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The Ice Downstream
Horror master Melanie Tem takes readers to the limit of terror and back with THE ICE DOWNSTREAM a collection of nineteen of her greatest short stories.
196 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
13 people want to read
About the author
Melanie Tem
117 books51 followersMelanie Kubachko was born and raised in rural northwestern Pennsylvania. She received a degree at Allegheny College and went on to earn a master's degree in social work from the University of Denver. Apart from a varied career in social work she has published short fiction in numerous publications, including Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, Skin of the Soul, and Final Shadows. Her work has also been included in such anthologies as Women of Darkness and Women of the West.
Married to Steve Rasnic Tem.
Married to Steve Rasnic Tem.
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March 20, 2021
Plague Review 26: The Ice Downstream & Other Stories by Melanie Tem
1. The Ice Downstream
It's the first day of spring, but the cold of winter still haunts Torey and her father; they spent the whole season mourning her brother Ryan after he fell through the snow. As her father's desire to live gradually diminishes, Torey must summon the courage before the cold claims them all.
A haunting tale of grief mixed with ambiguity. Is the cold "aware" of the despair and hopelessness of the duo that it becomes an all-too-real sentient force? Or is the father suffering from survivor's guilt of the highest degree? Either way, it's a great, and ahem, chilly opener to this collection.
Appears in: Cold Shocks, edited by Tim Sullivan
2. Sitting with the Driver
Abigail is traveling on a stagecoach to Texas as a mail-order bride. Her past, however, is more sordid than her present; Abigail's mother sold her to a brothel when she was 13. After having managed to cope with her unsavory life, Abigail grieves again. Now, on route to another life, she reflects on her past while being wary of the future. But who are these mysterious figures traveling with her? What waits for her in Texas?
This tale is a depressing and unpredictable western with supernatural undertones. "Undertones" since you are not sure if there is something otherworldly, but you feel (or made to feel) there is. And maybe that shocking ending does prove the existence of the supernatural. But for the most part, Tem fascinates with a brutal and unforgiving depiction of the harshness of life in the American Midwest, both demonstrated by people and the indifferent acts of nature.
People think the ending came out of the left-field, with no reference to any past event in the story. But I looked again, and Tem did niftily foreshadow it a line or two of dialogue.
3. The Rock
Insufferable womanizer and cheat John Paul Clarke has a potential problem: his luxurious beach house is in the direct path of an imposing rock up on the hillside, and it could come rolling down anytime. But there's no time to think about it as he is frequently seduced and "drained" by a mysterious woman named Mara. Clarke hilariously tries to divide his attention with his lovers (one barely legal!) and his long-suffering wife Charlotte, but this makes Mara mad. Mara imposes that he should leave his wife and be her lover forever. Can Clarke make this decision? Is there a connection between the rock and Mara? And what happens when Clarke makes a choice?
This story is a blast; Tem combines a raunchy sex drama, black comedy, and symbolism to create an alternately shocking and scintillating experience. Clarke is a laugh riot, as he acknowledges that yes, he does go after (very) young women, yet he still loves his wife and will never leave her (!). I guess contradictions exist in real life. But after some more embarrassing shenanigans with Clarke, Tem turns the table and delivers some of the freakiest (and scariest) scenes of sex since Ray Garton's "The New Neighbor" The ending is also appropriate: problems seem to "come down" when you least expect them, eh?
Appears in: Little Deaths: 24 Tales of Sex and Horror, edited by Ellen Datlow
4. The Co-op
Julie is a new mother, and she is hosting her fellow mums (the co-op) and their kids in her home. What begins as an innocuous discussion on motherhood turns into a series of increasingly disturbing rants from the co-op mothers on how motherhood destroyed their lives. Will they manage to change Julie's mind? What can you do to prepare yourself for the shocking ending?
You read horror books because you seek an escape into the world of ghosts and vampires; this story informs you that the real horror is in everyday life, and there is no escape from it. And kudos to Tem for that ending: nasty, shocking, but still totally earned.
