Mysterious Press has given Joyce Carol Oates fans a real treat. With the publication of EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES, we are gifted a collection of short stories by the five-time Pulitzer Prize finalist that spans the length of her illustrious writing career, going back to the early 1960s. Originally published in long out-of-print books, these tales have not appeared in any form this century --- until now.

This weighty volume clocks in at well over 500 pages. It would take far too long to cover each story here, so instead I have selected five that were clear standouts for me. I encourage you to dive in for yourself and see which ones are your favorites.

"Joyce Carol Oates is an American institution. These stories have a little of everything and do such a fine job representing her style of writing, which can be best described as surprising, unsettling, disturbing, unique and never predictable."

• “The Death of Mrs. Sheer” (1964). Two hitmen --- Jeremiah, a grizzled veteran, and Sweet Gum, a wet-behind-the-ears newbie --- are on an assignment to take down a man named Motley. Their target is able to pay his way out of getting offed as the hit goes sour, but that is not the point of the story. It is more about the reckoning between Jeremiah and Sweet Gum, and where they end up. The noir-like language that Oates hits us with at the start of her career is what makes this tale so enjoyable.
   
• “The Revenge of the Foot, 1970” (1970). The “foot” of the title refers to an actual cadaver foot. Elinor cannot tell if it belonged to a man or a woman, so she spends time pondering this question. She steals the foot and keeps it in her bag, not knowing what she is going to do with it. However, she is confident that the opportunity for its proper usage will present itself. When she is at the home of her lover and his wife, she just may have an answer.
   
• “The Doll” (1980). For her fourth birthday, Florence was given an exquisite dollhouse set. It was incredibly realistic, and she treated it as such, even naming the family that lived there the Bartholomews. Nearly four decades later, while driving through Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for a work event, Florence is stopped in her tracks by a house that is the actual life-sized replica of her dollhouse. She stands at the front door and thinks about ringing the bell. No one is there, but when she returns, she is welcomed by the homeowner. What will she say, and how will she justify her visit?
   
• “Haunted” (1987). Haunted and forbidden houses have always intrigued Melissa and Mary Lou. As best friends, they are inseparable and often talk about scaring each other. They believe that they have the ability to conjure up their own dark magical powers due to their strong bond and love of the occult, and they actually take credit for one of their teachers leaving their school. However, they meet their match when they visit an abandoned house where a man allegedly took his own life. What they experience there will be totally unexpected, and now the tables will be turned on them.
   
• “The Hand-Puppet” (1995). This bizarre story is about a lonely girl who creates her own hand puppet to keep herself busy. The puppet has a big, ugly, bald head that looks very human and a voice that does not sound at all like the 11-year-old who made it. It loves to utter strange phrases like “H’LO MISSUS! G’MORNIN’ MISSUS! WHAT’S TO EAT MISSUS!” or “MISSUS I BEEN HERE BEFORE YA! AN’ I GONNA BE HERE WHENYA GONE!” Tippi, who everyone assumes is providing the odd voice, grows increasingly attached to her new creation and gets more contorted each time it speaks out loud.

Joyce Carol Oates is an American institution. These stories have a little of everything and do such a fine job representing her style of writing, which can be best described as surprising, unsettling, disturbing, unique and never predictable.