The Visible Man

Gardner Dozois' collection of short stories is what the original Outer Limits TV show would have been if it was aimed at a more intellectual audience and there were no censors. Dozois explores the most disturbing reaches of the human mind, setting his tales in worlds positively choking with a thick, suffocating atmosphere that comes right off the page and envelopes the reader. This guy can really set a mood. The last two pieces, A Special Kind of Morning and Chains of the Sea, represent a master of the sci-fi short story at the top of his form.

Gardner Dozois is best known for editing anthologies, but his fiction is world class. Dozois's The Visible Man and Other Stories is the most visceral, compelling writing I have ever encountered. His prose is flawless and detailed. One story takes place in a run down house, and you can smell the overflowing ashtrays, you can feel the grime on the carpet. The aura of his writing stays with you for a long time, like an afterimage. As some of the stories are bleak and depressing, this can be rather overwhelming. The story The Visible Man takes an ingenious twist on 'hiding in plain sight.' Highly recommended.