The Hand That Pulls You Under—Tales of Absurdity and Lunacy

by James Flynn

Ten frightful, shocking and bizarre short stories for those with a taste for the weird.

Among these sordid tales you will find an abandoned factory full of eccentric squatters, a group of thrill seeking swingers drifting through the cosmos, a drifter who speaks only in poetry, an A.I judge with a passion for justice, and many more mind warping absurdities guaranteed to get you screaming in your sleep.

Are you ready to hold...The Hand That Pulls You Under?

Genres: Horror, Short Stories

196 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 10, 2021

About the author

James Flynn grew up in England.

His stories cross the boundaries of horror, sci-fi, and sci-fi horror. An absurdist at heart, Flynn’s tales are told through a lens of darkness, highlighting the many paradoxes and predicaments that come attached to human existence.

James Flynn’s stories have been compared to those of the hit TV series, The Twilight Zone, due to their eeriness and atmospheric nature.

Flynn's work has appeared in Black Petals Magazine, Yellow Mama Magazine, The Scare Room Podcast, Weird Mask Magazine, Literary Yard, Sugar Spice Erotica Review, Patty's Short Stax Anthology, Local Haunts Anthology, Lurking in the Dark Anthology and Alien Buddha Press.

Flynn’s latest release is the Exodus of Evil trilogy.

Reviews

[Lezlie The Nerdy Narrative · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hand That Pulls You Under - Tales of Absurdity and Lunacy is a collection of stories that could be classified as horror that borders heavily on the weird side - but I was absolutely delighted to find a healthy influence of science fiction elements in several of the stories as well. For anyone who isn't familiar with my reading tastes, I read everything, but my top favorites are fantasy, horror, sci fi and classics/literary fiction. So whenever I stumble across a book or collection that blends the genres I love - well, you literally can't go wrong.

This is my first experience with author James Flynn and I was in love with his prose and art of storytelling before I even finished the first page of the first story I sampled. (Which was "Drifter" for any who care.) James Flynn hails from England and led quite the interesting life before becoming an author. His debut novel was released in 2017 and this new piece will be released December 10, 2021. Flynn says his main objective is to "create the strangest, creepiest, weirdest tale he possibly can unsettling all those who read it." Fellow readers, I can confirm he accomplished this in spades in this collection. No question.

Before each story in a little poem to introduce the story, a way to give you a preview - I LOVED THESE SO MUCH! Several of the stories had artwork to depict a scene from the story which was a nice surprise to find. There are 10 stories contained inside this collection and I absolutely was head over heels in love with 7 of them, really liked 2 more....and that last one....I did not care for. That is strictly my personal preference, I don't care for explicit sex scenes with torture and whatnot. All literature has its niche and following of readers who enjoy it - but not this kid. LOL So forewarning: 3 of these stories contain graphic sex scenes, so know that going in for those of you out there who prefer to skip those.

Some of the things you can expect from these stories: urban legend vibes, science fiction elements woven in (oh, it was so good - SO GOOD!), suspense, dread, haunted houses - I mean ALL of the good things a lot of us look for in a good scary story. There was one story in here that could have been written by Stephen King - you all know King loves his protagonists to be authors - I'm telling you, there was one in here like that and it was absolutely worthy of a Stephen King stamp of approval.

James Flynn is a fantastic storyteller - he had me on the edge of my chair, heart pounding - laughing at some reveals and cringing at others. I read half of the stories the night I started it and made short work of the rest the next day. I absolutely recommend this collection - all but that last one, lol! I just did NOT like the material covered in that one, but you know what - if I look back at his mission statement, that seems to be exactly the reaction he wanted in his readers, so well done, sir - WELL DONE!

[Melissa Chung · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been meaning to write this review for a while now and finally have time to. I first want to thank James Flynn for reaching out and sending me an Arc of his horror short story collection. I am not sure what I could compare it too. It was like reading American Psycho meets Eyes Wide Shut. Or a Drug infused Chuck Palahniuk. It was so weird. Definitely titled correctly with the Tales of Absurdity and Lunancy. I'm giving this 3.5 stars

This short story collection contained 10 short stories. Typically I like to talk about my favorites, but I'm trying to make my short story collection reviews a bit more detailed for those looking for new authors.

