Quantum Convention

Schlich’s first solo story collection showcases a formidable ability to walk the emotional tightrope between uncanny setups and deeply relatable characters. The centerpiece (and the only original story), “Not Nobody, Not Nohow,” hits the uncomfortable side of nostalgia in parallel tellings of Margaret Hamilton’s experience on the set of The Wizard of Oz and a cross-dressing boy’s obsession with the film. Schlich dives precisely into his stories, lingering just long enough on central story elements to immerse the reader; a world in which orphans are auditioned by nuns as professional keeners is fully set within the first three lines of “The Keener.” Immanent, humorous prose and easy dialogue bring a sort of surreal lightness. In “Quantum Convention,” Schlich explores life’s regrets through a delightfully ridiculous doppelgänger convention in which the narrator engages his selves—and his wife’s selves—from alternate timelines. “Lipless” underdelivers with a more mundane story about closeted bisexuality, but otherwise the stories are consistently enjoyable and thought-provoking. They share an aesthetic, but they’re different enough that the book seems almost too short, leaving the reader hungry for more. (Nov.)