Byzantium: the word conjures up exoticism and complexity, something out of the ordinary. The 10 stories in Ben Stroud's debut collection touch on all these areas.
The title story is about a poor young man, Eusebios Lekapenos, who suffers from a withered hand. His deformity leads to the emperor's request that he geld a mysterious holy man he fears is about to overthrow him--and thereby destroy his magical powers. He accepts the task and his life (and hand) changes because of it. Two nifty historical stories deal with a 19th-century black detective, Jackson Hieronymous Burke. His first case is set in Havana, where he solves the mystery of the disappearance of the Don's love, the cinnamon-colored Marcita. Next, he is in Germany, and we are told of his life and successes, his many-roomed house--all the things legends are made of. These three exotic stories make for fun reading.
Stroud's contemporary pieces are no less satisfying. "East Texas Lumber" is a solid, almost-coming-of age piece about working in a lumberyard and failing at work (shingles are heavy) and love. "Eraser" is on the odd side--a young boy envisions his own death and how his parents will react. Stroud can switch hit with ease, going deep with detailed and understated Steven Millhauser pastiches--or just hitting away and moving us with tales of youth, love and the everyday. --Tom Lavoie, former publisher