Bats Out of Hell

by Barry Hannah

Love and torment, lunacy and desire, tenderness and war — the stories in Bats Out of Hell provide a brilliant, dazzling odyssey into American life. Barry Hannah's reputation as a master of the short story, first established in 1978 with the publication of Airships, is magnified in this volatile, long-awaited collection of new stories. Astonishing in range and in the portrayal of the human heart, these fierce and radar-perfect stories give us individuals with whom hilarity and pain combine with true and startling clarity.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Horror, Novels, Literary Fiction, Southern, American

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Barry Hannah was an American novelist and short story writer from Mississippi. He was the author of eight novels and five short story collections. He worked with notable American editors and publishers such as Gordon Lish, Seymour Lawrence, and Morgan Entrekin. His work was published in Esquire, The New Yorker, The Oxford American, The Southern Review, and a host of American magazines and quarterlies. In his lifetime he was awarded the The Faulkner Prize (1972), The Bellaman Foundation Award in Fiction, The Arnold Gingrich Short Fiction Award, the PEN/Malamud Award (2003) and the Award for Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He was director of the MFA program at the University of Mississippi, in Oxford, where he taught creative writing for 28 years. He died on March 1, 2010, of natural causes.

Reviews

[Vit Babenco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barry Hannah has no mercy for his characters… And his writing style grades from sarcasm to cynicism.
The stories belong to different genres and they are packed with twists and unpredictable turns.
Two Things, Dimly, Were Coming at Each Other is an absurdist tale of the writer’s friendship with the lycanthropic nonagenarian… And the writer is an apparent travesty of William S. Burroughs…

The pool hall had a real wood fire you could spit in and watch.
The first players to his right were neither one Latouche. Coots could tell by their faces that they were dumbed by privilege and bucks, and he hissed straight at them, feeling the hidden stiletto in his cane. How a sweep of it across the throat would tumble them, gasping Why? Why? Queer angels would then move down on them with a coup de grace of quick sodomy.

The Vision of Esther by Clem is an oddball postmodern tale of sexual relationships…

Mestre had had, of course, a wife at one time. She was a lazy nurse who’d now and then have bursts of manic zeal for very eclectic things. Things of sudden, irksome importance: some new friend, the Bible; a glass frog collection; the Catholic church, with bedroom Madonna statuary. None of the enthusiasms lasted.

Rat-Faced Auntie is a grotesque centerpiece of decline and fall and trying to rise again… The story is lush with subtle and refined wickedness…

“You and those mummies I saw at the party couldn’t ruffle me if you tried. You tell me what sociology is and why it is necessary they draw salary.”
“It is the study of people in groups – money, trends, codes, idols, taboos.” With his rage still hot, he wanted to focus on her case, but subtly, subtly. “Class distinction, or sometimes just ordinary meanness.”
She was quiet until they almost got to her big shaded Tudor redoubt. He wanted two quarts of Manhattans just for starters.
“In other words, nosy parasites without a life of their own,” she said.

He who walks the crooked path never will put it straight.

[Michael McNeely · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not read a compilation of short stories at the level that Hannah writes, ever. When you read his stories they do not appear subtle and they aren't in each scene but when you reread the stories the subtlety of each story's message rises to the top like the foam from a churned-up ocean. He is able to create a vastness in the scope of his exposition in the introduction and progression of his characters that make them seem nearly alive. These characters are so realistic and complex that they remind you of someone you know or thought you read about somewhere else. He creates a familiarity between the readers and his characters and then smashes preconceived notions in the plot of his stories. I really enjoyed "Rat-faced Auntie", "The Spy of Long Root" and "Ride Westerly for Pulsalina". I highly recommend reading this collection of his work.

[Will Errickson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid Seventies pulp horror, better written than expected, definitely recommended, here’s my full review:

http://toomuchhorrorfiction.blogspot....

