I love Biebel's writing and was honored to review this collection for MicroLit Almanac.

Brett Biebel’s stories always have a deep sense of place, and that is true in Gridlock, even when the place is a 200-mile-long traffic jam. His latest collection explores the kaleidoscopic view of the human condition through a satirical yet poignant exploration of the American experience.

The collection starts with the contained setting of the congestion on I-94 before taking “an on-ramp to America and all the little shards that might somewhere still be left.” That includes a group of roommates who pool their resources to invest in a robot sex doll, a University of Minnesota student who hacks the United Nations website, and a community of men who move into stadiums and post about their lifestyle on Reddit.

Through the lens of the titular gridlock, Biebel blends elements of social commentary with dark comedy, offering a biting critique of American consumerism, suburban ennui, and the quest for meaning in a world of perpetual motion. He consistently unearths the extraordinary within the mundane.

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