What do you think?
Rate this book
Forever, in Pieces
EIGHTEEN HAUNTING VISIONS . . . FROM A MIND ADROITLY TWISTED
In this debut collection of short fiction from Kurt Fawver, one of the horror world’s rising stars, you will find a melange of lost souls, cosmic terrors, wondrous abysses, and even some good old-fashioned murder.
You will be taken to the end of humanity, to dystopian futures and personal hells. You’ll meet conquering gods and unholy messiahs, invisible babies and talking chairs, interdimensional monsters and the monsters we sometimes see all too clearly in the mirrors before our own faces.
The stories in Forever, in Pieces will immerse you in loneliness and loss, life and death, love and obsession, and, above all, the shadowed—and often terrible—veil of eternity.
In this debut collection of short fiction from Kurt Fawver, one of the horror world’s rising stars, you will find a melange of lost souls, cosmic terrors, wondrous abysses, and even some good old-fashioned murder.
You will be taken to the end of humanity, to dystopian futures and personal hells. You’ll meet conquering gods and unholy messiahs, invisible babies and talking chairs, interdimensional monsters and the monsters we sometimes see all too clearly in the mirrors before our own faces.
The stories in Forever, in Pieces will immerse you in loneliness and loss, life and death, love and obsession, and, above all, the shadowed—and often terrible—veil of eternity.
252 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 4, 2013
18 people are currently reading
175 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 3, 2016
Kurt Fawver’s profile as an author has been getting some sunlight recently, and it caused me to check this Amazon listing and realize I never reviewed his debut collection, Forever, In Pieces. I reread it (something I don’t do with books unless I feel they truly warrant it—there are simply too many unread books waiting) and was reminded how quietly talented he is. With an upcoming story in the venerable Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, and a new novella on the way, many others will soon know.
Fawver works in the quieter, more philosophical realm of horror and weird fiction, somewhere between a professorial or academic knowledge of the genre and the chills that a reader looks for. The latter is more important in the big picture, and these stories deliver a little Ligottian nihilism, a little ghost story, and all skill.
Favorites include “The Waves from Afar” and "Rub-A-Dub-Dub.” These two stories illustrate well how many flavors of horror Fawver can work in, most importantly never forgetting that these are real people in his stories, doing human things. This remains an impressive debut, and I look forward to what this author does next.
Fawver works in the quieter, more philosophical realm of horror and weird fiction, somewhere between a professorial or academic knowledge of the genre and the chills that a reader looks for. The latter is more important in the big picture, and these stories deliver a little Ligottian nihilism, a little ghost story, and all skill.
Favorites include “The Waves from Afar” and "Rub-A-Dub-Dub.” These two stories illustrate well how many flavors of horror Fawver can work in, most importantly never forgetting that these are real people in his stories, doing human things. This remains an impressive debut, and I look forward to what this author does next.
December 28, 2015
A kaleidoscope of swirling visions and beautiful story telling that will drag you into the dark empty abyss of the human soul where in lies everything and nothing. Forever, In Pieces will leave you feeling just that.
Prologue to a Phantasmagorical Tragedy: A very good story to open the collection with. Short and sweet.
The Waves From Afar: I loved the visuals in this story. A man struggles to understand a strange phenomenon plaguing everyone drawn to the vast ocean of swirling colors and undulating waves of hypnotic majesty. What this sea of alien colors is hiding or what reason it has for it's grasp on all the people that die and then come to stand in it's trance is unknown. All any of the survivors can do is watch as thousands of loved ones succomb to this fate and wait and hope for a real goodbye. There is a helplessness tone to this story and the Tide reminds me very much of the Black Plague's reign of terror.
For The Unhaunted: Haunted houses are not normally sought after to start a family in. Disclosures are made by realtors as to if there was any awful traumas or deaths within the walls that are to hold happy memories of bouncing babies and celebrated holidays with growing families. But what if, the standard was reversed? What if the only thing that would make you feel whole and just like everybody else was to have a ghost that roamed your halls. Where glasses broke and things are knocked off counter tops by something unseen....but what if channeling a ghost to your home was harder than it appeared. What lengths would you go to obtain your own haunted house? I pictured this very short story played out like a Tim Burton animated short.
With A Ribbon On Top: One of my favorite short stories. We all have heard the song Santa Claus is Coming to Town. A rather eerie christmas jingle about the jolly old man watching your every mover and deciding if you were ultimately bad this year or if you were good. Never did it dawn on me to see the sinister side of this song and turn it into something dark and punishable. The Crimson Intruder comes at night to every home, doling out rewards and punishments as he sees fits. This was exceptionally written.
Brief Repose Moments Before a Gruesome and Certain Death: Perfect title. Perfect.
The Binary Must Prevail: A brief History: What would you do if your chair suddenly become a sentient being? Complete with full thoughts, feelings, and emotions? Whatever you would do, the author of this story I believe paints exactly what the human race would do. The lines become blurred in whether or not an inanimate object has any rights and or independance from it's owner. However, just as we humans are known , if a sentient being (no matter the form it takes on) wants equal rights, it will banned together with like minded beings and obtain what they want at all costs.
May Old Aquanitice Be Forgot: It's ten minutes till midnight. Ten minutes till the ball drops and new beginnings bring in the new year. Ten minutes until something terrible will happen. Dan is the only one who knows what will happen to the human race once the ball drops and the clock strikes midnight and it gives twisted meaning to "new beginnings." A disturbing modern day Noah's Ark tale.
Birthday: This reminded me of a an old black and white Hitchcock or Twilight Zone episode. Dark and disturbing with fast pace confusion thatn turn makes you panic right along side the characters.
Critical Theory: Sad little short story.
Four Is Enough and Take All Your Troubles were really disturbing to me. In Four Enough amputation is a way of making money and the
uses for the parts is interesting but the lengths that some people go to for the money they need is uncomfortable to say the least. Take All Your Troubles starts off so beautifully positive and nice and wonderful and then just ends with a literal depressing and upsetting explosion of sorrow.
Bolt: My question as to what would people who don't really have real world skills do in a zombie apocalypse is now answered! Take Derrick aka Bolt for instance. An athlete and passionate baseball player and lover of the league. So when riots break out suggesting a zombie like outbreak, Derrick the Bolt must learn to survive.
Lessons: If you like the the concept of Dexter and his father's relationship, this is a nice little gem.
Forever, In Pieces: Beautiful story. Start to finish. This is a much longer story than the others and we are taken back to February 14, 1986. Valentines Day. The day that changes Ben's life. Forever is more than just a secret admirer and the gifts Ben receives from Forevever every Valentine's Day for the next 22 years is morbidly beautiful and disturbing. I really liked this tale and once again the style of which the author writes is absolutely wonderful.
Rub-a-Dub-Dub:
. Three men in a tub. And who do you think they were?
The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker were all cast out to sea.
In a tub, they floated on and on regailing
with tales of how they came to be.
The butcher with the cleaver, just wanted his revenge.
When all the bishops seized his daughter to collect the stolen knives,
the butcher vowed to all aloud that he would take their lives.
He managed to kill and slash and dice,
a few but not all and this did not suffice.
So off he was sent out to the great thing in the sea
to join the demise of not two but of three.
The baker does not want revenge nor does he leave things be,
for the baker you see is the bringer of relief and deems himself worthy.
To ease the pain of fellow patrons who've fallen under the reign of Thalak
Once freshly baked, he posions the bread and his reasons are symbolic.
So off he was sent out to the great thing in the sea
to join the demise of not two but of three.
The Candlestick maker with his shadows and mystery,
his hiding something much more sinister than either two's history.
He speaks of the Void and the promise of exploring 'Why'?
but the answer to the offer is, "I would rather die."
So with the power of the Void within him,
the candlestick maker continues with his task out to sea,
to join the demise of not two but of one, for that's the way it had to be.
Prologue to a Phantasmagorical Tragedy: A very good story to open the collection with. Short and sweet.
The Waves From Afar: I loved the visuals in this story. A man struggles to understand a strange phenomenon plaguing everyone drawn to the vast ocean of swirling colors and undulating waves of hypnotic majesty. What this sea of alien colors is hiding or what reason it has for it's grasp on all the people that die and then come to stand in it's trance is unknown. All any of the survivors can do is watch as thousands of loved ones succomb to this fate and wait and hope for a real goodbye. There is a helplessness tone to this story and the Tide reminds me very much of the Black Plague's reign of terror.
For The Unhaunted: Haunted houses are not normally sought after to start a family in. Disclosures are made by realtors as to if there was any awful traumas or deaths within the walls that are to hold happy memories of bouncing babies and celebrated holidays with growing families. But what if, the standard was reversed? What if the only thing that would make you feel whole and just like everybody else was to have a ghost that roamed your halls. Where glasses broke and things are knocked off counter tops by something unseen....but what if channeling a ghost to your home was harder than it appeared. What lengths would you go to obtain your own haunted house? I pictured this very short story played out like a Tim Burton animated short.
With A Ribbon On Top: One of my favorite short stories. We all have heard the song Santa Claus is Coming to Town. A rather eerie christmas jingle about the jolly old man watching your every mover and deciding if you were ultimately bad this year or if you were good. Never did it dawn on me to see the sinister side of this song and turn it into something dark and punishable. The Crimson Intruder comes at night to every home, doling out rewards and punishments as he sees fits. This was exceptionally written.
Brief Repose Moments Before a Gruesome and Certain Death: Perfect title. Perfect.
The Binary Must Prevail: A brief History: What would you do if your chair suddenly become a sentient being? Complete with full thoughts, feelings, and emotions? Whatever you would do, the author of this story I believe paints exactly what the human race would do. The lines become blurred in whether or not an inanimate object has any rights and or independance from it's owner. However, just as we humans are known , if a sentient being (no matter the form it takes on) wants equal rights, it will banned together with like minded beings and obtain what they want at all costs.
May Old Aquanitice Be Forgot: It's ten minutes till midnight. Ten minutes till the ball drops and new beginnings bring in the new year. Ten minutes until something terrible will happen. Dan is the only one who knows what will happen to the human race once the ball drops and the clock strikes midnight and it gives twisted meaning to "new beginnings." A disturbing modern day Noah's Ark tale.
Birthday: This reminded me of a an old black and white Hitchcock or Twilight Zone episode. Dark and disturbing with fast pace confusion thatn turn makes you panic right along side the characters.
Critical Theory: Sad little short story.
Four Is Enough and Take All Your Troubles were really disturbing to me. In Four Enough amputation is a way of making money and the
uses for the parts is interesting but the lengths that some people go to for the money they need is uncomfortable to say the least. Take All Your Troubles starts off so beautifully positive and nice and wonderful and then just ends with a literal depressing and upsetting explosion of sorrow.
Bolt: My question as to what would people who don't really have real world skills do in a zombie apocalypse is now answered! Take Derrick aka Bolt for instance. An athlete and passionate baseball player and lover of the league. So when riots break out suggesting a zombie like outbreak, Derrick the Bolt must learn to survive.
Lessons: If you like the the concept of Dexter and his father's relationship, this is a nice little gem.
Forever, In Pieces: Beautiful story. Start to finish. This is a much longer story than the others and we are taken back to February 14, 1986. Valentines Day. The day that changes Ben's life. Forever is more than just a secret admirer and the gifts Ben receives from Forevever every Valentine's Day for the next 22 years is morbidly beautiful and disturbing. I really liked this tale and once again the style of which the author writes is absolutely wonderful.
Rub-a-Dub-Dub:
. Three men in a tub. And who do you think they were?
The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker were all cast out to sea.
In a tub, they floated on and on regailing
with tales of how they came to be.
The butcher with the cleaver, just wanted his revenge.
When all the bishops seized his daughter to collect the stolen knives,
the butcher vowed to all aloud that he would take their lives.
He managed to kill and slash and dice,
a few but not all and this did not suffice.
So off he was sent out to the great thing in the sea
to join the demise of not two but of three.
The baker does not want revenge nor does he leave things be,
for the baker you see is the bringer of relief and deems himself worthy.
To ease the pain of fellow patrons who've fallen under the reign of Thalak
Once freshly baked, he posions the bread and his reasons are symbolic.
So off he was sent out to the great thing in the sea
to join the demise of not two but of three.
The Candlestick maker with his shadows and mystery,
his hiding something much more sinister than either two's history.
He speaks of the Void and the promise of exploring 'Why'?
but the answer to the offer is, "I would rather die."
So with the power of the Void within him,
the candlestick maker continues with his task out to sea,
to join the demise of not two but of one, for that's the way it had to be.
November 8, 2024
Un destacable libro de relatos de Weird horror. Dilatando mentes se ha convertido en una de mis editoriles favoritas a la hora de descubrir nuevos talentos del horror. En esta ocasión nos presenta los cuentos de Kurt Fawver, un joven escritor que ha aprendido bastante de Ligotti y Barker y que tiene algunas historias originales que tocan diversos géneros del terror y te hacen pasar un buen rato. A destacar:
Nacimiento(***): Muy Ligottiano. Comienza con un hombre que espera en el hospital a que su mujer dé a luz en un parto que se prevé complicado y termina siendo una cesárea. Todo muy normal, hasta que el nacimiento se produce y empieza rareza tras rareza.
Con cuatro es suficiente(*****): De los mejores relatos del libro. un joven y prometedor estudiante de física teórica tiene problemas para pagar su matrícula universitaria. La solución consiste en vender partes de su cuerpo para consumo de otras personas con mayor poder adquisitivo. Escalofriante.
El binarismo debe prevalecer: una breve historia(*****): Otra genial y extraña historia. Un dia las sillas y los muebles empiezan una revolución. Adquieren conciencia de si mismos y deciden dejar de sentirse humillados por los humanos. Muy divertido.
Olas que llegan desde tierras lejanas(****): Un extraño acontecimento sucede cuando la gente que se encontraba nadando en el mar queda ligado a este y vuelve a él a morir. Un padre de familía ve impotente como su familia se rinde al trágico suceso.
Eternamente, en pedazos(****): Un adolescente siempre rechazado empieza a recibir partes del cuerpo de una chica que le promete que pronto estarán juntos. Poco a poco va completando el cuerpo y esperando a que estén juntos para siempre. Muy creepy.
Relámpago(****): Una apocalipsis zombie sorprende a una nueva promesa del béisbol cuando estaba a punto de dar el salto a las grandes ligas. Me ha recordado a George Romero.
Érase que se era(****): El mundo se ha sumido en el caos tras la llegada de un dios exterior que no deja de exigir sacrificios. Tres reos se dirigen hacia su muerte encadenados en un bote, sacrificados a este dios, antes de morir contarán su historia.
Nacimiento(***): Muy Ligottiano. Comienza con un hombre que espera en el hospital a que su mujer dé a luz en un parto que se prevé complicado y termina siendo una cesárea. Todo muy normal, hasta que el nacimiento se produce y empieza rareza tras rareza.
Con cuatro es suficiente(*****): De los mejores relatos del libro. un joven y prometedor estudiante de física teórica tiene problemas para pagar su matrícula universitaria. La solución consiste en vender partes de su cuerpo para consumo de otras personas con mayor poder adquisitivo. Escalofriante.
El binarismo debe prevalecer: una breve historia(*****): Otra genial y extraña historia. Un dia las sillas y los muebles empiezan una revolución. Adquieren conciencia de si mismos y deciden dejar de sentirse humillados por los humanos. Muy divertido.
Olas que llegan desde tierras lejanas(****): Un extraño acontecimento sucede cuando la gente que se encontraba nadando en el mar queda ligado a este y vuelve a él a morir. Un padre de familía ve impotente como su familia se rinde al trágico suceso.
Eternamente, en pedazos(****): Un adolescente siempre rechazado empieza a recibir partes del cuerpo de una chica que le promete que pronto estarán juntos. Poco a poco va completando el cuerpo y esperando a que estén juntos para siempre. Muy creepy.
Relámpago(****): Una apocalipsis zombie sorprende a una nueva promesa del béisbol cuando estaba a punto de dar el salto a las grandes ligas. Me ha recordado a George Romero.
Érase que se era(****): El mundo se ha sumido en el caos tras la llegada de un dios exterior que no deja de exigir sacrificios. Tres reos se dirigen hacia su muerte encadenados en un bote, sacrificados a este dios, antes de morir contarán su historia.
October 30, 2024
Podéis escuchar una reseña de los mejores relatos de esta antología en el segundo programa de ¡Silba y Acudiremos!, Día de difuntos: https://go.ivoox.com/rf/135394145
De un tiempo a esta parte comencé a asumir que un grueso de los escritores americanos contemporáneos habían desarrollado un escólex, un apéndice cefálico repleto de ganchos, con el que anclarse al intestino delgado de Thomas Ligotti como tenias insaciables. Eso asumía, hasta que leí al bueno de Kurt Fawver, que aunque también mame del sagrado quimo del de Detroit, al menos demuestra que puede imprimir a sus relatos algo de su personalidad.
Fawver, como muchos narradores terroríficos, parte de una base lovecraftiana de horror materialista, que no cósmico o no siempre, sobre las que sedimentan potentes estratos de nihilismo existencialista nacidos de una infestación foránea que carcome la realidad y la transforma a ojos de sus protagonistas, o por el contrario, queda manifiesto su sinsentido desde el inicio, como una percepción nacida de nuestra consciencia, interpretada en clave de enfermedad -esto sí, muy Ligotti. Pero no todos los relatos de Fawver nacen con la pretensión de convertirse en un manifiesto terrorífico; en muchos se permite trabajar ciertos arquetipos del horror manoseados hasta lo obsceno o jugar con la ficción extraña de forma grotesca y brutal, como hiciera Harlan Ellison en sus más desaforadas pesadillas futuristas, y que por excesivas y luditas hubo de rebautizar como piezas de ficción especulativa. El Fawver narrador tiene pericia y buen ritmo, sabe condensar e impactar, como atestiguan sus trabajos más breves. Sin embargo, adolece del mismo problema que el resto de acólitos ligottinianos que he leído: pontificar como iluminados. Lo que en Ligotti queda implícito por la otredad y onirismo sórdido de sus historias, en sus imitadores se debe explicitar en forma de arrebatos retóricos de lenguaje oscuro e ininteligible, muy sonoro, con grandes palabras que parecen pensadas para escribirlas en mayúscula, pero que deslucen el acabado de lo que, hasta entonces, era una buena historia de terror. Y es que es en estos éxtasis de sublime pretenciosidad cuando la impostura estética es palmaria, cuando se ve la mano de un imitador que ve un modelo de escritura y no un modelo filosófico, al igual que ocurría con Lovecraft, al que copiaban en su forma sin llegar a entender -o no importarles- su fondo. Aunque no me producen rechazo del todo, no como con los ventrílocuos de Padgett, por ejemplo.
Los cuentos incluidos en esta antología son los siguientes:
Olas que llegan desde tierras lejanas (***): un extraño fenómeno cromático ha hecho que las aguas del Golfo de México se tiñan con caleidoscópicas y atractivas tonalidades. Sin embargo, el fenómeno vendrá acompañado de una enfermedad para aquellos que se bañen en el mar.
Para los no hechizados (***): una familia, anhelando tener un fantasma en su casa y no conseguirlo, deciden tomar una medida expeditiva. Breve pero eficaz.
Envuelto para regalo (***): los regalos de Papa Noel vienen cargados de conocimiento sobre uno mismo que condicionará tu vida futura según hayas sido bueno o malo. Y ojo con haber sido malo.
Breves momentos de reposo antes de una muerte espantosa y segura (**): una invasión mundial de brazos se cierne sobre la humanidad, aplastándola literalmente en el proceso. Demasiado intenso, Junji Ito le habría sacado partido en formato manga.
El binarismo debe prevalecer: una breve historia (****): las sillas se han revelado; no están dispuestas a seguir soportando nuestro peso y piden respeto e igualdad de derechos. Por supuesto, la humanidad no está dispuesta a tal cesión, y la desavenencia se salda de la peor manera. Locurón, así sí, más revoluciones del menaje.
Un mensaje inaudito (***): una mujer llama por teléfono para hacer una petición: necesita ayuda con su marido, que tras una enfermedad repentina ya no es el mismo de siempre.
Que los viejos conocidos sean olvidados (***): cuando el reloj dé las doce y las campanas anuncien el año nuevo, el apocalipsis se desatará y la humanidad desaparecerá. Entre la multitud vociferante hay un hombre con una misión: elegir a aquellos que repueblen la Tierra.
Nacimiento (***): un padre acude al nacimiento de su primera hija. Cuando acude a la habitación en la que se encuentra su mujer y una enfermera acerca al bebe, envuelto en una sabana, descubre que, entre los pliegues, no hay nada. Una premisa brutal que se diluye por querer crear un manifiesto nihilista.
Teoría crítica (*): mismo problema que antes pero condensado en forma de microrrelato. Un culto elige a una niña para leer, cautiva en una habitación, un libro hasta que entienda su significado último.
Con cuatro es suficiente (****): en un futuro distópico, un importante sector de la población se ha visto obligado a extirparse partes del cuerpo y venderlas para poder costearse lo indispensable. Estas partes van a parar a unos humanos que aumentan sus capacidades mentales consumiendo los órganos vendidos.
Ocúpate de tus asuntos (****): un niño es capaz de prolongar la vida del prójimo apropiándose y experimentando su muerte.
Relámpago (***): el debut como jugador de beisbol profesional del protagonista se ve truncado por un apocalipsis zombie.
Lecciones (****): un padre enseña a su hijo una importante lección.
Eternamente, en pedazos (****): cada San Valentin, desde que tenía ocho años, un niño retraído y marginado recibe una carta de amor de una mujer que firma como Eternamente, y una parte de su cuerpo aún caliente, palpitante. Y viva. Con el paso de los años, el protagonista ira atesorando todas estas piezas anatómicas, a la espera de poder conocer a su admiradora secreta.
Una caricia a lo invertido (****): un hombre encuentra en la calle a un perrito abandonado, aterido de frio bajo la lluvia, y resuelve adoptarlo, desconociendo que el cachorro no es lo que parece. De nuevo, el mejor Fawver es el surrealista.
Culminación (***): en el futuro ha aparecido un virus que permite al ser humano multiplicarse de una nueva y curiosa manera.
Érase que se era (****): tres hombres viajan encadenados en un barco al encuentro del dios que ha esclavizado a la especie humana. Cada uno de ellos cometió sacrilegio para ocupar un lugar en ese bote y poder luchar cara a cara contra ese invasor aparentemente omnipotente.
De un tiempo a esta parte comencé a asumir que un grueso de los escritores americanos contemporáneos habían desarrollado un escólex, un apéndice cefálico repleto de ganchos, con el que anclarse al intestino delgado de Thomas Ligotti como tenias insaciables. Eso asumía, hasta que leí al bueno de Kurt Fawver, que aunque también mame del sagrado quimo del de Detroit, al menos demuestra que puede imprimir a sus relatos algo de su personalidad.
Fawver, como muchos narradores terroríficos, parte de una base lovecraftiana de horror materialista, que no cósmico o no siempre, sobre las que sedimentan potentes estratos de nihilismo existencialista nacidos de una infestación foránea que carcome la realidad y la transforma a ojos de sus protagonistas, o por el contrario, queda manifiesto su sinsentido desde el inicio, como una percepción nacida de nuestra consciencia, interpretada en clave de enfermedad -esto sí, muy Ligotti. Pero no todos los relatos de Fawver nacen con la pretensión de convertirse en un manifiesto terrorífico; en muchos se permite trabajar ciertos arquetipos del horror manoseados hasta lo obsceno o jugar con la ficción extraña de forma grotesca y brutal, como hiciera Harlan Ellison en sus más desaforadas pesadillas futuristas, y que por excesivas y luditas hubo de rebautizar como piezas de ficción especulativa. El Fawver narrador tiene pericia y buen ritmo, sabe condensar e impactar, como atestiguan sus trabajos más breves. Sin embargo, adolece del mismo problema que el resto de acólitos ligottinianos que he leído: pontificar como iluminados. Lo que en Ligotti queda implícito por la otredad y onirismo sórdido de sus historias, en sus imitadores se debe explicitar en forma de arrebatos retóricos de lenguaje oscuro e ininteligible, muy sonoro, con grandes palabras que parecen pensadas para escribirlas en mayúscula, pero que deslucen el acabado de lo que, hasta entonces, era una buena historia de terror. Y es que es en estos éxtasis de sublime pretenciosidad cuando la impostura estética es palmaria, cuando se ve la mano de un imitador que ve un modelo de escritura y no un modelo filosófico, al igual que ocurría con Lovecraft, al que copiaban en su forma sin llegar a entender -o no importarles- su fondo. Aunque no me producen rechazo del todo, no como con los ventrílocuos de Padgett, por ejemplo.
Los cuentos incluidos en esta antología son los siguientes:
Olas que llegan desde tierras lejanas (***): un extraño fenómeno cromático ha hecho que las aguas del Golfo de México se tiñan con caleidoscópicas y atractivas tonalidades. Sin embargo, el fenómeno vendrá acompañado de una enfermedad para aquellos que se bañen en el mar.
Para los no hechizados (***): una familia, anhelando tener un fantasma en su casa y no conseguirlo, deciden tomar una medida expeditiva. Breve pero eficaz.
Envuelto para regalo (***): los regalos de Papa Noel vienen cargados de conocimiento sobre uno mismo que condicionará tu vida futura según hayas sido bueno o malo. Y ojo con haber sido malo.
Breves momentos de reposo antes de una muerte espantosa y segura (**): una invasión mundial de brazos se cierne sobre la humanidad, aplastándola literalmente en el proceso. Demasiado intenso, Junji Ito le habría sacado partido en formato manga.
El binarismo debe prevalecer: una breve historia (****): las sillas se han revelado; no están dispuestas a seguir soportando nuestro peso y piden respeto e igualdad de derechos. Por supuesto, la humanidad no está dispuesta a tal cesión, y la desavenencia se salda de la peor manera. Locurón, así sí, más revoluciones del menaje.
Un mensaje inaudito (***): una mujer llama por teléfono para hacer una petición: necesita ayuda con su marido, que tras una enfermedad repentina ya no es el mismo de siempre.
Que los viejos conocidos sean olvidados (***): cuando el reloj dé las doce y las campanas anuncien el año nuevo, el apocalipsis se desatará y la humanidad desaparecerá. Entre la multitud vociferante hay un hombre con una misión: elegir a aquellos que repueblen la Tierra.
Nacimiento (***): un padre acude al nacimiento de su primera hija. Cuando acude a la habitación en la que se encuentra su mujer y una enfermera acerca al bebe, envuelto en una sabana, descubre que, entre los pliegues, no hay nada. Una premisa brutal que se diluye por querer crear un manifiesto nihilista.
Teoría crítica (*): mismo problema que antes pero condensado en forma de microrrelato. Un culto elige a una niña para leer, cautiva en una habitación, un libro hasta que entienda su significado último.
Con cuatro es suficiente (****): en un futuro distópico, un importante sector de la población se ha visto obligado a extirparse partes del cuerpo y venderlas para poder costearse lo indispensable. Estas partes van a parar a unos humanos que aumentan sus capacidades mentales consumiendo los órganos vendidos.
Ocúpate de tus asuntos (****): un niño es capaz de prolongar la vida del prójimo apropiándose y experimentando su muerte.
Relámpago (***): el debut como jugador de beisbol profesional del protagonista se ve truncado por un apocalipsis zombie.
Lecciones (****): un padre enseña a su hijo una importante lección.
Eternamente, en pedazos (****): cada San Valentin, desde que tenía ocho años, un niño retraído y marginado recibe una carta de amor de una mujer que firma como Eternamente, y una parte de su cuerpo aún caliente, palpitante. Y viva. Con el paso de los años, el protagonista ira atesorando todas estas piezas anatómicas, a la espera de poder conocer a su admiradora secreta.
Una caricia a lo invertido (****): un hombre encuentra en la calle a un perrito abandonado, aterido de frio bajo la lluvia, y resuelve adoptarlo, desconociendo que el cachorro no es lo que parece. De nuevo, el mejor Fawver es el surrealista.
