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The Only Way Out Is Through
You move to a new area, hoping for a fresh start.
You bury yourself in a new career, hoping for an identity.
But the new area has roads no one travels down if they can help it, and the people stare at you with secrets behind their eyes that were old before you were born. But the new career has responsibilities that no one warned you about, and the duties weigh on your soul.
Charlie Brooks, a man with a painful past, is about to learn that not even a symbol of law and order can maintain control when forces beyond comprehension want to break through. In a time before instant digital connection and distrust in the world around us, Charlie Brooks will learn how escape is impossible.
(Originally published as I Can Give You Life)
You bury yourself in a new career, hoping for an identity.
But the new area has roads no one travels down if they can help it, and the people stare at you with secrets behind their eyes that were old before you were born. But the new career has responsibilities that no one warned you about, and the duties weigh on your soul.
Charlie Brooks, a man with a painful past, is about to learn that not even a symbol of law and order can maintain control when forces beyond comprehension want to break through. In a time before instant digital connection and distrust in the world around us, Charlie Brooks will learn how escape is impossible.
(Originally published as I Can Give You Life)
- GenresHorror
134 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 21, 2024
1 person is currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
Paul Michael Anderson
39 books67 followersPaul Michael Anderson is the author of the novellas YOU CAN'T SAVE WHAT ISN'T THERE and STANDALONE, as well as the collections BONES ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN and EVERYTHING WILL BE ALL RIGHT IN THE END: APOCALYPSE SONGS. Find him at his website thenothingspace.net.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 23, 2024
Thanks to publisher Cemetery Gates Media for a copy of this to review! This is available for purchase now, and the rating represents three and a half rounded up.
This is a collection of a few short stories, but the titular story forms the bulk of it. The Only Way Out is Through was a fantastic, backwoods folk horror story from the POV of a newly relocated state trooper to rural Virginia. Mix together some strong unease and a sense that locals know more than they're letting on, season with a bit of Eldritch horror, and you have this story. I found it really fun and could totally see it as an episode of The Twilight Zone, or a film. The cerebral nature of some scenes would be wild to visualize.
The other few stories, while varied in topic, didn’t stand out as much to me, though the variety was interesting. The titular story alone is worth the value to me, though!
This is a collection of a few short stories, but the titular story forms the bulk of it. The Only Way Out is Through was a fantastic, backwoods folk horror story from the POV of a newly relocated state trooper to rural Virginia. Mix together some strong unease and a sense that locals know more than they're letting on, season with a bit of Eldritch horror, and you have this story. I found it really fun and could totally see it as an episode of The Twilight Zone, or a film. The cerebral nature of some scenes would be wild to visualize.
The other few stories, while varied in topic, didn’t stand out as much to me, though the variety was interesting. The titular story alone is worth the value to me, though!
May 17, 2024
Review originally on
JamReads
The Only Way Out Is Through is a horror novella, written by Paul Michael Anderson, and published by Cemetery Gates Media. This volume also includes four more short stories, and it is interesting to note how all of them are a great exercise of experimentation in the field of literary horror, new ways to focus on old tropes.
Talking about The Only Way Out Is Through itself, we have a piece that blends together cosmic horror with police procedural, following Charlie as he moves and enrolls as ranger in a new town; a place full of secrets where he feels he's being intentionally left out of the idea. With an atmosphere that remembers a bit to The Wicker Man, in the sense of the main character being mostly unaware of the reason for his presence, Anderson jumps between internal monologue and narration, giving us a direct way to know about Charlie's ideas.
Making a good use of its length, Anderson weaves a complex situation which ends being resolved in a certainly interesting way, which completes the experience with a setting that can also be compared to Mille 81; a satisfying story that, by itself, makes the reading worth it.
The rest of the collection features four more stories that share the theme of Lovercraftian creatures in combination with more experimental writing; mold-breaking stories that are quite enjoyable due to their uniqueness.
If you are looking for a well written cosmic horror experience, with plenty of different things from the classics, I can recommend you this book. I totally dig why Cemetery decided to reprint this novelette, as it is something amazing!
The Only Way Out Is Through is a horror novella, written by Paul Michael Anderson, and published by Cemetery Gates Media. This volume also includes four more short stories, and it is interesting to note how all of them are a great exercise of experimentation in the field of literary horror, new ways to focus on old tropes.
Talking about The Only Way Out Is Through itself, we have a piece that blends together cosmic horror with police procedural, following Charlie as he moves and enrolls as ranger in a new town; a place full of secrets where he feels he's being intentionally left out of the idea. With an atmosphere that remembers a bit to The Wicker Man, in the sense of the main character being mostly unaware of the reason for his presence, Anderson jumps between internal monologue and narration, giving us a direct way to know about Charlie's ideas.
Making a good use of its length, Anderson weaves a complex situation which ends being resolved in a certainly interesting way, which completes the experience with a setting that can also be compared to Mille 81; a satisfying story that, by itself, makes the reading worth it.
The rest of the collection features four more stories that share the theme of Lovercraftian creatures in combination with more experimental writing; mold-breaking stories that are quite enjoyable due to their uniqueness.
If you are looking for a well written cosmic horror experience, with plenty of different things from the classics, I can recommend you this book. I totally dig why Cemetery decided to reprint this novelette, as it is something amazing!
April 23, 2024
The Only Way Out Is Through is a novella that has been published elsewhere twice (if I’m not mistaken from the forewords and interlude included in this book. Basically, Anderson and Cemetery Gates Media decided to give the story its own release but Anderson decided to include a few extra stories to help give readers more bang for their buck (which I appreciate).
The novella itself is great, so I’m not surprised it has been published multiple times now. It’s part procedural mystery and part cosmic horror. There’s a great balance here, as well as psychological elements including paranoia and trauma. The lead character is interesting, mostly due to his surprising past that is revealed in pieces, but also reserved and professional in his work. It makes him likeable and someone whose shoes you can put yourself in for the ride. The mysterious trooper behavior hooked me from the start, and the devastating ending left me very satisfied.
The other stories are not related, though I somehow thought they were. Rather, they’re connected by observing the turning point in someone’s life, this being a focus of “The Only Way Out Is Through.” I will admit, I would have preferred the stories to actually tie into the same universe as the novella but I can respect Anderson for at least keeping a central idea behind them. “Growing Into Nothing” is the best of the three for me. It’s a sci-fi/horror story with a creeping sense of dread that is mysterious and scary. The “cliffhanger” ending fit just right. The other two stories didn’t land for me, though. I found “Two Views of the Breaking World” difficult to follow, and “And, In The End, A Reckoning of What I Have Become” felt more like a snippet of a story than one on its own.
“The Only Way Out Is Through” and “Growing Into Nothing” were both damn good, and I know I’ll return to them in the years that follow. I have no problem ignoring the other two stories because these other two were so striking for me. So don’t mistake me — I definitely recommend this book, especially if you haven’t already read the novella. This title has also persuaded me to buy Anderson’s other books when I get the chance.
The novella itself is great, so I’m not surprised it has been published multiple times now. It’s part procedural mystery and part cosmic horror. There’s a great balance here, as well as psychological elements including paranoia and trauma. The lead character is interesting, mostly due to his surprising past that is revealed in pieces, but also reserved and professional in his work. It makes him likeable and someone whose shoes you can put yourself in for the ride. The mysterious trooper behavior hooked me from the start, and the devastating ending left me very satisfied.
The other stories are not related, though I somehow thought they were. Rather, they’re connected by observing the turning point in someone’s life, this being a focus of “The Only Way Out Is Through.” I will admit, I would have preferred the stories to actually tie into the same universe as the novella but I can respect Anderson for at least keeping a central idea behind them. “Growing Into Nothing” is the best of the three for me. It’s a sci-fi/horror story with a creeping sense of dread that is mysterious and scary. The “cliffhanger” ending fit just right. The other two stories didn’t land for me, though. I found “Two Views of the Breaking World” difficult to follow, and “And, In The End, A Reckoning of What I Have Become” felt more like a snippet of a story than one on its own.
“The Only Way Out Is Through” and “Growing Into Nothing” were both damn good, and I know I’ll return to them in the years that follow. I have no problem ignoring the other two stories because these other two were so striking for me. So don’t mistake me — I definitely recommend this book, especially if you haven’t already read the novella. This title has also persuaded me to buy Anderson’s other books when I get the chance.
June 20, 2024
Thanks to Cemetery Gates Media for the physical arc!
This is a rereleased story, that has been updated and elongated along the way from the original. The release also features two forewords, an afterword, as well as extra stories. The additional content from the author was cool as it kind of felt like being included in the know.
This story has all the makings of something right up my alley. Someone running from a shady past, a small town, one that’s filled with old traditions and dark secrets, and it’s a cop crime story. The opening is eerie and has all the makings of a creepy atmosphere that could have kept the reader guessing. The witness testimony, as well as the evidence tape, could have grown into something really mysterious.
Unfortunately, this story is quite short, and doesn’t really have the legs to get that atmospheric feeling out there. It relies heavily on the plot, and kind of barrels ahead full throttle until it eventually comes to its short end, petering out. Charlie, while being an interesting character, doesn’t actually have that much to lose, and with it being so short, it kind of feels as if his backstory is just thrown in.
The ending is rather straight forward, with little to surprise the reader. And while that isn’t always a problem for me, I did feel like it happens just to happen, to have an end. Most of my enjoyment was saved by some of the characters, so while it was short, I didn’t entirely dislike it.
The short stories that accompany, according to the afterword, all connect in a singular way, or a theme, but for me they still felt kind of just tacked on. Especially with the longer story being the actual release. Again, not always bad, but in this case, unnecessary. I'm not sure if this will be a hit with folks, but if you're looking for a quick crime story this could be it.
https://fanfiaddict.com/review-the-on...
This is a rereleased story, that has been updated and elongated along the way from the original. The release also features two forewords, an afterword, as well as extra stories. The additional content from the author was cool as it kind of felt like being included in the know.
This story has all the makings of something right up my alley. Someone running from a shady past, a small town, one that’s filled with old traditions and dark secrets, and it’s a cop crime story. The opening is eerie and has all the makings of a creepy atmosphere that could have kept the reader guessing. The witness testimony, as well as the evidence tape, could have grown into something really mysterious.
Unfortunately, this story is quite short, and doesn’t really have the legs to get that atmospheric feeling out there. It relies heavily on the plot, and kind of barrels ahead full throttle until it eventually comes to its short end, petering out. Charlie, while being an interesting character, doesn’t actually have that much to lose, and with it being so short, it kind of feels as if his backstory is just thrown in.
The ending is rather straight forward, with little to surprise the reader. And while that isn’t always a problem for me, I did feel like it happens just to happen, to have an end. Most of my enjoyment was saved by some of the characters, so while it was short, I didn’t entirely dislike it.
The short stories that accompany, according to the afterword, all connect in a singular way, or a theme, but for me they still felt kind of just tacked on. Especially with the longer story being the actual release. Again, not always bad, but in this case, unnecessary. I'm not sure if this will be a hit with folks, but if you're looking for a quick crime story this could be it.
https://fanfiaddict.com/review-the-on...
March 27, 2024
Firstly, I want to thank Cemetery Gates for sending me this ARC!
I’ll get into the weeds in a little bit, but the broad strokes for impatient folks version of this review is that I really enjoyed this collection of stories. The titular, and first, story was, in my opinion, the strongest. The following three didn’t quite meet the standard that it set, but I still enjoyed them.
“The Only Way Out is Through,” was the stand out of this collection, for me. The writing style reminded me a lot of “Carrie,” with the breaks to internal monologue and flashbacks. The pace and imagery were spot on. It maybe helped that I’m from North Carolina and had our side of the Blue Ridge Mountains for reference, but the setting and overall backdrop of this story immediately clicked into place. The only critique I have is an unfair one that I have for all, well written, novellas that I read; I wanted more! The glimpses we’re offered into Charlie’s past and family were such tasty morsels that I kept wanting to know more about him. I wanted to properly visit and live in those moments and see how it all happened. Overall, this story was great and the one I found most memorable.
“Growing into Nothing,” was a cool concept, but overall, I struggled a little bit with it. I feel like we spent a little bit too much time establishing setting and not enough time with our character. I totally appreciate that this story, and these stories overall, are all about the lead up to “the moment” but I found it harder to appreciate that lead up without having established a grounded sense of attachment to our main character. As things started falling into place, I did find myself enjoying it more, though.
“Two views of the breaking world,” was an absolute hit, for me. I’m trying to be as vague as possible with the actual plot points of these stories, but I have to say that the way the possession was handled in this story was just so cool. Being offered the two different perspectives of the possessed, and the possessor, was something I’m not sure I’ve seen before. Again, I selfishly would’ve loved more! More about the family, more about how it all started, and all of it told through those switching perspectives.
The final story, “And, In The End, A Reckoning Of What I Have Become,” was all about our character. I really enjoy stories like this. You put a person in an extraordinary situation, but totally underplay that part of the narrative. It’s all about how our character deals with it. This had a very casual tone but, at the same time, you totally got a sense of what this guy has had to deal with, just from his complete exhaustion and numbness. What has all this been for? Is it even worth it? Who has it turned me into? I really liked this final story and the understated bleakness of it all.
Again, I really enjoyed these stories and I’m thankful I got the opportunity to check them out. This was my first time reading Paul Michael Anderson and I’ll definitely be reading more!
I’ll get into the weeds in a little bit, but the broad strokes for impatient folks version of this review is that I really enjoyed this collection of stories. The titular, and first, story was, in my opinion, the strongest. The following three didn’t quite meet the standard that it set, but I still enjoyed them.
“The Only Way Out is Through,” was the stand out of this collection, for me. The writing style reminded me a lot of “Carrie,” with the breaks to internal monologue and flashbacks. The pace and imagery were spot on. It maybe helped that I’m from North Carolina and had our side of the Blue Ridge Mountains for reference, but the setting and overall backdrop of this story immediately clicked into place. The only critique I have is an unfair one that I have for all, well written, novellas that I read; I wanted more! The glimpses we’re offered into Charlie’s past and family were such tasty morsels that I kept wanting to know more about him. I wanted to properly visit and live in those moments and see how it all happened. Overall, this story was great and the one I found most memorable.
“Growing into Nothing,” was a cool concept, but overall, I struggled a little bit with it. I feel like we spent a little bit too much time establishing setting and not enough time with our character. I totally appreciate that this story, and these stories overall, are all about the lead up to “the moment” but I found it harder to appreciate that lead up without having established a grounded sense of attachment to our main character. As things started falling into place, I did find myself enjoying it more, though.
“Two views of the breaking world,” was an absolute hit, for me. I’m trying to be as vague as possible with the actual plot points of these stories, but I have to say that the way the possession was handled in this story was just so cool. Being offered the two different perspectives of the possessed, and the possessor, was something I’m not sure I’ve seen before. Again, I selfishly would’ve loved more! More about the family, more about how it all started, and all of it told through those switching perspectives.
The final story, “And, In The End, A Reckoning Of What I Have Become,” was all about our character. I really enjoy stories like this. You put a person in an extraordinary situation, but totally underplay that part of the narrative. It’s all about how our character deals with it. This had a very casual tone but, at the same time, you totally got a sense of what this guy has had to deal with, just from his complete exhaustion and numbness. What has all this been for? Is it even worth it? Who has it turned me into? I really liked this final story and the understated bleakness of it all.
Again, I really enjoyed these stories and I’m thankful I got the opportunity to check them out. This was my first time reading Paul Michael Anderson and I’ll definitely be reading more!
April 9, 2024
Firstly, thank you to Cemetery Gates for providing an ARC of this collection! The synopsis and story sounded great when I read them, but then I saw that Paul wrote a stand-alone and I really enjoyed that one!
The Only Way Out is through-a new cop in town trying to figure out what is going on, the road literally attacked a family.
So far very small time cult vibes. An elder god of the earth bound by a pact to the small town, and both the God and the town want Charlie.
Growing into nothing- if you like a little Alien, he’ll there’s even a reference to it, mix with the Thing in a suddenly empty spacecraft, this is for you!
Two views of the breaking world-another folk horror entity, but it almost has an old ones feel to it. The family traces its line back to the time of the pilgrims when they formed this pact.
And, in the end, a reckoning of what I have become- a monster “slayer” starts to wonder if he is the good guy. It’s an interesting look at the use versus them mindset.
Favorite line “insurance doesn’t pay out on monster decapitation of policy-holders” lol
If you like Lovecraftian otherworldly/old as earth creatures and how the modern human is trying to make use of them you will like this book.
The Only Way Out is through-a new cop in town trying to figure out what is going on, the road literally attacked a family.
So far very small time cult vibes. An elder god of the earth bound by a pact to the small town, and both the God and the town want Charlie.
Growing into nothing- if you like a little Alien, he’ll there’s even a reference to it, mix with the Thing in a suddenly empty spacecraft, this is for you!
Two views of the breaking world-another folk horror entity, but it almost has an old ones feel to it. The family traces its line back to the time of the pilgrims when they formed this pact.
And, in the end, a reckoning of what I have become- a monster “slayer” starts to wonder if he is the good guy. It’s an interesting look at the use versus them mindset.
Favorite line “insurance doesn’t pay out on monster decapitation of policy-holders” lol
If you like Lovecraftian otherworldly/old as earth creatures and how the modern human is trying to make use of them you will like this book.
April 28, 2024
The title story/central novella in Paul Michael Anderson’s newest, The Only Way Out is Through, does so many things right that I wanted to love it. A story grounded in place? Check. Seemingly effortless period setting? Check. A focus on the protagonist’s work life? Check. Haunted highways and a folk horror setup that subverts expectations? Double check.
And yet…
Charlie Brooks is a young man running from his traumatic past, and he’s run right into the arms of the Virginia State Troopers, where he is the new man on the job. Almost immediately, he witnesses strange and violent doings on highway 526, followed by all types of whispering furtiveness from his coworkers and the townspeople. And it doesn’t take long to find out that there’s something rotten in this little community, and Charlie might be the only one who doesn’t know about it.
That “doesn’t take long” is one of the troubles with this novella, a story that could have stood to let itself steep in some creepy atmosphere and build a real sense of dread. The setup is there, and so is the characterization. But The Only Way Out is Through rides the plot almost from the get go, and there’s little time to even consider events, as Charlie is thrown into the Sgt. Howie role, him against the town.
In the end, the story blasts forward and the plot itself offers little surprise for the reader. What is said will happen is roughly what happens, and there doesn’t seem to be a great deal at stake for Charlie. Rarely do I say it, but the story could have benefitted from more room to stretch and grow, to build suspense, and to give Charlie something more to motivate him beyond a troubled past.
I felt similarly about the other three stories included in the volume: interesting settings, cool concepts, and a lack of payoff. “And, In the End, A Reckoning of What I Have Become” was the strongest of these, with a hard boiled narrator negotiating a world of Lovecraftian horrors. But once again, it felt more like a sketch than a rounded narrative.
“Two Views of the Breaking World” contains some fascinating language and what I believe might be an intriguing device, but it was finally so elliptical and dense that I wasn’t entirely sure what the hell was going on.
In the end, The Only Way Out is Through feels more like a collection of sketches and setups for stories that haven’t yet found their final direction, despite the wide range of elements that are otherwise all working remarkably well. Accordingly, my experience as a reader was frustrating and frustrated, feeling sure that there was something great very close by, but it just hadn’t quite been realized.
And yet…
Charlie Brooks is a young man running from his traumatic past, and he’s run right into the arms of the Virginia State Troopers, where he is the new man on the job. Almost immediately, he witnesses strange and violent doings on highway 526, followed by all types of whispering furtiveness from his coworkers and the townspeople. And it doesn’t take long to find out that there’s something rotten in this little community, and Charlie might be the only one who doesn’t know about it.
That “doesn’t take long” is one of the troubles with this novella, a story that could have stood to let itself steep in some creepy atmosphere and build a real sense of dread. The setup is there, and so is the characterization. But The Only Way Out is Through rides the plot almost from the get go, and there’s little time to even consider events, as Charlie is thrown into the Sgt. Howie role, him against the town.
In the end, the story blasts forward and the plot itself offers little surprise for the reader. What is said will happen is roughly what happens, and there doesn’t seem to be a great deal at stake for Charlie. Rarely do I say it, but the story could have benefitted from more room to stretch and grow, to build suspense, and to give Charlie something more to motivate him beyond a troubled past.
