“Just After Sunset“

by Stephen King

Format: Hardback, 353 pages.

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton, 2008.

Anyone who has ever read “On Writing” by Stephen King (and if you haven’t I would heartily recommend it) will know that he is as interested in the craft and tradition of the story as he is in the pursuit of best sellers. In the illuminating introduction to this collection he outlines how short stories were important in his formative years, not least because they paid the bills. After years of writing longer (sometimes very long!) stories he no longer  produced as much short work as before, indeed he “no longer knew how to write short stories”.

His editing of the 2006 best American Short Stories collection was the spark that relit that particular flame and this collection is the result of King writing again in “the old way”. Of course for fans of the omnipotent deity that is King the very notion that he has self-doubts about writing is somewhat difficult to grasp but clearly being one of the biggest selling writers in history isn’t enough for Mr King. He needs and wants to get behind the sales figures to produce something fresh, has he succeeded, read on.

This is King’s fifth short story collection and is made up of 13 stories of varying lengths. One thing that will be apparent to regular King connoisseurs is the setting of many of these stories, moving from the traditional Maine locations to Florida (King now spends part of the year in each state). Also many of these stories are occupied by a certain aura of age and subsequent deterioration of mind and body. Diseases and death are frequent visitors to these pages.

Stylistically they vary tremendously from jokey horror to morbid despair but as always with King his characters remain at the forefront. Time and time again you find yourself reacting to these characters after only having met them for a few paragraphs. For many writers, believable characters, even in a long form piece of writing can be a problem, but Kings characters leap of the page as they speak, bringing the story alive with them, this coupled with the rich and varied settings means the stories are easy to read but retain an engagement with the reader, you find yourself immersed in the characters and their predicaments.

That’s all very well, I hear you ask, but what about the stories, are they any good. Only one story in this collection “Stationary Bike” disappointed me, the others ranged from very good to outstanding. Highlights for me were “A Very Tight Place” which starts slowly but evolves into a truly gruesome conclusion, “The Cat From Hell” I never did trust cats and “The Gingerbread Girl” which has a slasher chase sequence to rival any Hollywood Blockbuster. Other stories were merely very good such as “Harvey’s Dream”, “Ayana” and “Mute” but for me one story stands out head and shoulders above the rest - “N”.

“N” to me summarises King’s qualities perfectly in its 52 pages. Rich characters, detailed settings, believable plot and that unidentifiable quality that invokes both Lovecraft and Machen. That sense that there is something beyond our world, that link to various mythologies, alternative histories and the occult. The best Horror stories ever written have it and “N” has it, a truly outstanding story.

So King doesn’t take the easy route and churn out another formulaic novel instead he reconnects with his past and in the process seems to have reconnected with the very tradition of the horror story, and he has drawn on that tradition, not by copying it but by allowing it to infuse into these stories. There are many who would dismiss King because he is popular and successful and therefore can’t possibly be a true artist. Well I disagree, this collection shows an artist who has learned and perfected his craft but who continues to test and push himself and it is us who benefit.

Rating 4 out of 5

I recently reviewed Brandy Schwans “Catacombs and Photographs” collection (read the review here). Well I thought you might like to know that the publishers, Apex, are running a raffle at the moment and there are some truly collectible items up for grabs . For further details, or to buy a raffle ticket head over to the Apex site here and good luck.

“The Black Veil & Other Tales Of Supernatural Sleuths“

Edited By Mark Valentine

Format :Paperback, 256 pages.

Publisher: Wordsworth Editions, 2008

Ah, the credit crunch, and in the words of Private Fraser  “Were a’ doomed” (Dads Army reference there for all the youngsters reading). Wait though, even though you might not be able to afford the latest hardback blockbuster (or other less important items like food) do not despair, Wordsworth editions are here to supplement your reading pleasure with their unfeasibly cheap “Tales Of Mystery & The Supernatural” collection. So pull your wing-back armchair a little closer to the roaring fire, slip on your smoking jacket, light up your pipe and ignore the wind and rain rattling against the windows and instead enjoy some good old fashioned supernatural stories.

The Black Veil & Other Tales Of Supernatural Sleuths (to give it it’s full snappy title) is a collection of supernatural stories with a loose connection to crime and mystery. Now, since I am not a particular fan of Sherlock Holmes and others of that ilk I didn’t particularly relish the prospect of a set of tales in that tradition. Thankfully these tales are all firmly of the supernatural tradition with only a loose affiliation to sleuthdom.

What we have are 16 stories ranging from old to modern covering the full gamut of ghostliness. Souls get disturbed, pentacles drawn and revenge taken in a variety of styles. Mostly, however, the stories are in the Victorian ghost story tradition, MR James doesn’t appear but his presence is felt throughout.

Standout stories for me included “The Gateway Of The Monster” by William Hope Hodgson, “The Story of Sevens Hall” by E&H Heron, “The Black Veil” by AF Kidd and “Like Clockwork” by RB Russell. A few of the stories particularly in the middle section were not to my taste but the good greatly outweigh the bad. It’s also worth noting that the last few stories are by modern authors including Mary-Anne Allen, Rosalie Parker and Mark Valentine (who as well as contributing and editing also provides an excellent introduction) so even those with a penchant for the modern are well catered for in this collection.

All in all an excellent collection so see you through the current crisis, why invest in dodgy banks, hedge funds and stock markets, instead make an investment in some classic fiction which is guaranteed to pay dividends.

Rating 3 out of 5

“The da-da-de-da-da Code“

by Robert Rankin

Format: Paperback, 346 pages,

Publisher: Gollancz, 2007

Quite how I have managed to miss out on reading Robert Rankin, particularly given how prolific he is, will remain a mystery. Suffice to say that the Da-da-de-da-da code was my first Rankin novel (actually that’s a lie, I have read most of Ian’s books but you get the point!). For those with a similar RR shaped hole in their reading lists, Robert Rankin writes humorous novels usually with an element or two from the horror/scifi/fantasy genre. Think Douglas Adams meets Terry Pratchett on a dark night. The dadadedada code is an obvious parody of the Davinci code but here the code in question is actually a long lost Robert Johnson track. Apparently, the legendary Delta blues singer (who allegedly went down to the crossroads and sold his soul to the devil) actually recorded one final track “Apocalypse Blues” in a pub in London.

Helped along by his imaginary friend Mr Giggles, Jonny Hooker has the task of solving the dadadedada code before the world is destroyed. Of course, he receives help along the way from Elvis (with Barry the time sprout) and the Queen.

I have to say I found this book quite hard going, although funny in parts, it’s similar to later Pratchett novels in that it loses the belly laughs at the expense of a fairly contrived plot. The humour is also less gentle than that of either Adams or Pratchett, some people may enjoy that, I didn’t particularly.

It would be unfair of me to judge Rankin too harshly on the basis of this book, he has a loyal and active fanbase (which you can find here) so clearly, whatever I think, his books are popular. Possibly he is just one of those authors you either get or don’t get, unfortunately on the basis of this novel, I fall into the later category but I would be quite happy if somebody could point me in the direction of an alternative which might convert me.

Rating 2 out of 5

“The Colorado Kid“

by Stephen King

Format: Hardback, 179pages

Publisher: PS Publishing, 2007.

Originally published in 2005 as part of the hard case crime series, an attempt to recreate the pulp crime novel in a cheap paperback format, this review is of the rather less cheap but immaculately produced PS Publishing illustrated version.

Hang on, I hear you cry, did you say crime, well yes dear reader, this book contains absolutely no horror, superstition, ghosts, or mental torture, having said that it contains many of the other hallmarks of Mr. Kings writing style.

Those familiar with the writings of Mr King will instantly feel at home with the characters. The three main characters are a couple of weather-beaten local newspaper men and their young (female) prodigy. Typical of King these characters come alive through speech and although they are never described we have no problem picturing these guys. Also present is Kings favourite setting, small town Maine, more specifically a seaport town in Maine, so far so familiar but after that it’s all about the story.

The newspapermen are recounting unsolved mysteries to their young assistant, one of which is the tale of the Colarado kid. Found dead on a beach, this is the tale of how the reporters put together the likely chain of events which led to his death. Frequently testing their young assistant with questions and hypothesis they outline the story of the mystery but here is the books major gamble, the mystery remains very much a mystery, there is no dramatic twist, no obvious whodunnit, not even a bizarre conclusion, indeed no conclusion at all. King explains the rationale behind this in the lengthy and interesting afterword and I can see exactly why he has chosen this path.

As a reader I enjoyed the telling of the tale, as a King fan I enjoyed the style and characters but I can’t pretend the ending didn’t disappoint, maybe one day we will get a sequel or a full blown novel explaining how and where but currently all we are left to ask is Why? Thankfully, as I said, Kings afterword explains the why but readers should be prepared not just for a step out of Kings usual territory but for a story without an ending, a bit like real life perhaps. Final word goes to PS Publishing for the quality of this book, it’s colour plates are fantastic, and everything from typeface to paper thickness exudes quality.

