Mrs. Todd’s Shortcut by Stephen King

I wouldn’t call this a horror story. Granted, there’s something quite unsettling about the titular shortcut, a sense of the Continue reading →

Disappearing Act by Richard Matheson

The story opens with a diary, kept because the narrator feels he has to confess somewhere. In short, spare prose Continue reading →

Portraits of his Children by George R.R. Martin

A standard piece of advice to new writers is that you shouldn’t write more than one novel, or a few Continue reading →

A Note for the Milkman by Sidney Carroll

Mr. Peters, the protagonist, is a seemingly normal married businessman. His appearance of normality is something he takes pride in. Continue reading →

Writ in Water, or the Gingerbread Man by Avram Davidson

Davidson’s later work has a unique style that is a joy to behold, dancing through half a dozen different lines Continue reading →

Welcome to the Reptile House by Stephen Graham Jones

I like it when I can’t predict a story. Actually, that’s not true. If I’m reading a piece of suburban Continue reading →

Bears Discover Fire by Terry Bisson

The characters really sell this story. The protagonist in particular is quite charming: he’s ‘the old-fashioned one in the family Continue reading →

The Million-Dollar Wound by Dean Whitlock

While technically taking place in Bolivia, the feel of the setting oozes Vietnam. The U.S. has a draft in place, Continue reading →