Island Rule

Flynn (The Companions) blends realism and fantasy for a diffuse collection that probes the limits of democracy. In the title story, set in 2009, a San Diego geography professor tries to feel hopeful about President Obama and reflects on the unnamed Pacific island dictatorship she fled from. The country, where some people grow to become giants, has denied her request to return. “The Thirteen Films of Victoria Umlat,” set in the wake of the 2000 presidential election, follows disenchanted married American couple Alan and Phyllis during an extended stay in Norway, Phyllis’s birthplace. There, people frequently point out how she resembles wildly popular actor Victoria Umlat, who’s disappeared. Eventually, Phyllis plays the part by appearing in a photo shoot as Victoria. In “The King of South Phoenix,” a standout entry set in the near future, a washed-up TV writer lands a spot on a reality show called The People’s Choice. On the program, he lives in a glass bubble high above the Arizona capital and tries to convince the audience to pick Phoenix for revitalization funds over other cities. Flynn shines brightest when committing to strange ideas such as this one. Often, though, the speculative conceits and themes feel underdeveloped. The overall sensation here is one of aimlessness. Agent: Stephanie Delman, Sanford J. Greenburger Assoc. (Mar.)