WE REGRET TO INFORM YOU is a collection of fourteen short stories that draw from varied genres. Science fiction, fantasy, poetry, fiction, and even dips into surrealism. Each story revolves around a masculine character coming to terms with his place in the world. The science fiction “Thawed” follows a racist and homophobic man brought out of cryogenic sleep and cured only to discover he has less than a year to live. The titular story is a form letter detailing all the reasons Tom Warzach earned the title of “Total Dick” from a committee that evaluates evidence presented by partners, colleagues, doctors, and family members. “Driving Lessons” and “Egg-and-Spoon” are grounded in realism, but both involve young men contemplating fathers and adult life ahead. The surreal “My Right Armpit Sweats More Than My Left One” chronicles a man with unique sweat stains searching for a cure. Some of the stories are too short to summarize, flow like poetry, and must be read firsthand.
Since short story collections eschew a single narrative and focus on an encapsulating theme they are often polarizing. Tim Fredrick’s WE REGRET TO INFORM YOU boils down to masculinity and human connection. “Driving Lessons” and “By the Stream on Moving Day” shine because regardless of the reader’s perspective, universal human desires are exposed. Most people contemplate how and why we crave connection to each other and to ourselves. Fredrick combines stories with vastly different voices, genres, and characters with that single unifying theme. The shorter stories, spanning a page or two, offer a chance to reflect in between the meatier tales. Reviewing a collection is tricky because even though the stories connect, they are disparate tales under a thematic umbrella.
Overall, WE REGRET TO INFORM YOU is a captivating read that could benefit from expansion and stories that are more cohesive. While the entire collection may not appeal to all readers, there is a story in the collection that should resound with those willing to explore Tim Fredrick’s skillful story telling.
WE REGRET TO INFORM YOU collects fourteen stories in which the desire to connect, masculinity, sexuality, and human nature are examined.
~ IndieReader.