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Exploding Myths: Short stories 2006 ~ 2016
Step into a world of horny ghosts, friendly satanists, obsessive houses, bearded ladies, fallen gods and schoolgirl Antichrists. Between these pages, James Bennett collects ten years of published stories for your delight and delectation.
Be warned. The result is a thrilling explosion of the imagination.
'Bennett... gives a new twist to the increasingly crowded field of urban fantasy.’
The Morning Star
Be warned. The result is a thrilling explosion of the imagination.
'Bennett... gives a new twist to the increasingly crowded field of urban fantasy.’
The Morning Star
ebook
Published June 3, 2021
2 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
James Bennett
37 books119 followersJames Bennett is a British Fantasy Award winning author. Raised in Sussex and South Africa, his short fiction has appeared internationally. His acclaimed debut 'Chasing Embers' came out in 2016, the first of the Ben Garston Novels, a series in which mythological creatures fight for dominance in the modern world. Other works include the well-received 'The Book of Queer Saints' and his latest stories can be found in The Dark magazine, BFS Horizons and Occult Detective magazine.
A short story collection 'Preaching to the Perverted' arrives from Lethe Press in September 2024.
James lives in the South of Spain where he's working on a new novel.
'...Inventive and vivid... This is smart action storytelling...'
Publishers Weekly on RAISING FIRE (starred review)
The Ben Garston Novels are available in all good bookshops.
A short story collection 'Preaching to the Perverted' arrives from Lethe Press in September 2024.
James lives in the South of Spain where he's working on a new novel.
'...Inventive and vivid... This is smart action storytelling...'
Publishers Weekly on RAISING FIRE (starred review)
The Ben Garston Novels are available in all good bookshops.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 10, 2017
If you are lucky enough to have read his debut success, Chasing Embers, you’ll already know what a fantastic writer James is, and this collection will keep you going until the sequel appears later this year.
If you haven’t; this is a great introduction to a fine craftsman, and you’ll see a full range of genres and ideas unfold over the pages. Most of these have appeared in various anthologies or magazines in recent years.
There are stories on such subjects as Satanism, modern Crime, Myth, Renaissance Art mixed with Dark Fantasy, Horror, Noir – a near limitless trove of genres ripe for the telling.
The anger of inequality is wrapped through a number of these stories and informs the finer details that bring them to life, as the author channels his powerful voice through the various travails (and ultimately successes) of his characters. We root for the Satanist family to be left alone by local busybodies (‘Practical Devil Worship’), for the creature of legend to be allowed peace in his modern existence (‘Broken Bridges’), and for the fox to know freedom (‘Blind Country’).
As final advice; my personal favourite.
Dark with wry humour, ‘We Meet Again’ is a sympathetic glance at the twilight years of a faded nemesis as he tries to outlast the fabled secret agent. Featuring in an Anthology called ‘The Evil Genius Guide’, it provides an innovative take on what is often a weary tale of what could have been.
If you haven’t; this is a great introduction to a fine craftsman, and you’ll see a full range of genres and ideas unfold over the pages. Most of these have appeared in various anthologies or magazines in recent years.
There are stories on such subjects as Satanism, modern Crime, Myth, Renaissance Art mixed with Dark Fantasy, Horror, Noir – a near limitless trove of genres ripe for the telling.
The anger of inequality is wrapped through a number of these stories and informs the finer details that bring them to life, as the author channels his powerful voice through the various travails (and ultimately successes) of his characters. We root for the Satanist family to be left alone by local busybodies (‘Practical Devil Worship’), for the creature of legend to be allowed peace in his modern existence (‘Broken Bridges’), and for the fox to know freedom (‘Blind Country’).
As final advice; my personal favourite.
Dark with wry humour, ‘We Meet Again’ is a sympathetic glance at the twilight years of a faded nemesis as he tries to outlast the fabled secret agent. Featuring in an Anthology called ‘The Evil Genius Guide’, it provides an innovative take on what is often a weary tale of what could have been.
December 16, 2017
James Bennett is a mega-talented writer. His Ben Garston series of novels is a beautifully written and highly literary Fantasy that blends the urban and epic subcategories of the genre with abstract prose and historical and mythological side stories.
These short stories represent the multitude of styles Bennett is capable of and seem to represent the author completely unhinged from the expectations of traditional publishing. most of the stories fall in to the realm of :fantasy , noire, mystery and horror. That said, aside from certain authors within these genres: (Neil Gaiman comes to mind) t, rarely have I read short stories with such a level of depth and emotional resonance that they feel like fully realized novels.
In these stories James Bennett's often shocking musings feel so natural and read so seamlessly that it is impossible not to keep reading.
Exploding Myths is a powerful, courageous , and often vulnerable portrait of an artist, who while still finding his footing at the time, is already so high above many of his peers. With the Ben Garston novels sadly coming to an end next year, these stories offer many hopes with regards to what style James will choose to work on for his fourth novel.
These short stories represent the multitude of styles Bennett is capable of and seem to represent the author completely unhinged from the expectations of traditional publishing. most of the stories fall in to the realm of :fantasy , noire, mystery and horror. That said, aside from certain authors within these genres: (Neil Gaiman comes to mind) t, rarely have I read short stories with such a level of depth and emotional resonance that they feel like fully realized novels.
In these stories James Bennett's often shocking musings feel so natural and read so seamlessly that it is impossible not to keep reading.
Exploding Myths is a powerful, courageous , and often vulnerable portrait of an artist, who while still finding his footing at the time, is already so high above many of his peers. With the Ben Garston novels sadly coming to an end next year, these stories offer many hopes with regards to what style James will choose to work on for his fourth novel.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews