Horror World Book Reviews
December, 2007

 

FRAYED by Tom Piccirilli
Review by Mark Justice

I’ve read a lot of Tom Piccirilli’s writing. Every time I finish one of his novels or novellas I feel like I’ve awakened from a fever dream, exhausted, sweaty, with violent images dancing behind my eyes.

Frayed is no different. One of Piccirilli’s most powerful works, this is a novella that celebrates and wallows in the fiercest emotions: love and hate and jealousy.

Eddie and Gray are two childhood friends who both grew up to be writers. Now Gray has been committed to an odd asylum called The Clinic, where hot coeds swim in the pool and Gray lives in a cabana straight out of a Jimmy Buffett song. Eddie is invited to visit Gray in this idyllic looney bin, where old feelings very quickly bubble to the surface.

Scene by tortured scene, the reader begins to piece together the truth of the relationship between these two men. It’s a history that is dominated by an unspeakable event Eddie and Gray took part in during their youth. The very same event pulls them to an inevitable and bloody confrontation.

I won’t spoil things further. Frayed is a complex and layered work, as you might expect from Piccirilli. His power is the ability to draw us so deeply into the minds of his characters that that we become fascinated – even sympathetic – to all of the blemishes and cruel, petty desires, even as we’re repulsed. Piccirilli understands all the bad things inside us, the stuff even we hide away.

My advice is this: get a copy of Frayed. Then set aside an hour of so, alone. Prepare a strong drink and keep it handy. You’ll need it after you turn the last page.

Creeping Hemlock Press

*****

THE AUCTIONEER by Joan Samson
Review by Norm Rubenstein

Joan Samson was a gifted and promising young writer who had received a B.A. in English from the University of Chicago, a M.A. in English and Contemporary Literature from Tufts University, and had been awarded a Radcliffe Institute Fellowship for Creative Writing. The Auctioneer was Ms. Samson’s first and only published novel. It was originally released in 1975 in paperback, and sold over one million copies. Unfortunately, Ms. Samson died suddenly of cancer in 1976 at age 39. Her novel, though it received much critical praise, with, for example, Stephen King acknowledging that it was a direct influence upon his novel Needful Things, was quickly forgotten and had been out of print for many years.

Joan Samson’s The Auctioneer is about as far removed from a work by Ramsey Campbell or William Hjortsberg as can be imagined, while still being considered as part of the Horror Genre. That is one of the beauties of the genre. Truly, the evil that humans can inflict upon themselves can be far more terrifying and horrific than any external supernatural monster. The Auctioneer centers around a simple farmer, John Moore and his family – his wife Mim (short for Miriam), their little daughter, Hildie, and John’s widowed mother who lives with them on their farm on the outskirts of the small rural New Hampshire town of Harlowe. As the novel begins, a neighbor pays the family a seemingly innocent visit to request a voluntary donation of any old piece of unwanted “junk” for a benefit auction to benefit the tiny local police force. Also assisting with the auction is going to be the town’s newest resident, Perly Dunsmore, a professional auctioneer, who has some big plans for the small sleepy town. How Perly and his plans affect the townspeople and especially the Moore family, and the consequences of both actions taken and not taken, constitute the core of the novel.

Ms. Samson’s writing style is unique and quite brilliant. Her pacing and the slow, deceptively small incremental progression from the ordinary to horrific is masterful. After completing this novel, one comes to understand just how influential it was to Stephen King’s later Needful Things, and to many other subsequent works of horror fiction. This is truly a classic story, and one that well deserved to be resurrected and placed prominently back into print. This book is very highly recommended.

Millipede Press

*****

WORLD WIDE WEB (And Other Lovecraftian Upgrades) by Gary Fry
Review by Mario Guslandi

Author, editor and publisher (his Gray Friar Press has gained an excellent reputation in the UK small press), Gary Fry is a prolific writer blending horror fiction and psychology in a fascinating mix. A disciple in the tradition of Ramsey Campbell - who, in turn, started his writing career as a follower of HP Lovecraft - Fry hasn’t forgotten the legacy of Lovecraftian themes and atmospheres, as shown by the present collection of short fiction.