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is Barry Hannah unjustly forgotten? I don't know, but the meager 11 reviews might attest to such a fate. The guy practically did for Ole Miss what Gass did for St. Louis, which is to say almost single-handedly bring some goddamn literary culture to it. Some stories drag, some soar, but every one hides rewards. I think "Rat-faced Auntie" and "Hey, Have You Got a Cig, the Time, the News, my Face?" were the best long stories. One aspect in particular remains prominent in my memory of reading it: a paragraph would sometimes come out of nowhere (I mean regardless of the caliber of the specific story) and perfectly dismember and recapitulate one of the many, many creatures of social life that crawl around down here in the South. So many times I would read a character dissection and, jolted by recognition, immediately realize it fit at least a dozen people with whom I've crossed paths. It's that wonderful feeling of having someone else so eloquently and concisely say exactly what you thought but hadn't taken the effort to word. It's a reader's particular privilege.

[Tayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a genuine goddamn riot. Barry Hannah hits these motherfuckers right out of the stadium time and time again. The best of the stories in here are the best stories I've read anywhere, period. Streets ahead of Saunders, et al, and oh so much fun. But it's not all wild loose dick-swinging bar room energy like his debut collection Airships. Old Bazza has hit his stride here, there's a startling maturity and clear earthy wisdom under the antics, which comes through clearest in the longer pieces (Two Things, Spy of Log Root, Rat-Faced Auntie, Hey, Have You Got A Cig...), masterworks in drawing out these lifelong arcs in miniature, condensing extraordinary novel-worthy stories down to a few dozen pages, each a remarkable lucid dreamlike achievement in itself. It's the perfect mad mix of Twain, southern gothic, and pulp trash made art. Only reason I'm not giving it 5 is a few of the shorter ones felt kind of shoved in there as unnecessary filler, half-finished sketches, that detracted from the powderkeg effectiveness of the whole.

[Ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

collection of short stories where almost every one features a bunch of bitter old men. couldn't get into it.

[Paulo "paper books only" · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book in the course of 24h. With only 184 pages you can read it pretty fast not taking that much time to read it as the complexity is quite inexistent and probably the author could have taken 50 more pages and make the book better.

We are introduced to a scientist doing some experiments on Bats. Change to romance\sex (non explicit) stuff and after 50 pages they argue and them drop the cage and the bats escape. Those bats have some disease that will kill a person in a couple of hours or worse make them ravenous (think rabies). The science department initially say - it will be okay, don't worry. Well it didn't. Enter some random attacks and people start investigating and hate the scientist. We are introduced on some solutions and then I won't say more because it will ruin. What I've told you here is the premise and 80% of the book. The solution to solve this is quite fast explain and it could have been 50 more pages. It's like the author decided okay we are going into the 200 page mark let's stop here and drop a solution of 2 or 3 pages. Some deus ex-machina stuff and that's it.

Overall it's a good story but don't go with high expectations. As a special edition from Centipede It's quite normal to be fair. Nothing really major apart from the cover. 55/100

[Hal Brodsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of very creatively written short stories and sketches. Some are duds, but oddly the second half of the book contains better stories than the first half.

Barry Hannah taught writing at Old Miss for many years, treading around but not in Faulkner's footsteps. While ,some of these pieces are Southern, none are truly Southern Gothic and two at least are closer to science fiction/fantasy.

I thought "Rat-Faced Auntie", "Have you got a Cig...." "That Was Close, Ma" "Nicodermus Bluff" and "Scandale d"Estime" were the best stories included.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kind of hard to rate story collections. In terms of quality about 10 of these stories are brilliant whilst others pass by like air yet the placing of each story works with the flow with longer stories being broken up by short little interludes. Reminds me of electronica albums of all things.
Overall Hannah’s prose style made all these stories very interesting to read in terms of syntactical arrangements. Really gives the book as a whole a unique flavour to it.

This book is also Hannah’s first foray into longer pieces and sometimes it shows. Some stories have great concepts but Hannah stretches them too far. Other longer pieces however are some of the best in the collection, especially ‘Hey have you got a cig, the time, the news, my face?’. That one for me is an all timer. The shorter pieces overall tend to be of more equal quality. Technically this book can either be a 3 star and a 5 star book for me.
I

[Tim Spears · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barry Hannah's lesser quality entries are STILL the works of a master. Bats Out of Hell, a collection of short stories (and by short, some are really only a few paragraphs) is not his best but there are certainly enough interesting twists and turns to make it a worthy addition to my personal shelf of Southern writers. Occasional passages do indeed show what Hannah was capable of in terms of characterization and emotional insight, but for the most part, I wouldn't recommend this as a "starter" Hannah for anyone not already a fan. To anyone not familiar with his work I'd say maybe dive deep and start with "Yonder Stands Your Orphan" from 2002. THEN read the rest, warts & all.

[Grabaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seeing only 15 reviews on here for one of the great Southern writers of the last half-century is truly surprising.

Unfortunately, this sixteenth review won’t be terribly illuminating, other than to say Barry Hannah can write like a sonofabitch—energetic, funny, lyrical, wildly inventive—and it’s a shame he remains as under appreciated as he is.

[Rusty Lundgren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read. Enjoyable light horror.

[Nate Dawg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick and fun read. Warning science not to mess with nature. Nature will fight back with killer bats. 🦇 🦇🦇

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why I keep reading him, I don't know. Oddly enough, his two best-liked books (both on my to-read list) have escaped my readership as yet. Sure, he is pretty unique and sometimes amusing, but his writing style can also be irritating and down-right obscene. Maybe that is part of the charm for some, the challenge and titillation. It's almost as if he was intentionally jabbing his readers, trying to see if he could get a rise out of them. And, of course, as with any collection of short stories, some are likely to be good and others throwaways. So many of his characters are grouchy old men, seemingly angry at the world or women. A little too much perversion, violence, and alcoholism for my taste. It's alright in moderation, but when you get such a high dosage of it in one volume, you feel like you've been irradiated. There seems to be almost no love or warmth in his stories. That's not to say I didn't enjoy some of them, even the weird ones. I liked the title story, odd as it was, about a division of southern soldiers caught in a perpetual Hell of war. I enjoyed his send up of academia in "Rat-faced Auntie"; his take on the HS reunion and looking back at one's classmates in "Slow Times in a Long School"; and a group of elderly losers squabbling on a fishing pier in "Water Liars." Some of the stories are basically flash fiction, while others just drag on. More than a few I simply failed to finish. There is enough variation and depth though, that his stories will likely be plumbed for many academic criticism in the decades to come.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

New fave author.

[Robert Morgan Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all-time favorite books. Didn't want it to end. There's just something about the sentences of Barry Hannah. Who wouldn't want to write like him?

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Professor Brian Newman, Weiberheld und Bakteriologe (in dieser Reihenfolge) forscht am Midlands Biological Research Centre zum Thema Meningitis. Bei einem Beziehungsstreit mit seiner Assistentin Susan Wylie zerbricht ein Glascontainer und mit einem mutierten Virus infizierte Fledermäuse entkommen. Das Ungklück nimmt seinen Lauf, das Virus verbreitet sich und droht, Tierwelt und Menschheit auszurotten.
Diese Kurzfassung liest sich so uninspiriert wie lange Passagen in BATS OUT OF HELL, einem Tierhorror-Roman von Guy N. Smith, der deutlich unter dem Unterhaltungswert z.B. seiner Krabben-Serie rangiert.
Zwar sind die Fledermäuse für die Ausbreitung der tödlichen Viruserkrankheit ursächlich, aber sie werden nicht als bedrohliche Monster geschildert, sondern sind selbst Opfer einer viel größeren Bedrohung: des ungezügelten Forscherdrangs, der vor keinem Risiko zurück schreckt.
Und während die Bekämpfung der Fledermäuse als Verbreiter des tödlichen Erregers nur einen schmalen Raum einnimmt, schildert Smith ausführlicher und auch durchaus gelungen die Auswirkungen der Bedrohung auf die Gesellschaft: Möchtegerne-Politiker, Fanatiker und der Mob haben Hochkonjunktur, schüren Panik und Gewaltausbrüche, Städte werden von Menschen in Schutt und Asche gelegt und Newman als Verursacher der Katastrophe schwebt in ständiger Lebensgefahr.

Smith, der die Natur liebt, beschreibt die Auswirkungen, die das Einbringen von Insektiziden auf die Nahrungskette vieler Tiere hat und überhaupt die Empfindlichkeit des ökologischen Gleichgewichts.
BATS OUT OF HELL zählt nicht zu den trashigen Horrorromanen, die Smith zahlreich verfaßt hat. Das Szenario könnte sich in ähnlicher Form tatsächlich abspielen und eine gewisse Betroffenheit des Autors ist spürbar.
Der Inhalt wird dem reisserischen Titel nicht gerecht und auf wirkliche Spannung und gruseligen Horror wartet man über die längsten Strecken des Romans leider vergeblich. Smith-typisch hingegen ist Darstellung der Unfähigkeit der Regierung, die Bürger vor extremen Gefahren zu schützen. Im Kern ist BATS schließlich eher ein apokalyptisches Endzeitszenario als Tierhorror, denn der größte Feind des Menschen ist der Mensch selbst.

Fazit: Wer kein Smith-Fan ist und sich nicht durch sein umfangreiches Werk komplett durchkämpfen will, könnte auf diesen Roman verzichten und stattdessen z.B. lieber zur Crabs-Serie greifen. Vergleichsweise klassischer Tierhorror ohne den Pulp-Charme, den die KRABBEN von Smith haben, drei Sterne mit etwas gutem Willen.

[Gavin P · Rating 5 out of 5]

unmatched prose stylist with one of the best BRAINS ever to emerge from the tepid alluvial swamps of oxford miss (besides, i guess mr faulkner, the prodigious rye-guzzler)

[Eraserhead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some really boring and overly long stories, which is too bad, since Hannah's best work usually comes through concision. Still, a few great stories mixed in with a lot of fertilizer. Far from his best writing---the man never really made it through the early 80s in terms of his best output. In breaking free of Lish's insane editing, I think Hannah went a little too far into maximalism, where his normally blistering language feels more bloated than electric.

[Alan Smithee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Guy N. Smith strikes again! This time is meningitis-infected bats threatening England's very existence - turning the West Midlands into a post-apocalyptic hell zone of refugees, roving vigilante gangs and messianic madmen. Will the heroic scientists devise a way to save Birmingham? And what will become of Wolverhampton, Dudley and Smethwick? Don't ask me. Smith just kind of gives up on the ending which, I think, is not a completely bad idea.

[Suzette · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writing itself is not great BUT the Centipede Press edition is amazing - great artwork, wonderful cover, and an informative introduction by Stephen Jones so 5 stars for those features! And, weirdly, the author, Guy N. Smith, died at 81 of Covid-19 at the end of 2020 after recognizing that his book bore a strong resemblance to the pandemic, writing in a blog, "Am I prophetic? My spine tingles at the possibility!"

[Unky Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fans of David Foster Wallace will appreciate the liberties Hannah takes with usage and syntax. Hannah is one of the most underrated and relatively unknown (to commercial book stores)writers writing what I consider to be very important fiction. Yonder Stands Your Orphan (also by Hannah) is a refined gem that was well worth the wait.

[Bobby · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are 23 stories in this collection. Several of them are forgettable. 5 are very good: "The Vision of Esther by Clem", "Rat-Faced Auntie", "Scandale d'Estime", "Slow Times in a Long School", and "Tyranny of the Visual".

Then there is the long short story, "Hey, Have You Got a Cig, the Time, the News, My Face?" Dear God. It is perfect.

[Cookie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I probably enjoyed it because of the uncanny relevance to 2020 - bats infected with a lab created virus escape and kill thousands of humans? Hmmm. Sounds familiar.
The story is told in a vignette-like way and many things about the writing was typical for the era, so nothing surprising or extraordinary.

[Khristiey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty twisted, and not in a pahlaniuk way.
Some of the stories were hard to read because of the content.
At least they were very literary, which made me not feel as dirty.
Definitely not a book for the feint of heart or the very pious.

[Thad · Rating 3 out of 5]

At it's best it was twisted, dark, and hilarious. At it's worst it was twisted and dark. I was pretty hot and cold on this collection. The stories I did enjoy made it worthwhile to keep slugging through it.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are roughly 10 near-perfect stories in here and a few that aren't as strong. "Hey, Have You Got a Cig, the Time, the News, My Face?," is flat-out amazing.

[Matthew Hittinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

We read selected stories from this in a Living Writers class back in 1997. Decided to read the whole book. Good subway reading.

[Christina Lockard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will continue to read this book over and over again until I die. I love Barry Hannah with my whole soul and I hate him too for doing this to me.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5* Pretty decent British pulp story, not encumbered by too many detailed descriptions. Eerie parallels with sars-cov2 virus, as others have noted.