Once upon a time, in a far-off land, I was kidnapped by a gang of fearless yet terrified young men with so much impossible hope beating inside their bodies it burned their very skin and strengthened their will right through their bones. They held me captive for thirteen days. They wanted to break me. It was not personal. I was not broken. This is what I tell myself. I know it’s a little early in the year, but I can’t see how An Untamed State […]
“I learned your books. Burned them into my mind. In case the firemen come to town.”
There are few things I enjoy more than a well crafted scary short story. As a kid cutting my teeth on Stephen King I loved his short story collections more than anything. Still do for that matter. My favorite collection of King’s is Skeleton Crew. Horror classics like “The Raft”, “The Jaunt”, and “Survivor Type” haunted me for years after reading them. Still do. In recent years Neil Gaiman’s short stories have filled the void King left for me. The first collection I read, Smoke […]
Neil Gaiman treats us to another assortment of strange and haunting stories in his third collection.
Neil has produced some of my favourite short story collections over the years. He always has a knack for giving the reader a wide selection of tales that vary in style, genre and mood while still retaining the hallmarks that make Gaiman, well, Gaiman. And this collection is no different. In his introduction, Gaiman claims these shorts are far too random and unconnected to form an effective collection – but I’d beg to disagree. Several small connections hide beneath the surface, as little threads spider […]
Never Was One for a Prissy Girl
Admittedly, I am not a short story person. Most authors seem to think short stories should always leave the reader wanting more. I’m of the opinion that if I pay full admission to the museum, I get to see all the things and not be hustled out the door after making it past the lobby. Short stories should be appetizing little morsels, a blissful snack that may leave you with a ghost of taste long after you finish, but never still famished. Epiphanies in pastries […]