Appears in: Best New Horror 2, edited by Stephen Jones and Ramsey Campbell
5. Secrets
Grace can't seem to communicate with her daughter Christy. After her husband Vic died, she made sure to keep track of everything in Christy's life, including her private affairs. All of this since Grace posthumously discovered that Vic harbored secret extramarital affairs. With such an unresponsive daughter, Grace would think that she was hiding something, too. But is everything too late for...everyone?
This story felt forced, and although the ending is another sick shocker, the inclusion of the idea of secret messages in albums feels trite, unnecessary, and inappropriate. If the story focused and zeroed-in on paranoia and loss of trust only, this piece-in my humble opinion- could have been far more powerful. But that ending is disturbing.
Appears in: The Best of Cemetery Dance Volume 2, edited by Richard Chizmar
6. Loving Delia
Delia has cancer, and her daughter is naturally concerned for her. What Delia's family doesn't know is that Delia has long had a secret lover, one that has lived inside her body ever since she was a child. Her secret lover has been present in the worst times of her life, but what role will the cancer play in his existence? Will he die or live?
This tale is another sexually-charged offering from Tem, complete with graphic descriptions of unusual Cronenberg-Esque sexual acts. These scenes border into the uncomfortable, knowing that the secret lover has been, uh, loving Delia since she was a little girl. But graphic sexuality aside, Tem's handling of the events doesn't seem exploitative but reflective of a typical human affair, one filled with bouts of jealousy, mistrust, and maybe genuine love.
The whole set-up is unnerving, and this makes the tale effective.
Appears in: Crimes of Passion, edited by Jeff Gelb and Michael Garrett
7. Aspen Graffiti
Bonnie's husband of 17 years, Adrian, has just left her, along with their kids. It seems that Adrian doesn't love her anymore and could not be bothered by her "plight of the children" pleading. After her child spots their father with another woman (allegedly happier), Bonnie gets to see him herself. And he leads her to his secret hiding place in the woods.
Tem delivers another "family" horror tale. This time around, the theme of familial responsibility and the consequences for evading it is at the forefront. What is the meaning behind the hiding place of the husband? Tem makes you wonder, and for a reader looking for more than some ambiguously supernatural ending, this approach is disappointing. But I think the message conveyed was clear.
Appears in: Women of Darkness, edited by Kathryn Ptacek
8. Chameleon
Adele's mother just moved in with her after her husband's passed on. (Adele's father) The problem is Adele never thought much about her mother, as she viewed her as a perpetually subservient subject to her late father's iron will. But Adele remembers a strange incident from their childhood when their mother was away, and she realizes that there may be more to her mother than meets the eye.
This tale is not horror, but it is an arresting piece of "magical realism' nonetheless. The characters are portrayed as real as possible, making the supposed supernatural events more effective.
Appears in: Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, March 1988, edited by Gardner Dozois
9. The Better Half
Brenda hasn't seen her friend Kelly since the latter's wedding, and now Kelly has invited her to her new home. They soon rekindle their strange friendship, which was mired in gossip and speculation back in the day. But Brenda can't explain some things: why is Kelly's husband always away from home that she can never meet him, and why are there no pictures of Kelly displayed around the house? Brenda thinks this might be connected to Kelly's tendencies to "groom" people close to her back in college, but is her speculation correct?
What I love about this tale is how unassuming it is. Like the stories of my favorite authors Thomas Tessier and Lisa Tuttle, the storytelling is mostly quiet and contains nothing but set-up and a sense of looming dread. Are there enough clues to help you foresee that final paragraph? Read and find out!
Appears in: The Mammoth Book of Vampires, edited by Stephen Jones
10. Memento Mori
Ann has a loving husband and a baby, yet she often imagines them dying (even during sex!) She is so obsessed to the point where she relentlessly tries to foreshadow their deaths and the eventual outcomes. Is Death going after her husband and child?
