Midnight Snack: Special Collector's Edition

by Terry M. West

In this highly-acclaimed horror novelette by Terry M. West, Calvin Winslow is an unhappily married man who takes a late night exit and finds a hellish back road.

Genres: Horror

39 pages, Paperback

First published March 2, 2014

About the author

Terry M. West is an American horror author. His best known works: What Price Gory, Car Nex, Dreg and his Night Things series. He was a finalist for 2 International Horror Guild Awards and he was featured on the TV Guide Sci-Fi hot list for his YA graphic novel series, Confessions of a Teenage Vampire. Terry was born in Texas, lived in New York for two decades and he currently hangs his hat in California.
www.terrymwest.com

Reviews

[Mort · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars...

A little bit of IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS with just a hint of MAD MAX...

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Midnight Snack as a Midnight Read

Being a short story I decided to read this. It was very entertaining and very mysterious and dark. Calvin is a man out for a drive and gets lost but more lost then he could ever imagine. I thoroughly enjoyed this dark tale. It reminded me of a mix between Hotel California, Blood Drive along with Twilight Zone and shows like Tales From The Darkside and Tales From the Crypt.

It has plenty of dark and gloomy moments that I imagine drivers experience when lost in the middle of nowhere. I didn't see the ending coming but it was a n enjoyable surprise and nice ending.

[Shadow Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Due to a nasty wreck on the interstate, Calvin decided to get off on an unfamiliar exit and take a long-cut home. His stomach was reminding him that it was past dinner time, and he wasn't looking forward to his plate of leftovers that his wife had waiting for him. His mind was wandering while he was traveling down the lonely road, and he didn't take notice of how long he'd been driving, or how desolate the area was.
Not only was Calvin lost, but he got lost in a dead zone, no cellular signal, no gps, and a minimal radio signal. He encounters another stranded traveler on the side of the road, and things just keep feeling stranger to Calvin. When they hit the drive-thru of the only restaurant on their lost highway, things go from strange to about an 11 on the wierd-shit-o-meter.

[Dez Nemec · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun little story. Calvin is driving home and encounters a wicked accident on the interstate. He forces his way off the exit and onto a small state road. Getting lost in his thoughts, he takes a wrong turn. And then he takes a really wrong turn.

I drive often for work, and it leads me to places that many locals have never heard of. So this story really struck a cord with me. I am definitely NOT looking forward to my next late night drive!

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty solid, fun read. I wasn't quite sure where it was going, but it wasn't what I expected (in a good way). I loved the bleak, sinister ending, but beyond that, it's such a short story I can't say much — just read it!

[Alondra Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Mmmm, a strange portal to where??? Or a strange portal to what???

Don't drive down strange streets, you may get lost.

[Stuart Keane · Rating 5 out of 5]

It goes without saying that I'm a fan of the macabre. As realistic as I like my horror to be, sometimes I just want to sit back and read a book that bends the rules, breaks them or even shatters them and spreads the pieces all over the floor. When I read Midnight Snack, I got my wish.

A simple premise. Calvin, stuck in a marriage with a domineering wife, decides to not return home and drive for a while. On his journey, he zones out behind the wheel of the car and ends up on an unknown road. He drives under an 'underpass' and things start to become a little...weird. The humidity in the air is unusual, fellow drivers act strange and the local drive-thru, Midnight Snack, seems a little iffy. Then he sees the people within...

To say too much would ruin this novella for you. And I don't want to do that. Midnight Snack is a fun, gory, violent, very spooky and entertaining read. Taking a premise so simple and turning it into something horrific is a talent that Terry M. West applies with panache, perfection and seemingly little effort. Personally, I love the American folklore that's reminiscent in this book. Diners and winding roads, amongst other things, act as the stairway to a very thrilling and chilling story. With a character people can relate to - we all have that moment where we don't want to go home - West creates a riveting story with a strong, ambient horror vein.

5* - Absolutely. Horrific, funny, at times realistic (which I never expected) and dark and foreboding; this book will not disappoint. Trust me, if you're driving a dark road in the dead of night, you'll never think about that journey in the same way again. Brilliant stuff.

