Rerouted

by Daniel Bryant

Expect the unexpected in Daniel Bryant's Rerouted, a collection of linked short stories in which myth, mirth and mayhem are never far away.

Genres: Short Stories

204 pages, Paperback

Published July 18, 2019

Reviews

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories for me can be hit and miss for me and this book was a hit. I enjoyed the writing style and the stories were entertaining

[Martin Llewellyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rerouted is a modern gothic short story collection that touches upon the classic ghost story, indigenous mythology and metamorphic body horror. The first story "Deadwalk" – its title nodding to the final story in the collection "Dogwalk" – signals the circularity, dead ends and false trails and, not least, terminal destinations most if not all the characters face. Rerouted is more than a collection of good horror stories, it reflects on the dead(ly) and empty spaces in contemporary society, geographically and satirically: “Deadwalk” shows the crass commercialism and moral bankruptcy of the creative industry in the protagonist’s meeting with the sinister film producer Albert and his assistant Benny in a deserted, decrepit bar, the latter of whom ends up recruiting robbers to work for him in the hold-up-goes-awry story “Mocha El Grande”. One of Rerouted’s central themes is shape shifting, which features in metafictional fashion in Benny’s reappearance in other stories in the collection but also in “Ghost Note”, through the indigenous figure of the Wendigo, as well as in the final story, where the protagonist’s world is turned inside out. “Ghost Note”, which follows the adventures of a metal band Ashthorn – writers of the classic, original song “Tim Whoretown” – and their not-glamorous tour of back roads and small towns is the best and funniest story here (although it could have been shorter). It exemplifies Bryant’s humour, invention and ability to surprisingly but convincingly twist the narrative from the mundane to the horrific. The next book will hopefully find a wider readership.