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Wild Things: Four Tales
WILD THINGS: FOUR TALES
From Douglas Clegg comes a special quartet of stories dealing with creatures of the wild - some are wolf, some bird, some the most terrifying of beasts: the human variety. Two of these tales - "The Wolf" and "The American" are previously unpublished.
"The Wolf" is the dark story of a wolf hunter who guides a younger man up a mountain to kill a wolf that has been slaughtering in the valley below.
"The American" takes place at a late-night cafe in Rome where foreigners gather. On this particular night a stranger steps out of the shadowy park to sit at the sidewalk tables and speak of love and murder.
In "A Madness of Starlings," a father, teaching his children about protection from the predators of life, takes in a fledgling bird. But when it's time for the bird to fly away, the forces of nature come undone and a secret wisdom and terror enter the mind of the one who understands the language of birds.
Finally, in "The Dark Game," a war hero and his men are captured and taken into a prison camp. There, tortures and torments await them, but the man named Gordon Raglan begins to use a childhood game of escape to help him discover a way to hunt the wolves surrounding him.
From Douglas Clegg comes a special quartet of stories dealing with creatures of the wild - some are wolf, some bird, some the most terrifying of beasts: the human variety. Two of these tales - "The Wolf" and "The American" are previously unpublished.
"The Wolf" is the dark story of a wolf hunter who guides a younger man up a mountain to kill a wolf that has been slaughtering in the valley below.
"The American" takes place at a late-night cafe in Rome where foreigners gather. On this particular night a stranger steps out of the shadowy park to sit at the sidewalk tables and speak of love and murder.
In "A Madness of Starlings," a father, teaching his children about protection from the predators of life, takes in a fledgling bird. But when it's time for the bird to fly away, the forces of nature come undone and a secret wisdom and terror enter the mind of the one who understands the language of birds.
Finally, in "The Dark Game," a war hero and his men are captured and taken into a prison camp. There, tortures and torments await them, but the man named Gordon Raglan begins to use a childhood game of escape to help him discover a way to hunt the wolves surrounding him.
97 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 15, 2016
in many ways, the short story format is the ideal one for Clegg. due to restraints of length, the horror he depicts is often ambiguous - yet the story itself must also be to the point and not meander, if only to keep the tale a brief one. atmosphere and characterization and dialogue are rendered sharply and quickly; his narratives are not allowed to grow digressive or flaccid. the action can be minimal or propulsive, but cliches are happily avoided. there is no time to rely on accumulated goodwill from the reader within a short story, so the form really separates the experts from the inexpert. Clegg's strengths are rendered in bold relief.
the key find in this brief collection (only 4 stories) is the rather brilliant and moving "A Madness of Starlings". i may never know what fatherhood is, but it is doubtless a complex, highly emotional, and often frightening experience. this story of a father with good intentions is also a tale of death, madness, and good deeds gone horribly awry. the horror at its core is one of loss, but horror is also present in the creeping feeling that there is a terrible plan or structure or meaning behind events that hurt and transform us. it was very well-done. a sad and chilling tale.
"The Wolf" - an interesting fable. simple, brief, accomplished.
"The American" - a tale almost solely composed of chatty, ambiguous dialogue, featuring a troubled gay american abroad, and in love. a sharp and sinister last line.
"The Dark Game" - this is a precursor to The Hour Before, and it is the weakest story in the collection. i understand what Clegg is trying to show us with the playing of "the dark game", but unfortunately characterization and the actual logistics of what was being described were lacking. ah well, can't win 'em all.
the key find in this brief collection (only 4 stories) is the rather brilliant and moving "A Madness of Starlings". i may never know what fatherhood is, but it is doubtless a complex, highly emotional, and often frightening experience. this story of a father with good intentions is also a tale of death, madness, and good deeds gone horribly awry. the horror at its core is one of loss, but horror is also present in the creeping feeling that there is a terrible plan or structure or meaning behind events that hurt and transform us. it was very well-done. a sad and chilling tale.
"The Wolf" - an interesting fable. simple, brief, accomplished.
"The American" - a tale almost solely composed of chatty, ambiguous dialogue, featuring a troubled gay american abroad, and in love. a sharp and sinister last line.
"The Dark Game" - this is a precursor to The Hour Before, and it is the weakest story in the collection. i understand what Clegg is trying to show us with the playing of "the dark game", but unfortunately characterization and the actual logistics of what was being described were lacking. ah well, can't win 'em all.
February 10, 2023
1. A hunter paid to kill a wolf attacking sheep goes out with a boy who likes to hunt. Truths come to the surface and there will be blood.
2. Finding and rescuing a small bird, feeding, nurturing, see it back to health, releasing it a man becomes obsessed with loss. A yearning to find the bird, the man takes time off work, goes for long walks in the forest, slowly losing connection with his wife and kids. The loss of his son. The realisation humans are monsters, the chirping of the birds driving him insane.
3. ???
4. A boy tied, beaten, whipped by his father. As a young adult he will visit a whore before going to war. He will awake still tied and the girl dead. Now he is a captured POW, tied and tortured. Other prisoners start losing limbs, organs and everyday he will eat food given to him. Loving the taste, he will start to grow fat as the other prisoners grow thin. This prison is a five star luxury to him. A devious plan rescues the camp and he is a hero. Signed copy
2. Finding and rescuing a small bird, feeding, nurturing, see it back to health, releasing it a man becomes obsessed with loss. A yearning to find the bird, the man takes time off work, goes for long walks in the forest, slowly losing connection with his wife and kids. The loss of his son. The realisation humans are monsters, the chirping of the birds driving him insane.
3. ???
4. A boy tied, beaten, whipped by his father. As a young adult he will visit a whore before going to war. He will awake still tied and the girl dead. Now he is a captured POW, tied and tortured. Other prisoners start losing limbs, organs and everyday he will eat food given to him. Loving the taste, he will start to grow fat as the other prisoners grow thin. This prison is a five star luxury to him. A devious plan rescues the camp and he is a hero. Signed copy
June 28, 2011
I found the first three stories a bit predictable with very little atmosphere. I was expecting more than the one-note gimmick, and I realize they are short stories, but I was still a disappointed. The story, The American, was a little too similar to Bill Pronzini's story, Liar's Dice, for my taste.
However, the final story, The Dark Game really had some bite to it and was quite effective. It was an eye-popping, visceral, and wonderfully structured story. Fortunately, The Dark Game is the longest of the collection and I'm glad they saved the best for last. Here is the full rundown in my opinion...
THE WOLF - 2 stars
A MADNESS OF STARLINGS - 3 stars
THE AMERICAN - 2 stars
THE DARK GAME - 4 stars
However, the final story, The Dark Game really had some bite to it and was quite effective. It was an eye-popping, visceral, and wonderfully structured story. Fortunately, The Dark Game is the longest of the collection and I'm glad they saved the best for last. Here is the full rundown in my opinion...
THE WOLF - 2 stars
A MADNESS OF STARLINGS - 3 stars
THE AMERICAN - 2 stars
THE DARK GAME - 4 stars
September 25, 2021
4 short stories. Good but not real memorable.
May 6, 2020
first off lets just say that Clegg is a very twisted sick little man. that is a good thing in the horror world. this little book and I mean little is 97 pages long. a quick read. the book is ok with its 4 short stories. the problem is their not worth rememberin. pretty much a day later u can't remember what u read. the power of a story is that it sticks with u for a long time and these stories just don't . as for Clegg he does have talent and I think with a little polish this guy could be great.I give this book 2 stars.
May 27, 2020
ehhh, definitely not his best
November 23, 2022
First story is ok, but the latter three are great.
January 17, 2017
A collection of four stories centering around the hunter and the hunted. This was my first adventure into Clegg's shorter works, and I found that he can be as enthralling in short form as the long. The Dark Game, a novelette sized story, to close the book, was excellent. One of the better short works I have read in awhile. And the other three stories were of good quality. I liked the theme for the four stories and they held together well. A great little collection!
July 21, 2012
I love Douglas Cleggs books, so was surprised that these stories which were sold in a limited edition signed by the author at a 20 dollar price tag were soo meh. I know he has much better short stories out there. I'm still happy to own a signed book, but was hoping for a bit more, and I'm pretty sure I already read the wolf story somewhere.
August 9, 2010
I read Douglas Clegg's The Nightmare Chronicles, which was a collection of 13 short horror stories. I was interested in reading more of his stories, so I picked this up. The stories here are decent, but nothing really worth mentioning.
September 13, 2012
I have yet to discern the subtle difference between literary and boring.
September 30, 2014
Enjoyable collection. My favorites were The Wolf ( about a "wolf hunt"} and The Dark Game ( coping as a P.O.W.). Highly recommended.
October 23, 2014
2.75 STARS It Was Okay/I Liked It
It is well worth the read for such a super cheap price. The Wolf was the only one of the collection that I just did not care for.
It is well worth the read for such a super cheap price. The Wolf was the only one of the collection that I just did not care for.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews