Phoenix Irish Short Stories 2000, edited by David Marcus (Phoenix, £6.99 in UK)

Such is David Marcus's reputation for his literary eye that this annual collection of stories always attracts attention. The anthology is flagged as showcasing the best new stories coming out of Ireland, as opposed to the best new voices. Hence, several of the names represented in the 2000 collection will already be familiar to Irish readers. It's unfair to expect an exceptionally high standard of writing every year, and the contents of this anthology are uneven. And why the uninspiring faux-1950s black and white cover of a cobbled city street, with horse and cart in sight? Coilin O'hAodha's "Her Blood Dripped Into Grass", which had the distinction of winning the 1998 Francis MacManus Award, I found well-nigh incomprehensible. Some other stories are slight, or dull, or both. Strong stories include Deirdre Shanahan's "Talking to my Father", a finely-paced story of familial silences; Bridget O'Toole's "This Game" about ecclestical power games in a village; and Paul Lenehan's quirky "Great Bus Journeys of Dublin", which celebrates routes 17, 33, and 44, in the way the 1970s band Bagatelle did the 46A. Harry Clifton's is a satisfyingly unsettling tale and Brendan Glacken's is a chilly little story of isolation and selfishness. Confirmation that there's a standing army of short story writers out there, in addition to Kavanagh's poets.