Night Speed Zero

by Craig Furchtenicht

Night Speed Zero motley collection of short stories than span the horizons of fiction between horror, dark humor and the absurd. Take a spin with an eternal wanderer as he feeds on the suffering of others. Cringe as an elderly war hero faces a pack of bullying teens that have forgotten the age old rule, respect your elders. Go to church with a do-unto-others style of communion that will leave your ears ringing. Realize that rooting for the home team is not everyone's idea of a good time, especially when psychoactive drugs are involved.
No matter what your preferred genre might be, this collection is sure to keep you guessing and will absolutely find you begging for more.

Genres: Horror

Unknown Binding

First published March 31, 2014

About the author

My name is Craig Furchtenicht. I live in the beautiful state of Iowa, USA. I work as a mechanical technician for a large toothbrush manufactoring facilty. In my spare time I enjoy the outdoors, spending time with my wife and of course writing.
My first novel, "Dimebag Bandits", was published last year and I am currently working on the follow up to it. The second work also takes place in Iowa, mainly in the fictional towns of Cameron and Cedar Ridge.
Most of the ideas for my books come from past personal experience, both good and bad. Many revolve around extreme situations involving recreational drug use and the violence that accompanies them. I do not condone these activities, but god only knows that without my years of mispent youth I would not have the material to fill my pages today.
I also write short story collections that lean towards the horror/bizarro genre. These works include "The Blue Dress Paradigm" and the upcoming "Night Speed Zero". All of which can be found on Amazon.com
Enjoy.

Reviews

[Ryan Bracha · Rating 5 out of 5]

My third dip into the work of Craig Furchtenicht's increasingly entertaining twisted brain, and another reason to keep the eye on his progress. Much like the previously reviewed The Blue Dress Paradigm, it's a collection of mostly creepy short stories, but here we have more, and they are even more accomplished than their impressive predecessors.

All of the stories give you an awful sense of unease about where Furchtenicht is taking them, the old widower who's lost his car in Good Friends and a Bucket of Chicken, or the freaky spectral chap in the eponymous Night Speed Zero, and you'd be right to feel uneasy, because the author's not holding back. My favourite by far was the superb Dad's Not Here Right Now, but you know what? They're all excellent. I won't be stealing shit tickets from a petrol station any time soon, I can tell you that much.

Excellent reading, and another fantastic addition to Craig Furchtenicht's arsenal. Highly recommended.

[Bill Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great collection of short stories and it's testament to the author's writing skills that he manages to craft so many different brief stories, each with their own interesting characters and plot. The stories all move at a fast pace, necessitated by the fact they are short stories. Every word and every page has to count and they certainly do!
The stories err on the dark side of life but I still laughed a good few times and read the whole book in one afternoon. I think some of the stories would form a good basis for a longer novel.
I look forward to reading more of the author's work.

[Nihar Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I initially had my reservations regarding this book since I'm not a big fan of horror but my curiosity got the better of me and it wasn't long before I completed the whole thing in one sitting! Night Speed Zero is a collection of dark,humorous and interesting stories with a pinch of horror which will definitely keep you on an edge. The stories hook you from the beginning, each tale is filled with clever twists and turns and you keep wondering what's in store for you!
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read because you don't need a particular genre to get attached to this collection. It will keep you entertained!
I found the most interesting ones to be Night speed zero and Dad's not here right now. But of course my favourite is For External Use Only. I'm an Indian and a Hindu, and if you've read the tale, you'll know what I mean (wink).
FIVE STARS!

[E Krane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Night Speed Zero takes the reader on a head-spinning journey around scenes that veer between horror, zany humour, macabre irony and well-observed realism, often within the space of a single story. That’s not to suggest that the book is in any way incoherent or disjointed – the writing is of too high a standard for that to happen. In particular, the characters are drawn so vividly (whether it’s a lost 90 year old man, a soul-sucking vampire, or young kids trying to take care of their dad) that the reader unfailingly gets drawn into the story. Once that happens, you sit back and enjoy the plot twists and try to guess whether the writer is going to lead us into comedy or tragedy this time?

My own favourites from this collection were, firstly, the title story itself. This is very much in the classic horror mould, with multiple deaths and a supernatural protagonist. But the writing in this story is so lyrical (e.g. “The palm of my outstretched hand pressed against the still warm flesh and I drank it in. The static tingle of a life quickly fading from existence, at least in the physical sense, danced beneath my fingertips”) that it feels startling and fresh. What’s more, as I mentioned previously, the characterisation of the “monster” is handled so well, with so much nuance, from acts of viciousness, to tenderness, to wry sarcasm, that you’re never allowed to start prejudging him or the situation. Unlike clichéd horror, it has a complexity that makes it worth re-reading.