The volume begins with World Wide Web, an excellent, dark novella of cosmic horror featuring a young boy living with his alcoholic mother, a former actress stuck with the memories of the past.

The piece effectively conveys an upsetting sense of menace by hinting at the frightening Lovecraftian universe in many subtle ways.

Unnaturally selected is a meditation on evolutionary biology. Unfortunately, the story is a bit too cerebral and the tone too unbalanced toward the philosophical essay to qualify as an enjoyable fictional work.

On the other hand Servant of the Order , although slightly hazy and somehow confusing, is a deeply atmospheric tale of paranoia and physical terror.

Apparently just a psychological study of a case of insanity Three is One Too Many or Two Few leaves the reader with the disquieting feeling that often reality is not what is supposed to be.

In the world is another exercise in psychology where an alternate reality makes a man uncertain of his reference points in life.

Is Out of body, Out of Mind just a journey into paranoia or the discovery of actual physical horrors? Ask James, a young student spending a holiday in a secluded place by a lake and experiencing eerie feelings.

Finally in Bodying Forth a journal revealing step by step unfathomable horrors doesn’t prevent the shock of discovering the transformation undergone by an unfortunate professor.

Using the Lovecraftian Mythos as a distant background for contemporary horrors, Fry confirms to be a writer endowed with considerable insight in exploring the abyss of the human soul. Not always an easy reading, his fiction is tough-provoking and upsetting.

Humdrumming Press

*****

IN FEAR AND DREAD by Derek M. Fox
Review by William A. Veselik

In Fear and Dread, to put it bluntly, is an anthology of previously published short stories that are somewhat clumsily executed and, as a result, they mostly fail to deliver either fear or dread to the reader.

That’s not to say that many of the stories, such as Packy’s Room and Ripples, (just to name two) don’t have promise in the beginning. However, as these stories are developing and beginning to draw in the reader, the author seems to suddenly see his word count increasing beyond his intended limit and he feels it necessary to rush to the end. In most cases, this results in little or no payoff for the reader. In other instances, it makes the stories just plain difficult to follow to their logical conclusion.

Many of the stories could easily be saved by rewriting them with an eye toward better pacing, and I’m surprised that the small press publishers who have handled these stories in the past didn’t insist on some rewrites. Fox’s ideas for the stories themselves are fairly fresh and their settings are interesting, to be sure, and he can certainly put words together, but those facts can’t really save this collection in the end.

Anglophiles may enjoy the peculiarly British phrases that are sprinkled throughout the book—not unexpected, especially since Derek Fox is British himself.

The book also includes a couple of non-fiction pieces by Debbie Stack and Sheila Jackson), which offer little more than stale topics and obvious statements. They add nothing to the book whatsoever.

In Fear and Dread isn’t entirely a waste of paper and ink, though. Novice short story writers in the horror/suspense genre might want to pick it up for the purpose of learning what pitfalls to avoid in their own writing.

Rainfall Books

*****

A MORTAL GLAMOUR By Chelsea QuinnYarbro
Review by Patricia Snodgrass

It’s the fourteenth Century. The Roman Catholic Church is in schism with one pope in Rome and the other one in Avingion France, Both popes claim to be the true church and rumors abound in southern France of an invasion by Rome. Insane men called flagellants roam the land, beating themselves and destroying everything in their paths. The plague has ravaged France; orphaned children wander the streets of the tiny village scrounging on whatever they can find. Crops have failed because there is nobody left to tend the fields. And in the convent of Tres Saunt Annunciation, the food stores are spoiling, the orchards have withered and all the bees have died.

During this time a small cloister of nuns are slowly going mad because of a diabolic presence in their midst. Is it a demon or has someone invaded their cloister for their own nefarious reasons? Perhaps it doesn’t matter. All we know for sure is that evil has descended upon the little convent of Tres Saunt Annunciation and before it’s over, nobody is left unmarred.

There is a disturbing atmosphere surrounding the convent as well as the town, and even after the men at arms fight off the religiously-maddened flagellants they are reluctant to remain at Tres Saunt Annunciation due to disturbing but very realistic dreams. Even the priest Pere Guibert is loath to go to tend to the nuns who are frightened and very much in need of protection. And even when they get the attention of the church, their assistance is brutal and disturbing.

There are times when A Mortal Glamour gets a little preachy, but it’s expected because the book is centered around the Catholic community. But don’t let that scare you off; this book is well worth reading. It is a brilliantly written story, with plenty of twists, turns and intrigue to get lost in. A perfect read for a cold winter’s night.

Juno Books

*****

UGLY STORIES FOR BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE by James Burr
Review by Norm Rubenstein

Author James Burr is a U.K. based writer, who has had numerous short stories and novellas published in various magazines and anthologies, most of which would be unfamiliar to many USA based readers. Therefore, at least to me, (and I’d suspect to many of you as well), author Burr is a new voice. The recently released softcover, Ugly Stories For Beautiful People, by U.K. based publisher, Corsega Press, collects a number of James Burr’s works of short fiction into a single volume of 272 pages.

The author describes the collected short fiction in the book as being “inter-linked.” However, the “links” are not, in general, ones of repeating characters, settings, or even themes. Rather, the inter-relationship between and amongst these stories is subtler, one of world-view, of nuance, of a subtle disruption of the expected. Indeed, of the thirteen pieces of fiction comprising the collection, only the first and last stories, “BobAndJane: A Fable In Two Indistinct Parts,” and “Postscript:BobAndJane,” are actually directly interconnected, involving the same characters.

Author Burr is not merely a “new” voice, he is a fresh voice – a different and disturbing voice - and one deserving of your attention. His work is not easily categorized, which may, or may not, be a good thing. There are certainly horrific elements to Mr. Burr’s fiction, but also what can be more readily described as “dark fantasy” and even, perhaps “Bizarro” fiction. There is also a dry, sardonic, and often satirical humor running through much of the stories in the book. Burr’s “Foetal Attractions,” wherein the tale’s narrator is a home pregnancy test kit, and “It ,” which involves a dread new disease of sudden world-wide epidemic proportions, that literally causes people to be sucked-up their own rear-ends – it’s cause and eventual cure, are just two examples of Burr’s drollness. There are a few instances where being British might well help with getting the most out of certain of the author’s humor, but such is not a requirement for the vast majority of the book. Then again, Burr does have stories in this collection that are far more disturbing, and even terrifying, than humorous. The author displays a high level of technical skill both with the rules of story, and with the English language, throughout the collection.

The stories in this collection worked, for me, because they were not merely “different,” but because they truly were disturbing to me, as a reader, and many of the stories stayed with me long after I’d finished reading it. Burr’s “Life Is What You Make It,” which concerns itself with questions of reality versus illusion, was, for me, especially compelling. Again, I can only speak for myself. But, when I read Horror Genre fiction, I like to be disturbed by what I’m reading. It is a good test (but certainly not the exclusive one) as to the effectiveness and quality of the story I’m reading.

Be forewarned - these stories are not the “same old” vampire-on-a-rampage or zombies-assault “easy reading” style of short fiction to which many are accustomed (and are very happy with) reading. These require, perhaps, a bit more effort on the part of a reader; but those looking for something a bit different and challenging, will be handsomely rewarded. This book is highly recommended.

Corsega Press

*****

THE UNDEAD: SKIN AND BONES Edited by D.L. Snell & Travis Adkins
Review by Dennis Duncan

I loved the first Undead collection so when Permuted Press released Skin and Bones the second edition in the Undead Anthology I know it was going to be another great collection. Permuted Press has once again delivered the goods. Skin and Bones is loaded with stories that will satisfy even the most picky Zombie fan. Some of the biggest names in the Zombie genre come together once again and deliver a anthology loaded with Non stop Action, Blood and Guts, Humor, and some truly frightening Horror. Skin and Bones is another reason why Permuted Press is the leader in Zombie and Apocalyptic fiction in general today. They continue to publish some of the most creative new voices in the Horror genre and their future is as bright as any publisher in the game today.

Skin and Bones has your classic Zombie stories along with some new takes on the undead. There wasn't a story in this anthology I didn't like, but there were some that really stood out. Some of my favorites include The Hill by Eric Shapiro, Ravenous Angels by A Kiwi Courters, The Abbot and the Dragon by David Dunwoody. Skin and Bones by D.L. Snell, and Agent Red by Phillip Hansen. The story that stuck out the most to me had to be Cyclopean by David Wellington.

Wellington hit the scene a few years ago with Monster Island which was one of the best Zombie novels to come out in years and Cyclopean shows that he knows how to write one heck of a short story. I cant wait to see what he gives us next.

I highly recommend The Undead: Skin and Bones to all Zombie Fiction fans. It is one heck of an anthology that will leave even the most jaded readers feeling satisfied.

Permuted Press

*****

DARKNESS CREEPING by Neal Shusterman
Review by Steve Middaugh

Shusterman has written more than twenty books crossing genres such as science fiction, fantasy, horror, or mystery/suspense thrillers like the Dark Fusion series and the Star Shard series and several short story collections. "Darkness Creeping" is his latest short story collection. Even though it's marketed for YA audience, that shouldn't stop adults from reading this collection. There's nothing cute or childish in the stories. Shusterman pulled no punches. Some that are dark and unnerving and others are clever and humorous and border on the outrageous. These stories harken back to the classic Twilight Zone/Night Gallery series.

"Catching Cold" is what happens when you tried to nab the elusive Ice Cream Man and the aftermath is quite unexpected.

With "The Black Box" in hand, who wouldn't be tempted to push the button to find out? What would you do if stitched faces on the quilt started staring at you in "Security Blanket"?

In "Same Time Next Year", a snobby little teenager discovers that time travel is not exactly what it's cracked up to be.

"Flushie" is a very dark tale of a kid trying to find ways of dealing with his bullies. "Resting Deep" where the hydrophobic kid went with his granddad on a fishing trip during the storm with some serious trepidations.

"Screaming At the Wall" is a very strange tale worthy of Rod Serling. Where grandma was seen talking to the wall. Is she crazy or what? Her granddaughter seems to think otherwise.

"Ralphy Sherman's Root Canal" is hilarious and an outrageous tale of Ralphy's journey to the dentist for his strange toothache.

"Riding The Raptor"is what happens when you have a sneaky suspicion that the ultimate rollercoaster ride is not what it seems.

One or two of his tales were so-so and others like "The River Tour" were pretty good but forgettable. Still, most of his stories pulled no punches. There's a three-dimensionality of characterization in these tales where some of the characters are likable to a certain extent. Not everybody's beautiful and not everybody has desirable traits. That's life as was pointed out in this book. It is these traits that made the stories work. You care for these characters. Stories are dark but some lights do show up at the end of the tunnel. This collection is well written and definitely worthy of the classic Twilight Zone/Night Gallery. A definite thumbs up.

Lowell House

*****

F. PAUL WILSON’S REPAIRMAN JACK: A PORTFOLIO OF GAUNTLET PRESS BOOK COVERS by Harry O. Morris
Review by Norm Rubenstein

Amidst all of the various books, CD’s and DVD’s available to the Horror aficionado this holiday season, I recently came across something just a bit different that I thought might be of interest to some of you.

Gauntlet Press, a distinguished specialty book publishing company run by author and editor Barry Hoffman, has had a long and very friendly history with, and has published quite a number of excellent limited edition books by, a number of prominent authors, including, but certainly not limited to the likes of, Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, Jack Ketchum, Rod Serling, and F. Paul Wilson.

Mr. Wilson, who has authored over thirty books, is a multiple New York Times Best Seller and multi-literary award winner, including a Stoker. He is perhaps best known for his six interconnected “Adversary Cycle” Books, and his most popular and durable literary creation, Repairman Jack.

Indeed, Gauntlet Press has published limited/lettered first editions of nine Repairman Jack novels since 1999, with more on the way. The cover art for all of these limited editions (as well as for numerous other Gauntlet Press books), was created by famed artist, Harry O. Morris, with input and approval from the books’ author.

