Wake the Witch by T.W. BrownMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
When I read an anthology or a short story collection this excellent, I am reminded of two things:
1. I really need to spend more time reading short fiction, instead of confining myself to novels.
I’m missing so much.
2. Horror is not the sole province of the novel-horror can be worked efficiently in a novella, a short story, or even flash (less than 100 words). The stories in “Wake the Witch” deserve reading, each and every one. Different authors, different themes and settings, but each one is a gem. An example is the excellent rendering of the 19th century classic “Young Goodman Brown” by Ken Goldman-“Mercy Hathaway is a Witch”; and then there’s TW Brown’s laugh-out-loud contemporary version of “Hansel and Gretel”-“Timmy and Ginny.” My personal favourites are the very special (read it and see) “Your Next Appointment,” and the way-scary poetic justice of “Vanity” (which made me a Chantal Boudreau convert!)
Every story is well worth reading and re-reading, of and for themselves. Not to mention that this anthology donates every cent quarterly to the Red Cross-no profits here, just charity. So go do something good-good for yourself, good for others who have suffered and will suffer in future from natural disasters and man-made horror (can we say Fujiyama, and Deep Horizons?) Get this book and settle in for an evening of enjoyment-and don’t look over your shoulder.
View all my reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment