2 Reviews: Beluthahatchie, & Howard Who?

Story telling is an art. For me, it is The Art. A story can be told with pictures, the written word, the oral word, or any other way you like. But it is the story I love. One of  America's truly iconic southern storytellers, is the wonderful writer Howard Waldrop. I have read some of his stories over the last 10 years or so, but just recently I managed to read Howard Who? for the first time. The debut collection was first published in 1986, and was then reprinted a few years back in a very attractive paperback by Small Beer Press. It collected 12 stories of the Author's, along with an introduction by George R. R. Martin, and included story notes by the Author. Saying that Howard Waldrop is a master story teller would be stating the obvious. It is easy to see the southern influence of his language, but his twists and turns in his mostly alternate history plots are all his very own. There are no so-so stories here. They are all wonderfully unique. There is evidence of the long extinct dodo bird showing up in Mississippi in The Ugly Chickens. In Der Untergang des Abendlandesmenschen, there is a vampire, cowboys, and nazis, making the destruction of said vampire into quite another thing entirely. Ike At The Mike turns Elvis Presley into a politician, and Eisenhower into a musician. Dr. Hudson's Secret Gorilla is about a mad scientist. Wait! it's about a gorilla with a machine gun. A smart gorilla. Well, you'll have to decide. "...The World, As We Know't," well if the title doesn't give it away, it's about the end of the world, but not in a way you would expect, exactly. Green Brother is a wonderful Native American tale. But once again, a completely unique take on history as we never knew it. This is one of my favorites. But don't let that mislead you, I loved them all. You get the idea. This a collection that should be missed by no one who loves a good story. Trust me.

One of Andy Duncan's influences, is Howard Waldrop. Andy is another southern writer, and an exceedingly fine one. Did I say fine? I meant incredibly exceptional. Beluthahatchie And Other Stories is his debut collection, published by Golden Gryphon in 2000, with an introduction by Michael Bishop, an afterword by John Kessel, and story notes by the Author. Andy Duncan is not someone you read quickly. Not because it is work to read him, but because you don't want to miss anything. The detail in his characterization, the ease of description, and all the subtle nuances of his language, all make for a truly hearty, and thoroughly enjoyable "meal". And when he wants to, he captures that authentic southern flavor like few can. Stories about the devil, a tale about Patton (from which I actually learned somethings about the General that I never would have known), stories of horror, alternate history... but all having one thing in common. Not only magnificent story telling, but the creation of characters we believe and care about. Although I would not have missed any of these stories for any amount of money, my favorite would have to be Liza And The Crazy Water Man. Maybe because of the music history that went into it. Maybe because it is a love story in the end. It could be because of the unique take on the problems of recording. Or it just might be that I truly loved these characters. I can say no more.

Mr. Gaunt & Other Uneasy Encounters by John Langan

I have always had a weakness for the classic ghost story. And one of the most recent writers of such, is John Langan. He has been influenced by the storytelling of writers like M. R. James, and Henry James. His debut collection, Mr. Gaunt and other uneasy encounters, was published by Prime in 2008, and received a starred review from Publisher's Weekly, as well as high praise from Elizabeth Hand, Lucius Shepard, Realms of Fantasy, among others. 
The collection has an introduction by Elizabeth Hand, and contains 5 stories, all but one of which, are of novelette or novella length. It also includes story notes by the author. The first tale is a unique one, about a different sort of Mummy, "On Skua Island". "Mr. Gaunt" tells a story of curious children and a rather stern manservant, but I can say no more about that. Let it suffice to mention that it was atmospheric, and did get its measure of tension, as well as a couple of pints of blood. "Tutorial" is a tale about learning how to write according to the rules, and what might happen if you don't. And I think you might want to stick to the rules. And then there's "Episode Seven: Last Stand Against The Pack In The Kingdom Of The Purple Flowers", a gripping post-apocalyptic story, that in part was influenced by Dale Bailey's "The End Of The World As We Know It", which was published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. "Episode Seven" would have been an interesting basis for a graphic telling, although not at all necessary for to truly enjoy it. And finally, there is "Laocoon, or The Singularity", which happens to be about the dangers of taking home a seemingly abandoned statue from an alley, and trying to make it into art. I can't say anymore about that, either. But do let me say, that it is nothing like any Trojan Horse tale you have ever heard. In his story notes, the author does say, along with "Episode Seven", he did work in a lot of popular culture that he grew up with, like Marvel Comics and Star Wars. Enough about that.
The amazing thing about this collection is that I really cannot, for the life of me, pick a favorite. I loved every one. I will probably not be able to pass up anything yet to be published by John Langan. Just what I need. Another author whose books I can't resist. Damn. 
Anyroad, I already have a first edition of his debut novel, House Of Windows, which I haven't read, yet, but will soon, I imagine. In the meantime, I would have to say that this collection foretells of wonderful things to come.   

Review of Last Exit for the Lost

Yeah, I'm still here. Well, this will be my first post on this blog in 2 years. Although I have been posting regularly on my other blog, English Confusion, at www.goingtotea.blogspot.com, which was actually started for the ESOL students that I tutor (I prefer the title Facilitator). I will be posting book reviews to this site, however. So, allow me to post one now. It's probably all the time I have. Eddie (King Edgar to you) is napping on my neck behind my head, but that probably won't last long, and then hell will be raised. I have truly spoiled him. He does believe he is the King.
I love all speculative fiction: science fiction, dark fantasy, alternative history, magic realism, slipstream, etc., etc. But I have always had a soft spot for horror, particularly the bizarre, the weird, the atmospheric. The kind that has no need to depend on gallons of blood and violence galore. The subtle tends to burrow much deeper under my skin.
And I do have a warm place in my heart for Tim Lebbon. But I don't believe his are the stories for those suffering from severe depression or any form of paranoia. Many of his stories and novellas are collected in "Last Exit for the Lost", a signed limited edition published by Cemetery Dance. Unfortunately, at least for the time being, it is only available on the secondary market since it was sold out by the publisher. It has an introduction by Joe R. Lansdale, 17 previously published works of fiction, and 2 that are original to this collection: The Evolutionary a short story, and Nothing Heavenly, a novella.
I had read a fair number of the stories in their original publications, or in "year's best of" collections. But I re-read them all with definite relish. And, I enjoyed every single one. I'm not sure I can claim one single favorite, but if I had to, I would probably go with In Perpetuity. In this novella, a father loses his daughter to an evil collector with magical powers, and has to perform a seemingly impossible task to get her back. Along the way he runs into other strange, and not so strange, characters who are also trying to complete difficult quests for the same collector. It is a not so simple tale on the nature of love, desperation, and what it is to be human. The 2 original works round out the collection wonderfully. The Evolutionary is about a very special boy, who gets a visit from a very special man, who comes from a rather distant place. And finally, Nothing Heavenly would seem to be about a war where humans are caught in the middle. But as usual in the stories of Lebbon, things aren't always what they seem. Like I said, I love this guy.

Anyroad (anyway, if you like), I will give no more away. Above, you can see Eddie asserting his claim to the crown. Yup, he's the King. He's already woken, demanded a head rub, which I had to give him using my nose (he has a thing about fingers), and then made it clear he wished to be conveyed to the interior of his cage, where he is now continuing his nap. 
Final comment: if you enjoy literate horror fiction and dark fantasy, you can do a whole lot worse than the scribblings of Tim Lebbon. Since reading his novel The Nature Of Balance, I have never missed the opportunity to read anything of his I can get my hands on. And that, as they say, is all I have to say about that.