[Sea Caummisar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am totally on the fence on how to rate this story. It's interesting. It amused me... The fact it left me with questions has me scratching my head. I can't decide if it's bizarre ( which I love), or if there's a deeper meaning. Like some life lesson that if I thought hard enough about that I would appreciate this story more. I'm scrapping my unanswered questions to it being a bizarre creation of the author's imagination . The ending was the best part of the story.
It's short, so a recap won't do it justice. Let's just say a guy goes driving, gets lost, and then it gets crazy. I'm kinda indifferent about how I feel about it. Before things were explained I was eagerly turning pages, curious as to how the events were going to unfold. So that's a good thing. Solid 4 stars from me

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnificent (of course)!

Midnight Snack is just that ... A taste. After you've enjoyed it, please check out the full collection What Price Gory.
I love this treat because it could (easily) happen to any of us. And that makes me smile!
There's no denying I'm a fan of speculative fiction and Terry M. West's dark mind ... and I think you should be too.

[Amanda (spooky.octopus.reads) Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was immediately drawn into this story by the "realness" of the main character, Calvin. He's driving home from work and encounters a bad accident. He takes a turn off the main road and ends up zoning out. He finds himself lost-- without cell service, no GPS signal, and all kinds of strangeness. Things get straight up Twilight Zone'ish real quick. Calvin's character was easily relatable, and the plot took a rather mundane story about a drive home to a wife waiting with a boring dinner and turned it on it's head. I found that I became invested in the story, and the unease that it created was actually quite enjoyable. I don't want to ruin the story for anyone, but if you are looking for a quick, creepy read, you certainly should be picking this story up!

[Christine Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Little Slice of Hell

This is a short and anything but sweet story. Well written with an interesting and somewhat personable main character. You know people like him, people in his situation. You can't help feeling sorry for him. And root for him. I did enjoy the story, but remember it's a horror story. Maybe stay away from apple turnovers.

[Kathryn Grace Loves Horror · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first read by Terry M. West, and it won’t be my last. It’s a short story, so to say too much about it would spoil its surprises, but it’s a fun one. Calvin is a grumpy man taking an ill advised late night detour who winds up in a less than savory location. I really enjoyed riding along on Calvin’s little adventure and plan on revisiting West’s writing soon in the near future.

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read by this author!

Lately I've been devouring material by this author, mostly short stories since I am not in a position to read a full novel at this time.
This is a great, imaginative short story that deserves to be read by LOTS of folks!

[Kay Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE it when an author pulls out all the guns and breaks all the rules. Midnight Snack has a simple premise in a complex and darkly, horrifying fantastical world that all comes full circle in the end with a sinister sneer. Good guys vs Bad guys is most fun when the lines are blurred.

[Sandra Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast read

Man driving home from work, takes a different route. He wants to escape the traffic jam. Ends up in a different place, out of the Twlight Zone.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

So close to the end and didn’t like the direction it went.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this before in "What Price Gory?" and forgot until I got back into it. I really like this tale, would be a great Tales from the Crypt episode.

[Terry Nichols · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good quick, one-sitting read. I enjoyed not only the story but the apple 🍎 turnovers as well.😄

[Edward Brock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Demonically fun. A ride you want to take--then hope to survive.

[Scott - Book Invasion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little story about life and your reflection upon it when viewed from a different lens. I snagged the audiobook from my library and the narration was great!

[Litio Broie · Rating 3 out of 5]

No me ha impresionado especialmente, pero tengo debilidad por el subgénero.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can tell West has a good time letting us in on the deep, dark secrets of the characters he creates. While much of this story reflects on main character’s troubles, in this story it helped build some intensity and was essential for the smile-inducing ending it provided. West was able to instill a real concern and wonder regarding a scenario outside of a diner. Though the scene was unsettling, the ability West holds to create that feeling was comforting.

[Fox Emm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clever little book

Although there isn't much tho like about the main character, this book was an enjoyable piece of fiction that helped me to pass time this afternoon. I may be checking out other titles by Terry M. west, soon!