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Destinations Unknown
A brand new collection of original dark fiction concerning itself with people, cars, and the open road.
In the novella The Ballad of Road Mama and Daddy Bliss, a man assigned community service duty with the city morgue after a DUI arrest is offered a simple transport an old woman's body back to her hometown, and his record will be wiped clean. But this is no typical old woman, and -- as he soon discovers -- he is taking her to a town that is on no map. The old woman's identity, as well as the reasons behind the town's secret existence, will be revealed to him over the course of a few nightmarish hours between midnight and dawn -- the time when The Road demands its sacrifices.
In Congestion, a man who has hated cars all his life finds himself stuck in a traffic jam on a sweltering hot day...a very different type of traffic jam.
In Merge Right, a businessman on a long road trip comes to a long and lonely stretch of highway where every sign he passes orders him to MERGE RIGHT. There are no exits in sight, no other cars, no sign of civilization...and there is something very strange about the scenes appearing in his rearview mirror.
In the novella The Ballad of Road Mama and Daddy Bliss, a man assigned community service duty with the city morgue after a DUI arrest is offered a simple transport an old woman's body back to her hometown, and his record will be wiped clean. But this is no typical old woman, and -- as he soon discovers -- he is taking her to a town that is on no map. The old woman's identity, as well as the reasons behind the town's secret existence, will be revealed to him over the course of a few nightmarish hours between midnight and dawn -- the time when The Road demands its sacrifices.
In Congestion, a man who has hated cars all his life finds himself stuck in a traffic jam on a sweltering hot day...a very different type of traffic jam.
In Merge Right, a businessman on a long road trip comes to a long and lonely stretch of highway where every sign he passes orders him to MERGE RIGHT. There are no exits in sight, no other cars, no sign of civilization...and there is something very strange about the scenes appearing in his rearview mirror.
216 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2006
4 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
About the author
Gary A. Braunbeck
223 books232 followersGary A. Braunbeck is a prolific author who writes mysteries, thrillers, science fiction, fantasy, horror, and mainstream literature. He is the author of 19 books; his fiction has been translated into Japanese, French, Italian, Russian and German. Nearly 200 of his short stories have appeared in various publications.
His fiction has received several awards, including the Bram Stoker Award in 2003 for "Duty" and in 2005 for "We Now Pause for Station Identification"; his book Destinations Unknown won a Stoker in 2006. His novella "Kiss of the Mudman" received the International Horror Guild Award in 2005."
His fiction has received several awards, including the Bram Stoker Award in 2003 for "Duty" and in 2005 for "We Now Pause for Station Identification"; his book Destinations Unknown won a Stoker in 2006. His novella "Kiss of the Mudman" received the International Horror Guild Award in 2005."
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 14, 2007
A collection of three excellent original stories. Very thought-provoking stuff set within a dark-fantasy frame-work of automobile travel.
April 8, 2025
My favorite story was the first one, 'The Ballad of Road Momma and Daddy Bliss'. I think this was the most scary for me and had me feeling the most curious. This one was a little hard to read when it came to learning about the characters. I liked their determination and perseverance. This one is going to stick with me on long drives. I think it was a really beautiful story, it was nice to think there was a place for everyone who didn't make it home. I had a lot of favorite characters.
As someone who grew up checking boxes on the side of the road for animals, 'The Box Man' made me anxious and uneasy. I just wanted to reach into the story and tell the main character to stop.
'Congestion' was hard for me to personally read, but I liked the ending, although it would be scary for me if I was in that situation. I related to the main character in some ways.
I felt emotional in 'Merge Right' for both characters. I appreciated the different cars we saw on the road and what they each represented. The ending really got to me.
I felt like we went through all the stages of grief in this one and I enjoyed how the author chose to do it.
As someone who grew up checking boxes on the side of the road for animals, 'The Box Man' made me anxious and uneasy. I just wanted to reach into the story and tell the main character to stop.
'Congestion' was hard for me to personally read, but I liked the ending, although it would be scary for me if I was in that situation. I related to the main character in some ways.
I felt emotional in 'Merge Right' for both characters. I appreciated the different cars we saw on the road and what they each represented. The ending really got to me.
I felt like we went through all the stages of grief in this one and I enjoyed how the author chose to do it.
August 16, 2019
Excellent collection of highway horrors, including the fascinating novella,"The Ballad Of Road Momma And Daddy Bliss." A hearse driver for the local morgue is tasked with delivering a body to a secret town where he meets Daddy Bliss and a host of other interesting characters. Highly recommended
August 11, 2016
A collection of three stories about travelers whose journeys take a strange turn. The first story, a novella called "The Ballad of Road Mama and Daddy Bliss" is the strongest of the three, with suspenseful plot, an unpredictable course of events and compelling characters. The other two, while much shorter, give different perspectives on the common theme.
Recommended.
Recommended.
August 4, 2016
The Ballad of Road Mama and Daddy Bliss was really creepy and unsettling, which is a rare thing for me to say about a story nowadays. This alone was worth the price of the book. Luckily the rest of the stories are entertaining too.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews