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Everything's Fine
Matthew Pridham's dark fantasy tale "Everything's Fine," a Tor.com Original Eric’s day is off to a rough his regional managers are in town, he’s running late to work, the moon seems to be falling apart, and he just can’t seem to get his tie right. At least he has his priorities it’s the little things that matter. The world may be plunging into chaos, the neighborhood children might be mutating into abominations, but that doesn’t mean he can let his standards slip. If he and his co-workers can survive their nightmare walk to the office, then Eric has a plan for success...At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
21 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 15, 2020
11 people are currently reading
623 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Pridham
3 books50 followersMatthew Pridham was born in New Jersey and spent his childhood chasing trolls in Bergen, Norway. He has since mostly lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico. After working 13 years as a bookseller, he succumbed to the glittering allure of academia and earned degrees in philosophy, literature, and creative writing.
His haunted house novella, “Renovations,” was printed in Weird Tales magazine issue 348, his story, "Everything's Fine" was featured on Tor.com, his film criticism has been published in WeirdFictionReview.com, and he’s written fiction and nonfiction for The Thought Erotic. He also reviews horror and horror-adjacent film and literature at thescreamarchive.com.
His haunted house novella, “Renovations,” was printed in Weird Tales magazine issue 348, his story, "Everything's Fine" was featured on Tor.com, his film criticism has been published in WeirdFictionReview.com, and he’s written fiction and nonfiction for The Thought Erotic. He also reviews horror and horror-adjacent film and literature at thescreamarchive.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
July 20, 2020
“What a nice night,” she said, her voice barely audible over the shrieking emanating from neighboring houses, “what a…lovely, lovely night. We’re having a good time. We’re okay.”
well, shit. this story is 2020 in a nutshell—hashtag MOOD, hashtag ZEITGEIST. it's an accumulated nightmare stew of horror and anxiety and people doing the best they can in a world gone mad. do the old rules about ignoring monsters until they go away still apply? does "ignorance is bliss" include that thing happening...right...behind...you? is it strength or weakness or stockholm syndrome keeping you smiling and prattling and carrying out your daily routines while inside you are shrieking? have you been a frog in a pot this whole time? can you even remember the last time the world seemed, if not perfect, at least logical? fixable? every day's a haunted funhouse ride, keeping us skittish and braced for the next apocalypse and there are just SO MANY dark corners to navigate. this story taps into allllllll of that jittery dread.
or it might just be a deleted scene from return to oz.
either way, it is very effective.
read it for yourself here:
https://www.tor.com/2020/07/15/everyt...
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February 3, 2024
Just Another Day.
Eric is getting ready for work today and he wants to try the Balthus knot, another way to do his necktie.
He walks to work with his friends Sandra and Jenkins. Things are going to hell all around them, but they are careful not to pay any attention to the mess.
It’s just another day.
Five fabulous stars. ✨✨✨✨✨
Eric is getting ready for work today and he wants to try the Balthus knot, another way to do his necktie.
He walks to work with his friends Sandra and Jenkins. Things are going to hell all around them, but they are careful not to pay any attention to the mess.
It’s just another day.
Five fabulous stars. ✨✨✨✨✨
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June 29, 2023A genuinely horrific short story about corporate workers tryinng to pretend everything's normal in a world where it very much isn't, due to eldritch horrors and the moon falling apart. Unfortunately, as soon as you panic, the eldritch horrors get you, so the only way through is to keep on the meaningless drivel about the latest reality show.
It's a deeply sinister tale in itself and also a nifty allegory for the things we choose not to look at and the ways we try to pretend everything is in fact fine. A great story, and perfect cover.
It's a deeply sinister tale in itself and also a nifty allegory for the things we choose not to look at and the ways we try to pretend everything is in fact fine. A great story, and perfect cover.
November 27, 2020
This is brilliant! Its both terrifying and pleasant read. And yes, this is 2020 in a nutshell. A world going to shits and what can we do but pretend, 'Everything's Fine', and funny enough, we may very well be alright.
“what a…lovely, lovely night. We’re having a good time. We’re okay.”If interested, here's the link to Everything's Fine from TOR.COM.
July 17, 2020
An absolutely brilliant piece that no doubt will help future generations catch a glimpse into life in 2020.
Just kidding, of course. We don't get promotions ;)
Read this delightfully nightmarish piece here: https://www.tor.com/2020/07/15/everyt...
(And for a more helpful note, the tone in this is very similar to the Welcome to Night Vale podcast - horror with enough humour and elbow-nudges to keep it from being unbearable. There's even a glowcloud!)
Just kidding, of course. We don't get promotions ;)
Read this delightfully nightmarish piece here: https://www.tor.com/2020/07/15/everyt...
(And for a more helpful note, the tone in this is very similar to the Welcome to Night Vale podcast - horror with enough humour and elbow-nudges to keep it from being unbearable. There's even a glowcloud!)
July 17, 2020
"What a nice night," she said, her voice barely audible over the shrieking emanating from neighboring houses, "what a...lovely, lovely, night. We're having a good time. We're okay."
What a bizarre, gruesome, and utterly captivating short.
Read it here: https://www.tor.com/2020/07/15/everyt...
What a bizarre, gruesome, and utterly captivating short.
Read it here: https://www.tor.com/2020/07/15/everyt...
July 21, 2020
where everything is BATSHIT CRAZY, it's probably best to just go on about your day, and ignore all the HORRIFYING HAPPENINGS going on around you, like GIANT KATAMARI BALLS made out of children and car parts . . .
and other things too terrifying to dwell upon.
This is probably the most disturbing Tor short I've read. If you think you're up to it - here's the link:
https://www.tor.com/2020/07/15/everyt...
July 23, 2020
The moon is breaking apart, strange clouds of orange mist are mutating people and melding them into hideous creatures. But if we can pretend everything is normal, maybe it really will be, maybe it will all leave us alone if we don't acknowledge it....
Brilliant story, equal parts humorous and revolting. The mundanities of life continuing in the face of unspeakable horrors. Kind of like, you know, real life.
Brilliant story, equal parts humorous and revolting. The mundanities of life continuing in the face of unspeakable horrors. Kind of like, you know, real life.
August 5, 2020
It's all about how well you tied your Balthus tie knot.
Yep. This is 2020 alright. The world is falling apart. Unspeakable horrors are happening all about. Even The Moon is coming apart. But worry not! Everything's fine. Just keep telling yourself that, and make sure your tie is tied correctly before that interview with the regional managers...who have fused together.
Reminds me of John Carpenter's The Thing.
Yep. This is 2020 alright. The world is falling apart. Unspeakable horrors are happening all about. Even The Moon is coming apart. But worry not! Everything's fine. Just keep telling yourself that, and make sure your tie is tied correctly before that interview with the regional managers...who have fused together.
Reminds me of John Carpenter's The Thing.
March 19, 2021
This short story is hard to quantify. It's horror but in such a surreal way that it is slightly comical. At the same time, the tale is a bit disorienting at first.
Eric has to get to work. More importantly, he has to be on time AND make a good impression because the regional managers will be there and he wants that promotion.
The problem: the Moon is cracking up, something very weird is happening to people that involves blood and gore and ... will it everything really be fine if he tells himself exactly that often enough?
Whether this is Earth, Hell's version of Earth or a parallel universe - it was weird, in a slightly dark sort of way.
Still, it lacked the certain je ne sais quoi, unfortunately.
You can read it for free here: https://www.tor.com/2020/07/15/everyt...
Eric has to get to work. More importantly, he has to be on time AND make a good impression because the regional managers will be there and he wants that promotion.
The problem: the Moon is cracking up, something very weird is happening to people that involves blood and gore and ... will it everything really be fine if he tells himself exactly that often enough?
Whether this is Earth, Hell's version of Earth or a parallel universe - it was weird, in a slightly dark sort of way.
Still, it lacked the certain je ne sais quoi, unfortunately.
You can read it for free here: https://www.tor.com/2020/07/15/everyt...
June 4, 2023
I've spent my entire life never smoking, drinking, or breaking any laws. Ever since I was an adult it's been ingrained into my nogin that those are no no activities. However, in the past year, I have recently taken up a horrible activity called Catamari.
1 bread
12 egg
5 milk
4 cheese
47 cucumber
Prince of the cosmos roll big ball to big star to disperse cancer. That's so uncool man. "Jesse!"
"Mr. White"
"We have to break bad"
This is a quote that has stuck with me and one that has gotten me through some tough times. It is one that I use often to motivate myself in pickle ball. Pickle ball was my dream. I've also wanted to go pro with it but I've never had enough opportunity to do so. So instead I turned to __________. I've continued to stay away from drugs and stuff. 10/10 good boók. Nice story homie. B-)
My favorite quote from the story: "the"
1 bread
12 egg
5 milk
4 cheese
47 cucumber
Prince of the cosmos roll big ball to big star to disperse cancer. That's so uncool man. "Jesse!"