Culminación (***): en el futuro ha aparecido un virus que permite al ser humano multiplicarse de una nueva y curiosa manera.
Érase que se era (****): tres hombres viajan encadenados en un barco al encuentro del dios que ha esclavizado a la especie humana. Cada uno de ellos cometió sacrilegio para ocupar un lugar en ese bote y poder luchar cara a cara contra ese invasor aparentemente omnipotente.
March 17, 2016
Forever, in Pieces. It’s got a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? It seems at first glance to be a bold choice for a short story collection. After all, forever is arguably the most difficult concept to depict. Probably a wise move to take it piece by piece. The title has more than one meaning, of course, given a little bit of grammatical finessing. Whatever the case, Kurt Fawver proves to be up to the task of writing stories that both live up to the title and scare their readers into submission. What you’ll find here is a different kind of fear than you might expect.
The stories showcased in FiP aren’t particularly gory (though gore has its time to shine), nor are they deeply character-driven (though the characters are relatable enough in an everyman sort of way). In an unusual take on the zombie genre, “The Waves from Afar”, the dead simply stand motionless on the beach, staring at the tides. No explanation is given, and it’s absolutely chilling in its subtlety. Another story turns ritual on its head and sees Santa Claus as judge, jury, and executioner, and it’s not at all flippant. This is the case with most of the stories. Even the most frivolous-seeming subjects are approached with a disturbing angle and a straight-faced respect. To compound this, these stories seethe with a fatalistic bleakness that might just eat away at you if you read them back to back in a lengthy stretch. As Fawver says himself in the introduction, it’s all “… banality and ineffectuality in conflict with chaos and deepest darkness.”
The brand of horror that Fawver brings to the table might be described as cosmic, but it reaches that ineffable peak by scaling things way down to the microcosmic level. The dire situations befalling ordinary people in nondescript places, seemingly by chance, are ubiquitous to the point where it seems that all roads naturally lead to nothing. All that’s out of our control seems rooted in something far deeper than the mortal mind can imagine. There’s no distinct mythos framing this viewpoint, but the further you get into the collection, the more pronounced it becomes. The final story, “Rub-A-Dub-Dub”, best encapsulates this, its central plot device being a hierarchical nesting doll of death upon death, end upon end.
Considering this is the note the collection goes out on, it’s fair to say that these stories are far away from the bright and shiny side of our beloved genre. Instead of rooting for characters who are treading the line between life and death, it’s just as likely you’ll be rooting for the damned line to snap so these poor souls won’t have to struggle any longer. You know things aren’t going to end well anyway. The real draw here is the morbid genius between the lines, and the antiquated prose style that lulls you into the darkest of mires. Forever, in Pieces strips away all the excess of standard horror fare and delivers something that will both give you nightmares and make you feel like you’re living in one. It’s emotionally draining stuff, to be sure, but it’s very much worth reading.
review originally posted at hellnotes.com
The stories showcased in FiP aren’t particularly gory (though gore has its time to shine), nor are they deeply character-driven (though the characters are relatable enough in an everyman sort of way). In an unusual take on the zombie genre, “The Waves from Afar”, the dead simply stand motionless on the beach, staring at the tides. No explanation is given, and it’s absolutely chilling in its subtlety. Another story turns ritual on its head and sees Santa Claus as judge, jury, and executioner, and it’s not at all flippant. This is the case with most of the stories. Even the most frivolous-seeming subjects are approached with a disturbing angle and a straight-faced respect. To compound this, these stories seethe with a fatalistic bleakness that might just eat away at you if you read them back to back in a lengthy stretch. As Fawver says himself in the introduction, it’s all “… banality and ineffectuality in conflict with chaos and deepest darkness.”
The brand of horror that Fawver brings to the table might be described as cosmic, but it reaches that ineffable peak by scaling things way down to the microcosmic level. The dire situations befalling ordinary people in nondescript places, seemingly by chance, are ubiquitous to the point where it seems that all roads naturally lead to nothing. All that’s out of our control seems rooted in something far deeper than the mortal mind can imagine. There’s no distinct mythos framing this viewpoint, but the further you get into the collection, the more pronounced it becomes. The final story, “Rub-A-Dub-Dub”, best encapsulates this, its central plot device being a hierarchical nesting doll of death upon death, end upon end.
Considering this is the note the collection goes out on, it’s fair to say that these stories are far away from the bright and shiny side of our beloved genre. Instead of rooting for characters who are treading the line between life and death, it’s just as likely you’ll be rooting for the damned line to snap so these poor souls won’t have to struggle any longer. You know things aren’t going to end well anyway. The real draw here is the morbid genius between the lines, and the antiquated prose style that lulls you into the darkest of mires. Forever, in Pieces strips away all the excess of standard horror fare and delivers something that will both give you nightmares and make you feel like you’re living in one. It’s emotionally draining stuff, to be sure, but it’s very much worth reading.
review originally posted at hellnotes.com
July 18, 2019
4.5 stars. I had never read anything by this author but I was greatly impressed by the scope of his creativity, poignancy, and wordcraft. This collection is frightening, grotesque, brutal, and bittersweet... many times within the same story.
And as an added plus, this book holds some actual short horror stories. I'm talking a few pages at most, which just keeps the momentum going, making this book a quick read.
Highly recommended.
And as an added plus, this book holds some actual short horror stories. I'm talking a few pages at most, which just keeps the momentum going, making this book a quick read.
Highly recommended.
December 9, 2013
This review was originally posted at Fanboy Comics on November 27, 2013.
Forever, In Pieces by Kurt Fawver is a bittersweet collection of eighteen short stories that probe and investigate the nature of human existence. The collection from Villipede Publications is billed as speculative horror, but, for me, the majority of the tales felt less horrific or creepy than philosophical examinations on aspects of being. I realize this sounds like an intro to philosophy survey course description, but Fawver’s introduction to the book indicates that he also anticipates readers finishing his work thinking about complex ideas and their own mortality rather than being shocked or horrified by the monsters within it. Each story stands on its own, but they flowed easily, one into the next, as I read. Like the concept of eternity, the eighteen tales form a circle, and I actually felt a little cheated when the book ended without looping back to the beginning to start the cycle again.
Forever, In Pieces is set up as being the memories of a man cursed to remember the future rather than his past. To relieve the weight of these thoughts, the man writes them down, perhaps as messages to future generations, since he will not remember them when they have become his past. My impression was that the narrator was immortal, but it could simply be my interpretation of a surreal and somewhat disturbing circumstance. With eighteen stories in the book, it would be impossible to review each individually, but I have chosen my three favorites to explore in more detail. The other tales may speak more to other readers than my selected three, but these three appealed to me on a personal level.
My first pick from the collection is also the first story, “The Waves from Afar,” a unique interpretation of zombies and a type of alien invasion. The narrator has lost his wife, Cara, and two sons, Nick and Sammy, to an illness contained in the mysterious, colored waves along the Florida coastline. The disease is spread by short contact with the water and kills within a few days. The rotting deceased, however, reanimate and shuffle insistently back to the water and flashy light shows, turning violent if anyone tries to remove them from the waves. The story’s speaker can only watch hopelessly as his family stands in the surf and wish that their bodies would finally break down and sweep out to sea; then, he can let go and leave the coast behind. There was something both sad and soothing about this tale of a family vacation gone horribly wrong, and I felt a sense of stillness come over me as I read. Ultimately, the story created a sense of watching over a dying loved one in the final hours, knowing that there is no hope and yearning for the person’s release from pain.
The title story, “Forever, In Pieces,” is my second choice from the excellent selection of eerie yarns. Six-year-old Ben is socially awkward and not fully accepted by his classmates, but he still forces himself to give popular Monica a Valentine revealing how he feels about her. Her harsh, semi-public rejection forces Ben deeper inside himself, but a special Valentine from mysterious “Forever” provides him with a reason to go on. Each subsequent year Ben receives more Valentine’s gifts from Forever until he finally never has to be alone again. The main character of “Forever, In Pieces” is easily one of the most disturbing children I have run across in fiction, and he grows up into a rather disturbing, shut in young man. At the same time Ben’s journey riveted me, because I longed to see whether or not he would finally get his Forever. Part of me hoped that he would, and that it would heal the broken parts inside of him. The ending was both creepy and kind of heartwarming; it wasn’t what I had anticipated, but it fit the rest of the narrative. Besides, Ben has found a place to belong, even if it’s a little bizarre.
My final selection is “A Nuzzle, Inverted,” solely because it shows how meaningful the bond between humans and animals can be. Brian cannot cope with his anxiety about the outside world, so he has chosen to lock himself inside; however, one rainy day scratching at the door reveals a scared, small black dog searching for a safe place. Touched by the little creature’s plight, Brian lets the dog, who he dubs Doug, into his home even when Doug’s true form turns out to be far more monstrous than it appears. To me this story was a commentary about how so many people judge based on the exterior of something. Brian’s acceptance of Doug, even when the animal’s physical appearance is less beautiful, warmed my heart. Even when he must change himself to keep his beloved pet, Brian is willing to comply, especially since he has always suspected his mental health issues make him look horrifying anyway.
Luke Spooner of Carrion House provider illustrations for several of the stories in the collection, and his intense pieces and detailed line work add the overall feel of melancholy. My only small complaint is that the pictures were placed before the beginning of the story they illustrated, which made me slightly confused; however, going back after reading each piece allowed me to more fully appreciate the significance of picture.
Overall, Forever, In Pieces is a wonderful collection of stories that will appeal to anyone who doesn’t mind having their beliefs about life, death, eternity, and humanity challenged. It definitely made me think even as I felt entertained by the creative ideas, and I look forward to more of Fawver’s work.
4.5 Inverted Pet Animals out of 5
This novel is currently available at Amazon.
Forever, In Pieces by Kurt Fawver is a bittersweet collection of eighteen short stories that probe and investigate the nature of human existence. The collection from Villipede Publications is billed as speculative horror, but, for me, the majority of the tales felt less horrific or creepy than philosophical examinations on aspects of being. I realize this sounds like an intro to philosophy survey course description, but Fawver’s introduction to the book indicates that he also anticipates readers finishing his work thinking about complex ideas and their own mortality rather than being shocked or horrified by the monsters within it. Each story stands on its own, but they flowed easily, one into the next, as I read. Like the concept of eternity, the eighteen tales form a circle, and I actually felt a little cheated when the book ended without looping back to the beginning to start the cycle again.
Forever, In Pieces is set up as being the memories of a man cursed to remember the future rather than his past. To relieve the weight of these thoughts, the man writes them down, perhaps as messages to future generations, since he will not remember them when they have become his past. My impression was that the narrator was immortal, but it could simply be my interpretation of a surreal and somewhat disturbing circumstance. With eighteen stories in the book, it would be impossible to review each individually, but I have chosen my three favorites to explore in more detail. The other tales may speak more to other readers than my selected three, but these three appealed to me on a personal level.
My first pick from the collection is also the first story, “The Waves from Afar,” a unique interpretation of zombies and a type of alien invasion. The narrator has lost his wife, Cara, and two sons, Nick and Sammy, to an illness contained in the mysterious, colored waves along the Florida coastline. The disease is spread by short contact with the water and kills within a few days. The rotting deceased, however, reanimate and shuffle insistently back to the water and flashy light shows, turning violent if anyone tries to remove them from the waves. The story’s speaker can only watch hopelessly as his family stands in the surf and wish that their bodies would finally break down and sweep out to sea; then, he can let go and leave the coast behind. There was something both sad and soothing about this tale of a family vacation gone horribly wrong, and I felt a sense of stillness come over me as I read. Ultimately, the story created a sense of watching over a dying loved one in the final hours, knowing that there is no hope and yearning for the person’s release from pain.
The title story, “Forever, In Pieces,” is my second choice from the excellent selection of eerie yarns. Six-year-old Ben is socially awkward and not fully accepted by his classmates, but he still forces himself to give popular Monica a Valentine revealing how he feels about her. Her harsh, semi-public rejection forces Ben deeper inside himself, but a special Valentine from mysterious “Forever” provides him with a reason to go on. Each subsequent year Ben receives more Valentine’s gifts from Forever until he finally never has to be alone again. The main character of “Forever, In Pieces” is easily one of the most disturbing children I have run across in fiction, and he grows up into a rather disturbing, shut in young man. At the same time Ben’s journey riveted me, because I longed to see whether or not he would finally get his Forever. Part of me hoped that he would, and that it would heal the broken parts inside of him. The ending was both creepy and kind of heartwarming; it wasn’t what I had anticipated, but it fit the rest of the narrative. Besides, Ben has found a place to belong, even if it’s a little bizarre.
My final selection is “A Nuzzle, Inverted,” solely because it shows how meaningful the bond between humans and animals can be. Brian cannot cope with his anxiety about the outside world, so he has chosen to lock himself inside; however, one rainy day scratching at the door reveals a scared, small black dog searching for a safe place. Touched by the little creature’s plight, Brian lets the dog, who he dubs Doug, into his home even when Doug’s true form turns out to be far more monstrous than it appears. To me this story was a commentary about how so many people judge based on the exterior of something. Brian’s acceptance of Doug, even when the animal’s physical appearance is less beautiful, warmed my heart. Even when he must change himself to keep his beloved pet, Brian is willing to comply, especially since he has always suspected his mental health issues make him look horrifying anyway.
Luke Spooner of Carrion House provider illustrations for several of the stories in the collection, and his intense pieces and detailed line work add the overall feel of melancholy. My only small complaint is that the pictures were placed before the beginning of the story they illustrated, which made me slightly confused; however, going back after reading each piece allowed me to more fully appreciate the significance of picture.
Overall, Forever, In Pieces is a wonderful collection of stories that will appeal to anyone who doesn’t mind having their beliefs about life, death, eternity, and humanity challenged. It definitely made me think even as I felt entertained by the creative ideas, and I look forward to more of Fawver’s work.
4.5 Inverted Pet Animals out of 5
This novel is currently available at Amazon.
December 19, 2014
Kurt Fawver’s “Forever, in Pieces” is a searing and unapologetic exploration of futility. His very purpose in the tragically beautiful arrangement of his words is to prove that “On every level, we are not meant to overcome; we are meant to fall apart”--and his thoughtful, captivating stories illustrate this truth in an impeccably somber literary performance.
Fawver’s stark, intelligent prose depicts life, death, and everything in between as a harrowing and cataclysmic unveiling of our true nature: “And yet we struggle against the inevitable collapse of all things.” The weight of this burden is duly carried by each of Fawver’s characters.
In “The Waves from Afar”, reminiscent of King’s “Beachworld”, a father bears witnesses to a coastal nightmare which claims his family and muses, “It’s an odd sort of atmosphere, this mixture of revelry and apocalypse.”
“With a Ribbon on Top” is a shocking yet credible take on an old conviction with masterful imagery and sinister implications. Even Fawver’s antagonists are bound to their destinies, not unlike his victims: “The beacon stands waiting before him, all sigils and signs. It screams with the lungs of the primeval cosmos...This meaningless cacophony is the most profound sound in all existence. It is hope and it is despair; it is death and it is birth. It is all things in beautiful concordant opposition. It is beyond reason. He barely even notices anymore.”
Luke Spooner’s illustrations are a brilliant match for Fawver’s talent; dark, evocative, and hauntingly corporeal portraits make the work even more unforgettable--postcards from a world now undeniable, the option to return to sender as futile as the lives designed within these pages.
In “The Binary Must Prevail”, inanimate objects wage war against humans:
“More months drifted into the aether of always, and humankind continued to rest comfortably upon its puffy recliners and self-satisfaction. You would have called the state of the world ‘normal.’ Until the Night of Endless Sleep, that is. The name was a euphemism, a thick layer of sugary allusion that coated the bitter bloodbath beneath.”
One man’s blessing in the apocalyptic loop of “May Old Acquaintance Be Forgot” is also a burden: “Thirteen more seconds until the second end of the world. The night was a perfect epilogue... It was all so meaningless. It was all so beautiful.”
Fawver’s imagery is exquisitely gruesome. A paradoxical beauty, however desolate, radiates from the bleak world he creates--as though he expects his readers to follow suit and do as his characters do...to “let out a sound that echoed between the pillars of horror and awe.”
The theme of anguish weaves seamlessly through his stories like a wire barbed with razor sharp consciousness. It is consistent, compelling, and unmistakable: “Dan tried to comfort her, tried to stroke her hair and knead her shoulders, but it was a fruitless effort, like mining for sunshine.”
Fawver takes all things to new levels, sometimes subtly, like ghostless homeowners in “For the Unhaunted”, or a woman unable to meet her ailing husband’s needs in “One Unheard Message”; other times with a direct, unflinching blow to the very tenets of our existence, such as his take on an old aphorism in “Take All Your Troubles” and the onus of knowledge in “Critical Theory”.
Even in “Bolt”, the sad tale of an unrealized baseball career, Fawver heightens the effect of extinguished hope: “He turned to the window and stared out into a dark void of undifferentiated, unlit, uncaring sky, land, and sea; it was everything that the searingly angelic brightness of a stadium in its full electrified finery was not.”
“Birth Day”, perhaps the most unsettling tale in the collection, is nail-biting, faith-crushing, train ride to hell. The author’s description of a hospital is suddenly applicable to every other structure we occupy, too: “The whole place is a temple to our fragility and our inevitable degeneration. Death is in the mortar.”
“Forever, in Pieces” and “A Nuzzle, Inverted” best reveal some of Fawver’s many potent allusions to rejection: "Somewhere nearby a vacant swing creaked on rusty chains, singing the serrated melody of isolation" and the colossal heft of cruelty: “But the people didn’t like what they saw...they turned away in disgust, probably fear. Some undoubtedly ran...until he shifted back, into a form that they could understand, a form in which they could easily find their preconceptions and beliefs, a form that, in some haphazard way, mirrored their own...life must have been hell.”
Even in flash fiction, Fawver’s masterful grip on language and the power of perceptive storytelling does not loosen. “Lessons” is a terrifying take on parenting and the imagery in “Crowning” will haunt you...perhaps indefinitely.
To use the author’s own words, his ideas are like “Ghosts in the uterine lining” of our literary sensibilities. This debut is powerful, moving, and has left this reader “Forever, in Pieces”.
Fawver’s stark, intelligent prose depicts life, death, and everything in between as a harrowing and cataclysmic unveiling of our true nature: “And yet we struggle against the inevitable collapse of all things.” The weight of this burden is duly carried by each of Fawver’s characters.
In “The Waves from Afar”, reminiscent of King’s “Beachworld”, a father bears witnesses to a coastal nightmare which claims his family and muses, “It’s an odd sort of atmosphere, this mixture of revelry and apocalypse.”
