My biggest
problem with Jason Brannon’s, The
Misunderstood And Other Misfit Horrors, is the title. It would be all too easily, unfortunately, to
scroll right past this super collection of fiction because of the generic
title. I am very grateful Jason sent it
to me for a review because I might have been one of the people that missed
out. I also feel “horror” is a little
bit of a misnomer. I do realize I’m
splitting hairs, but it stuck with me.
Rest assured
Jason’s brief collection of nine stories is dark, but its foundation is imagination
and mystery rather than terror. Each of his
fiction gems focuses on an atmosphere that is genuinely creepy. I really liked the quiet settings of most of
the stories. I could almost feel the foreboding
silence. I was happily reminded of
several Bradbury and Matheson stories.
My favorites
of the collection included “Beware The Death Angel” and “The Misunderstood” for
their great additions to Halloween mythology.
“Follow The Leader” was downright sinister in its delivery giving it an
awesome Richard Laymon feel. I didn’t
like the ending of “The Fourth Key”, but the delivery was perfect for a late
night read on a quiet couch. “The Oracle”
was a great traditional tale of terror, and “The Juggler” could have been an episode
of Tales from the Darkside.
I
immediately started hounding Jason for copies of his other books, and thank
goodness he offered a few. This
collection really wet my appetite for some of his longer works. I give The
Misunderstood And Other Misfit Horrors by Jason Brannon a solid four
severed heads delivered on a silver platter by Rod Serling. Don’t miss it.
Heads Will
Roll,
Everette
Bell
No comments:
Post a Comment