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A review by beccaconsumesbooks
In the Shadows of Men by Robert Jackson Bennett
5.0
I came into this novella with high expectations and did not leave disappointed. In the Shadows of Men is an excellent horror story that is both thematically compelling and deeply rooted in the horrors of reality.
At its most basic level, this is the story of two brothers who are attempting to fix up an old motel in the Texas oil flats. As the repairs continue, the brothers encounter increasingly strange phenomena around the motel. It may be a standard horror premise, but this novella holds more than meets the eye.
This is that rare breed of SFF/horror story that delivers both an interesting plot and gripping ideas. The prose is meaningful without being needlessly extravagant; not a word feels out of place.
The events at the center of the story are suspenseful, disturbing, and are concluded very satisfyingly. In a short 120 pages, this story examines the cyclical nature of abuse and the shifting expectations of masculinity (including some of its more destructive components).
Overall I'd recommend this to almost any horror fan!
At its most basic level, this is the story of two brothers who are attempting to fix up an old motel in the Texas oil flats. As the repairs continue, the brothers encounter increasingly strange phenomena around the motel. It may be a standard horror premise, but this novella holds more than meets the eye.
This is that rare breed of SFF/horror story that delivers both an interesting plot and gripping ideas. The prose is meaningful without being needlessly extravagant; not a word feels out of place.
The events at the center of the story are suspenseful, disturbing, and are concluded very satisfyingly. In a short 120 pages, this story examines the cyclical nature of abuse and the shifting expectations of masculinity (including some of its more destructive components).
Overall I'd recommend this to almost any horror fan!