Thoreau’s Microscope (PM's Outspoken Authors, #21) by Michael Blumlein

Thoreau’s Microscope (PM's Outspoken Authors, #21) Reviews

• 
  David H.

  This special collection from the Outspoken Authors series has one novelette, three short stories, one essay, and an interview with the author.
  
  The highlights of this book were "Paul and Me" (about a man's encounters with Paul Bunyan over the years, with a twist) and "Know How, Can Do" (about a worm connected to a human brain), though I wasn't terribly enthused by them. "Y(ou)r Q(ua)ntifi(e)d S(el)f" and "Fidelity" were alternately unexciting or involved infidelity (or thoughts of) which doesn't interest me at all.
  
  The essay, "Thoreau's Microscope," had Blumlein musing about Henry David Thoreau and microscopes, but in the second half it was hard to read, as he talked about his lung cancer. I looked it up later, and he died last year at the same age as my dad had this year. This was a hard piece to get through (it's only been 4.5 months for me). The interview with Terry Bisson was interesting enough.
• 
  Dan Trefethen

  I love these little PM Press booklets. They usually include a few short stories or essays, an interview with the author by the incomparable Terry Bisson, and a bibliography. Neat! They often give an insight to the author you don't get elsewhere. The title essay ponders Thoreau's compulsive examination of everything in his writing, except his own failing health from tuberculosis. This is contrasted with the author's diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer.
  
  Blumlein is a medical doctor, and many of his stories revolve around biology; the best example in this volume is the last story, which is about a roundworm that is uplifted to human sentience. It's funny but contemplative, not unlike "Flowers for Algernon".
• 
  James

  A short collection of short pieces by a medical doctor and science fiction author. The title piece is definitely the strongest, an essay in which the author discusses Thoreau's philosophy of science while contemplating his own mortality and battle with lung cancer. The stories focus on the idea of what it means to be alive and what defines that. The book concludes with an interview by fellow science fiction author Terry Bisson. A good introduction to a smart author whose background only strengthens his authority.
• 
  Camille McCarthy

  I haven't read anything else by Michael Blumlein. The stories in this book were imaginative but very short and not developed enough for me to really relate to the characters or the themes. They made me think of things in a new way but as stories they weren't very effective. I would like to read longer works by this author since I feel like this collection wasn't a great representation - it seemed like these were all ideas he threw together for a short book that didn't take a lot of time. Even though I didn't like it, I would say it was intriguing enough to make me want to read more.
• 
  Tomasz

  Continuing my travels through this series, one splendid volume (with the Gary Philips-shaped dip) after another. Blumlein is a helluva writer, passionate and compassionate, his texts here are top-notch, whether essays or short stories, sfnal or no. Pure reading pleasure.
• 
  Frederick Gault

  A very droll, introspective look at life, death, climbing a mountain and cross dressing. The author has a lush relationship with language and this is a joy to read.
• 
  Tom

  Funny, insightful, and fast-paced fiction and nonfiction.
• 
  Jon

  I hadn't even heard of Mr. Blumlein before I read this. He was good (died in 2019, of the lung cancer he writes about in the title essay). Not sure how I missed him.