I felt similarly about the other three stories included in the volume: interesting settings, cool concepts, and a lack of payoff. “And, In the End, A Reckoning of What I Have Become” was the strongest of these, with a hard boiled narrator negotiating a world of Lovecraftian horrors. But once again, it felt more like a sketch than a rounded narrative.
“Two Views of the Breaking World” contains some fascinating language and what I believe might be an intriguing device, but it was finally so elliptical and dense that I wasn’t entirely sure what the hell was going on.
In the end, The Only Way Out is Through feels more like a collection of sketches and setups for stories that haven’t yet found their final direction, despite the wide range of elements that are otherwise all working remarkably well. Accordingly, my experience as a reader was frustrating and frustrated, feeling sure that there was something great very close by, but it just hadn’t quite been realized.
May 17, 2024
The Only Way Out Is Through consists of a novella of the same name (though originally published with the title I Can Give You Life as part of an anthology a few years ago) and 3 short stories.
The novella was my absolute favorite out of the bunch, followed by And, In The End, A Reckoning of What I Have Become. ❤️
Two Views of the Breaking World had me a bit confused as to what was going on, having two POVs and I’m not totally clear on whose POVs those were. 🫣 Might be just a me issue though because I was tired when I read that one late last night! 😅
Overall, I definitely recommend picking this one up!! 👏 And that cover!! Creepilicious!!! 😍
A big thank you to Cemetery Gates for the opportunity to read the physical ARC in exchange for my honest review!! ❤️
The novella was my absolute favorite out of the bunch, followed by And, In The End, A Reckoning of What I Have Become. ❤️
Two Views of the Breaking World had me a bit confused as to what was going on, having two POVs and I’m not totally clear on whose POVs those were. 🫣 Might be just a me issue though because I was tired when I read that one late last night! 😅
Overall, I definitely recommend picking this one up!! 👏 And that cover!! Creepilicious!!! 😍
A big thank you to Cemetery Gates for the opportunity to read the physical ARC in exchange for my honest review!! ❤️
May 22, 2024
A collection of a novella and 3 short stories, one of which is original to this publication, this feels like a great introduction for new readers to PMA's style, which I have adored since first reading Bones Are Made to be Broken. Throughout each story, he displays an incredible ability to create vivid and relatable characters with flaws and personality so that you can't help but picture them in your mind. Then he drops them into horrific situations, both cosmic and real-life (often a mixture), and relays their pain to us readers in tight and to-the-point prose while still using descriptive and visual language. More people should know about his work and this is a fine place for a new reader to begin, before inevitably seeking out the rest.
June 1, 2025
I kinda struggled with this one, I’m unsure that if this was a longer novel it would have been better for me, the start of the story was hard for me to follow. It did pick up at the end but went full speed so there was no build up and was predictable.
August 27, 2024
“Close the door and I can see the monster in the bathtub, who’d stumbled out of an interdimensional hole and had the bad luck of running into zealots without a cause but a fuckload of enthusiasm”
————————-
The Only Way Out is Through does a good job of introducing me to a (for me) new author and the sheer span of his horror stories; be they in small towns, big cities, space or within the frame of a deceitful family. I enjoyed some of these stories although not all of them was a hit for me (I struggled to connect with some of the stories, and one story would have worked better as a novel rather than a short story imo). I’ve added an overview of the tales and marked favorites below with an “*”.
-The Only Way Out is Through:*
Charlie Brooks is a new trooper in a small town with secrets so dark that they will rival his own. Charlie and the memories haunting him are set on a collision course with the locals as someone (or, something) is keen to break old oaths with possibly dire consequences. Unfortunately for Charlie, the town and his new colleagues are not just going to sit around and let this happen; even if it means sacrificing him. Here be an old God who wants *out*. I have a soft spot for horror stories set in small towns with their own little secrets and enjoyed this one a lot.
-Growing Into Nothing:
Hendrix is works in salvaging and is part of the crew who picks up a ship in distress. As it turns out, this is something they should have left well enough alone as people start disappearing & and areas of the ship become disconcertingly distorted; almost pulled and rubbed. As if that wasn’t enough, Hendrix encounters a hungry mass in med bay referring to itself as ‘nothing’. It reads like a partly animated black hole. I suspect people who enjoyed The Jaunt by King might enjoy this one too. Struggled to connect with the characters (always a risk with short stories) and think this might work better as a full novel for me.
