Overcast

by T. Reilly

Following T. Reilly’s modern Gothic novel Grayscale, Overcast is a collection of short stories that pays homage to multiple genres. A surreal forest, creatures of the night, an obsessive-compulsive hitman, time travel, skateboarding, the strangest funeral and an aging superhero. A few examples of places, topics and people covered in this collection.

240 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 20, 2019

About the author

T. Reilly is a writer of fiction who is drawn to the darker and more mysterious elements of our world, and to the vulnerabilities of the human condition. Reilly tends to borrow from multiple genres like horror and science fiction to conceive unique stories with a literary bent.

​Reilly resides in the progressive town of Collingswood that sits across the river from Philadelphia. An ideal geography to stimulate the imagination, he grew up a stone’s throw from the city, the Jersey Shore and the Pine Barrens, all of which have played integral parts in many of his stories.

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice collection of stories. I really enjoyed the eerieness of The Diner. I also really enjoyed Home Is but I loved Wrong Place part 1 and part 2. They are separated by other stories in the book. Glad I had the opportunity to read these stories.

[Suzy Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outcast by T. Reilly is a unique collection with a bird's eye view of human nature. Spanning multiple genres and covering a wide range of places, people, and times, this is a book that is not to be missed.

This collection of short stories by T. Reilly, pays homage to a multitude of different genres such as sci fi, horror, dark fantasy, dark fiction and contemporary. You will travel through a surreal forest, meet creatures of the night, come across an obsessive compulsive hit man. You'll time travel, go skateboarding, attend an odd funeral and meet an aging super hero. T. Reilly leaves no stone, I mean, genre, unturned.

I really enjoyed Outcast! It shows that Reilly has not only a gift at writing horror, but writing in general! The stories were very detailed and had depth. Each story was told with a glint of humanity in each. Though all of the stories are very different, the book flowed fairly smoothly, as Reilly jumped from one topic to another. You quickly realize, just because the last story was contemporary, you have no idea what the next story will bring.
However, there were a few stories that I had a some slight issues with which altered my rating from 5 to 4. I didn't understand the point of the aging superhero story. I will leave it at that as to remain spoiler free, but I just didn't get it. Secondly, “Voodoo Apple”. This story was insistently repetitive. The apple “biting” and “chewing” was WAY overdone. We definitely get that it was obnoxious. It didn't need to be to the point where the story almost loses itself in it.

Outcast, for the most part, is full of compelling stories, each one different than the last. I loved being kept on my toes! No story was the same as the one before, or the one after. The wide range of characterizations and plots covering almost every genre, makes this a book that will have something for everyone!

[Kim Selby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book by T. Reilly that I have read and found this one just as enjoyable as Grayscale.

The good part about reading short stories (besides being able to read either a little at a time or all at once), is the range of character and storylines you get to experience within one book.

With its sense of mystery, nostalgia, horror, romance, and intrigue, Overcast has something for everyone (including cool illustrations)!

[Hayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that I will be recommending to everyone. I think the writing is just phenomenal- it’s deep and whimsical and gives me the impression that the author is someone I’d love to converse with for hours.
The stories also seem to transcend a single genre label as the stories include horror, sci-fi, contemporary, and more.
I’m purposely not summarizing the stories because I think the work speaks its best when you are discovering it for yourselves.