Speaking of Nicholas Royle, I’ve read more stories either written, published or anthologised by him than by anyone else. A staunch advocate of the short story, he has done as much as anyone to promote the form in this country. I’ve greatly enjoyed his most recent collections, the trilogy London Gothic, Manchester Uncanny and Paris Fantastique (Confingo) but I’ll go with this earlier story, included in his collection Mortality and first published in 1992. It’s a tale of love, betrayal and football – all of which are guaranteed to pique my interest – but what I admire most about it is the way Royle blends realism and surrealism – the cast of the title is something completely unexpected. The image of a goalkeeper frozen in mid-air as he makes the save of his life is one that has lodged in my brain for years. It was an early lesson for me in how the short story can be the perfect vehicle for seeing reality at a slant, for encompassing the bizarre.
First published in Interzone #63, 1992; collected in Mortality, Serpent’s Tail 2006
A Personal Anthology 