Introduction

There’s a technique used by short story writers which involves picking a few words or phrases at random and then conjuring up a narrative that somehow connects them. The idea is that the connections found by the subconscious will reveal some underlying truth that the writer hadn’t previously considered and will therefore lead to something new and interesting.  

All of which is by way of saying that I’ve basically applied the same technique to this piece, in that there isn’t any conscious overarching theme. It’s just a collection of stories that I happen to like, and any connections that emerge will purely be a matter of luck. There are some old favourites in here plus one or two slightly obscure ones. I doubt that what I have to say will be particularly new but I hope some of it might be interesting.