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Beasts: 16 More Weird Stories
A nurse gives a tow truck driver her number while the spirits watch attentively.
Sasquatch & Chupacabra clash across universes.
A skeleton billionaire throws his annual halloween party.
A woman kisses her husband good night & locks him in the basement.
And twelve more.
Sasquatch & Chupacabra clash across universes.
A skeleton billionaire throws his annual halloween party.
A woman kisses her husband good night & locks him in the basement.
And twelve more.
146 pages, Paperback
First published September 8, 2015
2 people are currently reading
56 people want to read
About the author
Brendan Detzner
28 books32 followersBrendan Detzner lives, works, and writes in Chicago. His work has appeared in Chizine, Pseudopod, Edge of Propinquity, Ruthless Peoples, Untied Shoelaces of the Mind, and the Book of Dead Things and Exigencies anthologies, as well as elsewhere. Brendan has also been featured at the Twilight Tales and Reading Under The Influence reading series in Chicago and runs his own reading series Bad Grammar Theater (http://www.badgrammartheater.com). You can keep track of what he's up to at http://www.brendandetzner.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
October 13, 2015
i'm not sure i understood all of these stories. some of them were rocking that whole "suggestion of spookiness/ambiguity" thing that so many horror authors seem to enjoy and that usually makes me want to grab them by the throat and scream "TELL ME WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO BE SCARED OF HERE PLEASE!" but in this case, the stories aren't horror so much as unsettling. there's a peeling-back here, revealing situations that are a little "off," but which aren't intended to make you cower in fear. the reader is more exposed to something than "told a story" so if there is frequently an element of suggestion rather than exposition, it still kinda works, and i don't have to go on a throat-grabbing spree. which is gonna save me a lot of time.
In The Fall
i mostly liked this one. it has a sort of angela carter feel to it; one of those grown-up fairytales that strings you along and feels almost familiar. i'm a little unclear about motive here - it seems to be destruction for destruction's sake, which isn't dramatically resonant, but i did enjoy the story regardless.
The Sasquatch Vs. Chupacabra Variations 1-9 (listed as The Chupacabra Versus Sasquatch Variations 1-9 in the TOC)
these are indeed nine variations on the theme of sasquatch vs. chupacabra. they range in length from flash fiction to a page or so, in form from haiku to prose, in genre from noir to sci-fi, in tone from poignant coming-of-age to humorous bizarro, in conflict from professional rivalry to competition for resources. sometimes sasquatch is named "martin," and sometimes sasquatch is female. so many ways of looking at some cryptids.
Spirits of the Wind
i think this one is the longest. and it might be my favorite, even though i have so many questions. this one definitely falls under that "more evocative than explanatory" assessment, but i enjoyed its unfolding even though i don't completely grasp its mythology.
A Day and Two Nights When I Was Twenty
this one has that kind of smalltown ambiguous spookiness that reads like russell banks holding hands with jonathan carroll.
The Return of Uncle Hungry's Pizza Time Fun Band
if there is a child you do not much care for, you should make an illustrated version of this story and leave it on their pillow. and maybe program one of those talking stuffed animals to shout things like "IF I COULD BUT REACH YOU, I WOULD TASTE YOUR THROAT!" i do understand what's going on in this story. and it's totally fucked-up. and i love it.
I-65
this one has nice chilling scenario. it's kinda like grit lit revenge tale meets twilight zone. there will be machinations.
Two Nights Only
a sorta Something Wicked This Way Comes-infused story about why we must always follow magician's instructions to the letter.
PCBF
this story demystifies the ambitions of artificial intelligence. i'm pretty sure this is a completely accurate breakdown of what they want and what they would value and deem worthy of preserving out of the whole catalog of humanity's contribution to the world.
Wetwork
there's a lot of interesting meat here, but damned if i can understand the whole meal. it's aftermath without context, but it's still strangely fascinating.
The Envelope Job
again - i kinda loved a lot of this, but i think i would have felt better about it if this were one of those "read the excerpt, buy the book" kind of situations. as a self-contained story, it leaves me a little unsatisfied. i feel like this is a novel waiting to happen.
Ebb Tide
a ghost story. a love story. a good story.
The Gardener Estate
there has never been a more appropriate time to link to this song. happy halloween!
Blue Eyes
this one is also in the running for "best in collection." it's jekyll and hyde meets buffy meets monsterporn. it's totally SFW, but the spirit of monsterporn is in there; the pursuit of a bit of strange strange.
The Specimen
The world is a strange place.
also, tentacles.
Shadow
steven spielberg and neill blomkamp are totally gonna arm-wrestle for the movie rights to this one.
The Walk Home
a good way to close the collection - not quite magical realism, but definitely ghostly realism. this one uses ambiguity deliciously - you know all the important/dramatic parts, while the boring parts like any explanation of the mechanics of it all are left undefined.
me and short stories are still a little hit-or-miss, but i liked the bones of this collection, even when i felt a little adrift.
In The Fall
i mostly liked this one. it has a sort of angela carter feel to it; one of those grown-up fairytales that strings you along and feels almost familiar. i'm a little unclear about motive here - it seems to be destruction for destruction's sake, which isn't dramatically resonant, but i did enjoy the story regardless.
The Sasquatch Vs. Chupacabra Variations 1-9 (listed as The Chupacabra Versus Sasquatch Variations 1-9 in the TOC)
these are indeed nine variations on the theme of sasquatch vs. chupacabra. they range in length from flash fiction to a page or so, in form from haiku to prose, in genre from noir to sci-fi, in tone from poignant coming-of-age to humorous bizarro, in conflict from professional rivalry to competition for resources. sometimes sasquatch is named "martin," and sometimes sasquatch is female. so many ways of looking at some cryptids.
Spirits of the Wind
i think this one is the longest. and it might be my favorite, even though i have so many questions. this one definitely falls under that "more evocative than explanatory" assessment, but i enjoyed its unfolding even though i don't completely grasp its mythology.
A Day and Two Nights When I Was Twenty
this one has that kind of smalltown ambiguous spookiness that reads like russell banks holding hands with jonathan carroll.
The Return of Uncle Hungry's Pizza Time Fun Band
if there is a child you do not much care for, you should make an illustrated version of this story and leave it on their pillow. and maybe program one of those talking stuffed animals to shout things like "IF I COULD BUT REACH YOU, I WOULD TASTE YOUR THROAT!" i do understand what's going on in this story. and it's totally fucked-up. and i love it.
I-65
this one has nice chilling scenario. it's kinda like grit lit revenge tale meets twilight zone. there will be machinations.
Two Nights Only
a sorta Something Wicked This Way Comes-infused story about why we must always follow magician's instructions to the letter.
PCBF
this story demystifies the ambitions of artificial intelligence. i'm pretty sure this is a completely accurate breakdown of what they want and what they would value and deem worthy of preserving out of the whole catalog of humanity's contribution to the world.
Wetwork
there's a lot of interesting meat here, but damned if i can understand the whole meal. it's aftermath without context, but it's still strangely fascinating.
The Envelope Job
again - i kinda loved a lot of this, but i think i would have felt better about it if this were one of those "read the excerpt, buy the book" kind of situations. as a self-contained story, it leaves me a little unsatisfied. i feel like this is a novel waiting to happen.
Ebb Tide
a ghost story. a love story. a good story.
The Gardener Estate
there has never been a more appropriate time to link to this song. happy halloween!
Blue Eyes
this one is also in the running for "best in collection." it's jekyll and hyde meets buffy meets monsterporn. it's totally SFW, but the spirit of monsterporn is in there; the pursuit of a bit of strange strange.
The Specimen
The world is a strange place.
also, tentacles.
Shadow
steven spielberg and neill blomkamp are totally gonna arm-wrestle for the movie rights to this one.
The Walk Home
a good way to close the collection - not quite magical realism, but definitely ghostly realism. this one uses ambiguity deliciously - you know all the important/dramatic parts, while the boring parts like any explanation of the mechanics of it all are left undefined.
me and short stories are still a little hit-or-miss, but i liked the bones of this collection, even when i felt a little adrift.
September 28, 2015
This is definitely not a book I would have come across had Mr. Detzner not offered me an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review. It’s fun to get an early look at a new piece of fiction, but this short story collection struggled to capture my attention. I spent more time thinking about how the stories could be improved than I did enjoying them.
Right from the beginning, Detzner’s choppy writing made the stories tough to get into. The ARC text doesn’t seem to have gone through a proper editing process, and contains a handful outright errors as well as many sentences in need of serious revision. Take this example from the first paragraph of the first story:
"As Shawna got older and gained a better understanding of her circumstances, the rule made less and less sense––her family lived in a trailer park and privacy was mostly a foreign concept, everybody knew exactly what was going on––but still, she never did tell anyone, even after her mother died." (loc. 51)
There are at least two separate sentences here, maybe three. It’s possible he could have scraped by with a well-placed semicolon, but he didn’t even try that. As it is, this sentence has almost no flow to it, and I had to read it a few times before I could even begin to consider its content.
Here’s another example from a different story: “More then once, if he had to, but he was a big guy, he didn’t think he’d have to do it more then once” (loc. 939). This short sentence manages to confuse “then” and “than” twice, and also contains a comma splice.
Now, in one sense it’s pedantic to harp on these relatively minor errors; they certainly aren’t egregious enough to discredit Detzner’s book altogether. But they also aren’t entirely negligible. Flow matters. Editing matters. Detzner’s words too often get in the way of his stories, rather than facilitating them. I’d be lying if I said this problem isn’t holding Beasts back.
Also confounding is Detzner’s abortive style. Most of his stories are remarkably short, which isn’t a problem in itself. But more often than not they fail to elicit much of an emotional or intellectual response. This is due to a general lack of character development and a dearth of description, especially in the expositions. Detzner’s voice has an oneiric feel, with more than a touch of the macabre, and clarity doesn’t seem to be a priority. (It’s also possible I missed some of the subtler signposts that would have helped me understand the stories better, but on the whole I wasn’t motivated to expend too much energy looking for them, which is another problem altogether.)
When trying to write stories that bemuse or horrify, the author must give up enough information to draw the reader in, but never quite reveal his or her full hand. Too little opacity will kill the mystery, while too much will leave the reader more confused than anything else. The majority of Detzner’s stories lack this balance, and are so concerned with being vaguely menacing that there’s little opportunity to develop a genuine investment in the characters and their problems.
Happily, this trend is not without exceptions. Two stories stood out to me as real gems. The first is “Spirits of the Wind.” This story is considerably longer than the others, and much more complex. It tackles timely issues such as socioeconomic hardship and America’s racial divide, blending them with elements of fantasy and jazz music. “Spirits of the Wind” nicely displays Detzner’s bizarre sensibilities, and indicates how they could be put to better use if he spent more time and effort developing his ideas into longer, more fleshed-out narratives.
I also enjoyed “PCFB,” a brief tale about a superintelligent computer that decides the pinnacle of human experience is partying at Panama City Beach, Florida. AI is one of my favorite topics in both nonfiction and fiction, and I thought Detzner’s treatment, though flippant, was also funny and insightful. The problem of using quantitative measures to assess the quality of human experience won’t be going away anytime soon, and “PCFB” is a great way to keep the discussion going, especially for those new to the AI debate.
