Scouting for the Reaper

Scouting for the Reaper (2014) is the first collection of short stories by American author Jacob M. Appel.[1][2] It won the Hudson Prize in 2012 and was published by Black Lawrence Press. Writing Today named it the best debut collection of 2014.[3]

First edition

Among the stories in the collection, "Rods and Cones," which had previously appeared in The Southwest Review, was listed "Notable Nonrequired Reading of 2007" in The Best American Nonrequired Reading and "Creve Coeur", which previously won The Missouri Review's Editors Prize, was named as one of the "100 Other Distinguished Stories of 2007" by The Best American Short Stories.[4] "Ad Valorem," first published in Subtropics, was named a "Distinguished Mystery Story" in The Best American Mystery Stories of 2009.[5]

Reception

Critic John Domini in The Brooklyn Rail noted of Appel's stories that "the rambunctious serendipity recalls T.C. Boyle, as does the ability to turn on a dime, now cutthroat, now huggable."[6] Sue Ellis in Prick of the Spindle wrote of the collection that "every story is filled with all the pathos, humor, and intimacy readers will come to expect from this author."[7] The book was on SPD's best seller list from February through October 2014 [8] and was the distributor's best selling fiction book in March and April 2014[9]

Contents
  • Choose your own genetics
  • Creve coeur
  • Scouting for the reaper
  • Ad valorem
  • Rods and cones
  • The extinction of fairy tales
  • Hazardous cargoes
  • The vermin episode

References
  1. Writers Chronicle, March 2014
  2. Poets & Writers, March 2014
  3. Writing Today, November 1, 2014, P. 11.
  4. Best American Short Stories, 2008
  5. Best American Mystery Stories, 2009
  6. "The Containable Apocalypse". Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  7. Scouting for the Reaper: Stories By Jacob M. Appel Review by Sue Ellis
  8. "Fiction Bestsellers : Small Press Distribution". Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  9. "Fiction Bestsellers March/April 2014 : Small Press Distribution". Retrieved 11 August 2016.
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