Post-Googlism and Other Short Stories

Refreshing stories with a twist in the tale and humour sprinkled all over. That’s what Natarajan pulled off, with his very likeable work of fiction, otherwise known for his academic publications!

 

Forewords for fiction books are unusual, so when Natarajan called to request me to write the foreword for his book of short stories, my only reason to accept immediately without asking “why”, was an opportunity to read the stories a few weeks before you all do. I was keen because I tasted a sample when he WhatsApped a couple of them last month. 

 

That word “WhatsApped” would have meant nothing a few years ago. But, now we are in a “Post-Googlers” era, and you know what it is, whether you are a Digital Native in this era or a Digital Immigrant like me. 

 

With a title like “Post-Googlism etc…”, together with the format and lingo this generation is used to, IHND that these short stories will be enjoyed by them (IHND means “I Have No Doubt”, just in case you haven’t deciphered 😉 Having read all the stories, now I can also vouch that my generation, born in the 60s – same as Natarajan’s – or, in the late fifties and early seventies, will relate to the characters even better! So, if you are born any time between 1955 and 2005, you will love reading these stories.

 

While Natarajan says that all the stories are his “own imagination and do not represent any real persons or events”, you will encounter someone you know in a familiar setting in almost every story. Not just familiar with someone, actually, often you relate with one of the characters in the stories and emote so well with them that you forget you are reading a story. That’s not your fault, Natarajan’s characters and settings are so real.

 

Other than just a couple of stories that are melancholic, almost all of the stories have an element of humour, if not entirely humorous. And humour, across such a wide-ranging settings! From a hilarious exchange between a husband and wife in ‘Two Idlies’ to an all-too-familiar Likes & Comments routine on a Facebook page in ‘BMW’.

 

And the twist, every story has built one in. At the end. Whether it’s a one-page micro-short-story or a ten-page longish-short-story. Much like my favourite O’Henry used to do. In some of the stories, you can guess the twist early on, no surprises there because you are a smart reader, otherwise why would you be reading this book in the first instance.

 

Btw, I finished the book in one sitting. Very likely, you too will. It’s a page turner. 

 

In the end, I won’t be lying, if I say “I am already looking for the next set of short stories by Natarajan”. Share your WhatsApp number, I am sure he will send some your way too well before the next book is published…