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The Black Maybe
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June 2023 monthly read: The Black Maybe by Attila Veres
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Oh good I had this on my TBR!. Let us know when you are starting - though I am such a slow reader I might have to start now!
I bought this yesterday and started, as I'm also a slow reader. I forgot that Veres had a story in The Valancourt Book of World Horror Stories, Volume 1. As I recall, it was one of the favorites when we read that one.
Whitney wrote: "I forgot that Veres had a story in The Valancourt Book of World Horror Stories, Volume 1. As I recall, it was one of the favorites when we read that one. "Yes, that's why the Veres collection caught my eye. Hope there's more that's as good as his story in the anthology.
We're pretty casual here, everyone. Just start whenever is convenient for you.
Looking forward to reading this with you all!
I'm three in. The first story is so far the most conventional and least interesting. I'm assuming they wanted something more easily digestible (no pun intended) to start things off.
Mmmh I am five stories in. The tend more towards strange fiction as you continue (In my opinion anyway). My one-line synopses are: (view spoiler)
Overall I have eclectic reading tastes and read a lot of horror, literary fiction, short stories, etc. So, so far this collection is suiting me to a tee, I am really enjoying it and looking forward to picking up the next day's story.
I find in general I usually enjoy Valancourt published books. Does anybody else agree with that? My only problem is they are hard to obtain in hardcopy on this side of the world (Europe). Expensive postage!
Largely enjoying these thus far. Some brief ratings/notes:"To Bite A Dog" - ***
"Fogtown" - **** (Unsettling piece about the pleasures and dangers of nostalgia. A subtle send-up of musical moral panics. Good use of the social/technological contagion trope used in everything from Suzuki’s “Ring” to Radiohead’s video for “Just”)
"The Time Remaining" – *** (The narrator’s constant references to his therapist’s attestations to his normality/sanity are an amusing build-up to the ridiculous yet seemingly inevitable conclusion)
I agree that "To Bite a Dog" is light and fun, if not terribly surprising.I tend to enjoy lost band/movie/etc narratives like "Fogtown". This was entertaining, but went maybe a bit too long. Also, I thought Veres' descriptions of the bands and music were a bit superficial. With (say) Joel Lane's novels and stories set in indie rock scenes, or Hari Kunzru's White Tears (which is the monthly book over at 21st Century Lit), there's a richness of detail that feels really immersive; I don't quite get that here.
I love the opening of "The Time Remaining", how we're not quite sure of Vili's nature, and the role of the grandmother. The decay and rituals with the plush toys was disturbing and funny. But I thought it could be shorter (like most things, sorry).
Bill wrote: "But I thought it could be shorter (like most things, sorry).."LOL - there I disagree with you. I am the longer tales more so far. I need the extra length to fully commit to the narrative and world. Especially when we are dealing with weird fiction.
Multiplied by Zero is my favourite so far - but then it has an evil humour to it that is not a million miles from my own :)
Of the next three, I liked The Time Remaining best. The tone felt very Goosebumps for adults, which I am into. (view spoiler)I like worldbuilding, and Return to the Midnight School has a lot of it. I didn't like the length. I think I'd prefer it to be a little longer, have some chapter breaks, and be a mini-novella. Some of the ideas, espescially the farming process and how the town relates to the rest of the world, needed more space.
I did not like Fogtown. I really like this style of story, but it didn't work for me. I don't like that the blog entry aspect of it doesn't come back after the start. I liked the little asides from the editor, but I think the clashing narrators could have been pushed farther.
"Return to the Midnight School" is my favorite so far. It's one of the longer stories, but I really enjoyed the folk horror setup and all the disturbing details and rituals, delivered in this dry, matter-of-fact way. It's also peppered with humorous moments; this seems to be a Veres trademark?
I think I enjoyed the first story more than you all. It was very entertaining and it had the right kind of weirdness for me. I haven't read anything similar yet. (I have to check out Nightbitch though). I agree with Bill that the second one felt a little long. I prefer very short stories when it comes to short fiction. But I still enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to the rest.
Schalka wrote: "I think I enjoyed the first story more than you all. It was very entertaining and it had the right kind of weirdness for me. I haven't read anything similar yet. (I have to check out Nightbitch tho..."I would say in theme that "to bite a dog" is very similar to Naomi Alderman's the The Power in theme. A reversal of the normal gender specific roles of women being the prey and men being the attackers. Both stories seem to come to the same conclusion as to what a woman would do if she was the most physically dominant.
