Author:
Sean M. Hogan
Genre:
Short Stories, Dark Fantasy
Note: Sean M. Hogan is a friend of mine from The Pendragons, my writing group.
Summary
Four
dark short stories with fantastical elements provide chills, thrills, and
laughs.
"Motel
Black"
A
newbie hitman is given the devilish opportunity to double his money--but more
is at stake than he realizes.
"The
Grim Adventures of Meryl and Doug"
When
fluoride poisoning kills Meryl, she strikes a deal with the Grim Reaper. A
single good deed can restore her life.
Shouldn't be too hard, right?
"The
Voice of the Beyond"
After
10-year-old Justin is threatened by a man in a clown suit, his only chance for
survival is to listen to a supernatural voice.
"The
Monster with No Eyes"
A
monster learns the true meaning of happiness--stealing everything he doesn't
have.
Review
Two
of the short stories, "Motel Black" and "The Voice of the
Beyond," have previously been published individually under the name Sean
Michael Hogan. They've been repackaged here along with two new stories and
sample chapters from Sean M. Hogan's novel,
The Crow Behind the Mirror.
Sean
M. Hogan is great at dark fantasy, and here he shows off both his dramatic
("Motel Black," "The Voice of the Beyond") and comedic
("The Grim Adventures of Meryl and Doug," "The Monster with No
Eyes") chops. The stories are well-written, with a surprising amount of
character development, vivid imagery, and a rather wicked use of irony. My
personal favorite was "Motel Black," probably because I can't resist
a good "deal with the devil" story, but those with a taste for
irreverent humor and pop culture references should enjoy "The Grim
Adventures of Meryl and Doug."
These
stories are not for little kids. "Motel Black" and "The Grim
Adventures of Meryl and Doug" both contain profanity and violence, and the
subject matter of "The Voice of the Beyond" may be disturbing to
some. I would recommend it for older teens and up. The stories are dark, with
some elements verging on horror, and if that doesn't appeal to you, you may
want to hold off. However, those who want short twisty tales with a dash of
dark fantasy are sure to be delighted.
No comments:
Post a Comment