"Mr. White"
"We have to break bad"
This is a quote that has stuck with me and one that has gotten me through some tough times. It is one that I use often to motivate myself in pickle ball. Pickle ball was my dream. I've also wanted to go pro with it but I've never had enough opportunity to do so. So instead I turned to __________. I've continued to stay away from drugs and stuff. 10/10 good boók. Nice story homie. B-)
My favorite quote from the story: "the"
January 5, 2021
4.5/5
“If we just don’t acknowledge what’s happening, it won’t get us.”
An eldritch short worthy of the most terrifying episode of Twilight Zone one could possibly imagine.
I’m so glad Eric got his promotion! It’s so nice to read a story with a happy ending.
“If we just don’t acknowledge what’s happening, it won’t get us.”
An eldritch short worthy of the most terrifying episode of Twilight Zone one could possibly imagine.
I’m so glad Eric got his promotion! It’s so nice to read a story with a happy ending.
September 20, 2020
Wow, absolutely loved this. An entire 2020 mood.
December 12, 2021
I swear this story is a sign of our times. The window sill is leaking blood, the local tumbleweed is a monstrosity of schoolkid body parts, and the moon is cracking apart. But Eric's regional managers are in town, and he knows his chance of promotion rests on a perfectly knotted tie. Just keep your head down and keep on worrying about the everyday things.
July 24, 2020
This is an interesting short story. I might even say it's delightful, in the way nightmares are delightful: horrible things happen around you, and they make no sense, and they are bloody and grotesque, but as long as you pretend not to notice anything, you'll be fine. Everything's fine, really! Don't pay attention to the howling from next door or the big eye in the sky.
August 12, 2020
2020 be like:
February 26, 2021
A short story similar to a walk in the park, just passing down the street, a bit of a nervous jaunt to work managing to avoid all that sordid traffic? The Moon texture is a bit 'grating' for my aesthetics taste or I would give 5 stars ...
Available to read at: https://www.tor.com/2020/07/15/everyt...
Available to read at: https://www.tor.com/2020/07/15/everyt...
September 2, 2020
Everything's Fine is not just a short story about 2020, it's also an allegory of the modern man - and I cannot express the disgust I'm feeling after reading this, because we're all a part of the problem, we see it, yet we act like it isn't happening.
The story takes place in a completely absurd world where children are being turned into monsters in the middle of the street, where your colleagues get killed in front of you, yet you need to forget about that and continue working on that promotion, where your managers, completely shapeless masses with heads on top, use completely illogical and meaningless sentences with business terminology stuck here and there during meetings, during which you have to act like you agree with everything and that you completely understand what they're talking about. Every living second is dangerous, especially when you go outdoors, yet you have to do it, because all the bills and house maintenance won't pay themselves. You don't have TIME to think about danger, let alone trivialities like losing someone you knew.
It's actually not that absurd when you think of it, is it? It's terrifyingly close to reality.
And what can we do about it? I suggest TV and a pack of donuts.
Read the story here: https://www.tor.com/2020/07/15/everyt...
The story takes place in a completely absurd world where children are being turned into monsters in the middle of the street, where your colleagues get killed in front of you, yet you need to forget about that and continue working on that promotion, where your managers, completely shapeless masses with heads on top, use completely illogical and meaningless sentences with business terminology stuck here and there during meetings, during which you have to act like you agree with everything and that you completely understand what they're talking about. Every living second is dangerous, especially when you go outdoors, yet you have to do it, because all the bills and house maintenance won't pay themselves. You don't have TIME to think about danger, let alone trivialities like losing someone you knew.
It's actually not that absurd when you think of it, is it? It's terrifyingly close to reality.
And what can we do about it? I suggest TV and a pack of donuts.
Read the story here: https://www.tor.com/2020/07/15/everyt...
July 17, 2020
Yowsa. I feel like "Don't talk about the bad things, don't look at them, don't let them into your head, keep your head down, and do your thing as well as you can" is the gist of this short story.
Soooo, yeah, basically, it's 2020.
Soooo, yeah, basically, it's 2020.
July 20, 2020
That was terrifying! I'm a nervous wreck....
January 13, 2024
This was so creepy and so excellent! Set in a world where if you acknowledge the horrors happening around you, they get you. So, everything's fine, nothing bad is happening, keep calm and get to work!
While in the real world, there aren't the same levels of horrors happening, this did remind me of how we continue to go to work and pretend like everything is fine, while the world crumbles around us. Terrifyingly good story, but holy smokes there's a lot of gore and grotesque visuals.
This short story can be read for free at Tor's website, which was another bonus for me!
https://www.tor.com/2020/07/15/everyt...
