Bury The Children in the Yard

by Andersen Prunty

Andersen Prunty (author of Fuckness and Hi I'm a Social Disease) returns with another collection of horror stories. This volume features: “The Library of Trespass”, “Music from the Slaughterhouse”, “A Butterfly in Ice”, “The Spot”, “Laundrymen”, “The Warm House”, and the novella “Bury the Children in the Yard.”

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Bizarro Fiction, Short Story Collection

107 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 12, 2012

About the author

Andersen Prunty lives in Yellow Springs, Ohio. He writes novels and short stories. Visit him at notandersenprunty.com, where he posts a free story every Friday.

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a bizarre collection of seven stories. 'The Library of trespass' shows that stealing books might be fatal. 'Music from the Slaughterhouse' sees a young man get tricked by his girlfriend. 'A butterfly in ice' shows Joes trying to get a date with Maria. But what about the old man named Snow, the stalking and the true nature of these characters? 'The Spot' is about what? Insemination? 'Laundry Men'is about strange men wearing Barry's clothes. 'The Warm House' is a warning not to trust strange neighbours. The highlight in this macabre collection and my personal favourite is 'Bury the children in the yars'. An old prof is screwing one of his students. After their intense affair she vanishes. When she returns she names herself Sharon X and is with Slit Rider. The prof is kidnapped by them. What are they up to? The author is extremely gifted and comes up with quite unique stories. It's more than horror it's an journey into a completely deranged world. One of the most bizarre books of stories I ever came across (even the cover is extremely unusual). Interesting and recommended to those seeking new books beneath traditional paths.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are not your typical horror stories. If you're looking for something familiar, go elsewhere. There are no clichés here. Okay, well maybe a little but in a good B-movie sort of way. Oddballs, outsiders and lateral minds, we bid you welcome. These are horror stories written by acclaimed Bizzaro author Andersen Prunty, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors with good reason.

Here is a quick synopsis of each story without ruining anything:

Library of Trespass - With the economy in the crapper, Dump and Leggy pick up jobs as housemaids. Forbidden to enter the library, their curiosity gets the best of them.

Music from the Slaughterhouse - Enter slaughterhouse. Exit beautiful. Wait. What's the catch?

A Butterfly in Ice - A man wakes up in a white room with amnesia unsure if the albino is here to help him or hurt him.

The Spot - A stain on the bed sheet disappears.

Laundrymen - A man's shirt is stolen from a Laundromat. He really liked that shirt.

The Warm House - A girl home for winter break accidentally received a package for the weird, recluse next door.

Bury the Children in the Yard - A student's final essay declares the filthy things she wants to do to her teacher. Things turn out too good to be true for Mr. Brown.

An excellent fast paced collection by Prunty worthy of a second read! Get yourself a copy. This is a misunderstood gem!

[Alex | | findingmontauk1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

With this collection of short stories, Andersen Prunty really lets us into his creative and weird mind... and I am thankful for that! These stories were unique and crazy odd and interesting. My absolute favorites were "The Library of Trespass," "The Spot," and "Bury the Children in the Yard." Prunty finds a way to break your heart in all the weirdness. The stories aren't just bizarre or gross, they also have meaning and open your eyes. This collection of unsettling stories is the second body of work of Prunty's I have read, and I am definitely going to keep down this spiral of irksome depravity and see where I land! 3.5 rounded up on Goodreads!

[Akira · Rating 4 out of 5]

These were really freaky stories, but that last one though 🤢🤮.

[Jason Brown (Toastx2) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dear Andersen Prunty, recently you and I began to officially court each other. I cannot say that all of our dates have been positive, but they have all been memorable. At first I was hesitant. I mix well with the strange, but your genre, Bizarro Fiction, is still fairly new to the recognized literature scene as anything more than inappropriate.

At first, I didn't want to fully embrace you, but was bothered by the possibility of you passing me by.. Many times I have picked up The Beard and considered perusing it... Some how, you talked me into lowering my guard. Before I knew it you were poking me in my head orifices with your dirty body parts. I was disturbed. Then I was into it. then I was disturbed again.

More specifically: Billed as a collection of Horror stories, your work [Bury the children in the yard] was not appropriately labeled. Horror it was not, colorful and frequently brilliant, and disturbingly "spermy" at some points? All of the above are true of it.

You presented this to me semi-nude, dripping of milk, with one foot firmly planted in the a motherhood disturbing erotic sensationalism camp. The other foot was precariously lodged in the realm of speculative fiction. Six short stories and one novella.. Each story incrementally better and different, and the novella making me cringe. Your portions gave me mixed reactions.

- You held my hand during "Library of Trespass". It was good, but seemed out of place. It felt as if it should have been one of many interconnected stories in a single volume, not a standalone.
- You fed me sweets and said nice things to me. "Music from the Slaughterhouse" made me a mouth breather, eyes moving from page to page. I hate you for not having more here. I felt it was excellent, and for that I hate you, but I appreciate you as only a conundrum can be appreciated.
- You let me smell a steak at dinner, before replacing it with a green salad. You clearly knew I was a meatatarian and knew that you were doing me wrong.. "Butterfly in Ice" and "The Spot" were conceptually good, but I found their endings abrupt or incomplete. I was not particularly a fan of these as the abruptness took away from other wise enjoyed items..
- You caressed my knee as we drove to your home for a nightcap and some cuddling. "Laundrymen" and "Warm House" were both very enjoyable for opposing reasons. No other commentary available.
- You stuck it in me by surprise, lube free, and smacked me on the back of the head with a roll of twenty dollar bills while calling me a clown-whore. The final story, a novella called "Bury the children in the yard"... I had no idea this was coming. I have no idea what spawned this thought process, drove you to write it, or approved it for print. This was disturbing, disgusting, hilarious, well written, and rough as fuck.

All in all, some spit shine could have made this more pleasing to the individual reader as it was unpolished in many areas. You could have also warned me you were going to be so rough, the title story was drastically different in topic, presentation, and length.. You were kind not to stick me with the dinner bill.

Our courting is complete and I am now your semi-willing clown-whore booty call. stop by as you please, leave some cash on the table with my dignity.

~~

Others who are going to read this should be aware that the novella is "the Anti-50-shades".. this is not for all housewives and teenagers sneaking a peak at books Oprah has approved of.

This is something you would find on a coffee table in Blue Velvet, next to an ear, in a world where Oprah doesn't exist. Weak of stomach and easily vomitous folks should refrain from reading. The short stories however are accessible to a far greater number of readers.


--
xpost https://toastx2.blogspot.com/

[Joe Piccoli · Rating 3 out of 5]

1. The Library of Trespass 2
2. Music from the Slaughterhouse 3.25
3. A Butterfly in Ice 3
4. The Spot 2.75
5. Laundrymen 2
6. The Warm House 2
7. Bury the Children in the Yard 4.5


2.75 Last story was really good and disturbing and probably should have been just a stand alone. I will try more from this author.

[Manda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read The Fuckness a while ago, I wanted to see if Andersen Prunty could impress me again, and surely enough, he has.

These short stories are not really "horror" but they sure are unsettling!

Each story is well crafted, with interesting characters and unique situations. I particularly enjoyed The Library Of Trespass, A Butterfly In Ice and The Warm House. Music From The Slaughterhouse could have been a full novel, I would have loved for that to keep going... the way it ended left me with a delicious feeling of foreboding and I thought about it for a while afterwards!

The end novella Bury The Children In The Yard had a lot of potential, but I didnt like the direction in went in over the last third. I had an idea of what to expect, but while it subverted my assumptions, I wasn't quite as impressed with the end as I was with the beginning.

Overall, its a well written and very entertaining set of short stories for those who enjoy something a little less mainstream.

[Pete R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable horror stories where the terror comes from the unknown and surreal more than fear of harm. Didn't think I'd like this collection so much after the first two stories, which were written well enough but a bit campy and clichéd, but things just got weirder and more unique from there. "The Warm House" intrigued me the most -- it has a very dreamy/druggy quality to it and some of the descriptions border on the incomprehensible, definitely a head trip. Reminded me of JG Ballard a bit.

[Russell Holbrook · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Butterfly in Ice" is one of the most wonderfully heart-breaking stories I have ever read, ever. The description of the boy meeting the girl for the first time and the consuming emotions that followed was so spot on that I lost my breath. I read this every night before bed and had the strangest, best dreams.

