The Collection

by Bentley Little

How far would you go with a hitchhiker who'd left behind an unimaginable trail of horror and destruction? How would you feel if your father's new bride was something dredged up from the bowels of hell? What would you do if you discovered an old letter suggesting one of America's Founding Fathers had been a serial killer? How long would you last in a mysterious border town that promised to let you in on one of its most gruesome secrets?

This is The Collection—thirty-two stories of hot blood and frigid terror that could have come only from the mind of Bentley Little. And that's a scary place to be.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, Fantasy, Collections, Paranormal, Anthologies

464 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 1, 2002

About the author

Bentley Little is an American author of horror fiction. Publishing an average of a novel a year since 1990, Little avoids publicity and rarely does promotional work or interviews for his writing.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first experience reading Bentley Little. The Collection does exactly what it says on the tin - that is, it’s a collection of short stories written over the years (mostly from the 1980s and 1990s). Interestingly, Little’s style is that he lacks any discernible style… and yet, it really works at times. With his straightforward, almost matter-of-fact prose, the stories often have an intensity that might be derailed with more lyrical language. You’ll be hard-pressed to find any similes or metaphors in these pieces, but you will find an unrelenting narrative drive in which strange occurrences just happen and the author merely shrugs, as though these things are completely normal. I kind of dig that. And Bentley Little is nothing if not creative in his conjuring of bizarre ideas. There’s a story about a face that forms in a pot of boiling mac and cheese, and then demands blood. There’s even a story in which the main character gets into a physical altercation with the Queen of England, who curses him out and throws some punches.

There are plenty of entertaining stories here (like “The Phonebook Man,” “Estoppel,” and my personal favorite, the so-bonkers-it’s-good “The Washingtonians”). Others are more subdued, like the previously unpublished “Bob,” which almost has a Shirley Jackson vibe to it. The problem is, when the stories are bad, they are REALLY, REALLY astoundingly bad and frequently offensive… for example “Life With Father,” “Against the Pale Sand,” and “Confessions of a Corporate Man” all fit into this category. These stories, along with a handful of others, are ruined by uncomfortable scenes of sexual assault, outdated gender/sexual/racial/disability stereotypes, etc. So it’s hard for me to recommend the entire collection given there are 32 stories and such a wide range of subject matter and level of quality.

Overall, I’m glad I read this book, because now I have a good idea of Little’s writing style - - along with the kinds of stories I like and don’t like from him - - it might be easier for me to drill down on a few of his novels to try.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are some things I don’t have the stomach for; boilermakers containing sour milk and tequila, positive public recognition of the police, and lastly, of course, when Stephen King endorses yet another sub-par author as the ‘master of the macabre’.

That shit gets old; exactly how many people does Mr. King suppose can be the master of the macabre? Despite the obvious warning signs (such as praise from Stephen King) I read a few books by the uninspiring Jack Ketchum. I haven’t seen a Ketchum book without a blurb from King announcing that Ketchum is the real deal. I would tend to disagree, even if Ketchum’s publisher is up about 20 bucks on me at this point. I ordered The Collection after it had been recommended to me on Amazon due to my browsing of Ketchum books, which is quite stupid indeed, and I admit that this obviously speaks volumes for what a fool does with his money. These facts are also pivotal in showing a flawed logic pattern; I’ve found Ketchum’s work to be unimpressive and here I am ordering books recommended by people who like his work, and it comes as no surprise that Stephen King is now endorsing both Ketchum and Little as the next great horror writer. But confusion really sets in when I finish The Collection and begin reading another Ketchum book “Peaceable Kingdom” (I’ve got problems) and now I’m totally thrown for a loop when not only does King provide from front-cover praise, but Bentley Little announces that Ketchum is ‘one of America’s best and most consistent writers of contemporary horror fiction’. So, factoring al this in, is Ketchum the top dog in their illustrious circle due to both King and Little giving him props, even though both declarations only consider him ‘one-of’ the best, or is Little the real deal since King anoints him hands-down ‘the master’, or is King really the king, as his publisher probably wouldn’t even bother trolling for accolades from chumps like Little and Ketchum? You can either try working this problematic assessment out for yourself, or you can always take it from me.

Bad call, you’re apparently interested in what I might say.

There are a number of things that just rubbed me wrong within this volume; characters so bland that I wasn’t even anxious to so them get iced, Little’s quick introductions in which he briefly raps about where the concepts for the stories came about, and finally, the ennui brought about by nonstop, shabby, torture-porn, cannibalism, and incest that pervades each story. There are plenty of interesting literary antagonists and villains that rise above the mundane due to well-conceived character development and unique behavior and thought; only the basest, bottom-dwelling bores stick to the consumption of human flesh and incest. For these reasons, most of Little’s fare barely manages to be even remotely memorable. In “The Washingtonians” we discover the father of the country was a cannibal, thrilling. In “Life With Father” Little delivers child molestation and incest, with a chaser of the family eating the twisted progeny from this horrid union as a form a recycling, wow, really cool. In “The Idol” we get a secret society of women who fornicate with a discarded lug wrench James Dean used as a film prop in a rite a passage into womanhood, gee whiz. “The Show” presents the reader with underground snuff theatrics. And “Pillow Talk” brings just that to the table, a guy seduced by his own linens and pillows and the ensuing perversion (and presumably some unbelievable dry cleaning bills). Sadly, these were the best stories within, the rest are about voodoo, skinning people, and potatoes. Allegedly, this is a book of horror, and the only gratification comes from the general ridiculousness of some of the plots.

Absurdist horror has yet to make any real strides towards being a relevant genre, and Little doesn’t do anything of note to further their cause.

[Kevin Lucia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to be honest and say I'm afraid I formed a preconceived notion of Little's stories from the scattered shorts I'd read in collections here and there. I did enjoy his novels THE MAILMAN and THE INFLUENCE, but based on his short stories and his small novella collection THE CIRCLE, I'd decided Little was just a bit too bizarre and grotesque for my tastes.

Having just finished THE COLLECTION, I have to humbly eat crow, and stand convicted of this preconceived notion. He is a fine writer of diverse nature. To be sure, what I'd thought was the Little Standard - surreal, grotesque and disturbing - is certainly represented in this collection. However, not all of these stories can properly be called horror, and the amazing depth and width of these stories has definitely made me a fan of his short stories, anyway. Whether nor not I become a fan of his novels is something I plan on exploring in the very near future.

[Jon Von · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 An uneven assortment of tales that generally show quality, but which are also occasionally kind of dumb. As a fan of the author, this was a blind spot for me. And it’s interesting to see how this collection of early stories evolve. Little goes from from somewhat generic 80s horror to developing his patented, “What if ____, but evil?” style. It’s a sizable jumble of absurd nightmares, and for all the variations, shows a developing talent. Some of the highs are particularly good, and some of the lows are particularly sloppy. There are definitely some imaginative ones here, however, and taken as a whole, I’d say it stands in its own as more than a curiosity for fans of his early work. But you can kind of tell when the author started to figure his thing out, and it’s a good halfway into the book. Had a few laughs though, as some of the stories are occasionally quite funny.

[Evans Light]

Will leave reviews as I work my way through.

**** The Sanctuary

Disturbingly wicked little ditty. Probably will stick with me for awhile.

*** The Woods Be Dark

Though I think this story would have been more effective if it would have been made clear at the beginning that the narrator was female, it was successful in building suspense and anticipation and withholding details to create curiosity. Fun but not essential.

**** The Phone Book Man

A bizarre little tale that doesn't resolve anything but is a delight to read. Reminds me a bit of my own NOSE HEARS story for some reason. Silly, strange and fun.

*** Estoppel

The tone and surreality of this one reminded me a bit of Adam Light's Way Out Of Here, but the ending isn't as good. Really interesting concept, but I think the idea had a lot more potential than this story explored. This tale is an excellent example of the ability of the written word to allow the human mind to accept the plausibility of impossible realities.

***** The Washingtonians

A classic, must-read for horror fans. What an amazing concept, and near-perfect execution. George Washington and the founding fathers were....cannibals? Love it.

***** Life With Father

Holy crap. Wow. Brutal, dark and disturbing.

*** Bob

Amusing in a way, but not entirely successful.

* Bumblebee

I don't know why, but I'm not that into zombies. Not even western zombies. So this story just didn't do it for me. Certainly not up to the same standards of insane creativity set by the preceding stories. Just felt strained and ordinary.

** Lethe Dreams

Too much build up and too little payoff. The ending was much tamer than anything else in the book so far, and just seemed to come out of left field. Maybe this would creep someone out if they were reading it in a book titled "My First Spooky Story", but for me? Yawn.

**** Paperwork

I love stories like this. Love the pervasive sense of weirdness and not knowing what's going on or what will happen next. The ending was a bit of a headscratcher but still very effective and unique.

**** The Idol

Another incredibly unique story, not horror but weird, weird weird! The first couple pages caused me to lose interest the first time I started reading it, but so glad I went back and gave it another shot. I dare you to find another story with such a unique premise. Funny stuff.

***** Skin

Short, simple, effective. A family sees a house made of human skin and something is not quite right after that.This is one of those kind of stories that I love to read and strive to write from time to time.

***** The Man in the Passenger Seat

What would you do if you got in your car and a strange man was sitting in the passenger seat? What if he refused to get out? What if he commanded you to drive? Would you do what the character in this story does? I bet you might.
Another fantastic story, very reminiscent of Richard Laymon.

***** Comes the Bad Time

Okay, now Little's just showing off. A gripping, original tale of haunting that sucks you into it's grip and then runs away laughing, teasing, just when it's getting really good. C'mon man...more!

***** Against the Pale Sands

Exquisite weirdness. Alas, at only eight pages, will leave you wanting so much more.

** The Pond

A former hippie realizes he's a sell out who has lost his soul. At least that's what I think it was about. If there was a deeper subtext, it was wasted on me. Yawn.

***** Roommates

This story is wayyy over the top with its silliness and won't be for everybody, but I love this stuff! Makes me glad I'm not looking for a roommate, but I imagine this story aptly illustrates what the process of finding one must feel like.

***** Llama

Pure insanity, and the focus on concrete meaning in numbers and patterns is a fairly accurate representation of the delusional thinking that can occur with schizophrenia or severe OCD. Of course the rest is pure twisted fiction. This story is a bit of a bold experiment, a la Joe Hill's POP ART, and it worked for me.

* Full Moon on Death Row

Okay, I don't like it when Bentley Little tries to write straightforward thriller/supernatural fiction, especially in a western setting. Unlike Joe Lansdale who switch seamlessly back and forth across these genres, Bentley Little should stick with the weird and twisted. This story struck me as so forced and boring I couldn't bring myself to read it all the way through. I skimmed to the end, and it didn't appear to improve.

[Kellybrianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is easily one of the best horror short story collections I have ever read. Little has put together some of the creepiest, most creative stories together in a book that only took me one day to read. I got it a couple Christmas' ago and I spent the whole day reading his horrifying tales, b/c I could not put the book down. Some highlights are "The Washingtonians" a crazy story about the founding fathers of the US being in a cannibalistic cult! Frightening!! "Life with Father" about the fact that anything can be take too far, even something as simple as recycling (this story really creeped me out, loved it). I can't even name all the ones I love, you'll have to read the book and judge for yourself. All of the stories are great, some of the wierdest fiction I have ever read. I still suggest this book to people when they ask me about horror stories, and even though I will always be a Stephen King fan, I would go as far as to say that this short story collection is even better than his stuff (Sorry Mr. King, but I still cite you as my fav author!). Read this book, it's creepy, unique and you won't forget it!