While in the real world, there aren't the same levels of horrors happening, this did remind me of how we continue to go to work and pretend like everything is fine, while the world crumbles around us. Terrifyingly good story, but holy smokes there's a lot of gore and grotesque visuals.
This short story can be read for free at Tor's website, which was another bonus for me!
https://www.tor.com/2020/07/15/everyt...
October 2, 2020
HAPPY SPOOKTOBER!
fulfilling my shortie Spooktober challenge to read one spooky short story a day.
Day one: The Magic Shop by H.G. Wells
Day two: Everything's Fine by Matthew Pridham
This free tor short packs a punch and is the perfect way to sum up 2020. It is delightfully creeptastic and ominous in its delivery and serves up that perfect blend of terror and anxiety that I think every person in the human race can relate to after living through 9 months of this year. It is gory and farcical and at times comical, but there is always that sense of tension that Pridham writes beautifully. It explores that "Everything Is Fine" mentality that so many people plaster on their faces and fake in their minds when the world they live in is so terribly obviously going to hell in a handbasket real quick.
I love that this story is gory and a little brutal but it doesn't take itself too seriously either. It perfectly describes all those people who just keep going on with their lives despite the horrors around them, pretending they aren't there while just doing their best to carry on. And those who rock the boat, well, they aren't so lucky.
And of course, there is the traditional tor.com cover candy:
4 stars.
Read it for free here:
https://www.tor.com/2020/07/15/everyt...
fulfilling my shortie Spooktober challenge to read one spooky short story a day.
Day one: The Magic Shop by H.G. Wells
Day two: Everything's Fine by Matthew Pridham
This free tor short packs a punch and is the perfect way to sum up 2020. It is delightfully creeptastic and ominous in its delivery and serves up that perfect blend of terror and anxiety that I think every person in the human race can relate to after living through 9 months of this year. It is gory and farcical and at times comical, but there is always that sense of tension that Pridham writes beautifully. It explores that "Everything Is Fine" mentality that so many people plaster on their faces and fake in their minds when the world they live in is so terribly obviously going to hell in a handbasket real quick.
I love that this story is gory and a little brutal but it doesn't take itself too seriously either. It perfectly describes all those people who just keep going on with their lives despite the horrors around them, pretending they aren't there while just doing their best to carry on. And those who rock the boat, well, they aren't so lucky.
And of course, there is the traditional tor.com cover candy:
4 stars.
Read it for free here:
https://www.tor.com/2020/07/15/everyt...
April 26, 2021
This story is:
(a) account of 2020 written by person using hallucinogenics;
(b) mutated offspring of Brave New World.
How come this is the only work from this author?! I want more - so much more - stuff like this from him.
(a) account of 2020 written by person using hallucinogenics;
(b) mutated offspring of Brave New World.
How come this is the only work from this author?! I want more - so much more - stuff like this from him.
July 9, 2021
Well that was.... disturbing. It was also very appropriate for 2020. Pretending every thing is normal when it is not and ignoring the terror going on around you. Yep that about sums up the attitudes of the people in my little corner of Tennessee towards 2020.
November 15, 2020
One of the best short stories I've ever read. I seriously want it to be nominated for all the awards.
This story captures exactly how I feel about *gestures at everything*. It's brilliant.
This story captures exactly how I feel about *gestures at everything*. It's brilliant.
October 31, 2022
I will teach Eric how to make good coffee. He deserves better than sludge.
July 17, 2020
Phenomenal writing! I was hooked from the very first sentence, and after reading through was amazed at the depth it actually contained. The entire premise of the story can be surmised in the juxtaposition of the view out his window and his focus on the tie. The nuance of the character’s behavior is teased out in fantastic display without ever having to tell the reader the scenario. I am impressed and floored by the quality and highly recommend this to anyone who doesn’t mind disturbing imagery!
July 16, 2020
Stunning short story. Read this at midnight while resettling the 3yo (don’t worry, I read her a picture book). Haunting, visceral, pitch perfect dialogue...
“Squamous synergy everlasting, Eldridge, our grainy gouts of capital.”
“Squamous synergy everlasting, Eldridge, our grainy gouts of capital.”
July 21, 2020
If you can just avoid noticing the horrors literally killing the people around you, you might survive. A day in the life of Eric, a normal office worker. https://www.tor.com/2020/07/15/everyt...
July 28, 2020
Lovecraftian horror meets contemporary slice-of-life. Sort of. Follow Eric on his usual day to work, where this time, he hopes for a promotion.
(Try not to spoiler yourself on this one, this one is more fun trying to find out what's going on yourself!)
(Try not to spoiler yourself on this one, this one is more fun trying to find out what's going on yourself!)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews