Wells Tower writes short fiction about families, failed plans, masculinity and people behaving badly under ordinary pressure. Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned moves from contemporary American settings to the title story's comic version of Viking raiders, but the collection repeatedly returns to brothers, fathers, stepfamilies and men whose confidence exceeds their ability to manage consequences. Stories such as Retreat and Leopard use travel, work and domestic situations to expose rivalry and resentment without turning characters into simple villains. Tower's prose is sharp, funny and physically specific, with violence or humiliation often arriving abruptly inside otherwise recognisable social worlds. His work fits contemporary American short stories, dark comedy and family fiction, especially for readers of George Saunders and Denis Johnson. Read more Less
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