I also like the - is metaphor the word I am looking for? - of people all hiding their teeth being their anti covid face masks.
I have finished the Amber Complex. I am thinking its a little humdrum. More or less a similar tale that I have read by the Stephen King et al gang over the last 3 1/2 decades. It just didn't have any of the subtleties that the previous stories had. Now this one I wish was shorter :)
The arc of "In the Snow, Sleeping" reminded me of Brian Evenson's "Seaside Town", where he was in full-on Aickman mode. The steadily deteriorating vacation is a reflection of a troubled relationship. I really liked the accumulation of small uncanny details, starting with the resort receptionist's name not matching the name tag; of course things go to hell very quickly. The ending is maybe a bit heavy-handed for my taste, but overall this was pretty enjoyable.
Maria Hill wrote: "Schalka wrote: "I think I enjoyed the first story more than you all. It was very entertaining and it had the right kind of weirdness for me. I haven't read anything similar yet. (I have to check ou..."Oh nice, I already own The Power, it´s on my TBR. I guess I have to read it soon!
"Multiplied by Zero" is pretty funny, with the asshole narrator giving travel advice through the over-the-top (view spoiler) itinerary."The Amber Complex" almost seems to be written by a different author. 10 pages in, I found it unbearably cluttered and chatty. Already doubting that I can take all of its 50 pages.
Schalka wrote: "Maria Hill wrote: "Schalka wrote: "I think I enjoyed the first story more than you all. It was very entertaining and it had the right kind of weirdness for me. I haven't read anything similar yet. ..."Hope you enjoy it!
Bill wrote: ""Multiplied by Zero" is pretty funny, with the asshole narrator giving travel advice through the over-the-top [spoilers removed] itinerary."The Amber Complex" almost seems to be written by a diff..."
Yeh! Multiplied by zero is hilarious.
I loved Fogtown. Haunted media and occult things fleetingly glimpsed on the other side of the veil are definitely my jam. 80's low-rent, DIY punk bands also defined my teenage years, so double jam. I loved the detail that captured both of these with the flyer for the band, which is a blank paper that has been "Xeroxed several times over."Return to Midnight School was the one that most reminded me of Aickman, with it's "normal but so not-normal town". It was also an effective inversion of "new kid who's a little weird trying to fit in".
In The Snow, Asleep. I agree with Bill about the effectiveness of the accumulation of little, "wrong" details. I would say it started with them hitting the hawk on the way to the resort. It reminded me of "Get Out", which started with the couple hitting the deer on their way to her parent's house, followed by its own steady accumulations of increasing weirdness. It also had a person trying to decide when the evidence is sufficient to stop making allowances and to make a run for it.
Multiplied by Zero. Still reading, but really enjoying. Bill, is (view spoiler) really a spoiler? It starts with a header which includes "Askathoth travel package".
Whitney wrote: "In The Snow, Asleep. I agree with Bill about the effectiveness of the accumulation of little, "wrong" details. I would say it started with them hitting the hawk on the way to the resort."You're right. Right after I hit the Post button, I was going "oh wait, there's the hawk, or whatever it was".
I tend to err on the side of caution with spoiler tags. "Askathoth" is still deniable, though I note that google search immediately suggests the other spelling, haha.
"Return to the Midnight School" – *** (Decent folk horror inspired piece - a bit too "tell" vs. "show" for my taste)."In the Snow, Sleeping" *** (Droll commentary on romantic relationships I suppose. Recycles the live burial and the description of seeking the body heat of others from the previous story. Despite the vague werewolf angle, I wonder if the couple died in the crash and the vacation is some other plane of existence? Also noticed the similarities to "Get Out.")
"Multiplied by Zero" – (Another vacation in Hell? Half way through this one at the moment.)
Ryan wrote: ""Return to the Midnight School" – *** (Decent folk horror inspired piece - a bit too "tell" vs. "show" for my taste)."In the Snow, Sleeping" *** (Droll commentary on romantic relationships I supp..."
There was definitely an "Owl Creek" / "Carnival of Souls" implication in "In the Snow". And, yes, the suffocating relationship angle may have been a bit on-the-nose.