“With a Ribbon on Top” is a shocking yet credible take on an old conviction with masterful imagery and sinister implications. Even Fawver’s antagonists are bound to their destinies, not unlike his victims: “The beacon stands waiting before him, all sigils and signs. It screams with the lungs of the primeval cosmos...This meaningless cacophony is the most profound sound in all existence. It is hope and it is despair; it is death and it is birth. It is all things in beautiful concordant opposition. It is beyond reason. He barely even notices anymore.”
Luke Spooner’s illustrations are a brilliant match for Fawver’s talent; dark, evocative, and hauntingly corporeal portraits make the work even more unforgettable--postcards from a world now undeniable, the option to return to sender as futile as the lives designed within these pages.
In “The Binary Must Prevail”, inanimate objects wage war against humans:
“More months drifted into the aether of always, and humankind continued to rest comfortably upon its puffy recliners and self-satisfaction. You would have called the state of the world ‘normal.’ Until the Night of Endless Sleep, that is. The name was a euphemism, a thick layer of sugary allusion that coated the bitter bloodbath beneath.”
One man’s blessing in the apocalyptic loop of “May Old Acquaintance Be Forgot” is also a burden: “Thirteen more seconds until the second end of the world. The night was a perfect epilogue... It was all so meaningless. It was all so beautiful.”
Fawver’s imagery is exquisitely gruesome. A paradoxical beauty, however desolate, radiates from the bleak world he creates--as though he expects his readers to follow suit and do as his characters do...to “let out a sound that echoed between the pillars of horror and awe.”
The theme of anguish weaves seamlessly through his stories like a wire barbed with razor sharp consciousness. It is consistent, compelling, and unmistakable: “Dan tried to comfort her, tried to stroke her hair and knead her shoulders, but it was a fruitless effort, like mining for sunshine.”
Fawver takes all things to new levels, sometimes subtly, like ghostless homeowners in “For the Unhaunted”, or a woman unable to meet her ailing husband’s needs in “One Unheard Message”; other times with a direct, unflinching blow to the very tenets of our existence, such as his take on an old aphorism in “Take All Your Troubles” and the onus of knowledge in “Critical Theory”.
Even in “Bolt”, the sad tale of an unrealized baseball career, Fawver heightens the effect of extinguished hope: “He turned to the window and stared out into a dark void of undifferentiated, unlit, uncaring sky, land, and sea; it was everything that the searingly angelic brightness of a stadium in its full electrified finery was not.”
“Birth Day”, perhaps the most unsettling tale in the collection, is nail-biting, faith-crushing, train ride to hell. The author’s description of a hospital is suddenly applicable to every other structure we occupy, too: “The whole place is a temple to our fragility and our inevitable degeneration. Death is in the mortar.”
“Forever, in Pieces” and “A Nuzzle, Inverted” best reveal some of Fawver’s many potent allusions to rejection: "Somewhere nearby a vacant swing creaked on rusty chains, singing the serrated melody of isolation" and the colossal heft of cruelty: “But the people didn’t like what they saw...they turned away in disgust, probably fear. Some undoubtedly ran...until he shifted back, into a form that they could understand, a form in which they could easily find their preconceptions and beliefs, a form that, in some haphazard way, mirrored their own...life must have been hell.”
Even in flash fiction, Fawver’s masterful grip on language and the power of perceptive storytelling does not loosen. “Lessons” is a terrifying take on parenting and the imagery in “Crowning” will haunt you...perhaps indefinitely.
To use the author’s own words, his ideas are like “Ghosts in the uterine lining” of our literary sensibilities. This debut is powerful, moving, and has left this reader “Forever, in Pieces”.
January 23, 2017
Reading this book was a bittersweet experience. The author himself wrote a short introduction in which he states that his "intent is not to shock or cause bouts of nausea", which is all fine. However, I did feel physically ill at a certain point while reading this book due to the overwhelming bleak, depressing mood that most, if not all of these stories convey. Now, I do not mean it as a bad thing, and that’s why I called it a bittersweet experience; these stories depict the exercise in futility that the character’s lives (our lives?) are, fighting against all odds to avoid an inevitable dreary end, but this news is delivered in skillful prose and compelling storytelling, which comprises the sweet part of the experience. Highlights include The Waves from Afar; Four Is Enough; Forever, in Pieces and Rub-a-dub-dub.
November 27, 2021
After loving Fawver's collection The Dissolution of Small Worlds, I was excited to pick up his debut collection Forever, In Pieces. I'm so glad I did!
This collection doesn't quite hit as good as Dissolution did, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. The stories here are far shorter, more flash fiction, and feel a bit less developed. I definitely prefer the mid- to long-length stories.
Notable stories, in order of appearance:
- The Waves from Afar: sad, creepy, and beach-y
- The Binary Must Prevail: when furniture revolts! Probably my favorite in the entire collection
- Four is Enough: do ever feel like you lose a piece of yourself in order to pay off debt?
- Bolt: a different perspective on the end of the world
- Forever, In Pieces: enthralling story with one of my least favorite endings
- Rub-A-Dub-Dub: in a new world order, how do people from different walks of life survive?
This collection doesn't quite hit as good as Dissolution did, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. The stories here are far shorter, more flash fiction, and feel a bit less developed. I definitely prefer the mid- to long-length stories.
Notable stories, in order of appearance:
- The Waves from Afar: sad, creepy, and beach-y
- The Binary Must Prevail: when furniture revolts! Probably my favorite in the entire collection
- Four is Enough: do ever feel like you lose a piece of yourself in order to pay off debt?
- Bolt: a different perspective on the end of the world
- Forever, In Pieces: enthralling story with one of my least favorite endings
- Rub-A-Dub-Dub: in a new world order, how do people from different walks of life survive?
December 9, 2013
Kindle Edition (edit)
review This review was originally posted at Fanboy Comics on November 27, 2013.
Forever, In Pieces by Kurt Fawver is a bittersweet collection of eighteen short stories that probe and investigate the nature of human existence. The collection from Villipede Publications is billed as speculative horror, but, for me, the majority of the tales felt less horrific or creepy than philosophical examinations on aspects of being. I realize this sounds like an intro to philosophy survey course description, but Fawver’s introduction to the book indicates that he also anticipates readers finishing his work thinking about complex ideas and their own mortality rather than being shocked or horrified by the monsters within it. Each story stands on its own, but they flowed easily, one into the next, as I read. Like the concept of eternity, the eighteen tales form a circle, and I actually felt a little cheated when the book ended without looping back to the beginning to start the cycle again.
Forever, In Pieces is set up as being the memories of a man cursed to remember the future rather than his past. To relieve the weight of these thoughts, the man writes them down, perhaps as messages to future generations, since he will not remember them when they have become his past. My impression was that the narrator was immortal, but it could simply be my interpretation of a surreal and somewhat disturbing circumstance. With eighteen stories in the book, it would be impossible to review each individually, but I have chosen my three favorites to explore in more detail. The other tales may speak more to other readers than my selected three, but these three appealed to me on a personal level.
My first pick from the collection is also the first story, “The Waves from Afar,” a unique interpretation of zombies and a type of alien invasion. The narrator has lost his wife, Cara, and two sons, Nick and Sammy, to an illness contained in the mysterious, colored waves along the Florida coastline. The disease is spread by short contact with the water and kills within a few days. The rotting deceased, however, reanimate and shuffle insistently back to the water and flashy light shows, turning violent if anyone tries to remove them from the waves. The story’s speaker can only watch hopelessly as his family stands in the surf and wish that their bodies would finally break down and sweep out to sea; then, he can let go and leave the coast behind. There was something both sad and soothing about this tale of a family vacation gone horribly wrong, and I felt a sense of stillness come over me as I read. Ultimately, the story created a sense of watching over a dying loved one in the final hours, knowing that there is no hope and yearning for the person’s release from pain.
The title story, “Forever, In Pieces,” is my second choice from the excellent selection of eerie yarns. Six-year-old Ben is socially awkward and not fully accepted by his classmates, but he still forces himself to give popular Monica a Valentine revealing how he feels about her. Her harsh, semi-public rejection forces Ben deeper inside himself, but a special Valentine from mysterious “Forever” provides him with a reason to go on. Each subsequent year Ben receives more Valentine’s gifts from Forever until he finally never has to be alone again. The main character of “Forever, In Pieces” is easily one of the most disturbing children I have run across in fiction, and he grows up into a rather disturbing, shut in young man. At the same time Ben’s journey riveted me, because I longed to see whether or not he would finally get his Forever. Part of me hoped that he would, and that it would heal the broken parts inside of him. The ending was both creepy and kind of heartwarming; it wasn’t what I had anticipated, but it fit the rest of the narrative. Besides, Ben has found a place to belong, even if it’s a little bizarre.
My final selection is “A Nuzzle, Inverted,” solely because it shows how meaningful the bond between humans and animals can be. Brian cannot cope with his anxiety about the outside world, so he has chosen to lock himself inside; however, one rainy day scratching at the door reveals a scared, small black dog searching for a safe place. Touched by the little creature’s plight, Brian lets the dog, who he dubs Doug, into his home even when Doug’s true form turns out to be far more monstrous than it appears. To me this story was a commentary about how so many people judge based on the exterior of something. Brian’s acceptance of Doug, even when the animal’s physical appearance is less beautiful, warmed my heart. Even when he must change himself to keep his beloved pet, Brian is willing to comply, especially since he has always suspected his mental health issues make him look horrifying anyway.
