"What unites the work is a sense of place."–
Los Angeles Times "Olivas, the king of flash fiction, flexes both magical realist and realist muscles."–
NBC News "The collection cements his place in the magical realism tradition of García Márquez and Urrea, and showcases his skills as a master stylist and self-aware observer of life's little vignettes."–
Shelf Awareness "[A] bold insistence on leaving a few seams visible, a few threads frayed–even on pulling the rug away entirely–makes the book resound as a fascinating exploration of both the art of storytelling and the ways in which fiction echoes the messiness of life."–
Foreword Reviews "Assured and perceptive, offering a view of another Southland from Chandler's and Didion's."–
Kirkus "Because some pieces are of such brevity and wit, readers will take delight in reading twice."–
La Bloga "An exceptional collection of original and entertaining stories by a master of the short story format."–
Midwest Book Review "A sharp, smart collection punctuated with inventiveness and wit: in the ongoing effort to depict Los Angeles as lit by something other than the glare of Hollywood, Daniel A. Olivas reminds us that the vast topography of the entire city and its neighborhoods are vibrant with their own unique electricities."–Manuel Muñoz, author of
What You See in the Dark "Comic, wry, very Angeleno, and essential Southern California."–Susan Straight, author of
Between Heaven and Here "By turns funny and frightening, deliciously suspenseful and comfortingly homey,
The King of Lighting Fixtures is a credit to its author and to its readers, who have no choice but to give into imagination and to the joys of this delightful collection."–Erin Rubin, LibroMobile
"The short story is a delicate artifact and Olivas knows it: the right balance is achieved only if what is said is in harmony with what is left unmentioned. His Los Angeles is not only from bottom up but from east to west and from south to north."–Ilan Stavans, author of
On Borrowed Words