As a final thought, I’d like to highlight a moment when Detzner unwittingly reveals his own weakness as a writer. “Mysteries are cool,” he bluntly proclaims. “Facts are boring” (loc. 1870). What is missing from Beasts is an understanding that the relationship between mystery and fact is a symbiotic one. The power of mystery to titillate and tantalize is rooted in the facts of human life––mundane moments and details that make us feel at home. Once that dynamic is established, we can be persuaded to feel like the supernatural might be just around the corner. But Beasts is lopsided, asking us to accept the unknown without first putting in the effort to show us a world we can truly relate to.
Detzner’s work flees from the facts of life more than it embraces them, and therefore dons the cloak of mystery without really earning it. Going forward, this promising author should try to keep his feet a little more on the ground, while still striving to keep his head in the clouds.
This review was originally published on my blog, words&dirt.
Right from the beginning, Detzner’s choppy writing made the stories tough to get into. The ARC text doesn’t seem to have gone through a proper editing process, and contains a handful outright errors as well as many sentences in need of serious revision. Take this example from the first paragraph of the first story:
"As Shawna got older and gained a better understanding of her circumstances, the rule made less and less sense––her family lived in a trailer park and privacy was mostly a foreign concept, everybody knew exactly what was going on––but still, she never did tell anyone, even after her mother died." (loc. 51)
There are at least two separate sentences here, maybe three. It’s possible he could have scraped by with a well-placed semicolon, but he didn’t even try that. As it is, this sentence has almost no flow to it, and I had to read it a few times before I could even begin to consider its content.
Here’s another example from a different story: “More then once, if he had to, but he was a big guy, he didn’t think he’d have to do it more then once” (loc. 939). This short sentence manages to confuse “then” and “than” twice, and also contains a comma splice.
Now, in one sense it’s pedantic to harp on these relatively minor errors; they certainly aren’t egregious enough to discredit Detzner’s book altogether. But they also aren’t entirely negligible. Flow matters. Editing matters. Detzner’s words too often get in the way of his stories, rather than facilitating them. I’d be lying if I said this problem isn’t holding Beasts back.
Also confounding is Detzner’s abortive style. Most of his stories are remarkably short, which isn’t a problem in itself. But more often than not they fail to elicit much of an emotional or intellectual response. This is due to a general lack of character development and a dearth of description, especially in the expositions. Detzner’s voice has an oneiric feel, with more than a touch of the macabre, and clarity doesn’t seem to be a priority. (It’s also possible I missed some of the subtler signposts that would have helped me understand the stories better, but on the whole I wasn’t motivated to expend too much energy looking for them, which is another problem altogether.)
When trying to write stories that bemuse or horrify, the author must give up enough information to draw the reader in, but never quite reveal his or her full hand. Too little opacity will kill the mystery, while too much will leave the reader more confused than anything else. The majority of Detzner’s stories lack this balance, and are so concerned with being vaguely menacing that there’s little opportunity to develop a genuine investment in the characters and their problems.
Happily, this trend is not without exceptions. Two stories stood out to me as real gems. The first is “Spirits of the Wind.” This story is considerably longer than the others, and much more complex. It tackles timely issues such as socioeconomic hardship and America’s racial divide, blending them with elements of fantasy and jazz music. “Spirits of the Wind” nicely displays Detzner’s bizarre sensibilities, and indicates how they could be put to better use if he spent more time and effort developing his ideas into longer, more fleshed-out narratives.
I also enjoyed “PCFB,” a brief tale about a superintelligent computer that decides the pinnacle of human experience is partying at Panama City Beach, Florida. AI is one of my favorite topics in both nonfiction and fiction, and I thought Detzner’s treatment, though flippant, was also funny and insightful. The problem of using quantitative measures to assess the quality of human experience won’t be going away anytime soon, and “PCFB” is a great way to keep the discussion going, especially for those new to the AI debate.
As a final thought, I’d like to highlight a moment when Detzner unwittingly reveals his own weakness as a writer. “Mysteries are cool,” he bluntly proclaims. “Facts are boring” (loc. 1870). What is missing from Beasts is an understanding that the relationship between mystery and fact is a symbiotic one. The power of mystery to titillate and tantalize is rooted in the facts of human life––mundane moments and details that make us feel at home. Once that dynamic is established, we can be persuaded to feel like the supernatural might be just around the corner. But Beasts is lopsided, asking us to accept the unknown without first putting in the effort to show us a world we can truly relate to.
Detzner’s work flees from the facts of life more than it embraces them, and therefore dons the cloak of mystery without really earning it. Going forward, this promising author should try to keep his feet a little more on the ground, while still striving to keep his head in the clouds.
This review was originally published on my blog, words&dirt.
October 1, 2015
Really fun, "Twilight Zone" worthy weird fiction. Beasts” by Brendan Detzner is worth your hard-earned pennies. Why? Read on...(no spoilers)
Statement of bias: I mainly read short horror anthologies specifically, and I read a lot of them. Make of that what you will. I also tend to annotate anthologies in pencil as I read them; else I will never be able to find stories I want to re-read, later. I was also given an advance copy of the book for honest review.
It doesn’t take a look back over my notes on the book to realize I enjoyed the stories within “Beasts", but a quick scan of my notes[1] shows four "5/5"s, four “LOVE"s, a bunch of “greats” and “really great idea", along with an ever-captivating “nice & weird”, and the jotted note “the Stepford wife bedroom-community rough sex one.” I’ll not spoil which story that goes with.
There are a lot of big swing ideas here, and many of them connect well. My favorite stories, in no particular order, were “The Gardener Estate”, “Two Nights Only”, “In The Fall”, and “I-65”. Choosing favorites was challenging. For example, consider the nightmare of being the animatronic showtime band at a Showbiz Pizza. Shudder. It wasn’t one of my absolute favs, but what a grim fate.
It is fair to say that “Beasts” is less about body horror and more about dread, uncertainty, and weird goings-on. With several of these stories, the horror grows slowly as you consider the ramifications of the choices made by the characters. If you are looking for splatter, or shock, you might look elsewhere, but if strange little tales about the edges of daily experience are your bag, give this a read.
Detzner clearly has some larger world in his head; some of the stories seem linked[2]. “The Envelope Job” in particular left me with a character clearly embroiled in some bigger arcs; I want to hear more[3]. I also like how several of the stories would be equally at home in a sci-fi anthology.
While most of the ideas are great, a few of the stories meander, could be tighter, or do not really conclude much…good stories for flavor and tone, but I occasionally lost the thread. If that sort of thing makes you irritated, consider yourself warned. That caveat aside, there is a lot to enjoy here, and there are stories I keep going back to mentally for further consideration (“A Day and Two Nights When I Was Twenty” springs to mind).
As another note; evidently most of these have been performed at reading series by the author. I’d love to hear that. I suspect some of what looks like editing that could be tightened results from concessions/considerations relating to storytelling[4]. Probably the most telling part of this review; I’ll be hunting up another anthology from Brendan Detzner to keep on deck for some windblown wintry night by the fire.
[1]. My notations pretty much just make sense to me and are not consistent… there are no "4/5”s or “not quite as good as” notations.
[2]. Confirmed by the story notes at the end of the book…evidently if I was more familiar with his works the links would be even more strongly apparent.
[3]. Side note: I love pulp detective stories. While urban fantasy has led to a rise of supernatural procedurals, they generally don’t feel as gritty as this.
[4]. Brendan has had work read on the horror fiction podcast Pseudopod.org. Check his story out here
Statement of bias: I mainly read short horror anthologies specifically, and I read a lot of them. Make of that what you will. I also tend to annotate anthologies in pencil as I read them; else I will never be able to find stories I want to re-read, later. I was also given an advance copy of the book for honest review.
It doesn’t take a look back over my notes on the book to realize I enjoyed the stories within “Beasts", but a quick scan of my notes[1] shows four "5/5"s, four “LOVE"s, a bunch of “greats” and “really great idea", along with an ever-captivating “nice & weird”, and the jotted note “the Stepford wife bedroom-community rough sex one.” I’ll not spoil which story that goes with.
There are a lot of big swing ideas here, and many of them connect well. My favorite stories, in no particular order, were “The Gardener Estate”, “Two Nights Only”, “In The Fall”, and “I-65”. Choosing favorites was challenging. For example, consider the nightmare of being the animatronic showtime band at a Showbiz Pizza. Shudder. It wasn’t one of my absolute favs, but what a grim fate.
It is fair to say that “Beasts” is less about body horror and more about dread, uncertainty, and weird goings-on. With several of these stories, the horror grows slowly as you consider the ramifications of the choices made by the characters. If you are looking for splatter, or shock, you might look elsewhere, but if strange little tales about the edges of daily experience are your bag, give this a read.
Detzner clearly has some larger world in his head; some of the stories seem linked[2]. “The Envelope Job” in particular left me with a character clearly embroiled in some bigger arcs; I want to hear more[3]. I also like how several of the stories would be equally at home in a sci-fi anthology.
While most of the ideas are great, a few of the stories meander, could be tighter, or do not really conclude much…good stories for flavor and tone, but I occasionally lost the thread. If that sort of thing makes you irritated, consider yourself warned. That caveat aside, there is a lot to enjoy here, and there are stories I keep going back to mentally for further consideration (“A Day and Two Nights When I Was Twenty” springs to mind).
As another note; evidently most of these have been performed at reading series by the author. I’d love to hear that. I suspect some of what looks like editing that could be tightened results from concessions/considerations relating to storytelling[4]. Probably the most telling part of this review; I’ll be hunting up another anthology from Brendan Detzner to keep on deck for some windblown wintry night by the fire.
[1]. My notations pretty much just make sense to me and are not consistent… there are no "4/5”s or “not quite as good as” notations.
[2]. Confirmed by the story notes at the end of the book…evidently if I was more familiar with his works the links would be even more strongly apparent.
[3]. Side note: I love pulp detective stories. While urban fantasy has led to a rise of supernatural procedurals, they generally don’t feel as gritty as this.
[4]. Brendan has had work read on the horror fiction podcast Pseudopod.org. Check his story out here
October 3, 2015
As a follow up to Detzner's first short story collection SCARCE RESOURCES, BEASTS shows his growth both as a storyteller and as a writer. It's worth mentioning that some of the more negative reviews of BEASTS have commented that the prose is "sloppy" or "weak." I didn't find that to be the case. Detzner writes with a minimalist style more common to noir than horror. There's nothing sloppy about the writing, nothing loose or poorly constructed. We all have our preferences in terms of style, but it's unfair to chastise BEASTS for being poorly-written. Considering that many of the stories were originally published in paying short fiction markets, it would seem a number of professional editors liked the writing well enough to pay for it! But I digress.
BEASTS offers a diverse collection of stories that defy easy categorization: A hedonistic AI, a 'deal with the devil' story, the implications of eternal life, mythology, vignettes, the dark, the fantastical, modern parables from the edge of sanity. I liked some stories better than others, but like many other reviewers, found "Spirits of the Wind" to be the true standout, a story that has stuck with me because of the layered and nuanced plot as much as the haunting imagery.
There's a lot of bang for your (almost literal) buck in this collection. If you enjoy dark fiction and short stories in particular, you could do a fair amount worse that BEASTS. It's worth the price of admission for "Spirits of the Wind" by itself.
