A solid collection of stories. I loved "Pleiades" and thought "The World By Night" and the title story were also stand-outs.

hanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a digital ARC of this book. This book is a collection of short stories written by the author. There really is no mention of God in the book, but what the stories all have in common is that they all have to do with what we would call "fate." Of course, as a Christian, I would attribute "fate" to God's plan for a life. The stories are all fairly short and interesting. They remind me of some of the short stories of O.Henry or the famous short story, "The Monkey's Paw." They all have somewhat surprising endings. I enjoyed many of the stories.

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

One of my favorite short story collections that I have read in awhile. This is the first time where every single story made me sit back and think. I kept waiting for there to be a clunker, but that never happened. Quite rare not just for a debut, but short story collection in itself. If I had to pick, the titular story would probably be the one that resonates with me the most, but with such an abundance of riches, it's really hard to say.

The stories themselves are pretty eclectic. There's a slight magical realism bend on the majority of them and they tend to be a bit melancholy, but they range from everything from backpacking to aliens to mermaids to girls abducted by Boko Haram. The one thing that I'd say for all of them is that they're incredibly well written.

Honestly, there's not much else to say less I want to gush more. It's a well curated collection and well worth a read.

[NOTE: Full review published at PopMatters. Please see the link..]

The introduction reminded me of Neil Gaiman's 'American Gods', which is about how immigrants to any new place bring their old gods/spirits with them. And how their belief systems weaken/alter so that new gods representing new obsessions with things like media, celebrity, technology, drugs, etc., take over. Sachdeva's descriptions of the new gods in her stories are a bit different but the underlying premise, I thought, was similar. And, as such, I love how Sachdeva was able to take this idea/concept and riff on it in her own ways.

These stories are beautifully haunting, though not quite what I expected when I requested the book (see below for a couple of reasons.) With each story, Sachdeva shows how the main character reaches for something beyond himself or herself for something magical, inexplicable, redemptive in his/her life. And that reach propels the character into a sort of liminal space that is more sublime than scary. I found Sachdeva at her best when she described a character's encounters with the sublime: the fisherman and the mermaid, the near-blind woman in the underground caves, the steel mill workman in the desert storm, etc. As a reader, I found myself right alongside her characters at such moments but I wish there had been more at the language/sentence level to transport readers more fully into those spaces/worlds.

I must confess that I was drawn to the book by the writer's name and expected, as a person of Indian origin myself, some characters of Indian origin within these stories. Not that I mind Sachdeva's choice to not write about people of Indian origin — that is her choice and prerogative entirely. It was simply a natural (if mundane) expectation of mine as a reader. That said, I'm glad to see she did not feel compelled to write about a particular ethnicity simply because she belongs to it. We are all drawn to different stories for different reasons in our reading and our writing.

I was also drawn to this collection because of the blurbs by favorite writers like Anthony Doerr and Karen Joy Fowler. That is some high praise indeed and it raised my expectations, again, rather too much, I fear.

Several of the stories reminded me of Aimee Bender's and Kelly Link's works, though I did not find Sachdeva's language/sentences as captivating as I find with those writers.

All that said, I would definitely recommend this collection as an introduction to a fine writer from whom we will see, I hope, bolder, riskier storytelling in the future.

This collection of short stories starts with a slow burn and builds until the final two stories, which were fantastic. The first three or four stories had enough uniqueness to them to maintain my interest, but nothing stuck out or got me excited. The first story to really catch my attention was the title story, “All the Names They Used for God,” which centers on two Nigerian school girls kidnapped by Boko Haram and their lives following their kidnapping. The story mixes several pressing current issues on the global and domestic stage, religious extremism and women’s rights. The collection then ends on a story that has been recognized by many critics for its quality, Dave Eggers called it a “small masterpiece.” The stories range from the sentimental to the poignant to the weird. The scope is broad, but all have an element of the unreal that cracks the realism to let out something more.