-Two Views of the Breaking World:
A family made a deal with a cosmic demon a long time ago but the terms have suddenly changed as one of the youngsters is now possessed. They’ve effectively lured outsiders to help the possessed child, or so they think (they should have listened closer). Told from the demon/cosmic entity and one of the victims’ POVs. Wanted to like this, but it just didn’t resonate with me and came across a bit dull.
-And, In The End, A Reckoning of What I Have Become:*
Interdimensional holes have opened; monsters have appeared; Florida, amongst other places, has been overtaken by big telepathic bunnies, and come our supposed protagonist has woken up confused with a niggling doubt in the back of his head: did the dead monster mean to kill them?
Maybe not the most creative premise (“are we the real monsters?”), but it’s well written and sardonically funny in spite of being quite dark (the MC effectively ends up not caring if they’re wrong for killing these creatures).
————————-
The Only Way Out is Through does a good job of introducing me to a (for me) new author and the sheer span of his horror stories; be they in small towns, big cities, space or within the frame of a deceitful family. I enjoyed some of these stories although not all of them was a hit for me (I struggled to connect with some of the stories, and one story would have worked better as a novel rather than a short story imo). I’ve added an overview of the tales and marked favorites below with an “*”.
-The Only Way Out is Through:*
Charlie Brooks is a new trooper in a small town with secrets so dark that they will rival his own. Charlie and the memories haunting him are set on a collision course with the locals as someone (or, something) is keen to break old oaths with possibly dire consequences. Unfortunately for Charlie, the town and his new colleagues are not just going to sit around and let this happen; even if it means sacrificing him. Here be an old God who wants *out*. I have a soft spot for horror stories set in small towns with their own little secrets and enjoyed this one a lot.
-Growing Into Nothing:
Hendrix is works in salvaging and is part of the crew who picks up a ship in distress. As it turns out, this is something they should have left well enough alone as people start disappearing & and areas of the ship become disconcertingly distorted; almost pulled and rubbed. As if that wasn’t enough, Hendrix encounters a hungry mass in med bay referring to itself as ‘nothing’. It reads like a partly animated black hole. I suspect people who enjoyed The Jaunt by King might enjoy this one too. Struggled to connect with the characters (always a risk with short stories) and think this might work better as a full novel for me.
-Two Views of the Breaking World:
A family made a deal with a cosmic demon a long time ago but the terms have suddenly changed as one of the youngsters is now possessed. They’ve effectively lured outsiders to help the possessed child, or so they think (they should have listened closer). Told from the demon/cosmic entity and one of the victims’ POVs. Wanted to like this, but it just didn’t resonate with me and came across a bit dull.
-And, In The End, A Reckoning of What I Have Become:*
Interdimensional holes have opened; monsters have appeared; Florida, amongst other places, has been overtaken by big telepathic bunnies, and come our supposed protagonist has woken up confused with a niggling doubt in the back of his head: did the dead monster mean to kill them?
Maybe not the most creative premise (“are we the real monsters?”), but it’s well written and sardonically funny in spite of being quite dark (the MC effectively ends up not caring if they’re wrong for killing these creatures).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2024
You just want to do your job. You just want things to be normal. You just want to start over.
Some people can't catch a break. Trooper Charlie Brooks is fresh out of the academy and is looking forward to forgetting his past, but there is something off about this new area he has moved to.
Paul Michael Anderson makes you feel uncomfortable. He puts you in Charlies head where intrusive thoughts, bad dreams, and odd glances from the locals are actually the good parts of your day.
Cults and pagan gods collide and it makes one hell of an impact in the main story of this little collection. The other three tales are between 12-15 pages long and come with authors notes on the similarities and connection with the first story.
Some people can't catch a break. Trooper Charlie Brooks is fresh out of the academy and is looking forward to forgetting his past, but there is something off about this new area he has moved to.
Paul Michael Anderson makes you feel uncomfortable. He puts you in Charlies head where intrusive thoughts, bad dreams, and odd glances from the locals are actually the good parts of your day.
Cults and pagan gods collide and it makes one hell of an impact in the main story of this little collection. The other three tales are between 12-15 pages long and come with authors notes on the similarities and connection with the first story.
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