BEASTS offers a diverse collection of stories that defy easy categorization: A hedonistic AI, a 'deal with the devil' story, the implications of eternal life, mythology, vignettes, the dark, the fantastical, modern parables from the edge of sanity. I liked some stories better than others, but like many other reviewers, found "Spirits of the Wind" to be the true standout, a story that has stuck with me because of the layered and nuanced plot as much as the haunting imagery.
There's a lot of bang for your (almost literal) buck in this collection. If you enjoy dark fiction and short stories in particular, you could do a fair amount worse that BEASTS. It's worth the price of admission for "Spirits of the Wind" by itself.
September 3, 2015
Great stories. The prose is easily understandable and the stories are clear and effective.
All while maintaining depth and readability.
The "story notes" at the end are also a neat addition to the book for anyone interested in the craft.
5/5. Would recommend to anyone interested in science fiction and horror.
All while maintaining depth and readability.
The "story notes" at the end are also a neat addition to the book for anyone interested in the craft.
5/5. Would recommend to anyone interested in science fiction and horror.
September 7, 2015
ARC received from the author in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
It's an interesting situation, receiving a review request from an author. The first time it happened, I was flattered, honored, really, that of the millions of Goodreads reviewers, I was asked to read an advanced copy.
Yeah. That would've been for the book The Serpent's Head: Revenge. That did not end well. There after, the handful of times I've been asked to review a book, I've looked at the description carefully before saying yes, and either said no, or given a fairly heavy handed warning that I won't be nice just to pet an author's ego.
Between that and the complete lack of decent short story collections crossing my reading space lately, I was immensely pleased to find that this collection by Brendan Detzner was....actually pretty good.
This is a very strange collection of very weird stories. There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason to the order, though maybe there is one that only the author can understand. The theme is (obviously) beasts, supernatural/freaking weird creatures that somehow make their way into the worlds of each story.
Not all the stories were winners, mind you. But I think there's a really nice balance of interesting and not so much, which usually tells me that for every one I don't care for, someone else is really into it.
Just a quick run down of some of my favorites. The very first story, In the Fall, starts with the story of a 16-year old girl who murders her abusive father and goes on the run. Yes, okay, you certainly have my attention, please continue. The story gets...well, yes, let's just say it, very weird, but wonderfully twisty. I can't even say it's a "didn't see that coming", because really. None of these are.
Spirits of the Wind is one of the longer stories, and hands down is my favorite. The writing in this short story is unlike all the rest, and it's so beautifully crafted. It's a meet cute story of a girl meeting a guy when he comes to give her a tow. I momentarily forget that this was a collection about beasts, so when the supernatural element arrived, I was actually disappointed to be taken out of the story. But it all wove together nicely.
A Day and Two Nights When I Was Twenty - Probably the scariest in the bunch, featuring what could be a ghost, or could not be. Watch your flying plastic ghosts, people. The Return of Uncle Hungry's Pizza Time Fun Band, I read on one of my 15 minute breaks at work. People stared at how hard I cackled with laughter.
I-65 and Two Nights Only both had the kind of nifty twist ending I want in a short story.
Blue Eyes and The Specimen are both new twists on classics, though Blue Eyes is very erratic and poorly explained. I would've liked a bit more information on both of them, for different reasons.
And lastly, The Envelope Job was the story I liked the least, and the reason this collection took me so long to read. I didn't understand it, and it suffered badly from the quality of vagueness each previous and subsequent story also has. Each story leaves a little to the reader's imagination. This one left too much. But maybe another reader will get it and love it.
I would definitely recommend this short story collection. The ones that work genuinely work. The ones I didn't like, I can absolutely see someone else come up behind me, with different workings of the mind, and have everything click into place like it didn't do for me.
It's an interesting situation, receiving a review request from an author. The first time it happened, I was flattered, honored, really, that of the millions of Goodreads reviewers, I was asked to read an advanced copy.
Yeah. That would've been for the book The Serpent's Head: Revenge. That did not end well. There after, the handful of times I've been asked to review a book, I've looked at the description carefully before saying yes, and either said no, or given a fairly heavy handed warning that I won't be nice just to pet an author's ego.
Between that and the complete lack of decent short story collections crossing my reading space lately, I was immensely pleased to find that this collection by Brendan Detzner was....actually pretty good.
This is a very strange collection of very weird stories. There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason to the order, though maybe there is one that only the author can understand. The theme is (obviously) beasts, supernatural/freaking weird creatures that somehow make their way into the worlds of each story.
Not all the stories were winners, mind you. But I think there's a really nice balance of interesting and not so much, which usually tells me that for every one I don't care for, someone else is really into it.
Just a quick run down of some of my favorites. The very first story, In the Fall, starts with the story of a 16-year old girl who murders her abusive father and goes on the run. Yes, okay, you certainly have my attention, please continue. The story gets...well, yes, let's just say it, very weird, but wonderfully twisty. I can't even say it's a "didn't see that coming", because really. None of these are.
Spirits of the Wind is one of the longer stories, and hands down is my favorite. The writing in this short story is unlike all the rest, and it's so beautifully crafted. It's a meet cute story of a girl meeting a guy when he comes to give her a tow. I momentarily forget that this was a collection about beasts, so when the supernatural element arrived, I was actually disappointed to be taken out of the story. But it all wove together nicely.
A Day and Two Nights When I Was Twenty - Probably the scariest in the bunch, featuring what could be a ghost, or could not be. Watch your flying plastic ghosts, people. The Return of Uncle Hungry's Pizza Time Fun Band, I read on one of my 15 minute breaks at work. People stared at how hard I cackled with laughter.
I-65 and Two Nights Only both had the kind of nifty twist ending I want in a short story.
Blue Eyes and The Specimen are both new twists on classics, though Blue Eyes is very erratic and poorly explained. I would've liked a bit more information on both of them, for different reasons.
And lastly, The Envelope Job was the story I liked the least, and the reason this collection took me so long to read. I didn't understand it, and it suffered badly from the quality of vagueness each previous and subsequent story also has. Each story leaves a little to the reader's imagination. This one left too much. But maybe another reader will get it and love it.
I would definitely recommend this short story collection. The ones that work genuinely work. The ones I didn't like, I can absolutely see someone else come up behind me, with different workings of the mind, and have everything click into place like it didn't do for me.
January 10, 2016
So I had been anticipating this book Beasts: 16 More Weird Stories by Brendan Detzner ever since I signed up in the hopes to win a giveaway copy. Eagerly anticipating...overjoyed when it finally arrived, I rushed through my other commitments so I could get right into this book. It was such a quick read....breezed right through all 146 pages..and that includes re-reading a few stories. WTF...I mean seriously WTF did I just read??!! I am talking straight up twilight zone stuff. New age twilight zone stuff. These are not your typical horror genre stories...this is weirdness. The kind of weirdness that haunts you..the kind of weirdness that had me realizing on several occasions that my mouth was left wide open and my body was kind of rigid and frozen and again with that thought "WTF??". Was I anticipating this?? I'm not sure...I don't know what I was thinking. I guess when I saw "weird stories" I went right with horror and the scare factor that comes with it. This is different than that...abstract...sometimes sci-fi scary..and I loved it.
It's a collection of short stories..odder and odder as you go along reading. A few stories I read right through them with a reaction of "what just happened?? A few I was kinda laughing maniacally and thinking "Is this craziness??.genius?? I love it" But I will say, there were moments that I had to go back and re-read because I would find myself engrossed in a story..then find myself in that "I'm totally lost" realm. Thinking, "did I just skip something here..miss something??" Some stories seemed to veer off...giving the effect that I skipped a paragraph or a page even. I am not sure if anyone else had that same issue and if not then maybe I just did not get the story or how it should be read. And for some they were a riot to read. I mean come on, Sasquatch and Chupacabra..WTF??!! (please someone share with me your take on that tale). Ooooh oooh, I loved I-65, A Day And Two Nights When I was Twenty, and Spirits of the Wind (most fave). Good, solid, gave me chills, pulled the blankets a little bit more over my head, bizarre feeling feels.
Can we talk about the cover for a second??!! How unique..and odd..and creative and cult classic-ish. Night time...a street light blaring in the background (what's with street lamps and their way of making things appear extra creepy??) this huge dark 2 story house...with all kinds of STUFFED ANIMALS nailed to the outside walls and windows. CREEPY...like blaring child molester/murder creepy...like a killer clown probably resides there creepy. Like, "I want to know what's going on there and also I totally don't". My 7 year happened a glance upon it and gave a look of both dread and curiosity, flat out saying "Mom, why do you have that book??" The kid was freaked out..and that's just over a cover pic!! Buuahahaha!! I like the size of the book...the flip-floppiness of the book...the font size...the story notes.
Overall I would say this is a book that I could see as a cult classic hit if only for a few tweaks. Creepy...odd...Twilight Zone meets Rocky Horror Picture Show meets that weird house in the neighborhood that is shrouded in mystery and urban legends. This is a great short story read. A book you can enjoy in one sitting...haunting..at least a story or two is going to stay with you well after reading it.
Thanks to Brendan Detzner and the peeps over at LibraryThing for making my request for this book possible....via giveaway free in exchange for an honest review to which I gladly and voluntarily gave.
It's a collection of short stories..odder and odder as you go along reading. A few stories I read right through them with a reaction of "what just happened?? A few I was kinda laughing maniacally and thinking "Is this craziness??.genius?? I love it" But I will say, there were moments that I had to go back and re-read because I would find myself engrossed in a story..then find myself in that "I'm totally lost" realm. Thinking, "did I just skip something here..miss something??" Some stories seemed to veer off...giving the effect that I skipped a paragraph or a page even. I am not sure if anyone else had that same issue and if not then maybe I just did not get the story or how it should be read. And for some they were a riot to read. I mean come on, Sasquatch and Chupacabra..WTF??!! (please someone share with me your take on that tale). Ooooh oooh, I loved I-65, A Day And Two Nights When I was Twenty, and Spirits of the Wind (most fave). Good, solid, gave me chills, pulled the blankets a little bit more over my head, bizarre feeling feels.
Can we talk about the cover for a second??!! How unique..and odd..and creative and cult classic-ish. Night time...a street light blaring in the background (what's with street lamps and their way of making things appear extra creepy??) this huge dark 2 story house...with all kinds of STUFFED ANIMALS nailed to the outside walls and windows. CREEPY...like blaring child molester/murder creepy...like a killer clown probably resides there creepy. Like, "I want to know what's going on there and also I totally don't". My 7 year happened a glance upon it and gave a look of both dread and curiosity, flat out saying "Mom, why do you have that book??" The kid was freaked out..and that's just over a cover pic!! Buuahahaha!! I like the size of the book...the flip-floppiness of the book...the font size...the story notes.
Overall I would say this is a book that I could see as a cult classic hit if only for a few tweaks. Creepy...odd...Twilight Zone meets Rocky Horror Picture Show meets that weird house in the neighborhood that is shrouded in mystery and urban legends. This is a great short story read. A book you can enjoy in one sitting...haunting..at least a story or two is going to stay with you well after reading it.
