The opening story in Katherine Dunn’s posthumous collection is not about any character in particular but about the loss of body parts and the morgue where they are gathered. It’s a strange and grisly, but intriguing, work and sets the tone for the rest of the book.

Slightly sardonic but always clear-eyed, NEAR FLESH is composed in Dunn’s unflinching style, blending the macabre with realism and more than a touch of cynical humor. Loneliness, anxiety and longing for companionship are common themes, often expressed in the experiences of young women. But a thread of resilience, or maybe stubbornness, runs throughout.

"All 19 stories are gritty and entertaining as Dunn drops readers down into physical and mental spaces of both risk and strength. Her writing is exciting and even beautiful as she examines the modern condition of existence..."

The figures in these often very brief short stories witness violence, consider death, fear for their lives, or move as passive observers through a chaotic cityscape. “I Had the Baby on My Left Hip” comes in at under two full pages. In it, a mother experiences a catastrophic event and cannot make sense of the small shoe in her hand. In “The Well,” another young woman finds herself living in an isolated house with her daughter. Gilly is timid by nature and frightened of their new home with her husband mostly away. She decides to make the best of things by staying busy and exploring the property. Her fears are realized one day as she finds herself at the bottom of a watery well. 

Dunn was a keen crafter of characters who often lack insight or struggle to understand their own motivations. The plots here are simple enough, but the stories are simmering with anxiety, fear, danger and uncertainty. In “The Novitiate, a dark, tense and deftly written tale, a woman --- who was abandoned by her husband --- and her two-year-old son are moved into a dismal and seedy apartment building by a caseworker. She feels vulnerable and unsafe as she realizes her lack of security and privacy while trying to make a home for the two of them with very little money, few resources and no support. 

A number of these stories share things in common with mid-century noir. Dunn’s style is contemporary, but her concerns are timeless. There is also a retelling of the Irish folktale “Mad Sweeney.” The titular piece is set in a future of sex robots, but the emotional seclusion of the main character, Thelma Vole, is familiar from the other stories, even if here it is expressed through anger and sexual obsession.

Many of the narratives and actions in NEAR FLESH are grim and sad. The characters are down and out, in perilous situations, and are emotionally unstable. Still, this book is not a hopeless one. Dunn’s characters are tougher than they realize and are often willing to fight, or at least hold on, for something better. 

All 19 stories are gritty and entertaining as Dunn drops readers down into physical and mental spaces of both risk and strength. Her writing is exciting and even beautiful as she examines the modern condition of existence, especially the ways in which it is particularly difficult for young women. NEAR FLESH is a gift for Dunn’s fans and an amazing addition to her impressive catalog.