I think this is a definite case of "It's not you, it's me".

I have been looking forward to reading Same Bed Different Dreams ever since it was published, so I was super excited to get this ARC even though short stories can be really hit or miss for me.

I have to admit, most of it probably went straight over my head. Despite their obvious literary quality, I just found I couldn't connect to most of these stories.

I am still excited to read SBDD, and I will be on the lookout for whatever the author publishes next.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I love and collection of stories to pace out my reading themes. This was a very creative collection filled with eccentric themes and different ideas. Sometimes the overall message was hard to grasp, but after thorough reflection and a few rereads of certain passages, it eventually gets there.

If you want to put your mind to work and also experience a beautiful style of storytelling, pick this up!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for this eARC!

I enjoyed reading these stories. Some clicked for me more than others but I found them to be creative and well written. It presented some interesting ideas that sometimes were funny. Definitely would check out more of this author’s work. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

Ed Park is a uniquely imaginative and masterful writer. My introduction to his work, like many readers, was the wild, prize-winning "Same Bed, Different Dreams" -- a mind-blowing labyrinth of a novel that I had to reread, in sections, multiple times. The historical background was enlightening and beautifully utilized as the backdrop to the elaborate story (along with the most creative forms of mixed media).

Therefore, I had no doubt, when I requested this forthcoming story collection, that it would be a wonderful experience. I was not disappointed.

A few of the stories, including the first, are flat-out hilarious and with the lead-off story being written in borrowed form (as a letter) ”A Note to My Translator” it felt like embarking on a fun adventure. I was instantly tuned in and ready to read on. And I couldn’t help but feel this story contained some kernels of actual experience mixed into the obvious hyperbole.

My favorite stories in the collection had a touch of the surreal and Park’s trademark humor (sometimes clever, at other times zany). Like many of my favorite collections, small details reappear throughout different stories (like little easter eggs) and that always feels like a gift for paying close attention. I love when writers take the time and care to include gems like these.

My favorite story within the collection was “The Air as Air” which was rich with metaphor, humor, and deep aching emotion. This was a story I read twice.
“The jukebox kicked in. Some song I used to hate, but at the moment it made me sad. It pinned me down.”

I found all of the stories compelling and a few were simply outstanding. Park’s writing is straight up relatable in so many ways. In "Seven Women" a psychoanalyst explains, when asked, what it is that she does: “’Sometimes people tell stories and they leave out the feelings – My job is to show them where the feelings are.’” Just brilliant.

One magical element of the story included an algorithmic Kindle that vibes readers reactions in real time and continuously meets their reading interests and expectations (Eat, Pray, Click) and in another a favorite professor mysteriously receives a fortune cookie with the murky yet straightforward message “It is what it is.” This sentiment comes into play on a few occasions within the collection.

Thanks to Net Galley and Penguin Random House for the ARC of this amazing collection – on shelves 7/29/2025. A must-read story collection.

Park's writing is assertive and confident, which is helpful when the stories are enigmatic and confounding. I enjoyed how some of the stories were subtly connected through the mention of a place or character, and really liked the stories with the non-traditional narrative structures ("Weird Menace" framed as the transcript of a movie commentary). Some of the stories I found challenging to follow with little to no through-line--like the stories were written to be eccentric for eccentrics sake, often times insisting upon itself. Some stand-outs that I did enjoy were "The Gift", "An Accurate Account" , and "Slide to Unlock." Overall, while several stories failed to make an impression with me, the collection felt unified and grounded with a shared message (even if it was a message I didn't quite grasp at times).

“In our dreams everything is under lit and poorly acted”
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While the quote above may be true, Ed Park’s upcoming short story collection is anything but. In these stories, you find yourself amongst a wide variety of characters and situations that seem normal, but with just a quarter turn to the strange. A random coincidence or a circumstance that is weird enough to be both believable and unbelievable at the same time.

The stories in this novel range far and wide. From a discussion between an author and translator, an admission of illegitimate fatherhood, an island of researchers all named Tina, a veteran who is struggling to face his father while leaning on cultish breathing practices, and a recount of a college film project. Throughout all these stories Ed Park paints the pictures of these bizarre situations and characters in a way where they are strange, but you end up relating to everyone of them. He tackles everything that matters - love, family, nostalgia, purpose, relationships all in a way that leaves you wanting more.

One thing I love about Park’s writing in this collection is the casual wit he writes with. There is a lot of innuendo and wise cracking in the surface, but there is still a lot under the surface. You can read a paragraph through one time and snort with laughter, while being cut to the bone on the second read though.

Overall, I thought this was a great short story and wonderful follow-up to his 2023 work Same Bed Different Dreams. Go ahead and add it to your TBR in 2025.

I don’t think I truly understood any of this but I had such a fun time reading it. It was so unique, I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴.

Calling this collection an oral history is fitting. Oral history is the collection and study of history directly from people who experienced past events, whether important historical happenings or snippets of everyday life - this collection focuses mainly on the latter. But who's to say that those everyday commonplace things, like a college course taught by a memorable professor, or the endless sequence of passwords and security questions to your online accounts, can't also be meaningful or impactful to those experiencing them?

This was a fabulous collection. All stories were so smart, told with a singular voice, and often very funny. I fear at times some of the stories were maybe too clever and went over my head but, it is what it is. These stories, despite many being previously published, often felt united by small details - a recurring town, or recurring magazine - which tied everything together nicely.

As previously mentioned, most of these were observations of a daily life. Simple topics, like relationships, family, and the power of memory often took the forefront. However, Park can just as quickly amp up the zany factor, perhaps best seen in 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭-𝘔𝘰𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘱 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘦..., a tale of 18 women, all named Tina, working to translate pictographs discovered carved in bone on a remote Chinese island. While this story was wild all around, most of the stories in this collection have similar quirky vibes.

Also, Buffalo mentioned. Or should I say Olaffub? 🤔 Anyway, running out to pick up Park's previous novels now!

Thank you to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the ARC. This book will be published July 29, 2025.

very much enjoyed this short story collection by ed park... was drawn in by the very first, very funny story.. will seek out much more by mr. park.

"An Oral History of Atlantis" is a collection of short stories by Pulitzer Prize finalist Ed Park. By the end of the prologue, I knew I was going to love this collection of fifteen witty stories.

Park uniquely engages readers throughout the book. At times, I felt as if I were observing someone’s dreams; at other times, I almost felt like a participant in a conversation. The imaginative stories feel both interconnected and distinct. They reflect on the absurdity and wonder of life itself. I find it challenging to review this work, as I don’t want to pigeonhole it. Perhaps the best way to describe my experience with it is simply to say that reading it was an experience in itself.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy (ARC).