Thanks to Brendan Detzner and the peeps over at LibraryThing for making my request for this book possible....via giveaway free in exchange for an honest review to which I gladly and voluntarily gave.
December 3, 2020
It is often difficult to rate collections of short stories. There are sixteen here. Some I liked. Some I didn't.
In this instance it was also difficult to assign a category to the whole. Some stories are of the horror genre, some cross over into science fiction themes, several are comic--and all are bizarre. I compromise by categorizing the lot as 'literature'.
Thematically, what I liked were author Detzner's characterizations of human relationships, particularly that found in 'Spirits of the Wind'. As one finds in S. King, the people and the settings (Midwestern in general, Chicagoland or Beloit in particular) are contemporary and believable, the weirdness occurring amidst the ordinary and familiar. Also, the scope of Detzner's imagination is remarkable.
However, at the boundaries of his imagination I found myself sometimes getting lost and had to reread paragraphs to get back on the track the author was trying to lead me on. This kind of work shouldn't be necessary. The best literature, in my opinion, should carry its readers along without effort, so that one forgets one is reading and gets swept along the plot line. Here, I'd suggest that Detzner cultivate some shamelessly critical (or slightly dense) friends to test his stories on. From the notes on the individual pieces appearing as a supplement in the back of this collection it appears that many, if not all, of these works were meant to be read aloud. This gives the writer/reader certain advantages not available in the dumb, published text. Tone, rhythm, intonation etc.--all can help guide listeners along the intended path.
So, too, a proofreader would be helpful. Not only are there typos of the kind that spell-checkers don't catch, but there are also a few narrative inconsistencies that a good proofreader would catch. For instance, in 'A Day and Two Nights When I Was Twenty' 'a plastic ghost' becomes, shortly thereafter, a plastic Santa figurine.
In this instance it was also difficult to assign a category to the whole. Some stories are of the horror genre, some cross over into science fiction themes, several are comic--and all are bizarre. I compromise by categorizing the lot as 'literature'.
Thematically, what I liked were author Detzner's characterizations of human relationships, particularly that found in 'Spirits of the Wind'. As one finds in S. King, the people and the settings (Midwestern in general, Chicagoland or Beloit in particular) are contemporary and believable, the weirdness occurring amidst the ordinary and familiar. Also, the scope of Detzner's imagination is remarkable.
However, at the boundaries of his imagination I found myself sometimes getting lost and had to reread paragraphs to get back on the track the author was trying to lead me on. This kind of work shouldn't be necessary. The best literature, in my opinion, should carry its readers along without effort, so that one forgets one is reading and gets swept along the plot line. Here, I'd suggest that Detzner cultivate some shamelessly critical (or slightly dense) friends to test his stories on. From the notes on the individual pieces appearing as a supplement in the back of this collection it appears that many, if not all, of these works were meant to be read aloud. This gives the writer/reader certain advantages not available in the dumb, published text. Tone, rhythm, intonation etc.--all can help guide listeners along the intended path.
So, too, a proofreader would be helpful. Not only are there typos of the kind that spell-checkers don't catch, but there are also a few narrative inconsistencies that a good proofreader would catch. For instance, in 'A Day and Two Nights When I Was Twenty' 'a plastic ghost' becomes, shortly thereafter, a plastic Santa figurine.
October 1, 2015
Where do I begin? I had every intention of discussing specific stories in this collection, however by the end of it I could hardly remember any detail involving the stories themselves because I had such a difficult time getting through the authors way of writing. Whether he has chosen to write in this sloppy, incoherent "style" or whether he is just a terrible writer I really cannot say. It's as if I was reading a very rough first draft, the draft no one but an editor should ever see. With awful grammar and poor sentence structure galore, whoever did edit this should consider a new profession. I can forgive random errors here and there, but when they are practically on every other page and begin to effect the storytelling itself it's just unforgivable.
I truly hate that my review is focused on this rather then the stories themselves but the whole book read off to me and completely took me out of any worthwhile storytelling that may have been present. If things like this bother you, skip this one.
*I received this copy from the author in exchange for an honest review
I truly hate that my review is focused on this rather then the stories themselves but the whole book read off to me and completely took me out of any worthwhile storytelling that may have been present. If things like this bother you, skip this one.
*I received this copy from the author in exchange for an honest review
October 16, 2015
‘Beasts’ is a collection of 16 weird tales by Detzner. Some are previously published but the majority are new to this book. A mix of horror and dark fantasy, some with humor. A goddess choose to live as a mortal for a while. A woman is reborn every year. One of those creepy animatronic animal bands in a pizza joint is put back into service. A stage magician proves to be more than he appears to be. A giant computer that achieves sentience makes a very odd choice. A billionaire who is an animate skeleton throws a party. A woman makes a friend-or pet- out of a tentacled creature from the ocean. One story- “Shadow” reminded me of Ray Bradbury’s work. Some made me think of things I read decades ago, in Hitchcock magazines.
I enjoyed most of the stories; I think some could use more polish. Detzner is starting his full time writing career, and I think he has great promise.
I enjoyed most of the stories; I think some could use more polish. Detzner is starting his full time writing career, and I think he has great promise.
October 7, 2015
ARC received from the author in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
In my opinion, one of the most difficult forms of prose is that of a short story. In a limited number of pages, you must create a world, establish characters and make people fall in love with them.
And one of the most difficult genres to write is dark fantasy. It's a thin line to walk and you can easily fall either way, either by overdoing it and jumping into horror or under doing it and having your story become childishly frightening.
And while he of course has not yet reached the seasoned mastery of authors like Neil Gaiman or Clive Barker, in this book, Brendan Detzner manages to utilize both the genre and form of prose fully to his advantage. The stories are extremely interesting and engaging. They are well-thought of and relatable. In addition, the premises of the stories are all extremely original.
The author has a talent with words that takes you into the story and makes the world in the story even more tangible. And while the author's style is a little detached and influenced by that of other authors, his style still manages to shine through, showing promise for books to come.
However, while most of the stories are almost perfectly paced, some of them end too abruptly and feel like snippets from larger stories rather than independent short ones. They would work much better and be more understandable if they were expanded upon.
All in all, the book is worth reading and is actually very engaging.
In the Fall: I didn't fully understand this story but there was something very unsettling about it. Not enough to make you uncomfortable but just enough to keep you reading. It borders on being one of the 'snippets' but I enjoyed it immensely.
The Chupacabra VS Sasquatch Variations: It was fun and entertaining to read. I found how he managed to put them in so many settings very interesting.
Spirits of the Wind: This one is my favorite and also happens to be one of the 'snippets'. When it was finished, I found myself disappointed and wishing the story would go on. It would be interesting to see this story expanded upon.
A Day and Two Nights When I Was Twenty: Another one of my favorites. Unlike the previous three, this story wasn't at all ambiguous. It still managed to keep me at the edge of my seat.
The Return of Uncle Hungry's Pizza Time Fun Band: Ever since I saw "Chucky", nothing scares me more than talking toys. Yet for some reason, I loved this story.
I-65: Back to the ambiguous, but here's the good thing: the stories are like those experiences when you're not entirely sure what just happened but you do know that you enjoyed it immensely. This story is no different.
Two Nights Only: Loved it. Magicians and relatable characters!
PCBF: A new take on what an AI computer with enough intelligence to take over the world would want. It's a very interesting read and a page-turner!
Wet work: I didn't understand this one. I have no idea why. I enjoyed it while reading it and trying to grasp the story but I had the "What just happened?" thought.
The Envelope Job: I loved this one! Another story that would be very interesting to expand upon!
Ebb Tide: Another page turner. I liked it very much.
The Gardener Estate: Another one of my favorites. The type of story you keep thinking about after reading.
Blue Eyes: Kept me at the edge of my seat. Loved it!
The Specimen: OK, this story gave me the chills. This one in particular, I have no idea why. I still enjoyed it immensely.
Shadow: Works incredibly well as a short story but could also be part of a larger world. I enjoyed it very much!
The Walk Home: There's something very melancholy about this story. It's actually hauntingly beautiful. But true to the genre, Brendan Detzner manages to make it unsettling. A suitable closing to the book!
In my opinion, one of the most difficult forms of prose is that of a short story. In a limited number of pages, you must create a world, establish characters and make people fall in love with them.
And one of the most difficult genres to write is dark fantasy. It's a thin line to walk and you can easily fall either way, either by overdoing it and jumping into horror or under doing it and having your story become childishly frightening.
And while he of course has not yet reached the seasoned mastery of authors like Neil Gaiman or Clive Barker, in this book, Brendan Detzner manages to utilize both the genre and form of prose fully to his advantage. The stories are extremely interesting and engaging. They are well-thought of and relatable. In addition, the premises of the stories are all extremely original.
The author has a talent with words that takes you into the story and makes the world in the story even more tangible. And while the author's style is a little detached and influenced by that of other authors, his style still manages to shine through, showing promise for books to come.
However, while most of the stories are almost perfectly paced, some of them end too abruptly and feel like snippets from larger stories rather than independent short ones. They would work much better and be more understandable if they were expanded upon.
All in all, the book is worth reading and is actually very engaging.
In the Fall: I didn't fully understand this story but there was something very unsettling about it. Not enough to make you uncomfortable but just enough to keep you reading. It borders on being one of the 'snippets' but I enjoyed it immensely.
The Chupacabra VS Sasquatch Variations: It was fun and entertaining to read. I found how he managed to put them in so many settings very interesting.
Spirits of the Wind: This one is my favorite and also happens to be one of the 'snippets'. When it was finished, I found myself disappointed and wishing the story would go on. It would be interesting to see this story expanded upon.
A Day and Two Nights When I Was Twenty: Another one of my favorites. Unlike the previous three, this story wasn't at all ambiguous. It still managed to keep me at the edge of my seat.
The Return of Uncle Hungry's Pizza Time Fun Band: Ever since I saw "Chucky", nothing scares me more than talking toys. Yet for some reason, I loved this story.
I-65: Back to the ambiguous, but here's the good thing: the stories are like those experiences when you're not entirely sure what just happened but you do know that you enjoyed it immensely. This story is no different.
Two Nights Only: Loved it. Magicians and relatable characters!
PCBF: A new take on what an AI computer with enough intelligence to take over the world would want. It's a very interesting read and a page-turner!
Wet work: I didn't understand this one. I have no idea why. I enjoyed it while reading it and trying to grasp the story but I had the "What just happened?" thought.
The Envelope Job: I loved this one! Another story that would be very interesting to expand upon!
Ebb Tide: Another page turner. I liked it very much.
The Gardener Estate: Another one of my favorites. The type of story you keep thinking about after reading.
Blue Eyes: Kept me at the edge of my seat. Loved it!
The Specimen: OK, this story gave me the chills. This one in particular, I have no idea why. I still enjoyed it immensely.
Shadow: Works incredibly well as a short story but could also be part of a larger world. I enjoyed it very much!
The Walk Home: There's something very melancholy about this story. It's actually hauntingly beautiful. But true to the genre, Brendan Detzner manages to make it unsettling. A suitable closing to the book!
October 1, 2015
ARC received from the author in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
This is the first time I've been asked to write a review in exchange for a copy of a book (on GoodReads, anyway; a music label asked me to review one of David Byrne's books [the one about riding bicycles] for my music review site). Mr. Detzner approached me because I had read and reviewed a Chuck Palahniuk book or two. From that I inferred that he feels his writing is in a similar vein.