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bentley Little, you crazy sumbitch, I love this! Holy smokes this was good. Found it behind a dozen other paperbacks at the used bookstore - untouched - and knew it was meant to be. The Collection is like a Long John Silver popcorn shrimp platter with a couple a hush puppies and coke on the side. And some of that runny coleslaw. Man it’s good. At least going down. Well, anyways, here’s the top 5 stories I really liked in somewhat of an order of favorites:
1. The Man in the Passenger Seat
2. Skin
3. The Washingtonians
4. Life With Father
5. Idol

As with any anthology, there’s going to be bangers, a few boils and some forgettable what-have-yous, but each one of these popcorn nuggets has a little gold inside. Just don’t forget the shrimp sauce

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read most of Mr. Little's horror novels and find them, for the most part, intriguing and very readable. They tend to be about normal people, often a family, who get caught up in horrific circumstances. The novels are slow boils, taking their time in building up the suspense.

Short stories, obviously, don’t have the time to build up slowly and I think that these 32 stories suffer some for that. In most of the entries here, the characters are rather bland and we don’t get to know much about them before the horror kicks in. Consequently, I didn’t really mind when they succumbed to whatever came their way. The horror itself stoops to a low bar. Nothing subtle here. Sexual deviancy, cannibalism, and torture are just some of the themes we encounter. The stories weren’t so much “horror” as they were “disgusting”. That doesn’t mean some of the stories won’t stick with me for a long time though. I will never watch “Rebel Without a Cause” the same way again, nor look at a potato in quite the same way either. Another gripe I have is that many of these stories don’t really end. It’s as if the author had a cool idea, got his character(s) into the situation, but didn’t really have a nice way to end it so chose a “Lady or the Tiger” approach.

All of these stories were published previously, most in various magazines or anthologies. For my money, I will stick to Bentley Little novels instead.

[Armand Rosamilia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great and varied collection of stories that really showcase the range of horror and weird fiction that Bentley Little writes. There wasn't a dud in the lineup, and the author isn't afraid to push it to the extreme or the absurd. Brilliant writing!

[Dave Moore · Rating 2 out of 5]

Supposedly this a collection of stories previously rejected for publication. After reading several, (not all), I can understand the rejections.

[Rosa · Rating 2 out of 5]

6/9/22
Pretty sickening stuff.
“The Show” is the worst. I feel disgusted with myself, dirty, and guilty after reading it.
“Life with Father” and “The Baby” are close seconds. I really hate the title of “Life with Father.”
“Blood” is also very bad. Disgusting as well as evil.
“Llama” is what made me want to read this book, to see what light the author could shed on the meaning of this bizarre and unforgettable story. (I first read it in Hottest Blood.) As far as I’m concerned, it’s the best story in the book.
The little introductions to the stories were illuminating, but they really should have been at the end of the book in an afterword. I like to go in blind, then read about what I’ve just read.

[Vianey Rodriguez · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this book, Little proves that he can write a story about virtually anything. But frankly, I wish he hadn't.

My problem with anthologies is that you sometimes get amazing stories but you have to suffer through a batch of lackluster ones in the process.
In this case, if it was bad it was BAD. Borderline offensive.

I was halfway through the book and more or less enjoying myself, thinking that I'd been lucky so far, untill I made it to the one of the snuff play and all my interest in this book died right there.
My only motivation to finish it was that I had already started, but it just kept on getting worse and worse.

[Greg Strandberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really surprised by how good this short story collection was! I wanted to get something by this author because I'd heard they were good. I think it was on the cover of another book, Stephen King had recommended him.

I actually wanted to get another book of Little's as the library, but this was all they had. I'm glad I got it. The stories on the Washingtonians was great, as was the story about the hitchhiker and the killer paper. The first story was intense, and wow, I never would have thought of it.