Luke Spooner of Carrion House provider illustrations for several of the stories in the collection, and his intense pieces and detailed line work add the overall feel of melancholy. My only small complaint is that the pictures were placed before the beginning of the story they illustrated, which made me slightly confused; however, going back after reading each piece allowed me to more fully appreciate the significance of picture.
Overall, Forever, In Pieces is a wonderful collection of stories that will appeal to anyone who doesn’t mind having their beliefs about life, death, eternity, and humanity challenged. It definitely made me think even as I felt entertained by the creative ideas, and I look forward to more of Fawver’s work.
4.5 Inverted Pet Animals out of 5
This novel is currently available at Amazon .
review This review was originally posted at Fanboy Comics on November 27, 2013.
Forever, In Pieces by Kurt Fawver is a bittersweet collection of eighteen short stories that probe and investigate the nature of human existence. The collection from Villipede Publications is billed as speculative horror, but, for me, the majority of the tales felt less horrific or creepy than philosophical examinations on aspects of being. I realize this sounds like an intro to philosophy survey course description, but Fawver’s introduction to the book indicates that he also anticipates readers finishing his work thinking about complex ideas and their own mortality rather than being shocked or horrified by the monsters within it. Each story stands on its own, but they flowed easily, one into the next, as I read. Like the concept of eternity, the eighteen tales form a circle, and I actually felt a little cheated when the book ended without looping back to the beginning to start the cycle again.
Forever, In Pieces is set up as being the memories of a man cursed to remember the future rather than his past. To relieve the weight of these thoughts, the man writes them down, perhaps as messages to future generations, since he will not remember them when they have become his past. My impression was that the narrator was immortal, but it could simply be my interpretation of a surreal and somewhat disturbing circumstance. With eighteen stories in the book, it would be impossible to review each individually, but I have chosen my three favorites to explore in more detail. The other tales may speak more to other readers than my selected three, but these three appealed to me on a personal level.
My first pick from the collection is also the first story, “The Waves from Afar,” a unique interpretation of zombies and a type of alien invasion. The narrator has lost his wife, Cara, and two sons, Nick and Sammy, to an illness contained in the mysterious, colored waves along the Florida coastline. The disease is spread by short contact with the water and kills within a few days. The rotting deceased, however, reanimate and shuffle insistently back to the water and flashy light shows, turning violent if anyone tries to remove them from the waves. The story’s speaker can only watch hopelessly as his family stands in the surf and wish that their bodies would finally break down and sweep out to sea; then, he can let go and leave the coast behind. There was something both sad and soothing about this tale of a family vacation gone horribly wrong, and I felt a sense of stillness come over me as I read. Ultimately, the story created a sense of watching over a dying loved one in the final hours, knowing that there is no hope and yearning for the person’s release from pain.
The title story, “Forever, In Pieces,” is my second choice from the excellent selection of eerie yarns. Six-year-old Ben is socially awkward and not fully accepted by his classmates, but he still forces himself to give popular Monica a Valentine revealing how he feels about her. Her harsh, semi-public rejection forces Ben deeper inside himself, but a special Valentine from mysterious “Forever” provides him with a reason to go on. Each subsequent year Ben receives more Valentine’s gifts from Forever until he finally never has to be alone again. The main character of “Forever, In Pieces” is easily one of the most disturbing children I have run across in fiction, and he grows up into a rather disturbing, shut in young man. At the same time Ben’s journey riveted me, because I longed to see whether or not he would finally get his Forever. Part of me hoped that he would, and that it would heal the broken parts inside of him. The ending was both creepy and kind of heartwarming; it wasn’t what I had anticipated, but it fit the rest of the narrative. Besides, Ben has found a place to belong, even if it’s a little bizarre.
My final selection is “A Nuzzle, Inverted,” solely because it shows how meaningful the bond between humans and animals can be. Brian cannot cope with his anxiety about the outside world, so he has chosen to lock himself inside; however, one rainy day scratching at the door reveals a scared, small black dog searching for a safe place. Touched by the little creature’s plight, Brian lets the dog, who he dubs Doug, into his home even when Doug’s true form turns out to be far more monstrous than it appears. To me this story was a commentary about how so many people judge based on the exterior of something. Brian’s acceptance of Doug, even when the animal’s physical appearance is less beautiful, warmed my heart. Even when he must change himself to keep his beloved pet, Brian is willing to comply, especially since he has always suspected his mental health issues make him look horrifying anyway.
Luke Spooner of Carrion House provider illustrations for several of the stories in the collection, and his intense pieces and detailed line work add the overall feel of melancholy. My only small complaint is that the pictures were placed before the beginning of the story they illustrated, which made me slightly confused; however, going back after reading each piece allowed me to more fully appreciate the significance of picture.
Overall, Forever, In Pieces is a wonderful collection of stories that will appeal to anyone who doesn’t mind having their beliefs about life, death, eternity, and humanity challenged. It definitely made me think even as I felt entertained by the creative ideas, and I look forward to more of Fawver’s work.
4.5 Inverted Pet Animals out of 5
This novel is currently available at Amazon .
August 29, 2014
http://www.thehorrorhoneys.com
Twitter: @jbrivard
Look, guys, I know I throw the "Twilight Zone" compliment around a lot - but I want you to know that when I use it, it's because I grew up on all of those old TZ eps along with Tales from the Crypt, Alfred Hitchcok Presents and the like. So please be patient if you see that as my ultimate compliment in review after review.......OK, with that out of the way, I have to say, you know what would make a great Twilight Zone episode? Several of the stories in Kurt Fawver's debut collection of short fiction - "Forever, In Pieces". Things got off to a bit of a slow start for me with the first story "Prologue to a Phantasmagorical Tragedy" (a man who remembers the future but not the past), but I liked it enough to keep reading, and I'm so glad I did. The second story, "The Waves From Afar" grabbed me like an undertow and will be staying with me - it reminded me a bit of the found-footage movie "The Bay", with people playing and frolicking in water without a care, to their everlasting detriment. Narrated by a family man on a supposed-to-be-relaxing beach vacation gone wrong, this one had a new twist, with some vague zombie undertones (always appreciated!).
Next up was "For the Unhaunted" a story about a block where every house is haunted, save one. The young couple that lives in the house, Kat and Ryan Dixon, have tried nearly every avenue to conjure up their own unholy spirit, including chanting ancient incantations and beating a homeless man to death in their house, to no avail. When Kat discovers she is pregnant, they come up with a new and horrible idea that they're sure will bring them a ghost. This story made me shudder - and I have a feeling it will stay with me for a long time.
"With a Ribbon On Top" introduces a corpulent intruder with a list of faults and foibles for every occupant of every house - I won't spoil this one for you, but suffice it to say that reading it with my Christmas tree lights blinking maniacally nearby made it extra entertaining. "The Binary Must Prevail: A Brief History" posits a world where chairs become sentient and begin to speak to their owners, culminating in a "Great War of Things" - things get pretty absurd in an almost David Sedaris tone - I really loved this one.
A bit later in the collection, "May Old Acquaintance Be Forgot" uses the suspense of the last ten seconds of a year admirably, as the world waits for the ball to drop and one man waits for the world to end. Some terrific visuals in this one. "Birth Day" was the most Twilight Zone-y tale, as a young father struggles with unease in the face of a very strange hospital experience on his new daughter's day of birth. Actually, in re-reading this one, maybe more something that, if done as a TV episode, would end with the Cryptkeeper's cackling laugh instead......that's a compliment.
In "Four is Enough" a young supplicant waits to sell his pinky finger, reasoning that four fingers is all he needs. In this twisted world where physical ingestion of someone else's body parts grants you the knowledge that person already had, there are only Supps and Vores, and you definitely would rather be the latter instead of the former. This one had a very Stephen King vibe but an original idea - winning combo for any horror writer I would imagine.
"Take All Your Troubles" is the story of a young girl who realizes she can absorb the pain and death of others and help free them, but learns in the end that can't tip the scales of the world indefinitely. "Bolt" was probably my favorite of these stories - focusing on an up-and-coming baseball player, Derrick McCoy, who gets his call up to the major leagues at the same time as a zombie apocalypse is kicking in - now poor Derrick has escaped to the place he loves best, where he throws signed baseballs into empty stands every night and wears a variety of player jerseys as he waits for the world to return to normal so he can realize his MLB dreams. In "Lessons" a father attempts to mold his son into his own terrifying image. In the title story "Forever, In Pieces", geeky young Ben receives a mysterious package every year on Valentine's Day, each with a different body part in it, all seemingly coming from the same woman, imploring him to wait for her so that they can be together for all eternity. Another lonely young man, Brian, is the focus of "A Nuzzle, Inverted", in which he meets a highly unusual dog who seems perfect for him.
Hardcover Honey verdict: This collection really worked for me! Four little bookworms out of five to this short-story collection.
Twitter: @jbrivard
Look, guys, I know I throw the "Twilight Zone" compliment around a lot - but I want you to know that when I use it, it's because I grew up on all of those old TZ eps along with Tales from the Crypt, Alfred Hitchcok Presents and the like. So please be patient if you see that as my ultimate compliment in review after review.......OK, with that out of the way, I have to say, you know what would make a great Twilight Zone episode? Several of the stories in Kurt Fawver's debut collection of short fiction - "Forever, In Pieces". Things got off to a bit of a slow start for me with the first story "Prologue to a Phantasmagorical Tragedy" (a man who remembers the future but not the past), but I liked it enough to keep reading, and I'm so glad I did. The second story, "The Waves From Afar" grabbed me like an undertow and will be staying with me - it reminded me a bit of the found-footage movie "The Bay", with people playing and frolicking in water without a care, to their everlasting detriment. Narrated by a family man on a supposed-to-be-relaxing beach vacation gone wrong, this one had a new twist, with some vague zombie undertones (always appreciated!).
