Fast Lanes

The seven short stories collected here clearly demonstrate the evolution of this gifted author's style and subject matter. The dazzling play of language and reckless protagonists of such tales as ""How Mickey Made It'' and ``Bluegill'' show a young writer in love with words and perhaps a little too enamored of life in the fast lane. ``Blue Moon'' and ``Bess'' are more conventionally written but equally fine; Phillips's style deepens as she turns her attention to more ordinary people with a new sensitivity and thoughtfulness. The latter two stories feature characters and situations from the 1984 novel Machine Dreams; they stand on their own but appear to be drawn from material left out of that book. In both the early tales, with their swaggering panache, and the more mature later work, there is evidence of a tremendously talented writer working to the limit of her powers at that particular moment. Judging from this collection, it seems as though there's nothing Phillips can't do. (April 21)