If you like horror or just short stories, I'd give this book a look.

[Arthur Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damn fine horror. As I read this, it occurred to me that many readers might be more horrified by Little's unbridled imagination than anything else. Very weird, very good. Dig it.

[Jessica Sinn (Books and Trouble) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Egads! There aren’t enough adjectives to describe this repugnant piece of garbage. I wanted to listen to something spooky on our road trip to East Texas and didn’t want to commit to a full novel. So what better than an audiobook of short horror stories by an established novelist? I’m familiar with Bentley Little’s books and really thought his short stories would be just as solid as his traditional ghost stories. Boy was I wrong! Little did I know, these are horrible – not horror – stories. Trust me, there’s a difference. I’ll spare you the gory details, but I will say that if torture porn makes you uncomfortable, don’t pick up this book. Very awkward when you’re traveling with your father sitting in the backseat! Seriously, how does this shit get published?

[Austin Storm · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read the first two, and then three that were mentioned on the back cover as highlights. One out of the five was good ('Bob'), but the other four seemed pretty dependent on shock value. RL Stein for pervs.

This guy breaks it down: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Little's main problem seems to be that he's never had an idea he didn't turn into a story. Any idea at all, like "Isn't it funny how serious people get about recycling?" can be turned into a short story - just add rape, incest, torture and cannibalism.

It's like a mediocre sketch comedy show (much of MAD TV, Key & Poole, Portlandia). Take an idea, any idea, and then run it out to absurdity. The end. The repeat.

[Laurin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great collection of horror short stories. A few of them, as others have mentioned, really push the envelope. I've read a lot of books in the horror genre, and this one contains a few really gruesome/evil stories that are not for the faint of heart! Other stories, like The Washingtonians, are deeply creepy and memorable without being gruesome. Bentley Little is one of my favorite authors in this genre.

[spookybookz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bentley Little is becoming one of my fav horror authors and The collection I just read by him made me even more sure of that!!
Wow this chunky book contains over 30 short horror stories..some of the bizarrest and disturbing reads I’ve ever read and stories that I’ll never forget! Every horror fan needs to read this. I have so many favs from this collection but the ones that will stick with me the most: Comes the bad time, The show, pillow talk & The potato. Go read now!

[Martin Mcgoey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some short pieces here. I liked almost all of them. This book is like a bag of Horror Doritos; pick it up if you're looking for a quick snack.

[Dalton Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bentley Little is the master of weird. Very weird. Anything can happen in a BL story, and this collection of short stories is full of insane horror.

In fact, Little is so straightforward and matter-of-fact about the strangest shit it's like he's doesn't even notice how weird he's being.

Highly recommend.

[Mike (Hail Horror Hail) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a helluva strong collection of stories, pun intended.

[BunTheDestroyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

90% of these stories were disgusting

[Thrift Store Book Miner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall , 3.5 stars. Out of a collection of 32 stories, there's some major hits and a more than a few misses. The stories cover a wide range of different horror and suspense subgenres, with some dark comedy thrown in as well. There's also some pervy stuff I wasn't into, and a few stories that just fell flat. There's also a few that became all time favorites. As far as horror short story collections, it's almost on par with Stephen King's "Skeleton Crew" or the anthology "Mammoth Book of Terror" edited by Stephen Jones, but overall not quite as good those two.

The stories in this collection cover a lot of bases. There's ghastly shock horror, Twilight Zone style head trippers, David Lynch inspired dark surrealism, a Philip K Dick style reality bender, a couple detective stories with a supernatural twist, some dumb-on-purpose B movie material, a coming-of-age sex comedy, an alternate history story with horror elements, a conspiracy theory political thriller, an "evil place in the woods" story, a haunted house story, a serial killer story, a few road trip horror stories, a violent satire about office politics, a modern western horror infused with Native American lore, and a story about an evil talking face appearing in a boiling pot of macaroni and cheese with a thirst for blood. The variety of the stories gives the collection a sense of unpredictability, leaving the reader with no idea about which way any given story is going to go as it unfolds. Also, as a nice touch, each story has it's own introduction in which Bentley Little explains the background of the story and talks about how he got the idea.

