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Salt Snake and Other Bloody Cuts
Salt Snake and Other Bloody Cuts is a collection of short horror fiction from Simon Clark, an acclaimed author of blood curdling novels Blood Crazy, Darker, and The Night of the Triffids. Originally published in 1998 as a limited print run of just over 800 copies, Salt Snake is a real treat for any lover of weird fiction.
- GenresHorrorCollections
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
38 people want to read
About the author
Simon Clark
212 books299 followersBorn, 20th April, 1958, Simon Clark is the author of such highly regarded horror novels as Nailed By The Heart, Blood Crazy, Darker, Vampyrrhic and The Fall, while his short stories have been collected in Blood & Grit and Salt Snake & Other Bloody Cuts. He has also written prose material for the internationally famous rock band U2.
Raised in a family of storytellers – family legend told of a stolen human skull buried beneath the Clark garage – he sold his first ghost story to a radio station in his teens. Before becoming a full-time writer he held a variety of day jobs, that have involved strawberry picking, supermarket shelf stacking, office work, and scripting video promos.
He lives with his wife and two children in mystical territory that lies on the border of Robin Hood country in England.
Raised in a family of storytellers – family legend told of a stolen human skull buried beneath the Clark garage – he sold his first ghost story to a radio station in his teens. Before becoming a full-time writer he held a variety of day jobs, that have involved strawberry picking, supermarket shelf stacking, office work, and scripting video promos.
He lives with his wife and two children in mystical territory that lies on the border of Robin Hood country in England.
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December 31, 2019
Simon Clark’s eclectic writing style is aptly represented in this great collection
“Simon Clark! I know him! He’s the dude that writes about killer plants (Night of the Triffids), killer parents (Blood Crazy), killer Norse Vampires (Vamphyrric) and other killers.” (Random Horror book fan)
But do you know that he also writes great Aickman-Esque ghost stories and weird fiction? Or parables set in those lonely Greek islands? You wouldn’t know unless you have read this superb and eclectic collection. There is something for every horror fan here, be it violent stunners or calm and introspective (and maybe still gruesome) ghost stories.
As usual, I planned to discuss all the stories but that would break the word count limit here in Goodreads. So I elected to discuss the first seven stories plus two good representatives from the rest of the bunch. Don’t forget to read the classic creep-fest “Swallowing A Dirty Seed” at the end as well as the much-anthologized “A Grave-digger’s Tale”.
1. Salt Snake
Viper and his gang of traveling punks/vandals live off breaking and entering estates and looting the contents within. Their latest target –an old manor house by the sea- is occupied by a lone 18-year old girl, someone who should not pose any problem for the posse. But why is the house deserted and why is there an unnatural amount of salt that seems to cover the whole house?
This is a nice opener for the collection, filled with mystery, dread, and gruesome things happening to people you love to hate. The horror is fast and in-your-face, demonstrating Clark’s talent at drawing in the general horror crowd a.k.a. the “we want horror and gore right away” people.
2. Acorns – A Bitter Substitute for Olives
Office worker Stephen just broke up with his girlfriend. To clear his mind, he decides to go to Wales on his caravan, all the while thinking of the girl of his dreams. He gets his wish when a woman comes running to him for help, having locked herself out of her house. He helps her and discovers that the house is not owned by the woman but by her sister. As he knows more about her, he also has his own doubts; what happened to her sister and why is she not in the house, and what is the significance of the water tunnel at the center of the house? Stephen wants to know but what can a lonely heart do when an opportunity presents itself in all its sinister glory?
Ah, the complete opposite of the usual genre/commercial horror of Clark. This tale demonstrates the hidden Robert Aickman of Clark; writing tales of relatively ordinary occurrence where the horror lurks within, unaddressed and hidden. There is dread in this tale and that is achieved in not knowing the true intentions of the people you meet as well as the circumstances behind your meeting. I also love the addition of the legend of the Roman forces who mistakenly identify pine trees for olive trees while in the forest, as if they were collectively bewitched. This brings the theme of the story on the forefront and asks us the question: does the main character realize his fate or does he just not care?
Totally recommended for fans of literary horror or for people who long to feel that dread while reading horror stories.
