The Bible Repairman and Other Stories by Tim Powers contains six shorts, all accompanied by an authors note stating how the short was inspired.
Powers is probably best known for On Stranger Tides, which was adapted for the fourth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Winner of awards such as the Locus, he is compared to Michael Crichton and Clive Barker, his eloquent prose easy as well as pleasing to read.
The first piece in this collection is the title piece, ‘The Bible Repairman’, an excellent introduction excellently pieces to a quote from Treasure Island, inspired also from the movie Man on Fire. The Hispanic style of magic gives this a reality – you could picture this happening in a slightly run-down house, sheltering a man who’s easy to ignore even though he has such a story to tell.
We then meet ghosts and time travelers, twins with a special link and the strange ways of death in more ways than one. Each piece in this book stays with you, especially as it’s told so eloquently and to the point.
This collection is only 170 pages, appealing in its slimness and each paragraph worthwhile.
Tim Powers is a masterful writer, using meaningful quotes which aren’t superfluous and indeed add to the overall tone and meaning.
This review was originally published on Shades of Sentience
Katharine Stubbs