As for my other favourite story, that’s harder to describe because to give away any spoilers about the plot would undermine its impact and that would be a real shame. It’s called “Dad’s Not Here Right Now” and, for me, it treads the path perfectly between realism, horror and the bleakest irony. I’ll just add that it could be read as a satire on family life or the power of television, but that hardly prepares you for the tragic emotional kick it boasts at the end.

So, I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys intelligent, unexpected horror scenes, as well as anyone who appreciates dark humour and wit. Which is most of us, right?

[Alan Hardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A selection of well-presented and cleverly-sculpted stories, eclectic in theme and tone. The tales are off-beat and quirky, and often achieve a startling effect through the juxtaposition of the incredible, unpleasant or unexpected with a perfectly-controlled understated narration. I’ll just give a flavour of the collection: for one, the tale of Louie, a ninety-year-old who knows how to deal with young thugs; another deals with a harbinger of death, an eater of souls who gets nourishment from the energy emanating from dying people; a humorous story on a nerdy swot who takes drugs for the first time; and just to mention one other from many fine stories, two youngsters steal some toilet rolls, which have a curse put on them by the old Indian woman who owns the store, leading to a string of bloody murders by the town’s zombie-transformed inhabitants. Quirky, macabre, funny stories, sometimes naughty, sometimes cheeky, sometimes irreverent, often near-the-knuckle, but always thought-provoking and intensely original. Check them out.

[Mark Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Craig is simply one of the best new authors to emerge amongst a creatively exciting and innovative Indie-Scene that’s been developing these last few years.

An expert in throwing you straight into any given scene and immersing his readers in whatever confusion, rage, death, violence, love or ear he’s chosen to visit upon his main characters, Craig fills his pages with emotion and gritty realism with a skill that’d baffle many much more established authors and drags you willingly along as he gradually exposes the frailties and strengths of a myriad of protagonists.

Entirely unpredictable, sometimes tender, often vicious, always insightful, Craig makes use of his wonderful skill for placing his characters in often extreme situations simply to show you the depths and the greatness each of them have the potential to reach.

Never one for short stories, Craig’s characterisation and punchy narrative made this collection a very quick read and sent me looking greedily for more.

[David Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of seven short stories. They range from horror to humorous.

The worst that can be said about this collection is that some of the stories felt underdeveloped. Even those were still good stories though. For External Use Only was especially good in combining horror and humor. Of course a story about cursed toilet paper would have to combine those two elements. Most of the stories have nice little twists that take you in an entirely different direction than you expected the story to go. Good Friends and a Bucket of Chicken probably had the best twist for me. Night Speed Zero was the closest to a "normal" horror story, but Dad's Not Here Right Now was actually a little scarier since it's twist made it such a realistic possibility.

Give this strange, but good, collection a try.

[Terry Sprouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Night Speed Zero is an original and mind bending compilation of stories.

I especially liked one of the earlier tales where a 90-something gentleman gets accosted by three young thugs, while trying to find his car in the parking lot. I could feel the sinking feeling of the old man’s fading memory inhibited his search, The fear was palpable when the thugs intimidate and threaten him. Yet, in a surprising twist, with a dash of dark humor, the old man triumphs over evil.

Some of the stories are like the Twilight Zone on forty- weight caffeine.

Warning. Once you start reading this book, it’s hard to put down. These scary and bizarre stories are guaranteed to send chills down your back.

[Martin Perks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not usually a reader of short stories, a prefer the novel, apart from Stephen King, whose short stories are a cut above the rest. This collection surprised me, and I would compare them with the great master. The author has a vivid imagination, and with such diverse stories, there was something for everyone, from humour to horror. I particularly liked the story about the old guy who shows some young thugs a thing or two. And while I loved the short stories, I’d love to read a full length book by this author. Excellent read.

[Jared Floodman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sat down to read one of the stories from this book and ended up reading all of them in one sitting. Each story is very well written and all move at a brisk pace that is sure to keep you interested and entertained. While all of the stories are good, with twist and turns sprinkled throughout, I found the Night Speed Zero story to be worth the price of admission alone. I would highly recommend this collection to anyone looking for a quick entertaining read.

[Steven Atwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional

Night Speed Zero is a great collection of short stories. Each one of them are well written, the plot is intriguing, and the characters are engaging. My favorite was Louis in the first short story, "Good Friends and a Bucket of Chicken." This is truly a wonderful book.