Rating 3 out of 5

“The Company“

by K J Parker

Format: Paperback, 436 pages.

Published by Orbit, 2008.

What a strange and pleasant surprise the Company was! I was expecting the usual generic fantasy novel, a bit of heroic fighting, no doubt a quest for a magical ring/amulet/book. Perhaps culminating in a huge battle in the hell pits of doom at the edge of the mirky forest. No doubt copious orc slaughtering would be included, maybe a dragon or two would appear but then a magical wizard would come to our heroes aid and… Well you get the drift.

Instead what I got was a book where practically nothing happens, where it may be a fantasy land but it feels a hell of a lot like earth, there’s no magic, no quests, what was surprising, however,  was how much I enjoyed it. It’s not often these days that you come upon something genuinely unique, something where an author has taken a gamble, ignored the expected and embraced the unexpected, but this is one example. It might not be perfect but it’s pretty damn good.

We meet the main characters going about their daily mundane business in the town of Faralia. They are, of course, all members of the company, a legendary group of soldiers who fought in the wars, gaining heroic reputations. The Company were line-breakers a seemingly suicidal role that involved breaking through a defensive line of pikemen to allow the main bulk of the army to pass. The story begins with the return to the village of their old leader General Kunessin who has a strange proposal. He wants the company to buy and live on their own island, partly to live out the retirement dream, partly to escape from normal society. So he gets the old gang together for one last adventure.

This is the crux of the book, it is a novel concerned with the human condition, trust, companionship and dreams of a better future. Of course these dreams encounter numerous problems, not least of which are the individual members of the company. A friendship seemingly created through the horrors of war, but just how deep is the friendship. At the end of the day does self preservation win out over some Utopian dream.

So the bulk of the story may seem mundane and unadventurous but it is spiced up by both snapshots of the past (the previous battles and lives of the company), the politics of the present and the dreams of the future. Well written and well paced, The Company deserves praise for challenging the generic fantasy novel but of course this will also bring it’s own criticism (where are the orcs!). Personally, I wouldn’t even describe it as fantasy, I would just describe it as an excellent book.

For those looking for something beyond the boundaries and norms of the fantasy genre, K J Parker has created his or her (the authors identity is a mystery) very own sub-genre (psychological fantasy?) and it’s one that I look forward to seeing more of. What starts as an almost comedic road adventure progresses to a Lord of the Flies conclusion but there are no happy endings here, no rescue boat on the horizon. We end with more questions than answers many of them relevant to our own standards of morality and that of our society, this book makes you think and for a fantasy novel that’s a mighty achievement. It doesn’t get bogged down in any kind of moral maze though, instead it just says here are the character flaws we all have, this is the end result. Makes you wonder about some of your other fictional heroes, that Gandalf wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him!

Rating 4 out of 5

“Dalek I Loved You“

by Nick Griffiths

Format: Paperback, 289 pages

Published by Orion Books, 2008.

Okay, a bit off the wall this one, not your usual helping of horror/fantasy although it does have (somewhat tenuous) links to SF. Dalek I Loved You tells the story of Nick Griffith’s life against a backdrop of Dr Who. From Nick’s earliest memories of Jon Pertwee , through Tom Baker until he begins to drift away during the Peter Davidson years (distracted by the usual teenage pursuits). Of course the story also touches on the new series and Nick as a writer for Radio Times was ideally placed to meet the cast and crew in real life.

Of course nostalgia is a thing of the past (sorry couldn’t resist) and it helps that Nick’s memories resonated very closely with me, I too was a Pertwee kid (yes dear readers I am that old), I too was glued to the TV mesmerised by TB’s goggly eyes! I too hated Adric and Bonnie Langford, I too have experienced the joys of introducing my children to “the Who”. It’s hard therefore for me to review this book from a point of view of a casual reader. I am sure if you are into Dr Who, whatever era, you will enjoy it, but really the best bits of the book are almost peripheral to Who. The songs, toys, styles of the era are all invoked from a firmly humorous perspective but to many younger readers these may simply not mean very much.

The middle parts of the book are also fairly Who free and instead we hear about some of Nick’s highly personal experiences, some quite depressing but the sort of life experiences we all have. The point is though that emerging from the difficult mid years coincided with the re-emergence of Who so I can understand their inclusion.

So a humorous enjoyable book for anyone who remembers, Pertwee, Baker et al. Not in any way meant as a definitive history of Who more of a personal interpretation of the place TV has in most of our lives whether we know it or not.

Rating 3 out of 5

“Fragile Things“

by Neil Gaiman

Format: Paperback, 440 pages

Published by Headline Review, 2006.

Neil Gaiman need no introduction from me, rapidly becoming a bit of a national institution (probably the only form of institution you would want to become) thanks to the success of Hollywood movies like Stardust, Beowulf, Mirrormask and the  forthcoming Coraline. Of course this follows on from his conquering of the comic world with the Stardust sequence and…oh yeah he has written a couple of books as well!

Perhaps Gaiman’s most remarkable feature is his incredible talent for mimicry, the Mike Yarwood of authors (one for the teenagers there) he can seemingly write convincingly in any style and genre he chooses. This leads to a remarkably diverse collection of short stories and I can almost guarantee there will be something here for everyone.

“Fragile Things” contains 28 pieces of writing ranging from poetry to novella, there is even a short story crammed into the excellent introduction. Stylistically they range from MR James ghost stories , Conan Doyle meets Lovecraft (A Study In Emerald), surrealist tales (October in the Chair, Sunbird) to the dark/urban fantasy that Gaiman is perhaps best known for (The Monarch Of The Glen).

The remarkable thing about Gaiman is that no matter how much he bases his style on someone else’s he still manages to retain a completely unique take on the genre he is writing in and so keeps his stories fresh and unique. Of course with such a rich and diverse selection of styles there are always going to be some that resonate more fully than others. For me the outstanding star of the show is the American Gods novella “Monarch Of The Glen”, a story which captures the otherworldly properties of the peoples and places in the far north-west of Scotland, drawing from various myths and cultures all in a concise, entertaining tale. There are plenty of other highlights but it would be pointless of me to list them all, for one thing your list would almost certainly be different, that’s the joy of a Gaiman short story collection, you get quality and quantity.

For more info on Neil’s most recent work his website is excellent, detailed and entertaining in it’s own right (you can find it here). For a teenage perspective on Coraline check out Dragonfly’s site here.

Rating 4 out of 5

“Redress”

by Adele Hartley

Format: Paperback, 320 pages

Publisher: Burning House, 2007

I first encountered Adele Hartley through her editorial work on the excellent “Read By Dawn”, short story horror collection (review here ) but she is clearly an accomplished author in her own write (to misquote Mr Lennon).

This is her first book and falls somewhere between thriller and horror containing elements of both but never becoming a generic write by numbers affair. The story starts of gorily enough however as we are introduced to our main protagonist (Skirving), we then follow the life of Cassie McCullen, a single woman, trying to get her life together but all the time being watched by Skirving.

So the start and finish of this book are pure horror the middle much more about relationships and for me (with not much in common with young single women!) this was the weaker section. It was also clear from the start that we were on a railroad ride to hell and that the conclusion could be seen coming from early on. This didn’t really spoil the journey, it just made it a little less exciting.

The quality of writing is excellent for a first novel, the characters are rich and the horror well described, I did feel the plot was somewhat unfinished, maybe a sequel (or prequel) is on the cards. Enjoyable as a psychological thriller and an impressive debut I look forward to reading more from Adele Hartley in the future.

Rating 3 out of 5

“Catacombs and Photographs”

by Brandy Schwan

Format: Paperback, 43 pages

Publisher: Apex Publications, 2008.

Catacombs and Photographs is Brandy Schwan’s second collection of poetry, following on from her previous collection “Grim Trixter”. Appropriately enough this collection is due to be published on 31st October which you may have noticed is Halloween/Samhain, a date which invokes the mysteries of the supernatural and mysterious otherworlds, a world which seems to suit the equally mysterious Brandy Schwan.

Mostly written in the comfort of her favourite writing tree, Brandy has created a dark and mysterious collection of poems, at times rich with historical influences, at others very unique and personal. As with all poetry the emotions invoked will vary for each person and will change with time but Brandy’s craft as a wordsmith and her unique outlook shine through. At times fiercely personal at others comically horrific, these are never less than thought provoking.

I can’t say they all resonated with me to the same extent, some I found a touch brash, others a touch too personal (for her not me) and some were just beyond me (that says more about my lack of intellect than Brandy’s writing). What I can say is that this collection was a unique and enjoyable experience, metaphors overlaid with illusions wrapped up in enigma’s, serial killers abound, nightmares evoked. Only two problems, its short, and the font used for titling is bizarre and at time unreadable but these are not Brandy’s fault her art (and soul) shine through regardless. To order any of Brandy Schwan’s work checkout the Apex website here or Brandy’s myspace site here.

Rating 3 out of 5