(There may be spoilers below)
------------------------------------


"The Sanctuary" and "The Show" are real shockers, genuine nightmare material.

"Estoppel" is a trip, more of a sci-fi story than horror, something Philip K Dick could have written.

"Paperwork" is kind of dumb but still entertaining, in the same vein as "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes", or "Killer Clowns From Outer Space".

"The Man In The Passenger Seat" was a major stand out. Though not really a horror story, it's a tale that lends itself to a Jungian/Freudian psychological interpretation, about a man who is carjacked with what might be seen as a personification of his Shadow self or Id.

"Comes The Bad Time", "Against the Pale Sand", and "And I Am Here, Fighting With Ghosts", are all mind bending and bizarre.

"The Washingtonians", "Roommates", and "Confessions of a Corporate Man" are all darkly hilarious.

"Lethe Dreams", "Llama", and "Monteith" are creepy tales that delve into psychological horror.

"Bumblebee" and "Maya's Mother" are great detective horror stories, where instead of the usual detective story trope where a rational explanation is found for inexplicable events, a supernatural explanation turns out to be the cause.

"The Colony" became an all time favorite. It's a story about a newly inaugurated US President who is faced with an unnerving revelation about who really runs the country behind the scenes.

"Full Moon on Death Row" also became an all time favorite, a story about two Native American men who embark on a mission to face an ancient evil that has embedded itself in the ruins of a Western ghost town.

"The Phonebook Man", "Bob", "The Idol", "The Pond", "Pillow Talk", "The Baby", "Coming Home Again", and "The Potato" were all disappointments. Despite some great stories in this collection, it is unfortunately weighed down by some flops. Other stories like "Skin", and "Blood" had interesting ideas, but I just couldn't buy it. I also could have done without "Life With Father" which started out with an interesting idea about environmentalism taken too far, but then turned into an unpalatable story of child sex abuse. Though the story ends with gruesome revenge against the abuser, this is not the kind of thing I can find any entertainment value in.

Overall, "The Collection" is worth checking out for fans of horror stories that go outside of the usual vampire/werewolf/zombie tropes. Though there were a lot of stories in the collection that missed the mark, the fact that there was so much variety and so many possibilities made it worth reading on to the next story.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Collection" by Bentley Little is a compilation of short stories that, unfortunately, often left me feeling underwhelmed. While I generally appreciate Bentley Little's unique brand of horror, this particular collection fell short in several ways.

One of the striking aspects of this book is the simplicity and, at times, corniness of the stories. The narratives, in their straightforward approach, felt more akin to kids' scary stories rather than the intricately woven tales that I've come to expect from Bentley Little. This simplicity, while occasionally effective in horror, didn't always engage me in the way his other works have.

In addition to the simplicity, I couldn't help but wonder why many of these stories had been rejected by publishers. The overall quality of the collection didn't consistently measure up to Bentley Little's usual standard. It felt like these stories may have required further development to reach their full potential.

Furthermore, the collection relied heavily on elements of gore and sex without necessarily delving deeper into these themes. In some instances, these elements felt gratuitous, included more for shock value than to enhance the storytelling. This approach didn't always resonate with me as a reader.

As someone who typically enjoys Bentley Little's books, "The Collection" felt like a deviation from the author's usual caliber. While there were moments of intrigue and unsettling concepts, they didn't consistently meet the depth and nuance that I've come to expect from him.

In conclusion, "The Collection" by Bentley Little may have faced its share of rejection from publishers for valid reasons. The simplicity, occasional corniness, and reliance on graphic elements without substantial exploration left me wanting more from this collection. While it offers a range of stories, it may be best suited for readers who appreciate a more straightforward and occasionally graphic approach to horror storytelling.

