THE COSMIC YIPS

Elasky presents a collection of stories centered on the culture of golfing.

A yip is an involuntary wrist twitch that can negatively affect a golf game’s outcome—a term popularized by Scottish golf champion Tommy Armour. In Elasky’s collection of 10 tales, such misfires may be cosmically induced or psychologically triggered. In the tender opener, “Marlena’s Debut,” overprotective wine purveyor Fred consoles his 32-year-old friend Marlena Fissel, whose husband Frank just left her for another woman. At the country club where they golf, she considers lifechanging decisions, such as joining a nudist resort, getting cosmetic surgery, and trying to “Hook a big one before our dues run out.” Fred, meanwhile, sees an opportunity to act on his lifelong crush on Marlena. In “The Breaks,” a struggling songwriter, mountain cabin-dweller, and amateur golfer laments an encroaching new development on his hillside but changes his outlook when a singer expresses interest in some his songs. Elasky’s dynamic golf-story collection never becomes repetitive, thanks to his ability to amusingly touch on several genres. A whimsical and entertaining Sherlock Holmes spoof, “The Mystery of the Disappearing Duck-Hooks,” is set on an English fairway where the good detective, battling cocaine withdrawal, investigates why golf balls are disappearing into a green’s leafy vale; this time around, however, his ever-present companion Dr. Watson steals the show. Lovers of creative SF will appreciate the author’s worldbuilding talents in futuristic tales such as “The Immortals” or the title story, as well as in the silly, circuitous satire of “Balls,” which details the discovery of a long-buried green on the planet Dilapidees.

The author adventurously nods to the memoir genre in the cross-cultural splendor of “In the Shadow of Bhujanga,” in which an intrepid explorer chronicles how, in the early 1950s, he courageously introduced the sport of golf to a ruler of a kingdom in “one of the most isolated corners of this planet.” The collection also features the lengthy Northern California-set “The Cult of Golf and Sex,” which follows a sect that promotes the intersection of golf and intercourse. With an inventive backstory, discourse about what “The Yips” means, and memorable characters, such as Guru Virgil and Pilgrim Tim, this story forms an ideally inspired, energetic, and imaginative center to an inventive, triumphant volume. The joyful appeal of Elasky’s tales lies in their wide-ranging themes, as well as in the author’s reliable storytelling skills: Characters continuously relate realistic dialogue in stories with vivid imagery, which makes scenes and exchanges creative and believable. Some pieces, such as the standout opening love story, include golfing as an afterthought, but readers won’t mind as Elasky presents engrossing storylines about life, love, longing, and loyalty. In tales that put greens, golf balls, driving instructions, and lush resorts in the forefront, the author provides rich atmosphere for his dramatically enchanting yarns. Overall, lovers of character-driven sketches—especially those who play golf—are likely to find this collection to be uplifting and immensely entertaining.

An impressive set of golf tales that features well-developed characters.