3. Gerassimos Flamotas: A Day in the Life
A Greek farmer is facing a hard time in his life, with his finances at an all-time low and his land unable to grow anything of value. All he has is his family comprised of his wife and daughter Rose. A mysterious man then drops by and makes an offer to Flamotas: One million drachma for the “company” of his daughter until five o’clock of that day. Flamotas initially refuses but relents when assured that nothing sexual of any nature will happen to the girl, with the added assurance that the man will return the girl in “one-piece”. The girl returns but something is not right as Flamotas quickly notices…
What is it with Greece that horror writers seem to love so much? There’s Brian Lumley’s "No Sharks in the Med", Jack Ketchum’s "She Wakes", Ramsey Campbell’s "Thirteen Days By Sunset Beach", as well as the notorious films Anthropophagous and Island of Death. Is it the combination of its beautiful and serene surroundings with the sense of alienation and isolation? I’ll never know. Anyway, this tale takes the form of a daytime nightmare: fast, surreal, and unbelievable horrific. Is it a fable to remind us of the true worth of family? Sure, but don’t let the kids read this one. Yet.
4. Lifting the Lid
A man returns to his parents’ home. He brings bad news to them, something that he is very reluctant to do. After a disgusting discovery in the bathroom, he realizes that another person is in the house. Did his parents take in another guest while he was away? What relation does it have to the news he will bring them?
A somber ghost tale that leaves a bad taste in the mouth. You’ll know why when you read it. But barring that disgusting detail, this is nonetheless an efficient tale that makes one guess until the painful realization at the end. Not as good as Acorns, but still worth the read.
5. Howls from a Blinding Curve
Vic Curtis and (some of) his bandmates (name: Nighthouse) take a detour to what was supposed to be an isolated house in Scotland to re-record one of their singles. It turns out that the directions given to them were wrong. Luckily, the house they arrived at is owned and managed by a woman who has an interest in the same company that requested their song. She lets them stay in the garage, and she gives them two rules: 1. Never go to the house and 2. Never Whistle. They decide to go against the rules and discover a weird and absurd supernatural experience.
I must confess to having enough of rock-related horror stories for a while, especially concerning real-life rock musicians. It’s usually a deal-with-the-devil type of story and I presume that everybody has had enough of that. Thankfully this tale is not of those: this is a fun and unexpected offering with some neat twists at the end.
Clark used to write prose for U2 and this story shows his hidden love for rock music stuff.
6. The Bike Ride Home
Two friends cycling in the neighborhood are exchanging gruesome stories. One tells the story of his dead uncle’s body tumbling out of his casket for everyone to see. The other tells the story of one of Sigmund Freud’s patient's obsession with a torture method involving rats. They are then chased by an old man with an equally old bike. And what is that attached on the bread basket in front of his bike? Could it be…. Rats?
The most fast-paced horror story in the collection. You can feel the fear of the main characters while they try to ride away from the sinister old man on the bike. Will they make it out or will the torture method of involving rats have its way?
7. The Burning Doorway
Danny has a new job and it is working at a crematorium throughout the night. The job bothers him as he claims to hear the dead people moving around. Convinced by his boss that it is natural to hear such noises, Danny pushes on with his job. But after firing up the incinerator, he notices through the spyhole the dead are not just moving in the fire (!) but they are building something in there, too.
Another superb ghost tale from Clark. What secrets do the dead have and can we avail of them too? This is the question that is posed by this sad and creepy story. The main character wants a way out of this life and the dead in the incinerator may have the answer. The lengths he goes through to get the answer is wince-inducing and makes me think of burning barbeque brisket a tad too much.
8. Eyes Like a Ghost
Family man Martin inadvertently discovers a cassette in a box of books he bought from a cancer shop. He decides to listen out of curiosity and finds that although the playing is amateurish the lyrics are charismatic and inspired, even profound. Curious, he decides to trace the owner of the tape, but what will happen if he knew the reason behind the otherworldly inspiration behind the songs?
The genius of this tale is how Clark uses the idea of musical inspiration and merges it with the theme of possession and sacrifice. How did the previous owner of the tape even make contact with (entity)? It is never revealed but in the end, you realize that inspiration is highly contagious, especially when the source is as old as time. Nice double read with Thomas Tessier’s Ghost Music .
9. Blood for Sex Bites
A misanthropic and clearly whacked-out man roams the streets and bars to “fuck-fuck-fuck her till she bleeds”. He reveals the inner workings of his mind while pursuing a new target at a bar. He gets more than he asked for.
I view this as Simon Clark’s homage to Ramsey Campbell’s “The Face that Must Die” by way of Richard Laymon’s sensibilities. The constant spewing of sexually violent thoughts of the main character is startling and off-putting; the Laymon-Esque twist ending certainly gives him his just desserts.
“Simon Clark! I know him! He’s the dude that writes about killer plants (Night of the Triffids), killer parents (Blood Crazy), killer Norse Vampires (Vamphyrric) and other killers.” (Random Horror book fan)
But do you know that he also writes great Aickman-Esque ghost stories and weird fiction? Or parables set in those lonely Greek islands? You wouldn’t know unless you have read this superb and eclectic collection. There is something for every horror fan here, be it violent stunners or calm and introspective (and maybe still gruesome) ghost stories.
As usual, I planned to discuss all the stories but that would break the word count limit here in Goodreads. So I elected to discuss the first seven stories plus two good representatives from the rest of the bunch. Don’t forget to read the classic creep-fest “Swallowing A Dirty Seed” at the end as well as the much-anthologized “A Grave-digger’s Tale”.
1. Salt Snake
Viper and his gang of traveling punks/vandals live off breaking and entering estates and looting the contents within. Their latest target –an old manor house by the sea- is occupied by a lone 18-year old girl, someone who should not pose any problem for the posse. But why is the house deserted and why is there an unnatural amount of salt that seems to cover the whole house?
This is a nice opener for the collection, filled with mystery, dread, and gruesome things happening to people you love to hate. The horror is fast and in-your-face, demonstrating Clark’s talent at drawing in the general horror crowd a.k.a. the “we want horror and gore right away” people.
2. Acorns – A Bitter Substitute for Olives
Office worker Stephen just broke up with his girlfriend. To clear his mind, he decides to go to Wales on his caravan, all the while thinking of the girl of his dreams. He gets his wish when a woman comes running to him for help, having locked herself out of her house. He helps her and discovers that the house is not owned by the woman but by her sister. As he knows more about her, he also has his own doubts; what happened to her sister and why is she not in the house, and what is the significance of the water tunnel at the center of the house? Stephen wants to know but what can a lonely heart do when an opportunity presents itself in all its sinister glory?
Ah, the complete opposite of the usual genre/commercial horror of Clark. This tale demonstrates the hidden Robert Aickman of Clark; writing tales of relatively ordinary occurrence where the horror lurks within, unaddressed and hidden. There is dread in this tale and that is achieved in not knowing the true intentions of the people you meet as well as the circumstances behind your meeting. I also love the addition of the legend of the Roman forces who mistakenly identify pine trees for olive trees while in the forest, as if they were collectively bewitched. This brings the theme of the story on the forefront and asks us the question: does the main character realize his fate or does he just not care?
Totally recommended for fans of literary horror or for people who long to feel that dread while reading horror stories.
3. Gerassimos Flamotas: A Day in the Life
A Greek farmer is facing a hard time in his life, with his finances at an all-time low and his land unable to grow anything of value. All he has is his family comprised of his wife and daughter Rose. A mysterious man then drops by and makes an offer to Flamotas: One million drachma for the “company” of his daughter until five o’clock of that day. Flamotas initially refuses but relents when assured that nothing sexual of any nature will happen to the girl, with the added assurance that the man will return the girl in “one-piece”. The girl returns but something is not right as Flamotas quickly notices…
What is it with Greece that horror writers seem to love so much? There’s Brian Lumley’s "No Sharks in the Med", Jack Ketchum’s "She Wakes", Ramsey Campbell’s "Thirteen Days By Sunset Beach", as well as the notorious films Anthropophagous and Island of Death. Is it the combination of its beautiful and serene surroundings with the sense of alienation and isolation? I’ll never know. Anyway, this tale takes the form of a daytime nightmare: fast, surreal, and unbelievable horrific. Is it a fable to remind us of the true worth of family? Sure, but don’t let the kids read this one. Yet.
4. Lifting the Lid
A man returns to his parents’ home. He brings bad news to them, something that he is very reluctant to do. After a disgusting discovery in the bathroom, he realizes that another person is in the house. Did his parents take in another guest while he was away? What relation does it have to the news he will bring them?
A somber ghost tale that leaves a bad taste in the mouth. You’ll know why when you read it. But barring that disgusting detail, this is nonetheless an efficient tale that makes one guess until the painful realization at the end. Not as good as Acorns, but still worth the read.