For those who might be unfamiliar with the man and/or his work, Harry O. Morris has been a published artist since the early 1970’s, his first published piece comprising the cover art for an album for the rock group OMEGA in Germany. During the 1980’s Mr. Morris provided numerous cover and interior art for books by Scream/Press, and for authors including Clive Barker, Richard C. Matheson, and Michael McDowell. Then, in the early 1990’s Mr. Morris created cover art for numerous titles in Dell Abyss’ paperback line. Mr. Morris also published nineteen issues of the noted H. P. Lovecraft and weird fiction fanzine NYCTALOPS. Since the late 1990’s Mr. Morris has worked chiefly with Barry Hoffman and Gauntlet Press.

The current Portfolio takes the cover artwork Harry O. Morris created for the nine already published Gauntlet Press Repairman Jack novels, plus the author and publisher approved cover art for the first of Mr. Wilson’s forthcoming Repairman Jack Young Adult trilogy of novels, SECRET HISTORIES. Thus, there are ten (10) cover art plates in the Portfolio Set. Each plate is 9.5” x 13,” is printed in full color upon archival quality semi-gloss paper. Each plate reproduces the full wraparound images by Harry O. Morris, without any overlying text, and with a simple identification of the name of the book and year of original publication in the lower right corner of each plate of the original cover art for the ten Gauntlet Press Repairman Jack novels, as follows:

Obviously, art is a personal thing, and tastes may certainly vary between individuals. I, personally, have long been an admirer of the artwork and illustrations of Harry O. Morris, and am very much looking forward to the forthcoming book by Jerad Walters and his Centipede Press devoted to Mr. Morris’ art. In the meantime, I purchased a copy of the Repairman Jack Art Portfolio as soon as it was announced. The paper utilized is indeed of exceptional quality, and it is immediately obvious that great pains were taken to ensure that the clarity and vibrancy of the original artwork, the color correction and the registration and accuracy of reproduction of the art, have all been exact and thorough. Each plate is certainly of a quality to be matted and hung, if that would be of interest. The artwork itself is stunning. Morris incorporates themes and images relating to each respective novel, and has composed covers that one cannot literally tear their eyes away from. Morris’ use of light and shadow is often brilliant, and he seemingly easily and deftly is able to combine exacting realistic detail work with surreal vision. Each and every plate in the collection is not only a striking visual message, but also, especially in combination with reading the novels themselves, becomes a springboard for thought and reflection. Mr. Morris is a major artistic talent, and this Portfolio offers a unique and surprisingly inexpensive opportunity to obtain a collection of his art suitable for framing and display, completely aside from any considerations of “collectibility” or future financial appreciation.

The Limited Edition Gauntlet Press Repairman Jack Cover Art Portfolio is definitely “something different,” but makes for a singular and beautiful present whether for a friend, loved one, or yourself. It can provide for a lifetime of pleasure and enjoyment. I thank Gauntlet Press for making the Portfolio available, and to the great talents of both F. Paul Wilson and Harry O. Morris, from whose minds and hands such lasting art has been created.

Gauntlet Press

*****

HOUSE INFERNAL by Edward Lee
Review by Dennis Duncan

Welcome to Memphistopolis the great city of Hell built by Satan. The city stretches endlessly, and it is were the souls of the damned spend their eternity. In a pitch black sky hangs a red sickle moon that's shines over this evil city were nothing but suffering exists.

Clock towers have no hands because time doesn't exist in this hideous city. Demons prowl streets made of rot looking for damned to torture. Monstrous creatures live in the depths of seas made of blood looking for flesh to devour. Golems stand watch in smoking alleys, while gargoyles prowl the ledges of mile-high skyscrapers made of crushed bone. Anyone who is condemned to the place lives an eternity of torment and despair.

Venetia Barlow is about to begin working at St. John's Prior House in hopes of one day becoming a nun. She expects nothing but hard work and boredom over the summer, but soon she's haunted by dark visions of a city full of monsters that know her name. She will soon find out that Prior House isn't a place of meditation and worship. Its a temple of evil with a very dark history and the dark forces that inhabit this place has something in store for her that will change her life forever.

House Infernal is the third installment in Lee's Infernal series. The story takes off with a bang and never lets up.

I could not put this book down.

House Infernal has loads of action and gore along with very memorable characters. Lee introduces us to lots of new characters, but he also brings some back from his earlier works. Fans of Bighead, Slither, and the Infernal series can’t miss this one. A lot of old storylines get tied together in House Infernal. Lee is the King of hardcore horror and House Infernal is one of his best. I can’t wait for his next installment in this series. If you are an Ed Lee fan you owe it to yourself to go grab a copy. You will not be disappointed.

Leisure

*****

SOMEWHERE A BAND IS PLAYING by Ray Bradbury
Edited by Donn Albright
Review by Norm Rubenstein

A new book by Ray Bradbury for reading and review. No, not another new edition of one of the innumerable classics by the deservedly renowned author, such as Dandelion Wine, The Illustrated Man, The Martian Chronicles, Farenheit 451, The October Country, Something Wicked This Way Comes; heck, with over five hundred published works, these barely scrape the surface of Mr. Bradbury’s awesome literary output. But, this is the opportunity to read and comment upon an actual new work of fiction, a new Novella, by a pivotal American author who has been publishing stories for public consumption for over sixty years. That singular author who, despite being identified (some might say, “stigmatized”), with our genre of “Speculative Fiction/Horror/Fantasy/Science Fiction,” has been awarded both the National Book Foundation’s Medal For Distinguished Contribution To American Letters, and The National Medal Of Arts, the highest and most prestigious award bestowed by the United States Government to an Artist. The opportunity to review this new book for Horror World is therefore an offer, both actual and proverbial, that I could not refuse.

As I write this review a few short weeks shy of my fifty-third birthday, I also approach the 45 th anniversary of my formal introduction to Mr. Bradbury and his writing, as I received a copy of Mr. Bradbury’s “R Is For Rocket” for my eighth birthday. It was, for me, both a revelation and a case of love at first read, and rapidly led to my scouring our local libraries for copies of any and all titles either authored by Ray Bradbury, or in which he had any story or essay published. Of course, my having grown up in a relatively small Illinois town not too far removed, either by location or outlook, from Green Town, Mr. Bradbury’s idealized version of his childhood home of Waukegan, Illinois, probably aided my identification with the author and his writings. If one is a sufficiently voracious reader, eventually you will find one or a few authors whose works you will find uniquely and personally fulfilling and magical. Stories so comforting and/or infinitely layered and thought provoking, that seem to speak to your very core. You will find yourself returning to them, re-reading them periodically, not only without any perceived loss in enjoyment, but with your experience and pleasure actually enhanced upon each occasion. From perhaps, Conan Doyle to Tolkein, or Dickens to Rowling, each person will find their own. Ray Bradbury, is definitely chief among mine. While this does not mean that every word Mr. Bradbury puts to paper (or disk) is pure platinum, or that every story or book he authors is of equal, multi-award-winning quality, the length of his literary career, overall quality of his work, and his collection of prestigious awards throughout his long career, certainly all speak to a “historical/customary” standard of writing that is enviable and eminently readable, to say the least.

Somewhere A Band Is Playing is a story that went through a lengthy genesis. Mr. Bradbury first started it in the period of the late 1950’s through the early 1960’s. The story went through various versions and even formats over the years, ranging from short story, to potential novel, teleplay, and screenplay. It sat in a drawer for many years, unfinished, until Mr. Bradbury’s publisher requested that the author try to complete the project, beginning back at the end of the 1990’s. We are all greatly indebted to the book’s editor, Donn Albright, who painstakingly dug through the vast accumulation of the author’s notes, scraps, and various notebooks of unpublished writings, and discovered all the various drafts and scraps of the story in its many previous guises, and has preserved and presented them to us as additions to the actual finished Novella itself. They include hand-corrected pages by author Bradbury himself, and, in combination, provide a truly invaluable resource both tracing the genesis and maturation of the story and characters, and insight into the mind of the author. Such work is long and painstaking, and hardly “glamorous,” but is truly of huge importance and historical and literary significance. Mr. Albright is owed a huge debt of gratitude and a heartfelt “thank you” by all, for all his work. (Donn Albright has performed similar brilliant service on a number of other works by Ray Bradbury, perhaps, most impressively, in the recent Match To Flame: The fictional Paths To Farenheit-451).