[Nikki "The Crazie Betty" V. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[GD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bury the Children in the Yard catches the crazily uneven Andersen Prunty near the top of one of his waves of creativity. I read the disappointing Pray You Die Alone a couple of months ago and wasn't super eager to start another one of his books, but this one was great. He's here spouting gruesome, harrowing tales in his distinctive misanthrope's voice, which is what he does best.

"The Library of Trespass" is one of my favorite stories of his ever. Two shithead hick house cleaners go into the one room they're not supposed to go into in this old woman's house and steal a book just because it looks expensive. When they get drunk later on and decide to blast it with a shotgun for fun, hell breaks loose.

"Music From the Slaughterhouse" is actually a kind of touching story, but still super fucked up, about the sounds coming from a distant slaughterhouse, where visitors seems to get any kind of physical ailments miraculously healed. Obviously there is something much more sinister going on here.

"A Butterfly In Ice" is the book's weakest point, a kind of serious, sad, story about a fatal car crash, I think? A little hard to follow.

"The Spot" is pure Prunty on all six cylinders, about a cum-stain that becomes sentient and grows into a vengeful monster. Totally fucked up.

"The Laundrymen" is a nice little run of ultraviolence about weirdos in a laundromat and axe murders.

"The Warm House" is super weird and creative, about a kind of crazy dude who lives in a house that's basically a greenhouse for fucked up half-human half-plant creations. Cool imagery.

"Bury the Children in the Yard" is a super explicit story about a sexual romp with a college professor and a student, which evolves into something really sad and super violent and fucked up (because this IS Andersen Prunty, after all). A nice figurehead of an end to this collection.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this quick-reading and well -structured collection, Prunty offers us seven tales on that sharp edge where reality spins off into madness. There's some sense of supernatural but there's a lot here where the narrator isn't sure where the dream ends and reality begins. For every step towards Eden, there's also a toe dipped into the swirling waters of hell.

Some of its cautionary tales in nature - not to take what's not yours, not to date your students, not to enter strange houses. But some of the characters didn't really bring it on themselves. There's just no escaping their pasts. If you think you survived by burying what pains you, don't open the door. Something wants in.

There are themes here of butcher shops, of failed marriages, of miscarriages, of slow steady descents into madness. There are themes of locked rooms and locks that don't protect you. Of enchanted cabins that may just be the gates to hell. And who can you trust in these stories? How did you end up here and what are they trying to do with you?

[Elaina Berst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creative, bizarre and gripping set of short stories. Adding more Prunty onto my tbr.

[Sonia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Now I fully understand the genre called "bizarro fiction". The author is a hell of a good writer with an intense imagination. Will give another one of his books a shot. Not a huge fan of short stories, but this was a quick read. My favorite story was "Butterfly in Ice".

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is quite an odd collection of stories that exist on the fringes of horror. They’re weird and dark at times but not what you would call traditional at all. That’s not a bad thing because it’s a great collection that while short, is still a great read. Fans of horror may be a bit put off by some of these because they are a little odd, but that’s what makes them so good. There’s a bit of bizarro sprinkled here that adds a bit of depth to them.

What it proves is that Andersen is a great writer that is able to write in any genre he chooses and does so flawlessly. I’ve been a fan of his for a while now and this collection is a great introduction to his writing. Of course it isn’t for everyone, but that’s okay. If you have an open mind and like your fiction a bit dark, and disturbing, you’re gonna love this one.

[Gabrielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my first collection of Prunty's short stories. Started out strong enough, but the writing seemed to get progressively weaker and had less whip and snap as the stories wore on. Finally, in the last one, came this glorious prose:

He had a tattoo on the front of his neck that said SLIT RIDER in vaguely gothic lettering.

"Who the fuck are you?" Steve asked.

The man stood up and said, "I'm Slit Rider, fucker."

I wasn't entirely turned off by this collection, but I think some of his other work is much, much better. Again, better editing could have made this a more enjoyable read.

[Horror DNA · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've said it before and will say it again now: short stories and novels are two very different beasts, and an author who excels in one format does not necessarily do so in the other. Andersen Prunty is a master of both, and Bury the Children in the Yard is yet another collection in which he proves that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

You can read Gabino's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.