5. Howls from a Blinding Curve
Vic Curtis and (some of) his bandmates (name: Nighthouse) take a detour to what was supposed to be an isolated house in Scotland to re-record one of their singles. It turns out that the directions given to them were wrong. Luckily, the house they arrived at is owned and managed by a woman who has an interest in the same company that requested their song. She lets them stay in the garage, and she gives them two rules: 1. Never go to the house and 2. Never Whistle. They decide to go against the rules and discover a weird and absurd supernatural experience.
I must confess to having enough of rock-related horror stories for a while, especially concerning real-life rock musicians. It’s usually a deal-with-the-devil type of story and I presume that everybody has had enough of that. Thankfully this tale is not of those: this is a fun and unexpected offering with some neat twists at the end.
Clark used to write prose for U2 and this story shows his hidden love for rock music stuff.
6. The Bike Ride Home
Two friends cycling in the neighborhood are exchanging gruesome stories. One tells the story of his dead uncle’s body tumbling out of his casket for everyone to see. The other tells the story of one of Sigmund Freud’s patient's obsession with a torture method involving rats. They are then chased by an old man with an equally old bike. And what is that attached on the bread basket in front of his bike? Could it be…. Rats?
The most fast-paced horror story in the collection. You can feel the fear of the main characters while they try to ride away from the sinister old man on the bike. Will they make it out or will the torture method of involving rats have its way?
7. The Burning Doorway
Danny has a new job and it is working at a crematorium throughout the night. The job bothers him as he claims to hear the dead people moving around. Convinced by his boss that it is natural to hear such noises, Danny pushes on with his job. But after firing up the incinerator, he notices through the spyhole the dead are not just moving in the fire (!) but they are building something in there, too.
Another superb ghost tale from Clark. What secrets do the dead have and can we avail of them too? This is the question that is posed by this sad and creepy story. The main character wants a way out of this life and the dead in the incinerator may have the answer. The lengths he goes through to get the answer is wince-inducing and makes me think of burning barbeque brisket a tad too much.
8. Eyes Like a Ghost
Family man Martin inadvertently discovers a cassette in a box of books he bought from a cancer shop. He decides to listen out of curiosity and finds that although the playing is amateurish the lyrics are charismatic and inspired, even profound. Curious, he decides to trace the owner of the tape, but what will happen if he knew the reason behind the otherworldly inspiration behind the songs?
The genius of this tale is how Clark uses the idea of musical inspiration and merges it with the theme of possession and sacrifice. How did the previous owner of the tape even make contact with (entity)? It is never revealed but in the end, you realize that inspiration is highly contagious, especially when the source is as old as time. Nice double read with Thomas Tessier’s Ghost Music .
9. Blood for Sex Bites
A misanthropic and clearly whacked-out man roams the streets and bars to “fuck-fuck-fuck her till she bleeds”. He reveals the inner workings of his mind while pursuing a new target at a bar. He gets more than he asked for.
I view this as Simon Clark’s homage to Ramsey Campbell’s “The Face that Must Die” by way of Richard Laymon’s sensibilities. The constant spewing of sexually violent thoughts of the main character is startling and off-putting; the Laymon-Esque twist ending certainly gives him his just desserts.
February 22, 2022
Ik heb geaarzeld om deze bundel een 4-sterrenbeoordeling te geven, omdat een aantal verhalen bij mij kwalitatief zeer ongelijkmatig overkwamen, vooral dan waar het concept, inhoud en uitwerking betreft.
Maar al bij al slaat de balans toch meer in positieve richting door en wel om volgende redenen:
1. De meeste verhalen zijn zeer goed geschreven, met een rijke woordenschat en beeldspraak.
2. Inhoudelijk zijn de meeste verhalen fascinerend en origineel.
3. De lengte van de meeste verhalen is precies wat het zijn moet en de verbeelding van de lezer wordt nog voldoende geprikkeld.
Maar al bij al slaat de balans toch meer in positieve richting door en wel om volgende redenen:
1. De meeste verhalen zijn zeer goed geschreven, met een rijke woordenschat en beeldspraak.
2. Inhoudelijk zijn de meeste verhalen fascinerend en origineel.
3. De lengte van de meeste verhalen is precies wat het zijn moet en de verbeelding van de lezer wordt nog voldoende geprikkeld.
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