Both "Return to the Midnight School" and "Multiplied by Zero" are in the "tour guide to the uncanny" mode; in the later case explicitly. Still well done enough that I still enjoyed them. Especially "Multiplied by Zero"
The stories seem to get longer near the end of the collection, and I can't say the material supports the length. I'm not a fan of "The Amber Complex", even if it's a little less longwinded after the first 10-15 pages (they could have been deleted, IMO)."Sky Filled with Crows..." is amusing enough, but I really can't care about the demon's problems. "Walks Among You" is another proto-Lovecraft yarn. The tone seems all over the place. It was somewhat entertaining, I suppose.
I liked the beginning and the ending of The Time Remaining. The part in the middle felt a little repetitive to me and could have been shorter.I agree with Ryan when it comes to Return to Midnight School. There is too much unnecessary explanation in some scenes.
I thought "In the Snow" was pretty good, but I can't muster up much to say about it. I did like the bits about how stressful relaxing can be."Multiplied by Zero" (view spoiler)
It struck a good balance between appreciating and parodying Lovecraft. I like Lovecraftian stuff, but I'm not a Lovecraft fan, because I think his narrators are assholes, which makes me feel annoyed the entire time. (view spoiler)
So far, I'm feeling like the stories have been good, but I haven't felt very motivated to read more. I've started and finished one novel and a novella since I started this.
I'm done. There were nice ideas in the title story. But it's so longwinded, and so caught up in boring mechanics. I'm thinking these stories may work better with another translator. I can't take sentences like: She closed her eyes at the last moment as Erzsebet had instructed her, since the sight of it only confused her heart.
I do like Lovecraftian folk horror that works, but "Black Maybe" is marginal at best. Two of my favorite cosmic horror stories are Livia Llewellyn's "The Last, Clean Bright Summer", which has a more traditional arc similar to "Black Maybe", and Victor LaValle's "Up from Slavery", which doesn't. I'd consider both to be on my list of all-time favorite stories, really.
"Multiplied by Zero" - *** (Enjoyed the way this unfolded and the juxtaposition of the dry/irritating narration with the increasing horror)."The Amber Complex" - ** (Tried my patience. I felt like the connections to "Fogtown" served no purpose, and most of the story was filler).
Appreciate the cosmic horror recommendations Bill - will look into those.
Ryan wrote: "Appreciate the cosmic horror recommendations Bill - will look into those."Hope the two stories are to your taste, Ryan. Both are available in cheap ebook anthologies:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
I was excited about this because I had heard good things, but I was really bored. If I wasn't reading this for a book club, I would definitely have started another book during the part of "The Amber Complex" where they're talking about the guy's vacations, and I may have forgotten to start reading again. I have quite a few partially finished short story collections.I liked the ending of The Amber Complex. The plot should have made for an interesting story, but almost none of it worked for me.
I liked "Sky Full of Crows" a bit more. I've noticed that I like when the author experiments a bit with the narrator, even if it's just having them be unlikeable or a woman.
However, I think that all of the narrators' voices are too similar, and it really hurts the stories with more characters like "Walks Among You" and "Black Maybe." This might be an issue with the translation, though.
They all could have been a bit shorter, too.
"Sky Filled With Crows, Then Nothing at All" – *** A decent short piece. Sort of an inversion of Milton’s “Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven”"Walks Among You" – ** Perhaps I would have appreciated this more if I had read more (any!) Lovecraft first…
"The Black Maybe" – *** One of the better pieces in the collection I think. Well constructed and not overly long. Curious how it was received in Hungary – I feel like there are some cultural references (beyond the urban/rural divide) that I may be missing).
3 stars overall - a decent read. I agree that the stories are tonally a bit too similar and in several cases overstay their welcome.
I enjoyed this collection a lot. I can’t argue with people who say some of the stories could be shorter, but I also got the idea that some of the details of the individuals and their lives were the main inspiration for the stories in the first place.The Amber Complex. Loved the main concept, but agree about it being overly long and cluttered in the beginning. I wonder if it’s one of Veres’ earlier stories, as the roll call of characters in the opening pages is a thing I associate with beginning writers.
The Sky Filled with Crows. I liked the “rule in hell, declined” aspect. I thought Veres was celebrating the punk ideal of not buying into the system, man. Sure, those people end up in shitty roach-filled apartments with no gainful employment, but they also don’t bring hell to earth by wanting to rule over mortals.