[Elusive · Rating 3 out of 5]

'The Collection' features over 30 short stories that revolve around various horrifying situations and encounters - both supernatural and reality.

Just like many other books comprising short stories, I had mixed feelings about this. Some of the stories were pretty good - spine-chilling, disturbing, unpredictable and even hilarious. On the other hand, some were average and forgettable with no originality, tension or suspense. Naturally, there were a couple of really awful ones which shouldn't even have made it into this book because they were ridiculous or boring. As a whole though, there were more good than bad tales here.

My favourites were:

Life With Father: Imagine living with someone who's obsessed with recycling every single thing - in every sense of the word. This story was incredibly disgusting yet scary because even though it was bizarre, it's not entirely impossible.

Estoppel: A man discovers that he has this strange ability to make anything come true just by saying it out loud. This had layers of subtle horror. It was well-written and thought-provoking but I think Little could have easily explored more.

Llama: Insanity has no limits. A man believes that every number has a meaning so he ends up overanalyzing everything to the point where he's disconnected from reality and unable to live a normal life. I wanted to bash him in the head so badly.

Overall, 'The Collection' was an enjoyable read filled with various stories ranging from horror to comedy.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those novels that make me wish we had a half star system because really it's a 3 and 3/4 stars novel. Some of the stories are disturbing enough to stick with you for days, like The Sanctuary and Llama but others fall flat. From the sexually perverse to just downright creepy, Bentley Little touches on a little of everything (no pun intended lol) in the genre of horror. This is probably not the book for die-hard horror fans but for those who like a good scare once in a while it may hit the spot.

[Debra]

Stephen King recommended author. He says: "BEST OUTRIGHT HORROR NOVELIST. Bentley Little, in a walk. Don't know Bentley Little? You're not alone. He's probably the genre's best-kept secret, but at least 10 of his novels are available in paperback; you can pick up three for the price of that flashy new hardcover you've got your eye on. The best thing about Little is that he can go from zero to surreal in 6.0 seconds. My favorites are The Store (think Wal-Mart run by SAYYY-tan) and Dispatch, in which a young fellow discovers that his letters to the editor actually get things done. Bad things."

[Paul Flint · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic short story collection, its not perfect, but it has some wicked tales. Out of all the stories, i found The Show to be my favourite, its dark and twisted, no wonder i love it. Most of the stories were good, i would highly recommend to all horror fans...

[tam tam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nah.

[Alex McConnell · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’ve ever read a Bentley Little book before, you know it’s going to be weird and unsettling. His strength (and weakness at times) is making ordinary objects and situations creepy and sinister.
Having read a bunch of his novels, I thought I was prepared for his particular brand of odd when i dove into The Collection. I have to tell you though, I was wrong.
After considering it for a while the main problem with The Collection is glaring and obvious, yet it presents major issue as it is intrinsic to his style. This fact being NOT EVERY WEIRD THOUGHT NEEDS A STORY. Matter of fact, this book would have been better had he left out about ten of these tales as they went nowhere, added nothing and left me shaking my head. Pillows that rape you? Macaroni and cheese that demands sacrifice? A movie prop all women want to lose their virginity to? And a bunch more.
The fact is that one of Little’s strongest points, his ability to make anything a creepy story can misfire greatly as is evidenced by this mishmash of “scary” stories. Sorry man, you’re gonna have to do better than a big potato to freak me out.
There are definitely some winners here that make it worth a read. Bob - About a mistaken identity hit man was a catchy read and present surprise. The Baby - about boys finding a dead baby shows the exact strength of his eerie writing. Life With Father - about recycling at its most extreme refuses to be forgotten. Colony - a surprisingly fun read based on the principle the US was still under British control.
Overall I felt the strangeness and pointlessness of too many of the stories dragged it down, leading to a subpar offering. However, rest assured Little knows how to write a story you’ll wish you could forget.