[timj26 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection has two of my favourite Andersen prunty short stories
The spot about a one-night stand gone wrong
Bury the children in the yard a story of loss and temptation that turns crazy
Well narrated and one of his best highly recommended
I received a free review audiobook and voluntarily left this review

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brilliant collection of stories that surely will make you chill and your stomach revolt a little. This is the intended effect by all means, and Andersen Prunty achieves it wonderfully!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!! Couldn’t put it down!!

[Janejellyroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

It feels like many people working in the bizarre horror subgenre are focusing first on the weird/grossout factor and less on the art of writing. Prunty isn't in this category, he's genuinely talented and concerned with more than the freakout factor.

[James Dunphy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my first time reading anything by Anderson Prunty. I was excited to read some contemporary horror stories only to be left slightly half-full by the time I was finished.

There's a lot that I like about Prunty's writing style. He's witty (sometimes downright funny) and to the point. He definitely has a knack for writing dialogue. As an aspiring writer myself, I admire those things in him.

My problem with this collection of stories comes down to strict substance. Most of these stories follow a very similar pattern. There's something established and going on, and then out of completely freaking nowhere something random and "scary"(?) happens and then the story is quickly over after that without much resolution or real meaning as to why what happened just did. It all seems to be random happenings for random's sake. I appreciated the random nature of the first story "The Library of Trespass", but I soon started noticing a pattern that all the stories had this. Even the two stories I REALLY enjoyed, "Music from the Slaughterhouse" and "Bury the Children in the Yard" are very random at points, but Prunty is able to fit reasoning for the events within the context of the story.

So basically yeah this gets 2 stars out of me. I wanted to like it more, but I also wanted more substance and meaning out of these otherwise brilliant short stories. I would recommend some plot development and progression for Mr. Prunty in the future. I'm willing to give him another shot, but he's fallen off the list of authors I'll be looking into for the summer/fall.

Here's the breakdown of the stories in which I rated them;
"The Library of Trespass" - ***
"Music from the Slaughterhouse" - *****
"A Butterfly in Ice" - ***
"The Laundrymen" - **
"The Warm House" - **
"Bury the Children in the Yard" - *****

[Donald Armfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bury the children in the yard


Music from The Slaughterhouse is a bloody read. The sounds coming from the slaughterhouse across the street may sound like some bizarre music, but the seeker of the sounds finds out the hard way.

A Butterfly in Ice gives you the thought of an insane man Joel locked in a white room. The ending not what I expected but enjoyable at that.

The Spot was discovered on the bed after a one night stand.....years later it makes it return in a gruesome way.

Laundrymen
Don't touch Barry's clothes!

Bury the children in the yard was off the wall. Sexual, dirty death, the filthiest thing you will ever read.

[Brian Bigelow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading these strange tales. They cover quite the gamut of subjects as you expect in an anthology and are definitely the product of a warped mind. Plenty of blood, gore and violence is found throughout. Would recommend this book for anyone that likes their horror a bit on the weird side. Basically, expect the unexpected. These stories are anything but your usual fare. I'm really glad I bought a copy of this book and will be buying more.

[Padre · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wouldn't call it bizarro, but I would call it a pretty great read. The best parts? “The Library of Trespass”, “Music from the Slaughterhouse”, “A Butterfly in Ice” and “Bury the Children in the Yard”. "The Spot" was pretty "meh", the ending of "Laundrymen" was cliche and "The Warm House" is not my type of a story. Still, four out of seven - not bad, huh?

[Nora aka Diva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weird, intensely strange but in an entertaining sort of way. If you are looking for something a bit out there, these short stories should put a grin on your face or a grimace depending on your tolerance level. lol

[perfect_beaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes

These stories are gut-wrenching. Mingling sex and horror and the insanity of things being just that tiny bit off-kilter before going completely gonzo, this collection is my new favorite.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

not a fan of short stories but gave this a shot. what a strange book! well written but very strange...

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection so short, very bizarre stories. If you are offended by sexual discription or foul language I would recommend you skip this book and go on to something else.

[Kellee · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't like this book at all. None of the stories were very entertaining. This is one reason I hate short stories. No suspense, no scare...nothing.