The Residents of Hilltop Harrows (4 stars) - This short story is about a homeless man who hears about a vacant building on a hill that welcomes squatters. Our main character Brain decides to check it out. At first glance it seems that these people had been there awhile and lived harmoniously. After a while he learns about Harvest Day and finds out that all the people that lived in the abandoned building get high off of this weird toxic fungus. The story gets really weird and Brain meets a boy child with psychic abilities. I enjoyed this strange story.

Buried Memory (4 stars)- This one is cool because it reminded me of Sunshine of the Spotless Mind with a thriller mixed in. Justin is heading off to Piece of Mind a company that can do partial or complete memory replacements. Donor memories are placed into the minds of desperate people who want to get rid of memories that are too painful for them. Unfortunately for Justin, his memory replacement is of a murder scene and he can't seem to get rid of it.

The Drifter (4 stars)- This one was the most "proper" horror of the bunch. In this there is a "ghost" or "Shade". You could even call it a phantom. People have photographed this person over the years. He goes by the name of drifter. Our main characters are on a mission to film a documentary of this myth. They head to Cambodia to capture the legend. I wish this story was a bit longer. It was pretty cool concept and I liked the time travel aspect.

Sadistic Climax (2.5 stars)- I might be considered a prude for my star ratings, but orgy stories or swingers aren't my cup of tea. I don't mind reading about things getting hot and heavy, but not interested in groups. This story is about an alien race who are bored with the carnage of Colosseum like fights with Earth animals and decide to fest their eyes on sexual hungers of the human species. Then the bloodlust of killing them off to start all over again. It wasn't scary, it just seemed sad.

Be Careful What You Wish For (3.5 stars) - This one was pretty good. It's about a man who really wants to be a cult classic author, except no one ever reads his book. He does a crime to hopefully make his book worthy of reading, but when nothing comes of it he continues life as if the book never existed. Until... years later a glimpse of a news story and our author is hopeful that this is now his chance for cult glory.

Pussy Payback (3 stars)- This title made me obviously believe that it was about a woman's revenge. However it's about a cat. Out of all the stories in this collection this is the most absurd. It's about a family cat who looks eerily similar to a neighbors cat. Mistaken identity the family believe their cat has been hit by a car. Unfortunately when the neighbor spies them burying the cat in the backyard she believes they have killed her cat on purpose. Revenge does come swiftly.

The Infinite Joyride (2.5 stars)- This story is about a swingers cruise ship. All the amenities that you would need for a joyous sex rendezvous in space. There are three couples and the encounter a spaceship that says it's there to refuel their ship. However they are tricked and are held prisoners.

Guilt Trip (4.5 stars)- This story I think was my favorite. It had just enough mystery to keep me hooked and the end twist was awesome. It's about a man reminiscing about his teen years in Clover Falls which was an abandoned hospital/school. The teens were drunk and high on LSD and something terrible happened to their friend while they were inside. Roland was too far gone (high) and the other two got scared and left him there. We the readers can only speculate what happened to Roland. Vaughn is our narrator and tells us what happens decades later when he decides to go back to that place and investigate.

Planetary Perpetrator (3 stars)- If Pussy Payback was absurdity than this story is lunacy. This story is about the death of a baby. The mother while walking her pram across the street gets struck in a freak accident. The butterfly effect of the situation, must be evaluated by a robotic judge that the city has deemed fit to preside over the case. Giving all authority to an A.I. is madness in my opinion, but you can be the "judge".

The House of Human Pleasures (1.5 stars) This story was my least favorite. It is in the same country setting as The Drifter, but very different circumstances. I gave this sex filled story 1 less star than the other swinger stories because this one was pretty violent. If you have ever read American Psycho, Patrick Bateman does some pretty horrific things to prostitutes. In this story, it's kind of the same thing. The ending was a bit bland. It seemed out of character for the main couple, especially with the escalation that we witness them go through.

A quick run down on how the book was set up. Each short story started off with a poem. I found that unique. I liked that aspect. It was like a synopsis of the story that was going to happen. Almost a Shakespearean sonnet like the beginning of Romeo and Juliet. Unlike Shakespeare, these poems were more syllabic verse instead of rhyming.

Overall I'm giving this book 3.5 stars because there were some really fun ones and some not so fun ones. If James has more books similar to The Drifter or Guilt Trip, I would love to read more of them.

[The Inked Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not being a big fun of short stories, this was a pleasant (although disturbing) surprise.

I not only enjoyed the writing but also the turns all the story took, finding the ending and overall plot of the singular story very clever.

Althouth I don't think the stories were very scary, they definitely brought that gross ness, absurdity and lunacy to the table that the front page promises.

There is a lot of erotic content and some animal cruelty that were a bit too much for me but this is definitely a personal preference rather than a critique.

I will make sure to check more by the author.

[Mindy'sBookJourney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for providing a copy for review.

This collection contains 10 short stories with very creative ideas that blend science fiction, and/or psychological with a lot of horror. This happens to be a big winning combination for me. These stories were disturbing and mind-bending. I absolutely loved most of the stories. A couple of the stories were not for me, because of the content. I am not a fan of graphic sex or animal death in my horror stories. Each story started with a poem that gave a little information on the story which was a really nice addition. Since the aim of these stories was to bring the reader to unsettle and disturb I think they were all very effective.

The Residents of Hilltop Harrows (4.5 stars)- A drifter takes up residence in an abandoned building full of squatters filled with toxic mushrooms that have unexpected effects on the residents. I knew I was in for a ride after reading this bizarre opening story.

Buried Memory (4.5 stars)- A man decides to go to a company that will take away painful memories and replace them with the memories of others. Too bad a memory he receives is murderous. A interesting concept and great execution.

The Drifter (4.5 Stars)- A strange figure is caught in photographs over an impossible stretch of years. A creepy story with a very cool science fiction angle.

Sadistic Climax (2 stars)- This story was one that was not my favorite. There was an interesting science fiction element with an empathy lacking alien race come to Earth, but it wasn't enough to make up for the excessive animal death, and orgy sex, and torture.

Be Careful What You Wish For (4.5 stars)- A really creepy story of an author that goes too far to reach cult classic status with his new novel. This one didn't have any science involved, but it did leave me thinking just the same.

Pussy Payback (4 stars)- A story of revenge in the suburbs originating in the mistaken identification of a pet cat. It was a calamity of misunderstandings.

The Infinite Joyride (4 stars)- Swingers vacation in space takes some unexpected turns when their pleasure cruise goes off course. This one does have graphic sex, and some amazing science fiction elements that blew me away.

Guilt Trip (4.5 stars)- A man returns to an abandoned building where something traumatic happened to a friend when they were on LSD when they were teenagers. This story went to unexpected places. Such a great story.

Planetary Perpetrator (4.5 stars)- An AI judge tries to determine who is to blame in a tragic traffic accident that resulted in the death of a child.

The House of Human Pleasures (2.5 stars)- A couple of sex addicts, who's taste gets more and more violent, find a mansion that promises all their sexual desires fulfilled. Again this story was not really to my liking. To each their own. Others may get more out of the swinger centered stories.

[Jeremy Fee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to thank the author James Flynn for providing me with a free e-book copy of the short story collection The Hand That Pulls You Under—Tales of Absurdity and Lunacy. Despite receiving a free digital copy of the book, this review is my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed reading these ten weird, interesting tales. I read them over the course of about two weeks, in between reading other works. During that time, I had some strange dreams (even some nightmares) and I feel these stories may have been the inspiration for some of that. I also spent quite a bit of time thinking about the philosophical and social messages inherent in the stories, which to me is a sign of great writing.

