Undermind: Nine Stories is a collection of long and short stories from the strange and wonderful (and sometimes disturbing) mental place of What If? Unusual things are up for consideration; a different perspective is yours for the taking; a brief visit to The Twilight Zone, from the comfort of your own home. Take a trip down under the normal limits of the average human mind and see what awaits in the undermind where things aren’t always what they seem.
The Piano Man – A nice, ordinary family man accidentally develops a special ability that he soon wishes he hadn’t.
I Didn’t Kill Her – A long-forgotten good deed gets thoroughly punished.
The CEO – One of the wealthiest men in New York can’t buy a thing.
Lost Father – Lisa appears to have lost her father – to someone or something she can’t see.
The Dregs – It’s all in how you look at it. Or whether you choose to look at all.
Halloween Bully – A macabre American holiday gives birth to a serial killer.
When Everything Changed – Humanity gets grounded and sent to its room.
The Storyteller – Time after time, he lives, he writes, and he dies.
Devon’s Last Chance – If Devon can’t get one special human to embrace the dark side, it’s the end.
I like very much Mr. Wolfe's stories and style. This book is made of nine very interesting short stories. Four of them are my fave and I would qualify them with one adjetive: The Piano Man - brutal. The CEO - harsh. Halloween Bully - scary! The Storyteller - lovely!
Once again I am reminded that Edward Wolfe is a superb storyteller. It doesn’t seem to matter what he writes or in what genre, there is always that intangible something in Edward Wolfe’s stories that draws you in. I think most people when they first start to read a novel or a story (especially indie novels) want the most important question answered straight-away: can this person actually write? Are they are storyteller? Happily with Edward Wolfe the answer to both questions is always ‘yes’.
This collection of short fiction by Edward Wolfe can be best categorised as American contemporary drama, but tinged with horror, and hints of the supernatural.
My favourite was “The Piano Man” which is the lead story. I like it because it’s a story about stuff happening with lots of action, it has a great ending, and it echoes the style of Edward’s very successful novel In the End. I also liked “Halloween Bully” because it has a great first sentence, lots of stuff happening and a satisfying ending. I’d already read and greatly enjoyed “Devon’s Last Chance” and “Lost Father” which have already been published as stand-alone stories but I’m glad they have resurfaced in this collection. “The Storyteller” is intriguing and thought-provoking. Whatever your tastes, I think most people will find plenty to like in 9 Stories by Edward Wolfe.