It might be odd to call a collection of horror/noir short stories “beautiful,” but that is the impression I’m left with. These are incredibly well-crafted, well-written stories from an author I quickly grew to respect. Thorn’s mastery of prose is an absolute delight to read. His creativity is refreshing. His subtle ability to make the horror sneak up on the reader is a gift. I compared these stories many times to my favorites from Poe, and they indeed share the chilling truth that the worst monsters are the ones within.
The range of stories here was a surprise. I never knew what to expect from story to story – in one you have a guy unnaturally obsessed with hair, in another you have a ghost doomed to wander, in another you have a terrifying monster that assimilates unsuspecting campers. In every story, it was easy to get into the mind of the characters and see the horror through their eyes. And, again, the writing itself is worth your time.
Any book that has a monstrous blob devouring the works of Derrida has my vote.
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This author never disappoints in coming up with unique, impressively well-written shorts. This collection of 23 stories has a little bit of everything – from crime to love to androids to the worst English class imaginable. There’s a great balance of creepy, troubling, sometimes funny (in an “oh, that’s terrible” grinning kind of way), and heart-wrenching tales.
Sunshine Somerville 