These odd tales are beautifully written and intriguingly twisted. I’m not a science fiction reader, but “Manus” and “All the Names for God" felt like they were close to the border of our everyday truth. “Glass Lung” with its setting of the heyday of Egyptian exploration was carefully crafted and executed. I can’t wait for more of Anjali Sachdeva’s imaginings.

Sachdeva has written well-crafted stories than span the globe, time and genres of myth and fantasy. Each of her stories begin with a seemingly straight-forward event that becomes stranger as the pages turn. In Killer of Things, the poet John Milton has an uneasy relationship with his muse on the way to Paradise Lost. In World by Night, Sadie, an abandoned frontier wife, has a longing for her absentee husband that darkens her future. In All the Names for God, a kidnapped girl of Boko Haram takes a journey into a life that could be salvaged / re-imagined. Robert Greenman and the Mermaid shows what happens when the inner voice becomes the reality. In Pleiades, genetic manipulation takes a toll and gives insight into the meaning of life.

The stories are seemingly bound by the isolation of each main character. Well-written, sometimes unsettling, the author creates a unique universe for a reader to explore/discuss.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this title.

ALL THE NAMES THEY USED FOR GOD is a collection of short literary fiction stories, the last two of which were absolutely brilliant.

The tales in this book are all over the place, but I think it's all the different facets of humanity that link them all together. No two stories here are even remotely alike and I enjoyed that diversity.

Among my favorites were:

LOGGING LAKE which involved a strange happening at an ill advised campsite.

ALL THE NAMES THEY USED FOR GOD which was a heartbreaking story of two young girls who were kidnapped and forever changed by it.

ROBERT GREENMAN AND THE MERMAID: Once we glimpse something fantastic,(in the true sense of the word), it is very difficult to let it go.

MANUS was probably my favorite story here. After so many tales involving ordinary life, here's one that is totally out of left field. Gripping, poignant, and so creative-I'll never look at a human hand in the same way again.

And finally, PLEIADES: I don't even know what to say about this story. It's powerful, beautifully written and well told. I doubt anyone could read it and remain unmoved.

I liked the tales in this collection, but until the last two I didn't feel that this volume was anything special. MANUS and PLEIADES elevated this book to something really special in my eyes, and I highly recommend this book to fans of literary and speculative fiction.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. This is it.*

Anjali Sachdeva has written a diverse, compelling and strong debut collection of stories. I can't think of any other collection I've read that is this eclectic—there are stories about genetically perfected septuplets, a man with glass lungs, John Milton writing his epic poem, weird blobby aliens who take over earth and witchy women who put men under their spells. It's bizarre and fun and emotional and quite wonderful. I think this would be a great collection for people who don't read short stories that often because there's bound to be one you'll like. And if you like one, you will probably like them all since her writing consistently delivers.

I don't think I've ever read a collection of short stories that are so diverse, so compelling, and so beautifully and independently crafted. Each story in this collection is its own world, and immersing myself in them was a delight- I couldn't stop telling friends about all the different stories I'd read. Sachdeva incorporates magical realism, religious mythology, science, and history, and weaves them all into stories that transport you fully to the lives of the characters.

These tales span time and space, from an albino woman on the prairie during the 19th century, to a depiction of John Milton writing his famous epic, to a near future time when humans can be scientifically created (and suffer the consequences). My favorite story was probably Glass-Lung, about a man disabled by an explosion of tiny shards of glass who ends up in Egypt with his daughter and her archaeologist boss/suitor, searching for a new tomb.

Sachdeva treats her characters with empathy but also with a shrewd knowledge of their inner thoughts- they seem human, imperfect, and sometimes selfish, with failings like we all do at times. They exist in worlds that seem so real, and the world-building here is wonderfully done. Transportive and poignant, this is a marvelous debut and I can't wait to see what Sachdeva writes next.

