At least as relevant as it was when it was first published in 2009, this almost uncategorisable collection by under- appreciated polymath Momus gives us 156 possible Scotlands, a mix of (very) short stories, speculations and surrealisms, many of which are very funny. Two to offer a flavour:

Scotland 80 The Scotland in which the Edinburgh Festival runs all year, and in every city.
Scotland 129 The Scotland in which Josef K and The Fire Engines owe their twang, clatter and clang [...] to those slik pioneers twenty years their senior: Franz Ferdinand.

Scotland 124 could be a summary of the book as a whole: 'a set of Scottish etiquettes and assumptions travelling through space'. Too clever by half and all the better for it. Fantastic.

As someone who has always held a mild fascination with the idea of alternative realities there was a decent chance this was going to be a hit with me. Wasn't quite what I was expecting, although not sure if that's a good thing or not. Utterly bonkers book, farcical and surreal with an odd dark moment thrown in here and there to keep the reader's attention. Certainly a few smiles were raised along the way.

Introduction aside, there was no new content added since the book's original release in 2009, which is fine since the author doesn't really use contemporary ideas or moments to base universes around so everything aged rather well.

Overall, I rather liked it. Helped that it was an extremely quick read that didn't overstay its welcome.

This was an ARC in exchange for an honest review. With thanks to Netgalley and Luath Press.

A timely new edition of the 2009 release in which Momus imagined a series of possible Scotlands. In one of the introductions added for this release, he explains his motivation: "I chose to lie about Scotland because I love my land – as much for what it may become as what it is, as much a place to dream about as to know." If only others who chose to lie about their countries in the intervening years had had such lofty goals. Some of the Scotlands are shown to us by way of short stories, others as one-liners (for instance the Scotland in which Calvin's influence is replaced with Calvino's), and each is numbered - so 'Scotland 107' is a paean to a Bohemian utopia, while the full description of Scotland 98 is "The Scotland which makes ten or more children per family compulsory". And this numbering in particular reminded me of the work another Scot, Grant Morrison, who revived DC's superhero multiverse - but while I knew the two of them were of the same generation and nation, I'd no idea that only 11 days, and half an hour down the M8, separated their births. Which is the sort of thing almost to make one look again at astrology, isn't it? I wonder which Scotland it would be where star signs are indeed destiny.

(Netgalley ARC)