The Unsettling, Peter Rock's first collection of short stories, from 2006, is one of my books of the year. It really is unsettling. Some of these tales carry an emotional charge which is quite a surprise: and a sense of dread which will stay with you long after you've read them. Seriously recommended. |
Gorgonaeon, by Jordan Krall (published by Dunhams Manor Press) is a fascinating publication. It is a collection of fragments: brief moments of clarity, disparate at first, yet upon reading they form a strange kind of whole. Surrealistic, grotesque, separate yet cohesive: Gorgonaeon is unconventional yet a compelling read. |
Subtle gore, Kafka, science fiction (or is it?), deserted highways, a weird stuffed bear... Brian Evenson's A Collapse of Horses is a tour de force in relentless dread and disconnect. Be prepared for a roller coaster ride through these tight, breathless tales. If you haven't read anything by Evenson before, I would suggest you start now! |
American Nocturne, by Hank Schwaeble, is another superb Cohesion Press publication. This collection transcends Americana and is as varied and satisfying a group of dark stories as you will find anywhere. Schwaeble's writing is punchy and concise. This is a must read for fans of dark fiction everywhere. |
Secret Ventriloquism, by Jon Padgett. What can I say? This book is a journey through your deepest anxieties. It's creepy. Padgett clearly has the knack to get under the reader's skin and he takes advantage of that ability all the way through this collection of interconnected tales of fear.This is the first of his work I've read and I'll definitely be searching for more. |