If I could give partial stars, this one would get 3.5 to 3.75...but I just can't give it 4. I love short stories, and I'm all about speculative fiction, yet somehow, these stories just didn't jive with me. One or two left me wondering what on earth, one or two just were weird, and none of them really sparkled. However, the writing is clean, and they were interesting, for the most part. I'm not sure I would have put these stories together into a collection--the thread tying them together is frayed, at best, but that's my humble opinion.

Sachdeva has some talent, and I might pick up future work, but I won't be re-reading this collection. If you like stories that are a bit off in left field, try these.

Sachdeva’s debut release is a compelling collection of short stories, that is both eclectic yet homey.

There was not a collection that I did not like, and all of the stories stuck with me even days after completion. Each story took time to develop each character and each story, completely immersing the reader into every individual narrative. I rarely read a collection that takes such delicate time in fleshing out so many important themes in such short amounts of time.

My favorite stories in the collection were Manus and Glass Lung. Manus, the only science fiction story in the entire collection (which I loved!), was the perfect blend of vanilla simplicity and complete eccentricity. Glass Lung, a story of a Danish immigrant whose life is altered by an incident with an ancient Egyptian artifact, was compelling in its diversity and unique premise.

This is an excellent collection that I highly recommend. It was unique, and perfectly literary, and we will definitely be hearing many good things about this debut collection upon its release in February

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

*A big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing my copy in exchange for an honest review*

What an interesting collection of short stories. I found myself in the middle of reading one thinking "who wrote these, what an interesting person they must be". The stories of the alien planet takeover, the young women held captive and the writer and his muse will all stay in my mind for a long time.

Some of these stories interested me but I struggled with others as they felt incomplete even for short stories. There are scenes from several of the stories that I think will stay with me, so for that reason I am giving it three stars but I wanted it to be higher. Certainly a talented writer but maybe not in line with my own personal taste.

This book delivers what it's title promises. You have so much to explore beyond your own first hand experiences and this is a well written way to begin. It's thought provoking and surprising.

All the Names They Used for God is a collection of stories that take you around the world into people’s lives. Through breakups, kidnapping, and out to sea, Sachdeva’s stories have a wide arching range of context. In fact, the stories seem to have no connection at all on the surface. Looking a little deeper, you’ll find the connections within the characters and their will. What are you willing to sacrifice or how far are you willing to go to get what you want?

It takes a special kind of author to weave such depth into short stories. Sachdeva did a marvelous job bringing her characters to life, giving them depth, and providing a reader with enough information engross a reader into each story. I felt as if I was apart of each story and found that the endings left me wanting more. These stories have stuck with me, even after finishing each. I have found myself thinking about the characters, their fate, and contemplating what has happened to them long after their chapter was written.

*Full Review can be found at Literarysleuth.com

Genre: Literary Fiction
Publisher: Random House
Pub.Date: February 20, 2018
(Possible Spoilers)

With this title, I was expecting a novel about the horrors that have been committed in the name of God, such as the Spanish Inquisition. But the title is misleading. The stories are more about the concept of how we see God or any power that can change our lives. This stellar collection is exploring humanity’s strangeness. The stories read as ominous and compelling fiction that I would call magical realism. The author, Anjali Sachdeva, is ridiculously creative in writing unusual and dark tales. After each story, I thought “How bizarre.” Still, after each story, I felt that the author hit a nerve, making the plot acceptable, even moving.

The title story presents stirring images of Nigerian schoolgirls who are kidnapped by jihadists. The story goes back and forth between the time they are abducted till they are adult women. It is so darn sad. As adults, they gain some sort of mystical power over the men who abducted them and they are no longer being abused. But it is too late. They have been beaten and raped too many times over the years. They no longer feel human. It leaves the reader wondering what is left when one survives the un-survivable. This story made me simultaneously think: Is surviving even worth it when the cost is that you lose your soul? And, hoping that in real life, battered women are able to find a way to leave their abusers and still keep their human core.
Dave Eggers, who wrote the best selling non-fiction “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius” said Sachdeva’s short story “Pleiades” is “a masterpiece.” Indeed, it is one of my favorites in this collection of heartbreaking stories. This one is about a couple who are geneticists. Ignoring the protesters holding signs that read “Seven Deadly Sins” and “Frankenstein’s Children,” they produce seven test-tube sisters that grow to become loving and inseparable. Unfortunately, over their childhood, teens, and womanhood they are all ill-fated. Making the reader either hate or sympathize with the grieving parents. I kept going back and forth thinking that they were thoughtless parents-to-be, thinking only of their careers. Then to wondering that they were no different from other loving parents-to-be who also happened to be trailblazing scientists.