Walks Among You. I have read a lot of Lovecraftian Fiction, and I’m always up for unique takes. This was reminiscent of Ruthanna Emrys’ story “The Litany of Earth”, where the resident from Lovecrafts “Shadow Over Innsmouth” are recast as a persecuted minority. I liked Veres’ take of the dark cult being mainstreamed. The representative church members wrestling with their religious doubts was both universal and creepily unique.
The Black Maybe. Another seconding to some of the comments already made. Bill, yes, your comparison to the Llewellyn story is spot-on. This is like the PG-13 version of the that one. Although I suspect I’d have trouble with a male writer trying to pull off what Llewellyn did. Ryan, to your point, I’d also like more insight into specifics of Hungarian attitudes and practices that may have informed this one. Veres was definitely pushing back on the seemingly universal romanticism of country life held by so many city dwellers, which I always appreciate.
Introduction. I was not a big fan of the introduction to this collection. I stopped reading and saved it until the end, as it seems to mostly just be a rehash of the plots of the stories.
Interview. Here’s a link to an excellent interview with Veres that was done by inciminci, who some of you may know from the “Shine and Shadow” or “Horror Aficionados” groups. She posted in on the Valancourt thread about The Black Maybe.
https://proteandepravity.blogspot.com... .
I'm halfway through and for the most part not loving this. Was quite bored by the first two stories. "The Time Remaining" and its plush toys was unique in its way but very off-putting. "In the Snow, Sleeping" felt self-indulgent, surreal just to be surreal, I was reminded of what I don't care for in Steve Rasnic Tem's writing. Trying to be Aickman but without his restraint.All that said, I loved "Return to the Midnight School" - fascinating! So much in there to contemplate and so many things that disturbed, in a good way. This is the only story of the 5 where I appreciated the nonchalant narrating of the tale.
The author's style overall is sort of lackluster to me, which is not something I usually find when reading weird fiction. Maybe it is the translation?
Will probably wait until next weekend to read the second half, as except for the incredible village story, I'm finding the experience frustrating.
I’ve read the first 4 stories and I love this collection so far. Each story centers around an unusual concept which is kind of offered up front and then just sort of hovers there. Truly eerie, remarkable, and original and much different than O Henry twists, Twilight Zone reversals, or King-esque splatter jump-scares, although the stories are unnerving and grotesque—they’re just paced more like the equivalent of a slowly gurgling whirlpool, or maybe slowly gurgling cesspool? (Trying to be a bit general so as not to spoil; looking forward to reading through the comments more carefully once I finish).
I have no idea if Veres has read any of the articles concerning women (and men) biting dogs but if he hasn’t then it’s a little eerie how he’s imagined a premise that matches (a couple of) those articles. I liked how, when Zoltán asked about her first encounter with a dog felt, she didn’t have to verbalize how she felt…the goosebumps were enough. Her explanation later, and Zoltán’s reaction to the situation were predictable enough as was then ending. Even with the predictability I liked the story of one person’s acquisition of (and addiction to?) power especially as it was presented in a more primitive scenario than we usually see. Concerning “Fogtown”, I’m a sucker for stories with “books” even if the books aren’t the focus of the story. As Ryan mentioned, there is a nostalgic air about the piece and that had me thinking of my younger years (not specifically punk…just bygone concerts in general). I think the otherworldliness of the band was handled perfectly.
“Return to the Midnight School” didn’t really resonate with me. The story appears to be an “isolated village that’s different” piece in which the crops are described and the proximity to pre-/after lives is hinted at; there’s a good bit of “what”; but there is no answer to “so what?” At the end it turns into (in my reading of the piece) a nostalgia story with the “difference” angle becoming irrelevant. Or I might have been thrown off by the casualness of the narration and I’ve completely misread the piece.
I really enjoyed “Multiplied by Zero.” The narration had a hilarity to it I’d not expected.
“The Amber Complex”- I found the story of drugs with a prescribed order of usage and penalty for stepping outside of that order interesting. I feel it could have done better with fewer pages.
Literary Horror
Books mentioned in this topic
The Power (other topics)Nightbitch (other topics)
The Valancourt Book of World Horror Stories, Volume 1 (other topics)
The Black Maybe: Liminal Tales (other topics)
Authors mentioned in this topic
Naomi Alderman (other topics)Rachel Yoder (other topics)
Some reviews:
https://spectrumculture.com/2022/12/1...
https://medium.com/@deadreckoningsjou...
The Black Maybe is available on paper and as an e-book. Let's start close to next weekend!