Baker's Dozen

by Troy McCombs

13 hideous tales with Lovecraftian ‘twist’ endings guaranteed to scare the pants off you! Beneath the Soil- What if you could not step foot on solid earth? What if there was something beneath any given of spot soil you didn’t want to be there, but was .. always waiting for you? Would you chance it? Inanimate Voices- After being harmlessly struck by lighting, a young girl is terrified of throwing garbage away--for hideous reasons a child psychologist is about to find out. 12 Feet Under- A pre-teen boy has a nightmare of dying and waking up in a small, enclosed, hellish cavern under the soil of a graveyard. Later, a chain of bizarre events occur and his friend must figure out if his dream was just a dream, or something far worse. Detached- An up-and-coming guitarist has his only dream shattered, destroyed and burned by the person he's always known. My Pain- A sadistic torturer, a bound victim, and a motive for revenge. The Sculpture- There’s a sculpture that’s jumped from owner to owner and from museum to museum. Few folks have died from looking at it. One man demands to know why and see it for himself. Demon-Thing- A family of four moves into a modern house in a brand new town. Harry, the son, has a funny suspicion that something evil and hungry lives under the porch of this unfamiliar place. The Unforgettable Highway- During a simple road trip to visit his brother, a traveler encounters many bizarre and scary sights along his path on an unassuming highway in the dead of night. The Sound from Kingwood- On summer evening, a bizarre ‘sound’ deafens a small community in West Virginia. Many people have different theories on what it was, but only one man will discover the truth. Number of the Beast- 13-year-old Kyle Harmin notices the number 666 everywhere he goes. After investigating the mystery, he discovers a sinister old house filled with secrets that drive him mad. Drip-Drop- At midnight an annoying dripping sound prevents a man from falling asleep. Aggravated, he searches for the source, only to come up empty handed; but finally, when he checks the bathroom, he finds a sight only horrible beyond compare. Hypervision- If we could have better vision than an eagle, would we dare want it? A Shadow on the Upstairs Wall- Jamison returns to his childhood home after failing in life; when he gets there, a shadow awaits him--a shadow that’s been waiting for him and haunting him ever since childhood. Maybe life wasn’t so bad after all.

178 pages, Paperback

First published February 21, 2011

Reviews

[Join the Penguin Resistance! · Rating 4 out of 5]

An appropriately titled collection of thirteen stories from a prolific author toiling in the fields of horror, “Baker’s Dozen” depicts the many and various intersections of the ordinary, mundane, existence we call “consensus reality” with an abundance of unseen universes and dimensions and probabilities. In Author Troy McCombs’ perception, most if not all of these unseen multiverses are evil, corrupt, or hungry for consumption of humanity. Take for example, the poor trio in “Beneath the Soil,” three widely disparate individuals who fear to go outdoors-because outdoors contains grass, soil, or sand-all of which could be ultimately-and immediately fatal. Perhaps what is worst for these individuals is not that their encounters are poetic justice, but rather that they have done naught to deserve encountering other dimensions of malicious intent.

This story collection is billed as “Lovecraftian” and this reviewer will definitely testify to that. As is clear from Mr. McComb’s novels as well as these stories, the author is never afraid to look the nightmarish in the eye, and name it. Be prepared for a collection preferably consumed only in the daytime-if you read at night, leave all the lights on-and don’t read alone. And don’t let your feet touch the floor.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are truly creepy stories. Even though they are short, they still draw you in as you wait (maybe holding your breath) for the ultimate reveal. Sometimes it is difficult to review anthologies because the quality of stories varies so much, but this one is easy. All the stories were eerie, all of them had a mystery at their heart, and most of the characters were somehow drawn (or pushed) into figuring out the mysteries, even if they suspected they might not like the answers.

Some of the stories have God or Satan as the protagonist--maybe, but the book is not religious. God and the devil, along with monsters and microbes, are simply characters in the stories.

I highly recommend this book. It is very well-written and you will find yourself drawn into worlds of horror and insanity.

[T. Giachetti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spooky

Great short stories, perfect for a quick horror fix. Looking forward to reading more from this author.Will be looking for additional reads!