Other Places

by Thomas Smith

In his debut collection, Thomas Smith explores the boundaries between the world we know and the twilight-shrouded borders with the strange, the dangerous, and the mysterious.
A professor who gets the offer of a lifetime, but at a hefty price. A mad scientist’s creation that has made an important, dire decision. A dinner party for five that is heavy with blood and consequence. A family outing in a cemetery.
In this haunting collection, Thomas Smith blurs the line between reality as we know it and those Other Places…





Thomas Smith is an award-winning newspaper reporter, TV news producer, writer, playwright, and essayist. He writes in many genres and may actually be the only writer to ever be involved in projects with Stephen King and The Rev. Rick Warren at the same time.

"Thomas is one of those outstanding Southern writers - seemingly soft, languid, maybe even lazy, when actually what he is, is cotton wrapped about a razor. Half the time you don't even know he's gotten you until it's too late."
-Charles L. Grant; New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

Genres: Horror, Short Stories

182 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 19, 2024

Reviews

[Milt Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thomas Smith's debut short horror story collection, 'Other Places," contains sixteen tales of varied length, all of them strange, some puzzling and some rather disturbing. The author sells himself short when he tells us "I’ve always considered myself an average short story writer at best": most of the stories, if not all, are riveting, plainly told, with clear prose, easy reads with unpredictable endings and great atmosphere. Although it's not hard to pick favorites, Smith is a gifted craftsman of stories both realistic and hopeful, articulated both compellingly and engagingly. The point he's trying to make in his Author's Note is better put by saying that his style celebrates the kind of simplicity reminiscent of older horror stories: he doesn't go straight for the most shocking twist, nor does he aim to please by insisting on deeply unsettling situations or large-scale, blockbuster visuals. He's not "cutting edge," as he himself admits. His strength seems to me to lie in straightforward subtlety (yes, I know that's an oxymoron), of the sort that's very difficult to achieve.

Take the most impressive "Presto," the opening story, for example: it's about a magician whose magic is apparently real - is it, though? You never really know, until the end; and even then, you realize that Smith could have easily turned the short story into a novella, going for a most complex and long-winded plot of revenge and mayhem. Instead, he limits himself to the important points and provides closure and clarity, without forcing the reader to slog through a series of unnecessary shenanigans (unlike lots of stories today). Same with the collection's ghost story, "The Heart Is A Determined Hunter": creepy and to the point. One of the short-short stories, "Former Wear," employs dark humor to convey the type of mirth horror fans enjoy (that story and "Problem Can," a tale made for everyone who's had enough of a teacher in school, were really funny!), the other shorts (e.g., "Mother and Child Reunion," "Husks," "A Dusting of Snow") go for the throat and turn quite dark very fast. "Prometheus," about one of the genre's iconic monsters has amazing dialogue and a terrific premise, though this time I wouldn't have minded a longer, far more atmospheric story. In fact, my favorites were the longer stories towards the end: the awesome, Lovecraftian story of "Croatoan," and the kinda-morality tale, "Bad Place Alone," about who deserves hell and why.

Overall, this is the kind of horror collection that celebrates the darkness hovering at the edge of everyday life. It rests on mood and extraordinary simplicity, without striving to surprise you at every turn or tripping over itself in order to impress. Smith has stories to tell, and it'd be wise to listen. Otherwise you'd be missing out on some great entertainment!

[Irene Well Worth A Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

These weird and entertaining stories are perfect for anyone who likes dark fiction. Most have intriguing plots with engaging characters and unexpected outcomes.
A few ended too abruptly for my taste with no definitive closure, but as always with short story collections I had several favorites, and the following were a few of what I enjoyed the most.

Presto- a man undergoes an experimental treatment after an accident that should have killed him. Now he's the greatest magician in the world, but there are no tricks here it's all too real.
This was a story of revenge with an explosive ending.

Mother And Child Reunion - This is another revenge story in which a woman is reluctantly reunited with the son she abandoned years ago.

Problem Can - This was a fun story about a school girl who has a surprise for a grouchy teacher.

We Create Them- Two well-to-do women voice their differing opinions on those who are less fortunate over lunch in a fancy restaurant. This one was quite thought-provoking and one of the more serious stories in the collection that had me thinking of my own circumstances. Happily for me, I don't look up to people just because they have money and I don't look down on those who don't.

If you're in the mood for something dark and unusual take a trip to Other Places, from the safety of your favorite reading spot.

My thanks to Cemetery Dance Publications.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first time reading anything from Thomas Smith, but it definitely won't be the last book of his that I will read.
I've been a consistent reader of short stories for as long as I can remember and Smith's debut collection is one that stands out with it's unique and original stories.
There was a nice balance of short reads and longer ones but they all had one thing in common; Smith knew how to close them in a satisfying manner.
Check out this collection if you're into short stories! #cemetarydancepublications #horrorbooks

[Emily Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Places

These stories make you wonder if things are real or not. A scientist creates something capable of making choices. A trip turns into something else. Frightening tales.

[Christine Christensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Definitely recommend this book. Great writing and fresh story lines. I'm going to see what other books were written by Thomas Smith.

[Leane · Rating 5 out of 5]

If weird and wonderful tales appeal to you, then this is for you!

Sixteen stories of varying length, each brought to conclusion masterfully.

Please note that this does not mean that all your questions will be answered! You'll have more questions than when you started... but you'll just need to let those percolate for a while.

A great read and a very enjoyable fantastical, fabulous, and freaky collection of tales for readers to escape to. We readers need more...

[Aaron B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this short story collection through the Cemetery Dance Paperback Club by an author previously unfamiliar to me. Sixteen stories over 172 pages; more than half were ten pages or less. The shorter stories tend to be shockers in the tradition of EC Comics; good ideas, for sure, sometimes feeling prematurely truncated. Standouts for me were Presto, Prometheus, Croatoan and Bad Place Alone. Mr. Smith's collection is a worthwhile read. I hope you enjoy it.

[Sandra Rondeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting!

I was surprised at how each story kept my interest. I have started reading a few short stories books and put them down after the second or third story because they were either boring or I simply couldn't get into them. This is the first one that I read to the end and enjoyed reading.

[Richard Quist · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read - many of the stories were "snack size" but very satisfying nonetheless. There's something for just about everyone here, several of them with a bit of a Twilight Zone vibe. As for me, I hope I'm never in A Bad Place Alone ... such a nice set up and plenty of twists along the way.

[Thomas Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thomas Smith's debut collection delves into the uncanny, where the familiar unravels and the grotesque lurks beneath the surface. From unsettling academia to chilling family dynamics, these stories are both captivating and deeply unsettling. Smith's prose is sharp and evocative, leaving a lingering sense of unease long after the final page.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a perfect book. Editorial errors appear not infrequently. I had been planning to give it a 4. But that last story was so much fun that I kicked it ip a notch.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than most anthologies

The stories were all done reasonably well. I expected to. Be disappointed in at least a couple of these, and was surprised at the quality of each.

[Wayne's · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good collection of stories

[Elle · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF