Book Review: Shrouded Horror: Tales of Uncanny by KC Grifant

 

Shrouded Horror: Tales of Uncanny by KC Grifant

You may have noticed in my reviews of late I have been on a short story kick in my recent reading. In part that is just what books came down the pike but it is also that I have been working on some short stories myself. It was a good time for me to read this.

 

It should be noted that this book is from a local,  co-chair and founder of our Horror Writers Association chapter and I got to work closely with Kristina on the Stokercon we hosted here in San Diego. It was at Stokercon when a copy of this book ended up in my bag of books. I was glad to have it and it was a surprise, that Kristina said she wasn’t sure how it happened but here we are.  We are also doing a Podcast interview that will live here eventually: _____

 

The style is short punchy, powerful horror tales in a classic mode. Think EC comics, Twilight Zone, and bite-sized horror stories that display a variety of styles and influences. I didn’t honestly know what to expect, I had not read any Grifant work and was familiar with her Horror western series. That sounded a little Victorian to me, but that may be a stereotype for historical horror fiction.  As is always the hope with a collection of stories, the contents showed off a variety of styles of horror. 

 

Some stories caught my attention stronger than others like the unsettling pandemic story All Aboard: “Maurice didn't remember everyone's names, so he had given them nicknames in his own mind especially the ones who didn't dragged themselves into stupors aside from Nick veins and Ellie look alike, there was Bug Eyes, Blue Eyes and Tired Eyes, Skeletor, Fake Tan and Flabby Man so far none of them had any symptoms not the telltale purpleish hue along ones cheeks, another of the viruses and in his inexplicable side effects.”

 

First Maurice’s names for the people is a nice touch because it builds his character as much as it sets the stage for everyone else.  With that last line, the world-building and the pandemic fears end off a paragraph that mostly was about characters.

 

“The water looked burgundy in the twilight making him think of runoff chemicals, blood, toxins. He hated looking at the water but couldn't help it. The endless lapping waves gave him Vertigo making him feel like he was about to tip over me swallowed by the depths.”

 

This passage is vivid but more than just descriptive, it places the reader so directly into Maurice’s nervous thoughts. The blend of sensation and fear ingredients is exactly what makes horror effective.  

 

One other thing I look for in a collection is an author’s ability to play with the power cords of the genre. Vampires, werewolves or zombies.  In this collection, an example of this is from ‘Just Another Apocalypse: “The zombies are slow for the most part but not completely endanger us. They have enough cognitive skills to figure out the basics - how to wield a weapon, communicate with each other, even how to drive a car in some cases. They like to travel in packs. Some of them act like toddlers, carrying around the equivalent of a security blanket, random objects they find on the street or on one of their victims. They are distracted by TV or phone screens, which was funny at first but now I feel irritated at how stupid they are. Like, die off or be functional members of society, you know?”

 

One of my favorite feelings in horror is when a story can make me feel one of my fears. One of those fears is intense isolation.  One of my favorite stories in the collection U-Train builds isolation inside one of the most populated cities on earth. Built on that weird feeling when you are waiting for a train or bus that is late. A feeling anyone who has ever relied on the NYC subway system knows. From U Train: “They don't want us out, we're not getting out,” I tried to explain but they were all panicking. Headphones and cupcakes shouted for help at the stairs until they were horse. Stupid kids. Suit did eventually climb down to the tracks and walk a few feet in the darkness, just to turn around.”

 

Other highlights include ‘Unrest’, an unusual serial killer story set outside of a cemetery… “And he will never let the graveyard be.”

Now it was really time. I rise and shed my facade. It is disconcerting to be so big, so airy after the comfort of boundaries, the comfort of contained flesh period now I cannot feel, I cannot leave.

I can only serve.”

 

‘From Sea to Shining Sea’ is a contender for favorite although I was a little bummed when I realized that it was short, I mean a very short story. Still, it is a great piece of world-building I wish was longer. “Acidic clouds rolled over the horizon as they stepped out onto the dock a film of bubbles glinted on the darkly brewing Atlantic. The blooms had stayed, killing off thousands of fish as warmer temperatures had brought out jellies that never before charted.”

‘Puddle of Comradely Despair’ has a great opening line: “When I came to, I was a collapsed pile of half liquefied bones in the middle of 148th St. Literally. No shit. Just lying there like an egg frying and a bored kids driveway.” This is one of the stranger pieces here, but as such I found it amusing.

‘The Peerlings’ is a fantastic way to end the collection with a science fiction tale, that again I thought could sustain a longer work. Shrouded Horror, is an excellent debut collection Giart shows that she has a style and voice, that is worth checking out. Shrouded Horror should be on your list if you like horror short stories because it does the mission perfectly, it is a great sampler of an author and made me want to read more of her work.