The novella, a story in prose of around a hundred pages, is unusual in English but common in other cultures. There is no space for multiple plot lines, diverting asides, the complex elaboration of character or descriptions of nature or place. The heroine of the earlier of the two novellas, Signs Preceding the End of the World (2009), is a tough, street-wise Mexican from the provinces who has worked in a telephone exchange. Barbarians abound in both novellas, and are of all races, creeds, classes and genders. The title of Signs Preceding the End of the World gives you more than a hint of the dystopian message carried by both novellas.

Source: Otago Daily Times December 04, 2016 18:03 UTC