A short but memorable shocker. Memento Mori refers to a reminder that you will have to die someday. This practice is something shied away from by the present culture. (Who keeps skulls in their desks?) But Tem demonstrates that sometimes you do need it. Badly.
Appears in: Hot Blood X, edited by Jeff Gelb and Michael Garrett
11. Pandorette's Mother
Pandorette is 14 years old, and yet she can't even go out of the house. The reason: her overprotective mother who bans anything that might be harmful to her child. Stuffed animals? Dangerous. Mirrors? Very accident-prone. Pockets? Nefarious. Now, Pandorette must think of a way to escape from her ever-increasingly paranoid mother, or she will die.
This story is a fanciful exaggeration of a mother's innate protectiveness towards her child. What if it was too much? Tem shows you how to escape, so kids start reading!
Appears in: Cemetery Dance: Issue 25, edited by Richard Chizmar
12. Pele
Hilary and Joel are taking a trip to Haleakala, a sojourn that would hopefully save their marriage. While there, Hilary finds a strong connection with nature, and she often dreams of traversing the ocean floor and the volcanic islands. But in her dreams, she feels another entity, another presence. She is told -during the tour- of the legend of Pele, the goddess of the volcano and the ocean. She is also warned not to take anything on the island back home lest she suffer Pele's wrath. But Hilary is too attached to the island, and she doesn't want to go back. She eventually...
And yes, she does something stupid. But if you read the circumstances that prompted her action, you might find a woman who is desperate to escape from a failed/failing marriage that she disregards the supernatural. (Who believes in the supernatural, anyway? Atheist America?) Overall, a great and haunting story.
Appears in: The Anthology of Fantasy and the Supernatural, edited by Stephen Jones and David A. Sutton
13. Cousin Claudine
Lynne never liked her cousin Claudine, and yet she agrees to accompany her on a road trip to Quebec due to a "wildly misplaced hope that they could get to be buddies as well as cousins." It doesn't take long for Lynne to realize that the mean cousin has become more unbearable this time around. But when they stop for gas, Lynne fetches Claudine from the restroom, and she discovers something unnerving and mysterious that could change their relationship forever.
This story is about the way the past influences the present. (sometimes literally) Anyhow, Tem entertains and disturbs with this road trip tale drenched in paranoia and distrust. And she rocks with that subdued and mysterious ending.
14. Fry Day
An unnamed mother is visiting the traveling carnival near her community, with dark and heavy thoughts; tomorrow will be the day when the serial killer Brian Dempsey will die (fry) by electric chair. Dempsey was responsible for the rape, murder, and mutilation of her daughter Rachel, and the mother can't even witness his execution. While silently excoriating the different freaks of the carnival for showing off their misfortunes (and not matching hers), she sees a mysterious carousel operated by an equally strange man. She is drawn to it, and is that an electric chair replica seat?
The message is clear: the living will have to shoulder the legacy left behind by the dead. This story (for me) is a companion piece to David Morrell's Nothing Will Hurt You , and the ending is just as grim and heartbreaking. Great story.
Appears in: Final Shadows, edited by Charles L. Grant
SOME DUDS AND DISAPPOINTMENTS
Daddy's Side is awful, boring, and tedious. And it's not because the prose is complicated, but because Tem goes to ridiculous lengths to disguise events and ideas as symbolism (in this case, houses seem to represent a parent (?)) that it leads to unnecessary confusion. Besides, what is this story? Horror? (Nope) Science Fiction? (Nope) Fantasy? (Whose fantasy?) This tale reminds one of John Langan's "The Shallows"; emotional impact killed by dreary writing.
Trail of Crumbs is another disappointment. Nora and Beatrice are two eternally grumpy, nihilistic, and murderous women; every person they encounter is fed with their numerous false stories of imaginary victimhood, and when the person tries to reject their worldview or piss them off, they kill them. They eventually meet Margaret, a woman who they think is as miserable as them, but she has something they don't have: hope and kindness. Naturally, they are not too fond of her.
