Disclaimer: I am a friend of Thom and was given a free copy of this book so as to review i
As with many modern readers, I have my little circle of Facebook book groups and writer groups. This helps me find new reads and writers. That's how I stumbled on Horror Book. My friend Thom said he had a new book dropping, and I jumped at the chance to boost my friend. I got the book in January, and I put in cue to be read as soon as I finished what was currently in progress. Life happened. I couldn't read for a while.
Finally, they did it. I made myself a nice cup of really hot tea and settled in for a read. I counted the number of short stories and got out my dice (d10+d4). This allowed me to read the stories in a random order.
Each short is preceded by a paragraph giving some background or inspiration for it and its originally intended home. I found this really helpful in changing mental gears, as each story is vastly different from the last. Some of the stories are graphic and gory. Others aren't. So now I'd like to tell you about my 3 favorite pieces from this anthology.
"Sala Amuja"-- We accompany a sniper in his frozen nest as he waits for his target to drive over the hill. This story is atmospheric and well crafted. It rang as believable given what little I personally know about sniping, learned from movies like Jack Reacher, Shooter, and Jared. Its conclusion is perfect in tone and substance. I really wanted more here. It was soon good.
"Colodi No kikai"-- Arthur Branson is an American 50-something multimillionaire playboy who is looking for answers. Answers to the Ultimate Questions of Life, the Universe, and Everything (TM). He seems in a near constant search for something to believe in. He has traveled the globe and stood in lines for hours to meet the most renowned gurus and thinkers. Now he has landed in Japan. This teacher is different. Reminiscent of Steven Strange's journey to Kamar Taj, we see Arthur single mindedly pursue this meeting with the sensei.
With this story we get nods to Asimov's, and Addam with an ironic laugh out loud twist, if you get the joke. I enjoyed this one so much, I read it twice!
"Homecoming"-- A young widow is struggling to cope under the immense weight of the recent loss of her partner. She has bills to pay, a daughter to raise, and a house hold to run, all by herself. Oh, and she still needs to find time to process her own grief, lick the very fresh wounds. This is a story full of emotion, and sharp edges and gore. I was literally weeping over shared grief on one page, and reading through not-quite-closed fingers the next. The viscera in this short are extremely symbolic, and could have a number of potential different readings. This one made the list in spite of its graphic content because its themes and metaphors are solid. I only read it once, but it stuck with me.
Honorable mention: "The Promise"
This one had a very clever concept, and I thought it deserved a mention. Its really short, though, so this is all you get.
The sheer breadth of range in this collection is amazing and I am sure any lover of a good scary story will find something to love here. Be forewarned: This is not for children
⭐⭐⭐⭐4/5
Comments
Post a Comment