A review by charshorrorcorner
Autumn in the Abyss by John Claude Smith
5.0
4.5 stars!
Balance in the world and in the universe is a recurring theme in this collection of five stories. What does it take to achieve balance? And who, or what, gets to decide what constitutes balance? The tales in this volume address these questions in a highly entertaining way.
The Autumn in the Abyss - Can words change the world? Not just your world, but the entire world? Sprinkled with quotes like "The Word is a living thing" and "Language is a virus from outer space", this is a beautifully written tale that is hard to describe. Can words summon things, things not of this world, things that thrive on human suffering? Can words twist things around so much that you hardly even know yourself anymore? You will have to read this to find out.
"All paths are paved with the carcasses of experience."
Broken Teacup -This was a short, nasty little tale, reminiscent of the bizarro genre or of hardcore horror authors like Edward Lee. In this story, Mr. Liu makes his first appearance. Think of Mr. Liu as a warped ambassador of the cosmic. Always trying to achieve balance at the behest of his superiors. I believe balance was achieved here.
La mia immortalita - Involved in his latest art project, Samuel's dismissive and arrogant personality is on display here. The more frustrated he gets with his work, the more unlikable he becomes. Mr. Liu makes yet another appearance after Samuel proves once and for all that he is a most despicable human being. As Mr. Liu himself states: "Those who require balance within the universe have a perverse sense of humor, Mr. Nisi. I am their liaison here on earth." We'll just say that Samuel's art sculpture did not come out as he'd originally planned.
"People-what a pitiable race to be associated with."
Becoming Human -I think this was my favorite story of the bunch-deep, dark and wicked, but with a sense of hope (against ALL odds), that shines through and in the end, wins.
Where the Light Won't Find You -This was a relatively short story that showcased a scary insect-like thing in a movie theater. In the dark. In the chair behind you. Yeah, it was good.
Overall, this collection was well above average. It features cosmic horror with undertones of Barker and Lee-a combination not often found. It showcases outstanding prose with fantastic ideas hiding within the words. I have no reservations highly recommending this collection to fans of horror, most especially fans of cosmic and/or literary horror.
I was provided a free copy of this book to honestly review for Horror After Dark.
Balance in the world and in the universe is a recurring theme in this collection of five stories. What does it take to achieve balance? And who, or what, gets to decide what constitutes balance? The tales in this volume address these questions in a highly entertaining way.
The Autumn in the Abyss - Can words change the world? Not just your world, but the entire world? Sprinkled with quotes like "The Word is a living thing" and "Language is a virus from outer space", this is a beautifully written tale that is hard to describe. Can words summon things, things not of this world, things that thrive on human suffering? Can words twist things around so much that you hardly even know yourself anymore? You will have to read this to find out.
"All paths are paved with the carcasses of experience."
Broken Teacup -This was a short, nasty little tale, reminiscent of the bizarro genre or of hardcore horror authors like Edward Lee. In this story, Mr. Liu makes his first appearance. Think of Mr. Liu as a warped ambassador of the cosmic. Always trying to achieve balance at the behest of his superiors. I believe balance was achieved here.
La mia immortalita - Involved in his latest art project, Samuel's dismissive and arrogant personality is on display here. The more frustrated he gets with his work, the more unlikable he becomes. Mr. Liu makes yet another appearance after Samuel proves once and for all that he is a most despicable human being. As Mr. Liu himself states: "Those who require balance within the universe have a perverse sense of humor, Mr. Nisi. I am their liaison here on earth." We'll just say that Samuel's art sculpture did not come out as he'd originally planned.
"People-what a pitiable race to be associated with."
Becoming Human -I think this was my favorite story of the bunch-deep, dark and wicked, but with a sense of hope (against ALL odds), that shines through and in the end, wins.
Where the Light Won't Find You -This was a relatively short story that showcased a scary insect-like thing in a movie theater. In the dark. In the chair behind you. Yeah, it was good.
Overall, this collection was well above average. It features cosmic horror with undertones of Barker and Lee-a combination not often found. It showcases outstanding prose with fantastic ideas hiding within the words. I have no reservations highly recommending this collection to fans of horror, most especially fans of cosmic and/or literary horror.
I was provided a free copy of this book to honestly review for Horror After Dark.