The symbolism is on the nose for this one: Nora and Beatrice represent the majority of the people of the world (nihilistic, cynical, and violent) while Margaret symbolizes the good few. But that's it; there is nothing for you in terms of shock, horror, awe, or even some good old plot twists. Very bland and trite.
1. The Ice Downstream
It's the first day of spring, but the cold of winter still haunts Torey and her father; they spent the whole season mourning her brother Ryan after he fell through the snow. As her father's desire to live gradually diminishes, Torey must summon the courage before the cold claims them all.
A haunting tale of grief mixed with ambiguity. Is the cold "aware" of the despair and hopelessness of the duo that it becomes an all-too-real sentient force? Or is the father suffering from survivor's guilt of the highest degree? Either way, it's a great, and ahem, chilly opener to this collection.
Appears in: Cold Shocks, edited by Tim Sullivan
2. Sitting with the Driver
Abigail is traveling on a stagecoach to Texas as a mail-order bride. Her past, however, is more sordid than her present; Abigail's mother sold her to a brothel when she was 13. After having managed to cope with her unsavory life, Abigail grieves again. Now, on route to another life, she reflects on her past while being wary of the future. But who are these mysterious figures traveling with her? What waits for her in Texas?
This tale is a depressing and unpredictable western with supernatural undertones. "Undertones" since you are not sure if there is something otherworldly, but you feel (or made to feel) there is. And maybe that shocking ending does prove the existence of the supernatural. But for the most part, Tem fascinates with a brutal and unforgiving depiction of the harshness of life in the American Midwest, both demonstrated by people and the indifferent acts of nature.
People think the ending came out of the left-field, with no reference to any past event in the story. But I looked again, and Tem did niftily foreshadow it a line or two of dialogue.
3. The Rock
Insufferable womanizer and cheat John Paul Clarke has a potential problem: his luxurious beach house is in the direct path of an imposing rock up on the hillside, and it could come rolling down anytime. But there's no time to think about it as he is frequently seduced and "drained" by a mysterious woman named Mara. Clarke hilariously tries to divide his attention with his lovers (one barely legal!) and his long-suffering wife Charlotte, but this makes Mara mad. Mara imposes that he should leave his wife and be her lover forever. Can Clarke make this decision? Is there a connection between the rock and Mara? And what happens when Clarke makes a choice?
This story is a blast; Tem combines a raunchy sex drama, black comedy, and symbolism to create an alternately shocking and scintillating experience. Clarke is a laugh riot, as he acknowledges that yes, he does go after (very) young women, yet he still loves his wife and will never leave her (!). I guess contradictions exist in real life. But after some more embarrassing shenanigans with Clarke, Tem turns the table and delivers some of the freakiest (and scariest) scenes of sex since Ray Garton's "The New Neighbor" The ending is also appropriate: problems seem to "come down" when you least expect them, eh?
Appears in: Little Deaths: 24 Tales of Sex and Horror, edited by Ellen Datlow
4. The Co-op
Julie is a new mother, and she is hosting her fellow mums (the co-op) and their kids in her home. What begins as an innocuous discussion on motherhood turns into a series of increasingly disturbing rants from the co-op mothers on how motherhood destroyed their lives. Will they manage to change Julie's mind? What can you do to prepare yourself for the shocking ending?
You read horror books because you seek an escape into the world of ghosts and vampires; this story informs you that the real horror is in everyday life, and there is no escape from it. And kudos to Tem for that ending: nasty, shocking, but still totally earned.
Appears in: Best New Horror 2, edited by Stephen Jones and Ramsey Campbell
5. Secrets
Grace can't seem to communicate with her daughter Christy. After her husband Vic died, she made sure to keep track of everything in Christy's life, including her private affairs. All of this since Grace posthumously discovered that Vic harbored secret extramarital affairs. With such an unresponsive daughter, Grace would think that she was hiding something, too. But is everything too late for...everyone?
This story felt forced, and although the ending is another sick shocker, the inclusion of the idea of secret messages in albums feels trite, unnecessary, and inappropriate. If the story focused and zeroed-in on paranoia and loss of trust only, this piece-in my humble opinion- could have been far more powerful. But that ending is disturbing.
Appears in: The Best of Cemetery Dance Volume 2, edited by Richard Chizmar
6. Loving Delia
Delia has cancer, and her daughter is naturally concerned for her. What Delia's family doesn't know is that Delia has long had a secret lover, one that has lived inside her body ever since she was a child. Her secret lover has been present in the worst times of her life, but what role will the cancer play in his existence? Will he die or live?
This tale is another sexually-charged offering from Tem, complete with graphic descriptions of unusual Cronenberg-Esque sexual acts. These scenes border into the uncomfortable, knowing that the secret lover has been, uh, loving Delia since she was a little girl. But graphic sexuality aside, Tem's handling of the events doesn't seem exploitative but reflective of a typical human affair, one filled with bouts of jealousy, mistrust, and maybe genuine love.
The whole set-up is unnerving, and this makes the tale effective.
Appears in: Crimes of Passion, edited by Jeff Gelb and Michael Garrett
7. Aspen Graffiti
Bonnie's husband of 17 years, Adrian, has just left her, along with their kids. It seems that Adrian doesn't love her anymore and could not be bothered by her "plight of the children" pleading. After her child spots their father with another woman (allegedly happier), Bonnie gets to see him herself. And he leads her to his secret hiding place in the woods.
Tem delivers another "family" horror tale. This time around, the theme of familial responsibility and the consequences for evading it is at the forefront. What is the meaning behind the hiding place of the husband? Tem makes you wonder, and for a reader looking for more than some ambiguously supernatural ending, this approach is disappointing. But I think the message conveyed was clear.
Appears in: Women of Darkness, edited by Kathryn Ptacek
8. Chameleon
Adele's mother just moved in with her after her husband's passed on. (Adele's father) The problem is Adele never thought much about her mother, as she viewed her as a perpetually subservient subject to her late father's iron will. But Adele remembers a strange incident from their childhood when their mother was away, and she realizes that there may be more to her mother than meets the eye.
This tale is not horror, but it is an arresting piece of "magical realism' nonetheless. The characters are portrayed as real as possible, making the supposed supernatural events more effective.
Appears in: Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, March 1988, edited by Gardner Dozois
9. The Better Half
Brenda hasn't seen her friend Kelly since the latter's wedding, and now Kelly has invited her to her new home. They soon rekindle their strange friendship, which was mired in gossip and speculation back in the day. But Brenda can't explain some things: why is Kelly's husband always away from home that she can never meet him, and why are there no pictures of Kelly displayed around the house? Brenda thinks this might be connected to Kelly's tendencies to "groom" people close to her back in college, but is her speculation correct?
What I love about this tale is how unassuming it is. Like the stories of my favorite authors Thomas Tessier and Lisa Tuttle, the storytelling is mostly quiet and contains nothing but set-up and a sense of looming dread. Are there enough clues to help you foresee that final paragraph? Read and find out!
Appears in: The Mammoth Book of Vampires, edited by Stephen Jones
10. Memento Mori
Ann has a loving husband and a baby, yet she often imagines them dying (even during sex!) She is so obsessed to the point where she relentlessly tries to foreshadow their deaths and the eventual outcomes. Is Death going after her husband and child?
A short but memorable shocker. Memento Mori refers to a reminder that you will have to die someday. This practice is something shied away from by the present culture. (Who keeps skulls in their desks?) But Tem demonstrates that sometimes you do need it. Badly.