In “Robert Greenman and the Mermaid,” there is a fisherman, a mermaid, and a shark. Of course, the fisherman is bewitched by the mermaid. What makes this story so original is the shark. The mermaid loves to watch the big fish feed on its prey. She feels that the shark represents all that is beautiful in the deep sea. The fisherman wants nothing more than to escape or kill the twenty-foot long hunter. It is a sweet sad story leaving you to ponder why humans are so afraid of anything different from themselves.

The story that creeped me out the most and haunts me still is “Manus.” In this story, aliens replace human hands with metal appendages. This neatly sums up this story, but without producing the Heebie Jeebies feeling. The aliens are called The Masters. The story begins with a couple looking at their neighbor when he is opening his mail and begins to cry. He's just received his draft card. In this story, getting a draft card means that within two weeks, you must go for an “Exchange Apparatus,” known to humans as the “Forker.” For the surgery, the human holds out their hands and inserts them into pneumatic cuffs that shut around their wrists. After removing, the hands are replaced with metal fingers that look like forks. Ugh. When it is time for the man in the couple to be forked, I actually wept for him. When it is his girlfriend’s turn, she rebels. She does not get forked. However, to keep her body metal free she self-mutilates. Leaving her body just as gross (I won’t explain more so you can be just as shocked as I was) as if she was forked, shades of the title story, was it worth it?

Sachdeva is clearly talented in her craft. I usually do not care for the genre magical realism, but this author makes me realize that the genre is about the human condition and how we are conditioned to feel. I so enjoyed the book, “Love in the Time of Cholera,” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, which I am now guessing is magical realism. I suspect this reviewer must examine the genre more carefully. Nevertheless, there are other stories in the collection also showing the damaging results of abusive power. All the stories in this collection have a unique and thought-provoking prose. Just know that she also writes like Rod Serling on an acid trip..

Beautifully written short fiction! These are truly lovely stories, loosely connected by as sense of quiet magic.

Let me start by saying, I’m not typically a fan of short story collections. I find that the inconsistency often taints the whole for me. For that reason, I only read collections that have been specifically recommended to me, as this was. And, now, I am paying that recommendation forward. The writing in this collection blew me away. The author paints a scene so vividly. The plots are tight and fully realized, even in a shortened form. Highly recommended.

<b>Release Date:</b>02.20.18</b>

<i>All the Names They Used for God</i>, Anjali Sachdeva’s debut release, is a stellar collection of short stories that explores the strangeness that is the human experience and our small stature in the vastness of the cosmos. Rewards abound for the short story lover: science gone awry in “Pleiades”; abandonment and love gone wrong in “Anything You Might Want”; man versus wild (and the call of suicide) in “Logging Lake.” These are intricate, spinning tales that took me off guard.

Does this collection have a theme? I don’t know. Perhaps spirituality is the link (and there is the title to be considered); these stories do ponder the concept of a God and how much say he — or it — has over our lives . . . and how much of what happens to us is pure chance. Bits of magical realism abound (see mermaid tale “Robert Greenman and the Mermaid”), but overall these tales are unwavering, realistic looks at the human condition.

I was pleasantly surprised by these stories. I suspected I would like this collection, but I was knocked for a loop. Compelling and challenging in equal measure, this author is one to watch. I await her next release with baited breath.

Thanks to Netgalley and Spiegal & Grau for the advanced reader’s copy!