Three Dimensions: Lizzies Fizzies

Lizzie’s Fizzies is the third short story collection in Elizabeth Reinach’s Three Dimensions book series. In Booby Prize, a priest in the early 20th century finds a peculiar new function for brassieres; in Muji Slippers, self-esteem and appearances are tackled through a woman’s efforts to appear desirable to a man at a pompous event; in Typing Nude, a junior solicitor is infatuated by his company’s new typist’s steamy references. Performance has a promising start and provides the reader with a good chuckle as angels Raphael and Stephen sort out souls for heaven or the bossy Lucifer. The Signing, where a horror writer fears a misunderstanding will prompt his ex to reappear into his life and taint his career in the process. Another extraordinary story is The Professor and the Cleaner, which paints an accurate picture of the academic setting through the seemingly trivial, wordless interactions between a university professor and a cleaning staff member. Although these miscellaneous shorts are dispersed throughout the book, it centers mainly around the political arena and friction between Revolutionaries and British conservatives, as the insinuating Flamboyant reveals. In that respect, the reader is presented with Green and Lark and Kiss and Tell. Moreover, a series of chapters features Archie and Ted, two middle-aged, long-time friends, in several endeavors that range from the trivial to the borderline nonsense and maintain constant themes in the book, such as sexism, racism, and politics. In this imaginative collection of short stories, Reinach gives readers a taste of political commentary, current social matters, and historical moments that appeal to their sense of curiosity. Throughout the book, there are illustrations by Windel Eborlas. These black and white drawings are humorous and slightly abstract, complementing the tone of the writing. Three Dimensions: Lizzie’s Fizzies is an entertaining anthology of short stories. This humorous and sometimes horrifying collection will entertain readers that enjoy political humor, short stories, fiction, some horror, thrillers, and suspense. There is something for everyone in this unconventional compilation.