Next up was "For the Unhaunted" a story about a block where every house is haunted, save one. The young couple that lives in the house, Kat and Ryan Dixon, have tried nearly every avenue to conjure up their own unholy spirit, including chanting ancient incantations and beating a homeless man to death in their house, to no avail. When Kat discovers she is pregnant, they come up with a new and horrible idea that they're sure will bring them a ghost. This story made me shudder - and I have a feeling it will stay with me for a long time.
"With a Ribbon On Top" introduces a corpulent intruder with a list of faults and foibles for every occupant of every house - I won't spoil this one for you, but suffice it to say that reading it with my Christmas tree lights blinking maniacally nearby made it extra entertaining. "The Binary Must Prevail: A Brief History" posits a world where chairs become sentient and begin to speak to their owners, culminating in a "Great War of Things" - things get pretty absurd in an almost David Sedaris tone - I really loved this one.
A bit later in the collection, "May Old Acquaintance Be Forgot" uses the suspense of the last ten seconds of a year admirably, as the world waits for the ball to drop and one man waits for the world to end. Some terrific visuals in this one. "Birth Day" was the most Twilight Zone-y tale, as a young father struggles with unease in the face of a very strange hospital experience on his new daughter's day of birth. Actually, in re-reading this one, maybe more something that, if done as a TV episode, would end with the Cryptkeeper's cackling laugh instead......that's a compliment.
In "Four is Enough" a young supplicant waits to sell his pinky finger, reasoning that four fingers is all he needs. In this twisted world where physical ingestion of someone else's body parts grants you the knowledge that person already had, there are only Supps and Vores, and you definitely would rather be the latter instead of the former. This one had a very Stephen King vibe but an original idea - winning combo for any horror writer I would imagine.
"Take All Your Troubles" is the story of a young girl who realizes she can absorb the pain and death of others and help free them, but learns in the end that can't tip the scales of the world indefinitely. "Bolt" was probably my favorite of these stories - focusing on an up-and-coming baseball player, Derrick McCoy, who gets his call up to the major leagues at the same time as a zombie apocalypse is kicking in - now poor Derrick has escaped to the place he loves best, where he throws signed baseballs into empty stands every night and wears a variety of player jerseys as he waits for the world to return to normal so he can realize his MLB dreams. In "Lessons" a father attempts to mold his son into his own terrifying image. In the title story "Forever, In Pieces", geeky young Ben receives a mysterious package every year on Valentine's Day, each with a different body part in it, all seemingly coming from the same woman, imploring him to wait for her so that they can be together for all eternity. Another lonely young man, Brian, is the focus of "A Nuzzle, Inverted", in which he meets a highly unusual dog who seems perfect for him.
Hardcover Honey verdict: This collection really worked for me! Four little bookworms out of five to this short-story collection.
August 20, 2022
I've definitely grown to love Fawver as a master of "Weird Fiction". This collection (I believe his first) had more horror elements than his other works, but still had his signature brand of abstract.
Some of the shortest works in this collection managed to be super creepy, yet still profound. "Prologue to a Phantasmagorical Tragedy", "For the Unhaunted", "Brief Repose Moments before a Gruesome and Certain Death", "One Unheard Message", "Lessons", and "Crowning" were all brief, yet jaw-dropping, each in their own unique way (mind-boggling, tragic, brutal, touching, a little funny, and horrifically graphic, respectively).
"The Waves from Afar" had such creepy imagery, yet told a really moving story. "With a Ribbon on Top" was a very unique take on a concept that's been done before (spooky Christmas). Fawver really made this his own and the execution was spectacular. "A Nuzzle, Inverted" was delivered in such an eerie way, but told a pretty touching story. "Four is Enough" wove a pretty tragic scenario of poverty and desperation. "The Binary Must Prevail" was probably the only story that I thought was maybe a little silly, but even that one earned its place in this collection.
The two longer-ish works really stood out to me. "Rub-A-Dub-Dub" describes three very different men in a tub on their way to oblivion. Each has their own motives and their own plan once they reach their destination. I got some eerie H.P. Lovecraft vibes throughout this one ("Dagon", "The Call of Cthulu", and Yog-Sothoth come to mind), but once again, Fawver really made this his own and kept me on my toes.
The titular work, "Forever, In Pieces" was a really powerful slow burn. I felt for Ben, the lonely kid who didn't get a Valentine... until he got a really special one... annually from a very mysterious source. To avoid spoilers, I'll just say that the ending was deep, twisted, and beautifully foreshadowed throughout the piece.
Overall, this was an amazing collection loosely themed around different concepts of "Forever". A pretty easy decision for 5-stars.
Some of the shortest works in this collection managed to be super creepy, yet still profound. "Prologue to a Phantasmagorical Tragedy", "For the Unhaunted", "Brief Repose Moments before a Gruesome and Certain Death", "One Unheard Message", "Lessons", and "Crowning" were all brief, yet jaw-dropping, each in their own unique way (mind-boggling, tragic, brutal, touching, a little funny, and horrifically graphic, respectively).
"The Waves from Afar" had such creepy imagery, yet told a really moving story. "With a Ribbon on Top" was a very unique take on a concept that's been done before (spooky Christmas). Fawver really made this his own and the execution was spectacular. "A Nuzzle, Inverted" was delivered in such an eerie way, but told a pretty touching story. "Four is Enough" wove a pretty tragic scenario of poverty and desperation. "The Binary Must Prevail" was probably the only story that I thought was maybe a little silly, but even that one earned its place in this collection.
The two longer-ish works really stood out to me. "Rub-A-Dub-Dub" describes three very different men in a tub on their way to oblivion. Each has their own motives and their own plan once they reach their destination. I got some eerie H.P. Lovecraft vibes throughout this one ("Dagon", "The Call of Cthulu", and Yog-Sothoth come to mind), but once again, Fawver really made this his own and kept me on my toes.
The titular work, "Forever, In Pieces" was a really powerful slow burn. I felt for Ben, the lonely kid who didn't get a Valentine... until he got a really special one... annually from a very mysterious source. To avoid spoilers, I'll just say that the ending was deep, twisted, and beautifully foreshadowed throughout the piece.
Overall, this was an amazing collection loosely themed around different concepts of "Forever". A pretty easy decision for 5-stars.
August 17, 2019
This is a very clever, inventive collection of horror stories. The titular story "Forever, in Pieces," is particularly cool. Fawver also comes back to one reoccurring terror in this collection, namely fathers who struggle to protect their families. This leads to more than a few interesting, horrifying moments.
Something should also be said for Luke Spooker's art. This earlier Fawver gives you a glimmer of what's to come. And trust me, you'll want to be here to see it.
Something should also be said for Luke Spooker's art. This earlier Fawver gives you a glimmer of what's to come. And trust me, you'll want to be here to see it.
November 1, 2025
So now i set off to re-read all of Kury Fawver's stories, starting with the debut. And it really pays off. This collection is full of delightful strangeness, thought provoking odities and originality of narrating voice. Cosmic Horrors and dark fantasy awaits all who tread here. Amazing read, once again...
August 9, 2021
Forever, in kurts
Kurt is not just an awesome human being , he is also an excellent short story writer who infuses his wonderfully human tales of horror with bleak philosophy told on simple ways.
Kurt is not just an awesome human being , he is also an excellent short story writer who infuses his wonderfully human tales of horror with bleak philosophy told on simple ways.
November 9, 2019
Hum drum horror attempting to be weird, mostly disjointed and slow or cliche. I did like one story or of the handful here, so not a total waste of time.
November 2, 2024
No es de mi gusto
October 30, 2024
"During the night he woke several times, sweating and near panic, with visions of bleeding, pulsating, keening landscapes still careening around the inside of his head."
The demarcation between life and death, blurred. Society, crumbling. Cannibals, rampant. This is the world of Kurt Fawver: A place rife with virulent disease, both mental and physical; inhabited by ambulatory voids, existential nobodies. This is where dreams - and everything else - go to die. His vision is clear and it is lit by a luminescent darkness, revealing the road of decay which is the only road there is. Some are even still naive enough to be travelling hopefully... Kurt Fawver remedies that - the closest thing to hope in these pages is unrequited yearning. Or delusion. Strong three stars.
"The scratching continued, louder and faster, as though something was peeling away layers of reality, tearing into [his] apartment from an unseen dimension..."
The demarcation between life and death, blurred. Society, crumbling. Cannibals, rampant. This is the world of Kurt Fawver: A place rife with virulent disease, both mental and physical; inhabited by ambulatory voids, existential nobodies. This is where dreams - and everything else - go to die. His vision is clear and it is lit by a luminescent darkness, revealing the road of decay which is the only road there is. Some are even still naive enough to be travelling hopefully... Kurt Fawver remedies that - the closest thing to hope in these pages is unrequited yearning. Or delusion. Strong three stars.
"The scratching continued, louder and faster, as though something was peeling away layers of reality, tearing into [his] apartment from an unseen dimension..."
July 13, 2025
DNF @ 32%
I'm not a fan of body horror, so this was much too graphic and gritty for me.
I'm not a fan of body horror, so this was much too graphic and gritty for me.
December 10, 2023
Not as good as his more recent work.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews