The Inelegant Universe

One of the best collections of short stories I've read. Witty, observant, thoughtful and brilliantly descriptive of both the humans and their environment. Mr. Hibbard is a detached, but not unsympathetic observer of human frailty, using wonderfully elegant and eminently readable English to depict the inelegant stumbling of humans as they sort out their lives.

A thought-provoking, varied and beautifully written collection of short stories. I particularly liked the way that many of the stories manage to combine fairly everyday incidents (e.g. dinner parties, two friends on a hike, visiting an elderly parent in a nursing home) with larger, more abstract ideas – ranging from string theory through to evolution and the conflict between order and chaos. The marrying up of these ideas with the subject matter is elegantly done and never feels artificial. And there was always enough in the way of plot/character to draw the reader in and no shortage of humour.

For a longer review, see: http://paulsamael.com/blog/the-inelegant-universe

"Inelegant Universe" it may well be, though Mr. Hibbard presents it in stories that are elegant and carefully crafted.

A joy to read.