to Little and his work on a cosmic level. I read this directly after reading "Everything's Eventual" and I can only compare the juxtaposition of experience to be like listening to a Britney Spears CD on the heals of listening to the Beatles. I have no idea why this man gets such high praise. It reminds me of horror written by someone who has seen Killer Klowns a thousand times, but has never read The Shining. It would be funny if it wasn't so sad. The plots are not just ridiculous, but someone needs to tell him that every quirky idea that enters the brain is not necessarily a good idea for a story.