PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY
This
enticing collection from Shamus Award–finalist Gorman (Noir 13) features
14 short stories mainly drawn from his work in the 1990s. The author ranges
across a variety of genres, shifting effortlessly from “The Brasher Girl,” an
homage to Stephen King, and “The Scream Queen,” a violent coming-of-age story,
to “Angie,” a noir examination of parenthood, and “Famous Blue Raincoat,” a
dark tale of destructive love. Although his stories are often grim, frequently
horrific, Gorman is not without sympathy for his flawed characters or those
unfortunate to be in close proximity to them; were the central figures not so
human these tales would not be nearly as effective as they are. Tom Piccirilli
supplies an appreciative introduction. In addition to an afterword, Gorman
provides brief editorial comments for each entry that leave the reader wanting
more. This volume will appeal both to those familiar with his fiction and those
who have yet to discover it. (Apr.)
BOOKLIST
Scream Queen and Other Tales of Menace.
Gorman, Ed (Author) Apr 2014. 230 p. Perfect Crime,
paperback, $12.95. (9781935797548).
Acclaimed novelist and short story writer Gorman offers up
14 stories, originally published (with a few exceptions) in the early to
mid-1990s. Ranging in genre from noir to thriller to horror to SF, these are
beautifully crafted tales. Gorman’s characters behave completely consistently,
but sometimes we don’t realize what kind of people they are until it’s too
late. Many of the stories are narrated in the first person, and these feel
almost like confessions. Some, like “Angie” (about a woman whose lover killed
his wife so he could have Angie), have moments in which it feels like the
author is channeling Jim Thompson; still others, “Duty” (a postapocalyptic
chiller) and “The Order of Things Unknown” (a serial killer finds he’s unable
to stop killing), have a sort of Stephen King flavor to them. Gorman is best
known as a mystery writer, but his fans know he can handle pretty much any
genre like an expert. This short story collection showcases his versatility and
his skill at creating complex, compelling characters.
— David Pitt
A new collection of short stories by Ed Gorman is definitely a
reason to celebrate. Gorman knows his audience, and the contents in this
Perfect Crime collection, SCREAM QUEEN AND
OTHER TALES OF MENACE, truly fit the title. The 14 tales range
from straight-up crime to peeks into a bizarre future. What will really shock
some readers will delight others. Personally what I loved is how in some
stories the leads seem so normal until Gorman takes that one little turn and we
see the real truth in these characters.
While some might assume where a story goes, like in the opening
“Angie,” Gorman throws a change up early on, only to throw another on later.
“Angie” deals with a young boy who overhears his career-criminal father, while
in the title tale, a video store clerk and his friends figure out one of his
customers was a former scream queen, but can’t figure out why she is now living
in a small town and keeping her former life a secret. It’s not the sweetest
story, which is like saying that gunshot wound isn’t as bad as that other
gunshot wound.
Two of the OTHER TALES OF MENACE are definite must-reads, but
for varying reasons. “Cages” is a near-future work of a young boy who sells
something, much to his mother’s disgust, while “Beauty” is officially one of
the coldest and most brutal pieces I’ve ever read. All I can say without giving
it away is that Gorman is truly one sick bastard, folks. And that’s a
compliment.
“The Brasher Girl” is an homage to Stephen King; actually Gorman
admits in the afterword that it might be considered theft. It deals with two
young people and a special well. The well in question holds a secret: an alien
living down below who has a control over these two, to the point of killing and
other assorted activities. “En Famile” is told from the perspective of a boy
who spends his youth with his father at the track and with his first love. “Out
There in the Darkness” follows a weekly poker game; a neighborhood watch that
goes really, really wrong; and the outcome of the events.
Again, some readers might be thrown by some of the brutality in
these stories. While longtime crime readers will just clamor for more. With how
prolific Gorman is at the short-story format, hopefully we can expect another
collection sooner than later. —Bruce Grossman
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