What do you think?
Rate this book
Pendulum Grim
An exotic fortune cookie-maker hangs up her rolling pin to spare customers the horrifying truth. A dying man comes to terms with the Halloween inside to survive. A woman finds Ambrose Bierce's diary and resolves to break its curse by making her death the final entry. A long-dead lynching victim returns to punish the men responsible for his grotesque execution. The stories in E. R. Bills' first turn at horror fiction showcase an unsettling new voice in the genre.
144 pages, Paperback
First published December 2, 2019
6 people want to read
About the author
E.R. Bills
24 books21 followersE. R. Bills is a writer from Fort Worth, Texas. He received a BA in Journalism from Southwest Texas State University and does freelance writing for publications around Texas.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 7, 2020
I recently read E. R. Bill’s short story collection “Pendulum Grim”. It’s one of the best horror collections I’ve read in a long time. My favorite story was, “The Halloween in Me”. It will surely haunt me this fall when my neighbors decide to decorate for Halloween (especially the house that goes all out with the life-like statues). I’ll definitely do a double-take if I see anything move in my neighbor’s yard during October. Having said that, it’s not the horror but the human elements in this story that appeal to me. The story explores possibilities regarding the afterlife, and although there are some hints of cosmic horror (including a hellish idea of what might come after death), it’s the desire of humans wanting to stay connected to each other that makes this story heartfelt despite the horror elements.
The most disturbing story (and one of my other favorites in this collection) was, “Recumbent Female Nude”. For me, it brought to mind the Brock Turner case, but there have no doubt been many horrible cases of men given a slap on the wrist for violating unconscious girls. This story gets into the mind of a sexual predator in a way that will twist your stomach. It reminded me of some of Stephen King’s darker stories, and also a little of Matt Shaw. Having said that, it doesn’t feel like shock for the sake of shock, a common issue in many horror stories.
To me, the story seemed to be illustrating objectification of women. The main character Caleb begins the story thinking that he is a necrophiliac, but he discovers he really just wants a female body he can have complete control over. Many psychologists think the appeal of necrophilia and similar fetishes stem from wanting complete control over a partner, so the character felt very realistic to me. I’ve never seen objectification explored in quite this way. Despite the fact that I had to set this story to the side a few times because it was so disturbing, I feel like this is one of the best horror stories I’ve read in awhile in terms of subtext and cathartic release. Although this story is not for the faint of heart, it is most likely the strongest story in the collection. A must-read for hardcore horror fans that can stomach it.
The other stories were very strong as well. I was impressed by the opening story, “Minerva’s Vision”. It had a Twilight Zone premise, a woman who can predict the future of restaurant patrons and who puts helpful advice or observations in fortune cookies. It had an ending I didn’t see coming that I thought was bittersweet. The story that the collection takes its title from was another one of my favorites. “Pendulum Grim” is about a woman who finds a haunted journal kept by real-life author Ambrose Bierce who mysteriously disappeared in 1913. It’s a creepy tale that reminds me of some documentaries I’ve seen on cursed objects.
Overall this is a fantastic collection of short horror stories. I highly recommend checking out E.R. Bill’s collection, “Pendulum Grim”.
The most disturbing story (and one of my other favorites in this collection) was, “Recumbent Female Nude”. For me, it brought to mind the Brock Turner case, but there have no doubt been many horrible cases of men given a slap on the wrist for violating unconscious girls. This story gets into the mind of a sexual predator in a way that will twist your stomach. It reminded me of some of Stephen King’s darker stories, and also a little of Matt Shaw. Having said that, it doesn’t feel like shock for the sake of shock, a common issue in many horror stories.
To me, the story seemed to be illustrating objectification of women. The main character Caleb begins the story thinking that he is a necrophiliac, but he discovers he really just wants a female body he can have complete control over. Many psychologists think the appeal of necrophilia and similar fetishes stem from wanting complete control over a partner, so the character felt very realistic to me. I’ve never seen objectification explored in quite this way. Despite the fact that I had to set this story to the side a few times because it was so disturbing, I feel like this is one of the best horror stories I’ve read in awhile in terms of subtext and cathartic release. Although this story is not for the faint of heart, it is most likely the strongest story in the collection. A must-read for hardcore horror fans that can stomach it.
The other stories were very strong as well. I was impressed by the opening story, “Minerva’s Vision”. It had a Twilight Zone premise, a woman who can predict the future of restaurant patrons and who puts helpful advice or observations in fortune cookies. It had an ending I didn’t see coming that I thought was bittersweet. The story that the collection takes its title from was another one of my favorites. “Pendulum Grim” is about a woman who finds a haunted journal kept by real-life author Ambrose Bierce who mysteriously disappeared in 1913. It’s a creepy tale that reminds me of some documentaries I’ve seen on cursed objects.
Overall this is a fantastic collection of short horror stories. I highly recommend checking out E.R. Bill’s collection, “Pendulum Grim”.
Displaying 1 of 1 review