Appears in: Hot Blood X, edited by Jeff Gelb and Michael Garrett
11. Pandorette's Mother
Pandorette is 14 years old, and yet she can't even go out of the house. The reason: her overprotective mother who bans anything that might be harmful to her child. Stuffed animals? Dangerous. Mirrors? Very accident-prone. Pockets? Nefarious. Now, Pandorette must think of a way to escape from her ever-increasingly paranoid mother, or she will die.
This story is a fanciful exaggeration of a mother's innate protectiveness towards her child. What if it was too much? Tem shows you how to escape, so kids start reading!
Appears in: Cemetery Dance: Issue 25, edited by Richard Chizmar
12. Pele
Hilary and Joel are taking a trip to Haleakala, a sojourn that would hopefully save their marriage. While there, Hilary finds a strong connection with nature, and she often dreams of traversing the ocean floor and the volcanic islands. But in her dreams, she feels another entity, another presence. She is told -during the tour- of the legend of Pele, the goddess of the volcano and the ocean. She is also warned not to take anything on the island back home lest she suffer Pele's wrath. But Hilary is too attached to the island, and she doesn't want to go back. She eventually...
And yes, she does something stupid. But if you read the circumstances that prompted her action, you might find a woman who is desperate to escape from a failed/failing marriage that she disregards the supernatural. (Who believes in the supernatural, anyway? Atheist America?) Overall, a great and haunting story.
Appears in: The Anthology of Fantasy and the Supernatural, edited by Stephen Jones and David A. Sutton
13. Cousin Claudine
Lynne never liked her cousin Claudine, and yet she agrees to accompany her on a road trip to Quebec due to a "wildly misplaced hope that they could get to be buddies as well as cousins." It doesn't take long for Lynne to realize that the mean cousin has become more unbearable this time around. But when they stop for gas, Lynne fetches Claudine from the restroom, and she discovers something unnerving and mysterious that could change their relationship forever.
This story is about the way the past influences the present. (sometimes literally) Anyhow, Tem entertains and disturbs with this road trip tale drenched in paranoia and distrust. And she rocks with that subdued and mysterious ending.
14. Fry Day
An unnamed mother is visiting the traveling carnival near her community, with dark and heavy thoughts; tomorrow will be the day when the serial killer Brian Dempsey will die (fry) by electric chair. Dempsey was responsible for the rape, murder, and mutilation of her daughter Rachel, and the mother can't even witness his execution. While silently excoriating the different freaks of the carnival for showing off their misfortunes (and not matching hers), she sees a mysterious carousel operated by an equally strange man. She is drawn to it, and is that an electric chair replica seat?
The message is clear: the living will have to shoulder the legacy left behind by the dead. This story (for me) is a companion piece to David Morrell's Nothing Will Hurt You , and the ending is just as grim and heartbreaking. Great story.
Appears in: Final Shadows, edited by Charles L. Grant
SOME DUDS AND DISAPPOINTMENTS
Daddy's Side is awful, boring, and tedious. And it's not because the prose is complicated, but because Tem goes to ridiculous lengths to disguise events and ideas as symbolism (in this case, houses seem to represent a parent (?)) that it leads to unnecessary confusion. Besides, what is this story? Horror? (Nope) Science Fiction? (Nope) Fantasy? (Whose fantasy?) This tale reminds one of John Langan's "The Shallows"; emotional impact killed by dreary writing.
Trail of Crumbs is another disappointment. Nora and Beatrice are two eternally grumpy, nihilistic, and murderous women; every person they encounter is fed with their numerous false stories of imaginary victimhood, and when the person tries to reject their worldview or piss them off, they kill them. They eventually meet Margaret, a woman who they think is as miserable as them, but she has something they don't have: hope and kindness. Naturally, they are not too fond of her.
The symbolism is on the nose for this one: Nora and Beatrice represent the majority of the people of the world (nihilistic, cynical, and violent) while Margaret symbolizes the good few. But that's it; there is nothing for you in terms of shock, horror, awe, or even some good old plot twists. Very bland and trite.
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