In his column Jonathan McCalmont extols the value of experimental narrative while in hers Nina Allan argues that there is such a thing as a daunting book and they may even be necessary. However is it possible that James Smythe’s position on “difficult” books can be interpreted more favourably? His Twitter quote, “Saying that patience is needed to read those books both demeans the books, and suggests that you’re not mentally able to read them … Here’s a novel thought: stop acting like a book is a mountain. Start acting like they’re a thing people read for fun, in their free time,” might mean that people ought to be encouraged to read them rather than discouraged from doing so. In the Book Zone Jo L Walton praises Catherynne M Valente’s Radiance and Ian Hunter suggests Adam Roberts’s The Thing Itself is already one of the books of the year. As to the fiction:-

Alexander Marsh Freed’s Ten Confessions of Blue Mercury Addicts, by Anna Spencer examines the effects of blue mercury, a drug that slows down time – or speeds you up, the experience is the same – but is addictive.
In Spine¹ by Christopher Fowler, as an outbreak of deaths by sting occurs in Terrance Bay it seems as if jellyfish have become intelligent pack animals.
Not Recommended for Guests of a Philosophically Uncertain Disposition by Michelle Ann King features two workers at a tourist attraction known as the Fracture, a place where physical laws have broken down. This was neatly done and reminded me of the Eagles’ Hotel California.
In Motherboard: a tale from somewhere² by Jeffrey Thomas the rather programmatically named Leep seeks refuge from his life by imagining himself into the world he perceives in the circuit boards he works on.
Lotto³ by Rich Larson is set in a transit camp where applicants wait for their number to come up for a slot on a colony ship.
Andromeda of the Skies⁴ by E Catherine Tobbler has a seven-year old girl fall through ice into a lake and travel two million light years to a cavern by a strange sea.

Pedant’s corner:- ¹a missing “start quote” mark. ²Written in USian – except for the spelling “dialogue”, Down syndrome (Down’s syndrome,) space crafts (space craft,) held the circuit board it both hands (in both hands,) ³would make only the whole thing more exotic (would only make the whole thing more exotic,) stared up at quickcrete ceiling (the quickcrete ceiling.) ⁴the caves darknesses (the caves’ darknesses?)

In Must Supply Own Work Boots by Malcolm Devlin¹ a man whose augmentations are old-tech seeks work.
Bullman and the Wiredling Mutha by R M Graves is a tale of gang warfare and genetic manipulation told in a degenerate English.
Thana Niveau’s The Calling of Night’s Ocean describes a late 1960s experiment with dolphins, when the dolphins are injected with LSD.
Finding Waltzer-Three by Tim Major² sees a group investigate a ghost spaceship, Marie-Celeste-like, except the bodies are still there.
E Catherine Tobbler’s Oubliette³ has a woman move through the levels of Aphelion Station, in time as well as space, in search of a locket, and peace.
Mind the Gap by Jennifer Dornan-Fish⁴ is narrated by an AI which is on the road to achieving genuine consciousness.
Tom Greene’s Monoculture is set well in the aftermath of a flu epidemic that has wiped out all of humanity except clones of Dave Williamson and a few “randoms”.

Pedant’s corner:-
¹ “discrete” where “discreet” made more sense.
² The captain, along with the bulk of the crew, are scheduled to sleep. (The captain are?) wigwam-like (as described it was more tepee-like.)
³ Written in USian; a slow exhale (exhalation?) to lay invisible (lie invisible,) lead to (led to,) lain bare (laid bare)
⁴ Written in USian: tick born disease (tick borne?)