This collection includes stories with interesting, creative, and often unique ideas. I found that to be refreshing, since I’ve read several collections of horror and weird stories in the last year. I also enjoyed the mix of science-fiction with the horror elements. Sometimes the stories ventured into the extreme, but the journey was worth it. Two of the tales include graphic sexual content, but I felt it wasn’t simply for the sake of adding sex to the stories since they ultimately delivered a message about society. My only real criticisms would be that (1) the author occasionally uses what I thought to be awkward similes and metaphors that would take me out of the scene and (2) sometimes events felt like they were happening too quickly, glossing over something I would have enjoyed getting more details about; other than those minor quibbles though, it was a delight to read.

I recommend this collection to fans of horror, fans of the weird, and fans of science-fiction that mixes in weird horror elements.

[Bandit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Of all the random Kindle genre freebies, James Flynn stood out to me. I enjoy his imagination, his dark twisted sensibilities. So much so, I’ve read three books by him before he reached out to offer me his latest to review.
Obviously, I said yes. Read it. And here’s that review. Disappointing, likely, but honest as always.
This book was by far my least favorite of Flynn’s. For some reason he decided to go with erotica on this…heavily. And while, I don’t think of myself as a prude, it just isn’t something I enjoy in fiction. Maybe, if it’s done right and serves the plot and used sparingly, sure, but this is way over the top, with a sort of horny teenager/horny old man pruriency, and profoundly offputting. Not sure if it was meant to be some sort of a writing exercise or what, but for this reader it really didn’t work. Flynn did warn me, to his credit. Just not sure I expected quite so…much of it.
It isn’t in every story, but the ones that feature it, really throw the book off. It’s a shame, because it starts off with a pretty strong story, but then it just sort of devolves. Right down to the closing number, which is frankly…sorry to say…kind of disgusting.
Again, Flynn’s a fun writer in that he tends to twist his stories just right. And so, the final story actually does have a fun and funny twist, but it gets lost under all the literally jizz or whatever it is he went after.
And then, there’s that poetry. There’s no need for it. None at all. Not only does every story get a poem for an introduction, but there’s one story in here, Drifter, a pretty good story, that is all but ruined by the fact that inexplicably Drifter the character chose to express himself through poetry. All those centuries on Earth to master every language, every form of expression, and the best he can do is crappy poetry? Seriously?
I don’t get it. Flynn is a very talented artist. A pretty good writer. But poetry might be a reach too far. Just like those tenuous dubious rhymes.
Anyway, aside from all that…there are some good stories in here. In fact, two of the best stories in here are repeats from the previous collection. So, if you’ve read those already, this one won’t offer much. Unless you’re really into sex on page that is.
Check out the author’s other books to get more of an idea of his writing talent. Don’t go by this one.

[Mini · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is O. Henry with access to the copypasta archives and I loved it.

[Sandi Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weird

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the start
Of each of these tales
Our author
Pulls aside the veils

With a poem
That shines a light
Upon that which
Will give us all a fright.

This is a collection of 10 short stories, that range from horror to erotica to sci-fi - sometimes all at once. The best of the bunch were "Buried Memory" in which a grieving man goes to extreme measures to rid himself of his grief, "Planetary Perpetrator" where AI Judge Sage renders a verdict in a manslaughter case & "Pussy Payback" where a pet cat causes mayhem.

James Flynn is excellent at writing & fleshing out the characters that he creates. I mean, they weren't all likable, but they all seemed real. His writing has a quirky, almost whimsical touch that made reading these stories a delight.

Be advised that the stories that contain erotic portions are graphic on both a horror & sexual level.

[Erica Robyn Metcalf · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hand That Pulls You Under — Tales of Absurdity and Lunacy by James Flynn is a collection that certainly lives up to it’s title!

Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.

In the preface, James states:

It is my humble hope that by the time you finish this book you will walk away feeling not only terrified, but gobsmacked and dizzy. I want you, the reader, to feel as though you have stared the unthinkable straight in the face, and shaken hands with the unimaginable.

When I first read that, I thought: Bring. It. On.

This collection did exactly that! I had a blast with most of the tales! Only a few weren’t for me.

I loved that each tale started with a poem, and that the poem set the mood for the short story that was to come next! There were even a few illustrations throughout.

My favorite stories from this collection include:

Buried Memory
The Drifter
Be Careful What You Wish For
Guilt Trip

This is such a great collection to pick up if you need to get out of your head for a bit. Each tale is so different, and like the author promised, you will walk away having been terrified, gobsmacked, and much more!

More here: https://www.ericarobynreads.com/book-...

[Kirsty (BookBlogger) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Hand That Pulls You Under by James Flynn

I received a review copy for free thanks to the author and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Ten frightful, shocking and bizarre short stories for those with a taste for the weird.

Among these sordid tales you will find an abandoned factory full of eccentric squatters, a group of thrill seeking swingers drifting through the cosmos, a drifter who speaks only in poetry, an A.I judge with a passion for justice, and many more mind warping absurdities guaranteed to get you screaming in your sleep.

Within this book are ten short stories. It is difficult to write a review of this book, with it being made up of short stories. Unfortunately, this book did not grab me - for a short book it took me a lot longer than expected to finish. There is some graphic content and some disturbing pictures so please read at your own discretion.

Rating 2/5

[Sentinelle23 · Rating 4 out of 5]

😲😰 Surprising and destabilizing.

3.5/5.

"For the universe, in all its absurdity".
10 stories:

- The residents of Hilltop Harrows: rating 3/5.
- Buried memory: 5/5.
- The drifter: 3.5/5.
- Sadistic Climax: 1.5/5.
- Be careful what you wish for: 2/5.
- Pussy payback: 3/5.
- The infinite joyride: 5/5.
- Guilt trip: 3/5.
- Planetary Perpretator: 5/5.
- The house of human pleasures: 4/5.

---------------------

An entertaining novel to read and which takes the reader through ten strange stories.

The reader surfs on a wave of diverse and varied emotions, to discover these astonishing stories, often bizarre and destabilizing, evolving between reality and parallel worlds.

An essential novel to discover for any fan of strange and original readings.

[deidra · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hand That Pulls You Under by James Flynn is an eclectic mix of short stories that run the gamut from sci-fi to dark and dirty fantasy to in-your-face horror. while each tale is very different from the one before it, what each shares in common is rich storytelling. I've been reading for decades and it's a rare event when you come across an author that surprises you and I promise James Flynn will surprise and terrify you. no matter how many times i was sure i knew what direction Flynn was going in a tale, he would always prove me wrong. very frustrating.
and very exciting.
very recommended
4 1/2 stars out of 5

[Rex Payne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stephen King Has Been Dethroned

James Flynn writes with a Kingstonian flair for the darkest of fears but with an added twist of mystery that will keep you turning pages for the next revelation. His thought provoking stories continue to stalk the corridors of your mind long after you have closed the cover of the book.

[Todd Wittenmyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hand That Pulls You Under is an exceptional collection of short stories! Each story is prefaced by an engaging poem/preview of what is to come. These stories span the horror spectrum with elements of sci-fi, sex, A.I., and no-holds-barred fun mixed in appropriately! I gave it 4.5 stars! Nice work Mr. Flynn!

[Joseph Lau · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not worth the time. These stories are advertised by they were too terrifying to even publish.
Instead, they are slow and plodding, with little suspense and not Horror.
I don't even know if that is the correct category - seems like these are somewhere between fiction and some speculative fiction.

[Laurie Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read, not your usual horror genre, it is much more philosophical. There are some strange tales within these pages but whether they horrify you or just make you think, you will be enraptured regardless.

[Shawna Mathieu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interestingly disturbing

The stories in this anthology are uniquely horrifying. There are several repeating threads and themes, but it never feels like the author is repeating himself, just turning them over and showing them from new angles

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scary!
Shocking!
Imaginative!
Enjoy!

[Tam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great collection of stories from Flynn! Each one is so unique and captivating! I love the poems before the stories. What a clever and memorable thing to do!

[Megan Mclellan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this genre mashup!!! So so so fun!!!

[Frank T · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Less horror and more erotic, but a quick read.

[LORRIE · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent collection of the strange and unusual. I loved the stories