I think that mindset proved a disservice the first time I read through these stories. Detzner tries out several different styles and variations on the titular theme over the course of this collection, making for a somewhat scattered result. But that's forgivable; they were all featured in different publications over the last several years. And on the second read-through, with the idea of Palahniuk further away, the work held up a lot better.
But on a deeper level, Detzner's work occasionally struggles to say something. Palahniuk's work is rife with social criticism and satire, amplifying American and pop culture obsessions and distractions to an extreme to get to the heart of what he sees as the problems with society. Detzner's writing doesn't have the same singular focus, and I often struggled to figure out what he's trying to say with these stories. Some could be regarded as "creature features" that lack subtext.
Then there are stories that are willfully obtuse. As another reviewer pointed out, Detzner's stories occasionally leave out detail. Sometimes, it's a lot of detail, to the point where it's tough to know what the hell you're reading. You expect a revelation eventually; sometimes it comes, and sometimes the story ends as inexplicably as it began.
But even in stories where the "beast" element fails to wow there are interesting concepts happening around it. The book begins with a very intriguing concept: a woman who is literally reborn annually (though, unfortunately, it is via a tree's vagina, viscera and all). There's the remarkably charming story about the world's most advanced robot deciding that the apex of civilization is "Spring Break" partying. The behind-the-scenes relationships and dialogue of the animatronic musical animals at a Chuck E. Cheese-style restaurant. The teenage ghost was well- and subtly-executed.
Perhaps the best story is also the longest and the least-reliant on an horrific twist or beastly centrepiece. "Spirits of the Wind" is 95% beast-free, just a normal woman meeting a normal man and having anxiety. Relationships, social mores, aging, and race are all explored. In fact, the introduction of a devil-beast throws the whole thing off the rails.
So on the whole, yes, this is an interesting collection of stories. But I'll be even more excited when Detzner spends more time with real characters and leaves the gimmicks in his past.
This is the first time I've been asked to write a review in exchange for a copy of a book (on GoodReads, anyway; a music label asked me to review one of David Byrne's books [the one about riding bicycles] for my music review site). Mr. Detzner approached me because I had read and reviewed a Chuck Palahniuk book or two. From that I inferred that he feels his writing is in a similar vein.
I think that mindset proved a disservice the first time I read through these stories. Detzner tries out several different styles and variations on the titular theme over the course of this collection, making for a somewhat scattered result. But that's forgivable; they were all featured in different publications over the last several years. And on the second read-through, with the idea of Palahniuk further away, the work held up a lot better.
But on a deeper level, Detzner's work occasionally struggles to say something. Palahniuk's work is rife with social criticism and satire, amplifying American and pop culture obsessions and distractions to an extreme to get to the heart of what he sees as the problems with society. Detzner's writing doesn't have the same singular focus, and I often struggled to figure out what he's trying to say with these stories. Some could be regarded as "creature features" that lack subtext.
Then there are stories that are willfully obtuse. As another reviewer pointed out, Detzner's stories occasionally leave out detail. Sometimes, it's a lot of detail, to the point where it's tough to know what the hell you're reading. You expect a revelation eventually; sometimes it comes, and sometimes the story ends as inexplicably as it began.
But even in stories where the "beast" element fails to wow there are interesting concepts happening around it. The book begins with a very intriguing concept: a woman who is literally reborn annually (though, unfortunately, it is via a tree's vagina, viscera and all). There's the remarkably charming story about the world's most advanced robot deciding that the apex of civilization is "Spring Break" partying. The behind-the-scenes relationships and dialogue of the animatronic musical animals at a Chuck E. Cheese-style restaurant. The teenage ghost was well- and subtly-executed.
Perhaps the best story is also the longest and the least-reliant on an horrific twist or beastly centrepiece. "Spirits of the Wind" is 95% beast-free, just a normal woman meeting a normal man and having anxiety. Relationships, social mores, aging, and race are all explored. In fact, the introduction of a devil-beast throws the whole thing off the rails.
So on the whole, yes, this is an interesting collection of stories. But I'll be even more excited when Detzner spends more time with real characters and leaves the gimmicks in his past.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2015
This is an interesting collection of short stories which defies attempts at a comprehensive “book” review. There are stories which are quite intriguing, which I liked, and a couple that left little to no impression other than a feeling of wanting to get to the next story. A feature I liked was that several did not end; the reader was left to imagine what would happen or the reasons for what was presented. This is a good book to carry along and read for diversion while getting on with daily routines. Here are snap impressions of the stories.
In the Fall: One of the best, a creepy story about the relationship of a girl and a tree.
The Chupacabra: This is the only one I wanted to end soon. Just couldn’t connect to it.
Spirits of the Wind: If you ever felt tow truck drivers are not of this world, here is confirmation.
A Day and Two.. Nikki wants to come back. Watch out for elderly, other worldly enforcers.
Pizza Time: There is a story of a vulgar, potty-mouth parrot.
I-65: Some bartenders are more than friendly listeners.
Two Nights Only: There is a finite number of times you can irritate mommy.
PCBF: Like hearing annoying, repetitious jingles, you won’t forget what these initials stand for after reading this story.
Wetwork: The second story I could not connect with (there are no more).
The Envelope Job: I think this is the second best tale. Lots of parts to it. Mysteries within mysteries, there is a lot of room for the reader’s mind to roam.
Ebb Tide: Are there two lovers here, or four? And where are they now?
The Gardener Estate: An unforgettable comparison to Hugh Hefner is made here.
Blue Eyes: A different slant on S & M stories.
The Specimen: OK, but predictable. A “Planet of the Apes” story.
Shadow: I have no idea what happened here, but the storytelling was great. My third favorite.
The Walk Home: A very depressing story of a dysfunctional family. I am glad it was the last story of the collection.
So, out of 16 stories, only two that I considered time wasters. I look forward to reading more from this writer.
And a standard disclaimer, I received a free copy of this book which I promised to review.
In the Fall: One of the best, a creepy story about the relationship of a girl and a tree.
The Chupacabra: This is the only one I wanted to end soon. Just couldn’t connect to it.
Spirits of the Wind: If you ever felt tow truck drivers are not of this world, here is confirmation.
A Day and Two.. Nikki wants to come back. Watch out for elderly, other worldly enforcers.
Pizza Time: There is a story of a vulgar, potty-mouth parrot.
I-65: Some bartenders are more than friendly listeners.
Two Nights Only: There is a finite number of times you can irritate mommy.
PCBF: Like hearing annoying, repetitious jingles, you won’t forget what these initials stand for after reading this story.
Wetwork: The second story I could not connect with (there are no more).
The Envelope Job: I think this is the second best tale. Lots of parts to it. Mysteries within mysteries, there is a lot of room for the reader’s mind to roam.
Ebb Tide: Are there two lovers here, or four? And where are they now?
The Gardener Estate: An unforgettable comparison to Hugh Hefner is made here.
Blue Eyes: A different slant on S & M stories.
The Specimen: OK, but predictable. A “Planet of the Apes” story.
Shadow: I have no idea what happened here, but the storytelling was great. My third favorite.
The Walk Home: A very depressing story of a dysfunctional family. I am glad it was the last story of the collection.
So, out of 16 stories, only two that I considered time wasters. I look forward to reading more from this writer.
And a standard disclaimer, I received a free copy of this book which I promised to review.
December 3, 2015
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Which I was asked to publish October 1st. I am inexcusably late. But better late than never?
From what little Googling I did, Brendan Detzner writes horror / fantasy / mystery stories in the vein of Neil Gaiman (and probably many others that I don't know.) Beasts: 16 More Weird Stories is a bit of a mixed bag, but I think that's actually pretty great, because it maximizes the chances you'll find something to your liking.
The first story, "In the Fall", was my favorite, 'cause I'm a sucker for stories where the main character is completely unfazed by the supernatural oddities she encounters. I also loved "A Day and Two Nights When I Was Twenty" - my Kindle notes say "nothing amiss, nothing unnecessary, just terrifying enough". Other good ones, for me, were "Spirits of the Wind", "I-65" and "Two Nights Only". "PCFB" (which has a terrible title) is a really fun take on artificial intelligence and a great little nod to Adams' 42, while the characters in "Ebb Tide" are very well built. The other stories were mostly still good, but quite a few needed a bit more editing.
Overall, really worth checking out. I enjoyed it and was glad it fell into my lap.
From what little Googling I did, Brendan Detzner writes horror / fantasy / mystery stories in the vein of Neil Gaiman (and probably many others that I don't know.) Beasts: 16 More Weird Stories is a bit of a mixed bag, but I think that's actually pretty great, because it maximizes the chances you'll find something to your liking.
The first story, "In the Fall", was my favorite, 'cause I'm a sucker for stories where the main character is completely unfazed by the supernatural oddities she encounters. I also loved "A Day and Two Nights When I Was Twenty" - my Kindle notes say "nothing amiss, nothing unnecessary, just terrifying enough". Other good ones, for me, were "Spirits of the Wind", "I-65" and "Two Nights Only". "PCFB" (which has a terrible title) is a really fun take on artificial intelligence and a great little nod to Adams' 42, while the characters in "Ebb Tide" are very well built. The other stories were mostly still good, but quite a few needed a bit more editing.
Overall, really worth checking out. I enjoyed it and was glad it fell into my lap.
February 9, 2016
I do love me some short stories. The only issue I had with these short stories was that some of them were too short! I needed more.
This book sadly took me a while to read as it was in a drop box format that was hard to keep track of. None the less it was a brought to my attention from the writer Mr. Detzner himself and I am stoked to be one of his selected readers/reviewers.
The stories had plenty of range and for the most part were chilling and had a level of strange that you don't often find. I like that the ideas all came off really original and they could all be expanded upon. I also like that Brendan did story analysis at the end which was really cool to read and brought back some of my more favorite stories in the book. I feel good finally getting this book and his other book Millersville done this week and look forward to more things from Brendan Detzner. Check him out get his books and support this upcoming author!
With my love and heart and beard,
Justin
PS. Should I tone down the flamboyant feel of my reviews? Is it just me?? Now I feel like I need to check my other reviews :/
This book sadly took me a while to read as it was in a drop box format that was hard to keep track of. None the less it was a brought to my attention from the writer Mr. Detzner himself and I am stoked to be one of his selected readers/reviewers.
The stories had plenty of range and for the most part were chilling and had a level of strange that you don't often find. I like that the ideas all came off really original and they could all be expanded upon. I also like that Brendan did story analysis at the end which was really cool to read and brought back some of my more favorite stories in the book. I feel good finally getting this book and his other book Millersville done this week and look forward to more things from Brendan Detzner. Check him out get his books and support this upcoming author!
With my love and heart and beard,
Justin
PS. Should I tone down the flamboyant feel of my reviews? Is it just me?? Now I feel like I need to check my other reviews :/
October 3, 2015
I've been fortunate to have heard some of the stories in this collection being read by the author at various reading series events, but after reading all 16 in one go, I have a greater appreciation for Brendan Detzner's talent and imagination. I'm astonished by the variety of the subjects, from the tender interaction of the couple in "Spirits of the Wind" to the short, sharp shock of "Wetwork" to the silliness of "The Return of Uncle Hungry's Pizza Fun Time Band", yet all retain Detzner's unique voice. My favorites in the book were the aforementioned "Spirits of the Wind", which would have been a terrific story even without the supernatural aspect, and "PCBF", which made me laugh out loud both times I read it. This is a collection worthy of having on your bookshelf or on your Kindle.
October 11, 2015
This is a set of short stories from Brenden Detzner. And each one is as strange as they come. The author has such an imaginative mind and each story can and will creep you out. These should not be read at bedtime and with the lights left on. And each story ends..... actually you have to think of the ending. Some endings come to you while others make you think, giving you chills as you think of the outcome.
I will compare these stories to ones I read when younger--the Ripley's Believe It or Not stories. I think these would be great for telling around a campfire but not with small children.
I got this book from the author for my honest review. I can't wait to read others.
I will compare these stories to ones I read when younger--the Ripley's Believe It or Not stories. I think these would be great for telling around a campfire but not with small children.
I got this book from the author for my honest review. I can't wait to read others.
November 13, 2015
I absolutely loved and was was made a little jumpy by most of the stories in Beasts. My thoughts on collections, especially horror stories, is that if you like half the author has done a good job. Well, Mr. Detzner did a superb job since there were only two that I did not care for. I won't be giving any hints in this review because the tales will be much better if allowed to sneak up on you. So go get the book and read it. Your main complaint will be that the book should be longer. Hopefully next time.
Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange an honest review.
Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange an honest review.
October 1, 2015
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
I thought these stories were decent and I enjoyed reading them. There was a pervasive creepiness that ran through the entire collection-I love it when books inspire dread. "The Chupacabra Versus Sasquatch Variations 1-9" was the only story that didn't work for me, all the others were good and I think Detzner might be capable of something great in the future.
I thought these stories were decent and I enjoyed reading them. There was a pervasive creepiness that ran through the entire collection-I love it when books inspire dread. "The Chupacabra Versus Sasquatch Variations 1-9" was the only story that didn't work for me, all the others were good and I think Detzner might be capable of something great in the future.
September 24, 2015
Short stories to me are a tricky thing.
I am the sort who likes to know the who, what and why of it all.
I do however really enjoy when I find some I like.
Now, some of these are hard to follow and even incoherent. Others feel like the start of something larger. But the clever ones leave you sad for the animals at Chuck E Cheese and relieved that spring break in Florida is a thing. This is a dark fantasy collection and I think you should give it a read.
I am the sort who likes to know the who, what and why of it all.
I do however really enjoy when I find some I like.
Now, some of these are hard to follow and even incoherent. Others feel like the start of something larger. But the clever ones leave you sad for the animals at Chuck E Cheese and relieved that spring break in Florida is a thing. This is a dark fantasy collection and I think you should give it a read.
October 1, 2015
For a horror collection that sticks to a stark, sculpted prose style, "Beasts" is surprisingly romantic and surprisingly funny. Every story takes you to a different place, so if you're not sure about where you've landed, rest assured you'll be moving along. These are big ideas in short form. They can be startling, and I like that. Stories like "Blue Eyes," "In the Fall" and "Spirits of the Wind" will be sticking with me for quite some time.
February 13, 2017
This is just for Spirits of the Wind. Very good. The mundaneness was way too relatable. I want moar.
October 23, 2015
Beasts Review: What Could Have Been
Short story collections are difficult beasts (no pun intended) to tackle. The short story itself is one of the more difficult mediums of storytelling to conquer, so collecting many of them together in a single anthology while maintaining some sort of commonality between them and keeping the quality high are not for the faint of heart.
And, unfortunately, Beasts by Brendan Detzner does not, for the most part, succeed in telling its “16 Weird Stories” in such a way to make this anthology stand out.
Here is the thing with short stories that makes them so difficult to write; while they are short, they still need to tell a complete story. The issue with Beasts is that none of the 16 stories in the book feel complete. They all feel like first drafts, like Detzner had an idea and just wanted to get it all down on paper as quickly as possible before they were forgotten. That is a great technique to use, but then the stories need to be reworked and polished and fiddled with until they were just right, so even Goldilocks herself couldn’t turn away from them. That level of polish isn’t found anywhere in this collection.
Instead of 16 short stories, it feels like reading 16 chapters from other, longer works. The characters aren’t fleshed out enough, the worlds aren’t built up enough, and, the most egregious error of the lot, the stories all feel like they are keeping something from the reader, something crucial that would act like a spark on a keg of gunpowder for increasing the enjoyment of the tale.
But with each passing story, it seemed like there was some sort of disconnect between the story as it appeared in the author’s mind and the actual story that was written down on paper. And while looking through the “Story Notes’ in the back of the book (which is an interesting and pretty cool addition for a short story collection), it seems as though that is exactly what happened. For many of these stories, such as “The Sasquatch Vs. Chupacabra Variations 1-9” and “Blue Eyes,” Detzner just couldn’t quite translate his concept onto paper. Any writer can understand this and knows how frustrating it is, but if that were the case, then maybe these stories weren’t ready for publication. Even before reading about it in the story notes, it is very easy for the reader to pick up on the fact that there was something fishy going on with these stories, that maybe even the author himself wasn’t entirely happy with how they turned out.
As far as Detzner’s writing style goes, it is sparse to say the least, often times reading more like an outline than anything else. This sparse style isn’t a bad thing, but it isn’t a good thing either. There isn’t anything memorable about it. It reads kind of like an assignment from a college-level creative writing class; an author still trying to find his or her voice.
That is the biggest issue with Detzner’s writing[,] as it stands currently. He is a good writer, but he hasn’t found a voice that is uniquely his. All 16 stories are told with the same monotone voice and style. And the characters suffer for this. For the most part, each protagonist is the same person with a different name; they talk the same, they sound the same, they think the same. The characters aren’t part of the story, they are separate from it, simply there to advance the plot. This becomes an issue when you sit down to read four or five short stories back to back but are unable to differentiate one character from another.
But all is not bad with Beasts. In fact, there are two stories in particular that have all the ingredients to become something greater: “Spirits of the Wind” and “The Specimen.” These two stories had very interesting concepts, had the strongest settings, and the most interesting characters.
“Spirits of the Wind” had a bit of a Neil Gaiman American Gods thing going for it. It was also the longest and most complete story in the collection. Although, it still felt like it was just a piece of a whole. But by the end I was hooked. I wanted more. I wanted to know where these characters were going and what was going to happen because the story I was given didn’t feel complete enough to be satisfying.
And while that might seem like a negative, it really isn’t. For almost every single story in this collection, by the time I got to the end, I was left unsatisfied. Not because the story was bad, but because it always seemed like there was more to tell. If there had been more, I would have gladly continued. The stories always had my curiosity, they just never delivered on their promises. If the author can rectify the latter, then he will really be on to something. The ideas are there, but the execution is lacking.
The other story that really stood out was “The Specimen.” Everyone knows that H.P. Lovecraft is the master of purple prose. But imagine if he were to write a story on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. It might look something like “The Specimen.” “The Specimen” is the most interesting concept in the book. It was eerie and Lovecraftian and deserved more than the five or so pages it was given. Again, it was the rushed nature of the storytelling that really hindered the actual story being told. I, for one, would love to see more of this story.
When it comes to Beasts, the ideas and the imagination are there, but the polish isn’t. Had Detzner gone back and reworked these stories and used a bit of elbow grease, Beasts could have been a really great anthology. But, instead, the novel feels more like a collection of first drafts and writing exercises, a few of which might one day go on to be something bigger and better.
Beasts is not a bad anthology, but it is heavily flawed. Due to its short nature, it is still worth the read if you are interested in short stories that fall into the broad genre of speculative fiction. If you look at it more as a sampling of possible things to come and less of a short story anthology you will find it to be more enjoyable.
2 out of 5 stars
Check out more of our book reviews, author interviews, and more at chicagonewstoday.com
Or follow me on twitter at @DAM_malone
Short story collections are difficult beasts (no pun intended) to tackle. The short story itself is one of the more difficult mediums of storytelling to conquer, so collecting many of them together in a single anthology while maintaining some sort of commonality between them and keeping the quality high are not for the faint of heart.
And, unfortunately, Beasts by Brendan Detzner does not, for the most part, succeed in telling its “16 Weird Stories” in such a way to make this anthology stand out.
Here is the thing with short stories that makes them so difficult to write; while they are short, they still need to tell a complete story. The issue with Beasts is that none of the 16 stories in the book feel complete. They all feel like first drafts, like Detzner had an idea and just wanted to get it all down on paper as quickly as possible before they were forgotten. That is a great technique to use, but then the stories need to be reworked and polished and fiddled with until they were just right, so even Goldilocks herself couldn’t turn away from them. That level of polish isn’t found anywhere in this collection.
Instead of 16 short stories, it feels like reading 16 chapters from other, longer works. The characters aren’t fleshed out enough, the worlds aren’t built up enough, and, the most egregious error of the lot, the stories all feel like they are keeping something from the reader, something crucial that would act like a spark on a keg of gunpowder for increasing the enjoyment of the tale.
But with each passing story, it seemed like there was some sort of disconnect between the story as it appeared in the author’s mind and the actual story that was written down on paper. And while looking through the “Story Notes’ in the back of the book (which is an interesting and pretty cool addition for a short story collection), it seems as though that is exactly what happened. For many of these stories, such as “The Sasquatch Vs. Chupacabra Variations 1-9” and “Blue Eyes,” Detzner just couldn’t quite translate his concept onto paper. Any writer can understand this and knows how frustrating it is, but if that were the case, then maybe these stories weren’t ready for publication. Even before reading about it in the story notes, it is very easy for the reader to pick up on the fact that there was something fishy going on with these stories, that maybe even the author himself wasn’t entirely happy with how they turned out.
As far as Detzner’s writing style goes, it is sparse to say the least, often times reading more like an outline than anything else. This sparse style isn’t a bad thing, but it isn’t a good thing either. There isn’t anything memorable about it. It reads kind of like an assignment from a college-level creative writing class; an author still trying to find his or her voice.
That is the biggest issue with Detzner’s writing[,] as it stands currently. He is a good writer, but he hasn’t found a voice that is uniquely his. All 16 stories are told with the same monotone voice and style. And the characters suffer for this. For the most part, each protagonist is the same person with a different name; they talk the same, they sound the same, they think the same. The characters aren’t part of the story, they are separate from it, simply there to advance the plot. This becomes an issue when you sit down to read four or five short stories back to back but are unable to differentiate one character from another.
But all is not bad with Beasts. In fact, there are two stories in particular that have all the ingredients to become something greater: “Spirits of the Wind” and “The Specimen.” These two stories had very interesting concepts, had the strongest settings, and the most interesting characters.
“Spirits of the Wind” had a bit of a Neil Gaiman American Gods thing going for it. It was also the longest and most complete story in the collection. Although, it still felt like it was just a piece of a whole. But by the end I was hooked. I wanted more. I wanted to know where these characters were going and what was going to happen because the story I was given didn’t feel complete enough to be satisfying.
And while that might seem like a negative, it really isn’t. For almost every single story in this collection, by the time I got to the end, I was left unsatisfied. Not because the story was bad, but because it always seemed like there was more to tell. If there had been more, I would have gladly continued. The stories always had my curiosity, they just never delivered on their promises. If the author can rectify the latter, then he will really be on to something. The ideas are there, but the execution is lacking.
The other story that really stood out was “The Specimen.” Everyone knows that H.P. Lovecraft is the master of purple prose. But imagine if he were to write a story on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. It might look something like “The Specimen.” “The Specimen” is the most interesting concept in the book. It was eerie and Lovecraftian and deserved more than the five or so pages it was given. Again, it was the rushed nature of the storytelling that really hindered the actual story being told. I, for one, would love to see more of this story.
When it comes to Beasts, the ideas and the imagination are there, but the polish isn’t. Had Detzner gone back and reworked these stories and used a bit of elbow grease, Beasts could have been a really great anthology. But, instead, the novel feels more like a collection of first drafts and writing exercises, a few of which might one day go on to be something bigger and better.
Beasts is not a bad anthology, but it is heavily flawed. Due to its short nature, it is still worth the read if you are interested in short stories that fall into the broad genre of speculative fiction. If you look at it more as a sampling of possible things to come and less of a short story anthology you will find it to be more enjoyable.
2 out of 5 stars
Check out more of our book reviews, author interviews, and more at chicagonewstoday.com
Or follow me on twitter at @DAM_malone
October 1, 2015
I received a free copy of this collection in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, I thought the collection was okay. Being an ARC, I knew there would be spelling errors, but when the title came spelled wrong (Beats instead of Beasts), I was worried. And yes, there are quite a few grammatical errors throughout; but, that’s to be expected without intense editing (which I’m assuming came after the ARCs were sent). There are so many grammar struggles that it does impact the readability, so I found myself frequently having to re-read sentences or paragraphs because a run-on sentence, change of tense, or what-have-you would throw me off. In one story, it seems as if Detzner changed a character’s name but didn’t catch them all, either. The name changes almost every other use. Either that, or some plot point completely flew by me.
Detzner has a defined writing style, and each of his stories very much feel as if they’re written by the same person. While it’s good for authors to have a defined voice, it’s not so good when it shows up, jarringly, at a stylistically different time. Detzner would paint a scene, stylistically follow it, and then out of nowhere a sentence would show up that hits you like cold water to the face. For example, Suddenly a 1st person narrated story has Detzner’s author voice showing, which is out of character.
And finally, I think some work could be done to flesh the stories out a bit more. There were many, many times I felt we didn’t get enough of a scene setup to truly understand what was happening. “The wildflowers seemed to be trying their hardest, like dancers on an audition.” I don’t understand this. Trying their hardest at what? Blooming? Swaying in the breeze? I can tell a scene is meant to be painted before my eyes, but I’m not seeing it through the fog.
Detzner is very much trying to achieve an almost Stephen King-like blunt style with his wording, which succeeds in some stories more than others. I found a few stories in the collection to be very entertaining—so much so that I wished them to be longer. Some were very weird. Some were also not my thing. I very much enjoy short stories by authors like Neil Gaiman, but his stories leave you feeling as if there’s some greater truth being reached, and Detzner’s do not. Still, they are enjoyable stories and I hear the collection’s only going to cost 99¢ for the first period it’s available for purchase, and I definitely think it’s worth the buck to read.
Overall, I thought the collection was okay. Being an ARC, I knew there would be spelling errors, but when the title came spelled wrong (Beats instead of Beasts), I was worried. And yes, there are quite a few grammatical errors throughout; but, that’s to be expected without intense editing (which I’m assuming came after the ARCs were sent). There are so many grammar struggles that it does impact the readability, so I found myself frequently having to re-read sentences or paragraphs because a run-on sentence, change of tense, or what-have-you would throw me off. In one story, it seems as if Detzner changed a character’s name but didn’t catch them all, either. The name changes almost every other use. Either that, or some plot point completely flew by me.
Detzner has a defined writing style, and each of his stories very much feel as if they’re written by the same person. While it’s good for authors to have a defined voice, it’s not so good when it shows up, jarringly, at a stylistically different time. Detzner would paint a scene, stylistically follow it, and then out of nowhere a sentence would show up that hits you like cold water to the face. For example, Suddenly a 1st person narrated story has Detzner’s author voice showing, which is out of character.
And finally, I think some work could be done to flesh the stories out a bit more. There were many, many times I felt we didn’t get enough of a scene setup to truly understand what was happening. “The wildflowers seemed to be trying their hardest, like dancers on an audition.” I don’t understand this. Trying their hardest at what? Blooming? Swaying in the breeze? I can tell a scene is meant to be painted before my eyes, but I’m not seeing it through the fog.
Detzner is very much trying to achieve an almost Stephen King-like blunt style with his wording, which succeeds in some stories more than others. I found a few stories in the collection to be very entertaining—so much so that I wished them to be longer. Some were very weird. Some were also not my thing. I very much enjoy short stories by authors like Neil Gaiman, but his stories leave you feeling as if there’s some greater truth being reached, and Detzner’s do not. Still, they are enjoyable stories and I hear the collection’s only going to cost 99¢ for the first period it’s available for purchase, and I definitely think it’s worth the buck to read.
October 14, 2015
This was a relatively good little book of short stories - I'd give it 2.5 stars. You could say the genre is speculative fiction, though it’s pretty hard to categorise – the best word I can come up with is ‘weird’ or ‘strange’. Some stories are overtly sci-fi, verging on fantasy; others are more realist but just as unsettling. For example: one story is called ‘The Chupacabra Versus Sasquatch’ and details this battle in nine parallel worlds; another is about a woman trapped in plastic box at the bottom of the ocean as part of human museum run by fantastical creatures. Another is about a girl who goes on a killing rampage following her traumatic childhood.
A wry humour characterises all the stories, thanks to Detzner’s casual tone. I don’t mean ‘casual’ in a bad way – more that the narrative voice is not formal or stilted, but has the same relaxed feel of a friend telling relaying some crazy anecdote. I liked this about the stories. Detzner also does a great job of creating natural dialogue; he also has great female characters and has a great character, a trans man, where the focus of the story is not the guy’s gender identity (well, it sort of is, but in an interesting way, and not solely). Which is cool.
Some of the stories were great, and felt fully developed, really engaging. (‘In the Fall’; ‘Shadow’; ‘PCBF’). Detzner gave just the right amount of ‘reveal’ in these – ie. he didn’t give away the mystery or punchline too early, I had to work it out for myself. “The Walk Home’ in particular left me feeling cold (in a good way. I got goosebumps and felt kind of nauseous).
Many stories felt underdeveloped and like they needed a rigorous edit. There was often a lack of clarity in sentence structure and characterisation – Detzner’s words often got in the way of what he was trying to say. Sometimes I couldn’t quite follow which character was talking because the writing was a bit confused. (And I am someone who loves dense, impenetrable writing styles – but I don’t think that’s what the author was trying to achieve here). Also there were a lot of typos which distracted from the overall feel.
Also – the author probably needs to work on the way he ends stories. They almost all ended too abruptly. Sometimes this was fine as it left things open and was more ‘evocative’ than resolving; but oftentimes the stories read like he couldn’t figure out how to end things. Even though I liked ‘Wetwork’ a lot, its ending was basically a variation of ‘she woke up and it was all a dream- or *was* it?’.
Overall I got the vibe that Detzner is growing as a writer. Ideas are great and I’m sure the execution will improve over time.
A wry humour characterises all the stories, thanks to Detzner’s casual tone. I don’t mean ‘casual’ in a bad way – more that the narrative voice is not formal or stilted, but has the same relaxed feel of a friend telling relaying some crazy anecdote. I liked this about the stories. Detzner also does a great job of creating natural dialogue; he also has great female characters and has a great character, a trans man, where the focus of the story is not the guy’s gender identity (well, it sort of is, but in an interesting way, and not solely). Which is cool.
Some of the stories were great, and felt fully developed, really engaging. (‘In the Fall’; ‘Shadow’; ‘PCBF’). Detzner gave just the right amount of ‘reveal’ in these – ie. he didn’t give away the mystery or punchline too early, I had to work it out for myself. “The Walk Home’ in particular left me feeling cold (in a good way. I got goosebumps and felt kind of nauseous).
Many stories felt underdeveloped and like they needed a rigorous edit. There was often a lack of clarity in sentence structure and characterisation – Detzner’s words often got in the way of what he was trying to say. Sometimes I couldn’t quite follow which character was talking because the writing was a bit confused. (And I am someone who loves dense, impenetrable writing styles – but I don’t think that’s what the author was trying to achieve here). Also there were a lot of typos which distracted from the overall feel.
Also – the author probably needs to work on the way he ends stories. They almost all ended too abruptly. Sometimes this was fine as it left things open and was more ‘evocative’ than resolving; but oftentimes the stories read like he couldn’t figure out how to end things. Even though I liked ‘Wetwork’ a lot, its ending was basically a variation of ‘she woke up and it was all a dream- or *was* it?’.
Overall I got the vibe that Detzner is growing as a writer. Ideas are great and I’m sure the execution will improve over time.
June 7, 2021
I received the advanced reading copy of Beasts in exchange for an honest review.
First off, even for an ARC, there were a decent amount of grammatical errors and odd sentence structures. (There were even a few places where I could tell that one idea had been abandoned for another one.) I don't know how/if these were fixed in the released copy, but I just found that odd. And it's possible that my understanding or enjoyment of certain stories may have been hindered by these errors.
Anyway, what we have here is a collection of stories that range in quality from fairly decent to mediocre. I enjoy short story collections, in general. But I like a bit more character development. I didn't really feel for many of these characters at all. For example, rather than identifying with the kid in "Two Nights Only", I found him unlikable.
"Spirits of the Wind" probably had some of the best character development out of the sixteen stories. Even so, I found the narration to be somewhat odd. There wasn't much distinction in the "voices", so to speak, of his narrator and the characters. I found this true, actually, for a number of the stories.
"PCBF" might be my favorite out of this collection. It seemed the most complete to me. Both the dialogue and narration were quite good, and this might have to do with the fact that it was from the first-person perspective. Plus the concept of an AI exploring hedonism was fun.
And that, I think, is Detzner's strength: interesting concepts. In truth, the concepts for these stories are wonderful. It's the execution that needs work.
For example, "The Gardener Estate" had a great concept and a really good ending, too. But it started off rather shaky. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to be picturing. But then I can understand the difficulty in describing how a skeleton would wake up.
"Ebb Tide" and "A Day and Two Nights When I was Twenty" also had good concepts, but they suffered from a lack of structure and character development. I liked the plots and the endings. But they were both, at times, confusing.
"In the Fall" had a great concept, but it was too short and could have benefited from a lot more development. The same could be said for "The Envelope Job" and "Shadow". There are rather abstract concepts in these stories that, for me at least, were not described as completely as they could have been.
I guess to summarize, a lot of these concepts were quite good, but in general they felt unfinished and needed more structure and development.
First off, even for an ARC, there were a decent amount of grammatical errors and odd sentence structures. (There were even a few places where I could tell that one idea had been abandoned for another one.) I don't know how/if these were fixed in the released copy, but I just found that odd. And it's possible that my understanding or enjoyment of certain stories may have been hindered by these errors.
Anyway, what we have here is a collection of stories that range in quality from fairly decent to mediocre. I enjoy short story collections, in general. But I like a bit more character development. I didn't really feel for many of these characters at all. For example, rather than identifying with the kid in "Two Nights Only", I found him unlikable.
"Spirits of the Wind" probably had some of the best character development out of the sixteen stories. Even so, I found the narration to be somewhat odd. There wasn't much distinction in the "voices", so to speak, of his narrator and the characters. I found this true, actually, for a number of the stories.
"PCBF" might be my favorite out of this collection. It seemed the most complete to me. Both the dialogue and narration were quite good, and this might have to do with the fact that it was from the first-person perspective. Plus the concept of an AI exploring hedonism was fun.
And that, I think, is Detzner's strength: interesting concepts. In truth, the concepts for these stories are wonderful. It's the execution that needs work.
For example, "The Gardener Estate" had a great concept and a really good ending, too. But it started off rather shaky. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to be picturing. But then I can understand the difficulty in describing how a skeleton would wake up.
"Ebb Tide" and "A Day and Two Nights When I was Twenty" also had good concepts, but they suffered from a lack of structure and character development. I liked the plots and the endings. But they were both, at times, confusing.
"In the Fall" had a great concept, but it was too short and could have benefited from a lot more development. The same could be said for "The Envelope Job" and "Shadow". There are rather abstract concepts in these stories that, for me at least, were not described as completely as they could have been.
I guess to summarize, a lot of these concepts were quite good, but in general they felt unfinished and needed more structure and development.
October 1, 2015
Upfront caveat: I received a free advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Brendan Detzner writes some odd stories. Horror stories, but experimental. Quirky. Sometimes funny. With the exception of "Spirits of the Wind", the stories in this volume are on the short side, often ending well before I expected them too. Detzner doesn't hold your hand, or info-dump; you'd best be paying attention if you want to understand what's going on, and even then, I sometimes had to re-read a portion of a story right after I finished it. Even after rereading, I was sometimes puzzled. I often felt like there was a subtext that I couldn't quite put my finger on, or that the main event was going on in the background and I was paying attention to the wrong thing.
This is not to say that the stories weren't any good, or were always confusing. Detzner's biggest strengths, I think, are his creativity and weirdness, as well as an above-average insightfulness into human nature. Some of the stories were delightfully weird and funny, featuring antagonists such as an AI who is obsessed with partying in Florida during spring break, or a cursed playboy who continues his life as a skeleton. Others such as "Shadow", "The Walk Home", and "Two Nights Only" movingly feature recurring themes of childhood alienation and loneliness, that reminded me a little of some of Brian Hodge's work. Detzner's prose is fairly plain and straightforward, but it is generally not clunky or obtrusive.
One of my favorite stories in the book, "Spirits of the Wind", was a deliberately paced yet beautiful story that spent most of its time expertly detailing a budding relationship date between a young woman and a tow truck driver that she happened to meet after her car broke down; only near the end was the supernatural element properly revealed, and personally, I think it would have been a great story without it.
Another story that I really liked, "Blue Eyes" turns the werewolf into a metaphor for an abusive relationship, from the perspective of the werewolf's (human) wife.
So, did I like the book? Yeah, I did. As with many short story collections, it was a little hit-or-miss, and it was a bit too far on the confusing/experimental side for me to wholeheartedly recommend it, but Detzner definitely has some talent. Check it out if you are up for something different.
Brendan Detzner writes some odd stories. Horror stories, but experimental. Quirky. Sometimes funny. With the exception of "Spirits of the Wind", the stories in this volume are on the short side, often ending well before I expected them too. Detzner doesn't hold your hand, or info-dump; you'd best be paying attention if you want to understand what's going on, and even then, I sometimes had to re-read a portion of a story right after I finished it. Even after rereading, I was sometimes puzzled. I often felt like there was a subtext that I couldn't quite put my finger on, or that the main event was going on in the background and I was paying attention to the wrong thing.
This is not to say that the stories weren't any good, or were always confusing. Detzner's biggest strengths, I think, are his creativity and weirdness, as well as an above-average insightfulness into human nature. Some of the stories were delightfully weird and funny, featuring antagonists such as an AI who is obsessed with partying in Florida during spring break, or a cursed playboy who continues his life as a skeleton. Others such as "Shadow", "The Walk Home", and "Two Nights Only" movingly feature recurring themes of childhood alienation and loneliness, that reminded me a little of some of Brian Hodge's work. Detzner's prose is fairly plain and straightforward, but it is generally not clunky or obtrusive.
One of my favorite stories in the book, "Spirits of the Wind", was a deliberately paced yet beautiful story that spent most of its time expertly detailing a budding relationship date between a young woman and a tow truck driver that she happened to meet after her car broke down; only near the end was the supernatural element properly revealed, and personally, I think it would have been a great story without it.
Another story that I really liked, "Blue Eyes" turns the werewolf into a metaphor for an abusive relationship, from the perspective of the werewolf's (human) wife.
So, did I like the book? Yeah, I did. As with many short story collections, it was a little hit-or-miss, and it was a bit too far on the confusing/experimental side for me to wholeheartedly recommend it, but Detzner definitely has some talent. Check it out if you are up for something different.
October 7, 2025
A copy was provided to me through a storygraph giveaway. These are my honest opinions and dissection of the material.
Story 1 - started off strange and had an edge of ambiguity. FMC was sick in the head for her antics but that’s how she was raised. She was violent because she was rejected which is such a male emotion. I do think the magical aspect of the story with the tree was interesting but also left a bit ambiguous. 3.5 / 5
Story 2 - this one just felt like random ideas for larger potential stories but there didn’t seem like an ultimate storyline or really any cohesion aside from Sasquatch and Chupacabra. At the end, the writer says “I’d been threatening to write ‘Sasquatch vs. Cupacabra’ … but I couldn’t think of any single idea that did justice to the concept.” Yea… we can tell - should’ve left it as an idea and let it marinate more so something even better could’ve been written. 0.5 / 5
Story 3 - A lot of run on sentences and a different structure to the other stories. I need a sense of format cohesion between them. This one also had a lot of details that I didn’t find necessary. It ended in a strange way. I got the impression Kat and the horned man were gods of some sort. Their motives weren’t entirely clear, just that Kat wanted to live a human life. 1.5/5
Story 4 - The start was slow but it pulled me in once the inciting incident happened. It had me reeled in until the end. It ended ambiguously but I didn’t mind that. 4.5/5
Story 5 - Five Night’s at Freddie’s meets Toy Story but the boring part. There was no context to this conversation. 2/5
Story 6 - Interesting concept but I felt like it was missing something minor to finish the final details of the story. 4/5
Story 7 - Cold but interesting. 4/5
Story 8 - This could’ve gone somewhere interesting. It didn’t. It was repetitive. 2/5
Story 9 - I don’t think the end was necessary. Wonder what was wrong with the man tho. Possession? Not sure. 3.5/5
Story 10 - It just felt like a jumble of words 1/5
Story 11 - hmm so they both got possessed by old spirits is what it’s hinting at. It’s a little simple but I like it overall 4/5
Story 12 - Not into this one 1/5
Story 13 - So was this a dream or…? It was a role reversal that doesn’t happen often and it had me thinking. 5/5
Story 14 - I wasn’t really into this story either 1.5/5
Story 15 - I guess sometimes creepy things can be friendly? I kinda liked it! 5/5
Story 16 - Poor kid is getting bullied and his parents couldn’t give less of a fuck and he end up dying. 4/5
Story 1 - started off strange and had an edge of ambiguity. FMC was sick in the head for her antics but that’s how she was raised. She was violent because she was rejected which is such a male emotion. I do think the magical aspect of the story with the tree was interesting but also left a bit ambiguous. 3.5 / 5
Story 2 - this one just felt like random ideas for larger potential stories but there didn’t seem like an ultimate storyline or really any cohesion aside from Sasquatch and Chupacabra. At the end, the writer says “I’d been threatening to write ‘Sasquatch vs. Cupacabra’ … but I couldn’t think of any single idea that did justice to the concept.” Yea… we can tell - should’ve left it as an idea and let it marinate more so something even better could’ve been written. 0.5 / 5
Story 3 - A lot of run on sentences and a different structure to the other stories. I need a sense of format cohesion between them. This one also had a lot of details that I didn’t find necessary. It ended in a strange way. I got the impression Kat and the horned man were gods of some sort. Their motives weren’t entirely clear, just that Kat wanted to live a human life. 1.5/5
Story 4 - The start was slow but it pulled me in once the inciting incident happened. It had me reeled in until the end. It ended ambiguously but I didn’t mind that. 4.5/5
Story 5 - Five Night’s at Freddie’s meets Toy Story but the boring part. There was no context to this conversation. 2/5
Story 6 - Interesting concept but I felt like it was missing something minor to finish the final details of the story. 4/5
Story 7 - Cold but interesting. 4/5
Story 8 - This could’ve gone somewhere interesting. It didn’t. It was repetitive. 2/5
Story 9 - I don’t think the end was necessary. Wonder what was wrong with the man tho. Possession? Not sure. 3.5/5
Story 10 - It just felt like a jumble of words 1/5
Story 11 - hmm so they both got possessed by old spirits is what it’s hinting at. It’s a little simple but I like it overall 4/5
Story 12 - Not into this one 1/5
Story 13 - So was this a dream or…? It was a role reversal that doesn’t happen often and it had me thinking. 5/5
Story 14 - I wasn’t really into this story either 1.5/5
Story 15 - I guess sometimes creepy things can be friendly? I kinda liked it! 5/5
Story 16 - Poor kid is getting bullied and his parents couldn’t give less of a fuck and he end up dying. 4/5
November 7, 2025
2.5 because of the creativity and mind exercises it provides.
This book desperately needs a solid editor to help guide and group some of these mini-tales. There is so much potential for several of these stories but they just didn't get fully fleshed out. Some were so disjointed that I wasn't even sure what the plot was. It's a mix of Sci-fi and horror what ifs. It could be compared to The Twilight Zone in some ways on the stories that the plots make sense. There's so much creativity with this author, and so much potential, even if the book felt a bit confusing at times.
All in all, it was a fun mind exercise but it took a lot for me to finish it because of the sheer number of stories that didn't have a solid plot.
Note: I did win this ebook through a Storygraph give away. I'm grateful for the opportunity to have come across such unique tales. This author has a lot of potential when paired with a solid editor.
This book desperately needs a solid editor to help guide and group some of these mini-tales. There is so much potential for several of these stories but they just didn't get fully fleshed out. Some were so disjointed that I wasn't even sure what the plot was. It's a mix of Sci-fi and horror what ifs. It could be compared to The Twilight Zone in some ways on the stories that the plots make sense. There's so much creativity with this author, and so much potential, even if the book felt a bit confusing at times.
All in all, it was a fun mind exercise but it took a lot for me to finish it because of the sheer number of stories that didn't have a solid plot.
Note: I did win this ebook through a Storygraph give away. I'm grateful for the opportunity to have come across such unique tales. This author has a lot of potential when paired with a solid editor.
November 20, 2017
Weird! Just like the title says.
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