In addition to final Novella, and all the previously mentioned story fragments, the book also includes a very interesting and moving Introduction by noted author William F. Nolan, a longtime friend and colleague of Ray Bradbury’s.

So, what of Somewhere A Band Is Playing? What is it all about – and, perhaps more importantly, does Ray Bradbury, now age 87, still have “it”? Well, the Novella itself revolves around the small Arizona town of Summerton, a town that doesn’t appear on any maps, has no actual road access, and has one dilapidated and seemingly deserted train station that no trains actually even ever stop at. The story’s protagonist, an investigative reporter named James Cardiff, who harbors some knowledge of fateful consequence to Summerton and its inhabitants, on a “hunch,” jumps from a moving train one fine day onto the seemingly desolate Summerton train station. There he is suddenly introduced to a rather enigmatic older man of many hats and talents, one Elias Culpepper, and his talented horse, Claude. Claude makes for an entertaining character in his own right, and perhaps the most anthropomorphic horse since Mr. Ed. It rapidly becomes apparent that Mr. Cardiff is not the only one who has secrets. The reporter decides to spend some time visiting the town, and stays at the Egyptian View Arms boarding house. There he meets the proprietress of the boarding house, Culpepper’s daughter, Nefertiti (Nef for short). Nefertiti, loosely translated, means,” the beautiful one is here.” James certainly finds this to be true, as he soon falls in love with Nef, something the already engaged young reporter was not counting upon. After visiting the town’s homes with their fields of huge sunflowers, school, cemetery, and even their Library (the Hope Memorial Library, which contains stacks marked “Alexandria 1-3”), James begins to realize that Summerton, and its inhabitants, are far more than they appear at first glance. The sudden appearance in Summerton of James’ longtime nemesis, James Edward McCoy, an unsavory competing reporter, causes James to make certain decisions, and take actions that will affect everyone. Yes, if it sounds as if I’m being deliberately coy, I am deliberately avoiding discussion of any “spoilers,” in the hope and expectation that at least some of you might decide to read the book.

Now, I’m certainly not the same person I was when I was eight years old, or even thirty-eight. No one should expect, nor desire, Ray Bradbury to be the same person now, that he was back in 1947 or 1977. I imagine that it would be simple enough for an author of Mr. Bradbury’s talent, to simply regurgitate his earlier works with little or no modification, in ideation, conception, and/or style. It would represent an “easy out” for the author, giving his readers what they think they want and expect - the “same old.” I’m certain that it would read well enough, and sell well enough. But a true artist doesn’t stagnate, and Ray Bradbury is a true artist.

Just as with his recently released novel, Farewell Summer, in Somewhere A Band Is Playing, the author revisits certain familiar themes which have reappeared throughout many of his works, but now does so with a maturity and point of view not previously seen or expressed. The same “patented” Bradbury lyrical prose, which reads both so simply and yet beautifully, is still present. Ray Bradbury is unique in his ability to make prose seem to flow and even sing to the reader, and can convey more within one or two sentences than many a writer can accomplish within a full page of text. The author is also a master of subtext and, perhaps most importantly, neither talks down to his audience, nor underestimates their intelligence and humanity. There is a certain small measure of melancholy in Mr. Bradbury’s more recent stories, and perhaps just a bit more exploration of that area of gray in both humans and human affairs that isn’t simply either black or white. But, ultimately, and as expressed within the pages of this new Novella, Ray Bradbury’s stance towards Homo Sapiens, or at least towards a portion thereof, is a positive one, one of hope.

Somewhere A Band Is Playing is a delight to read and to savor. It is a story that you will want to own and have in your Library, no matter how modest, to be able to return to and re-read periodically. Gauntlet Press, as well, puts out a truly exceptional design and packaging – a truly exquisite book, which is well worth the price in either of its two forms. As for Ray Bradbury – may he keep imbibing large, regular measures of his special, golden vintage. May he lead the band in “that” tune, and may he continue to write and publish many more such stories for us all, postmarked from a town which can’t be found upon any map, and where it is always June.

Gauntlet Press

# # #

Previous reviews now appear in the Archives