Eye

by David J. Schow

You might perceive it as an unblinking scrutiny of such topical issues as sex, obsession, idol worship, penny miracles, policing the birthrate, breast implants, mysterious phone calls in the dead of night, pornography, eternal youth, and the price of devotion. With whom -- or what -- are you really crawling into bed, in the dark?Or you might view it as a phantasmagoric kaleidoscope of sex, monsters, empaths, telepaths, aliens, peewee crime kingpins, otherworldly lovers, sentient art, UFOs, "rectosonics", and Mexican wrestling.You could behold this book's contents as a spectacle of serial love, hot and cold lust, betrayal, and relationships seen from both ends of the telescope. Or a long, hard look into killers, from inside their POV and out, murder, mayhem, death, and things worse than death.Or you could stop reading this hard sell and start eyeballing the thirteen stories that comprise this collection -- Eye.Unhasped2¢ WorthBlessed EventQuebradoraBaggedEntr'acteHolidayWatcher of the SkiesPetitionCalendar GirlScoop Goes RectosonicWhy Rudy Can't ReadSaturnaliaMurder (bonus short story)

Genres: Horror

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

David J. Schow is an American author of horror novels, short stories, and screenplays, associated with the "splatterpunk" movement of the late '80s and early '90s. Most recently he has moved into the crime genre.

Reviews

[Bandit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read two other short story collections by Schow before, but it was so long ago that I can only really remember that I liked them. This one didn't disappoint either. Strong, strange, violent, sexy, dangerous, scary, graphic and thought provoking...Schow really has a way with words and a real knack for short fiction. Recommended.

[Karl]

This is the signed, lettered, slipcased edition of "Eye" and is copy "R" of of the 26 lettered editions signed and lettered by David J. Schow.

[Vultural · Rating 4 out of 5]

Schow, David - Eye

Caustic assortment of venomous bonbons from the reliably ill-tempered Schow.

Ethan pores through a box of memories in “Unhasped.” Memories of ex-girlfriends. Good – bad, here and in the hereafter.

“Quebradora” will be familiar territory for fans of Schow’s later novel, Gun Work (2011). An inside look at the secretive world of lucha libre.

Paul wakes in the middle of the night, and listens to his wife, examines his wife. It doesn’t sound like her, smell like her, look like her. “Entr’acte” reminds readers, no matter how much we know someone, we really don’t know much about them.

“Calendar Girl” is a dark love paean for anyone whose youthful “admiration” for a particular pinup endured well into adulthood. Be it Marilyn, Bettie, Anna Nicole, Donna Michelle …

The collection also provides an afterword. Insights, story roots, obstacles, details that may offer aspiring writers sympathetic encouragement. Especially since Comp 101 and those pricey boot camps make the path from keyboard to Stephen King fame sound oh so easy.