Status Updates From Strange Gateways [Trade Pap...

worth it if only for the story "F Bomb" which is clever and terrifying. "The Hotel Guest" is also
pretty great, but lots of these stories so far fall into a "hideous thing shows up/protagonist denies situation/protagonist is killed or otherwise destroyed" pattern

Peek a Boo. 5. Devastating. The creature trio of stories constantly put me in mind of Jurassic Park. But so much more credible and infinitely better stuff. A short sharp shocker to end the book. 41:10

Seven People. 4.5. Excellent and all too relatable tale of governing superstitions. Really interesting concept and very well told. External details outside the journey to the station are sparse, but that’s in keeping with the overall tone. Not too sure about the ending, and the collapse of things at work is much too precipitate (though probably necessary in the framework of the story)36:9

Mami Wata 4.5. Excellent writing, taut story, and a great sense of place. The threat may not be entirely original but the story doesn’t suffer for that. 31.5:8

Ice & Sorrow. 4. eerily mysterious, slightly cliched post-accident situation (dead son, separation) but nonetheless engaging.27:7

Traffic Stream. 4. Slightly silly premise regarding the “monster trucks” but nonetheless a bit of a nightmare situation, which works all the better for having the hapless victim at the end of a phone. 23:6

Least Desirable Solution. 4.5. Surprising change - a “creature” story that actually engages, enthrals and disturbs me. Thrilling rather than ‘great’, but well worth 9/10. 19:5

Drunks’ Totem. 3.5. Hmm another one that ends with devouring/absorbing/whatever. Exciting to read but ultimately the linear story and the ending make me feel cheated of what I expected to be a glorious climax. 14.5:4

Knitted Child. 3.5. Poignant and heartbreaking fairy tale. 11:3

Hotel Guest. 3.5. Nicely foetid and unwholesome, gripping storytelling but falls a bit flat; disappointing ending. This linear tale, magnificently as it’s told, needs a twist. 7.5:2

F Bomb. 4. Interesting and possibly amusing (for a while) exploration of the end of humanity in incremental antisocial steps. All done without recourse to the offending words! 4:1

How is this horror?