Short Sharp Shocks! #51
Unbecoming Me & Other Interruptions: Christopher Stanley
Reviewed By Steve Stred
Demain Publishing’s Short! Sharp! Shocks! Series released the first 50 novellas/collections over the last year and a bit. This series was full to the brim with amazing stories and introduced a number of new authors to new readers.
With the announcement of the second round of releases, or next batch in the series arriving, it has been great to see the names that Dean & Adrian are rolling out.
The first release in the new group – #51 – ‘Unbecoming Me & Other Interruptions‘ by Christopher Stanley.
What I liked: Stanley has crafted three creepy stories in this release. First up we get ‘Devil’s Reach‘ a chaotic, claustrophobic story of a husband fleeing from his wife with their infant in tow. The train setting is fantastic and the elements used to create confusion were really well done. The second story was ‘Hell’s Teeth,’ which to me was the highlight of the three. A twist on a classic fairy tale, Stanley brings us a revenge story with a really great ending. The last story was ‘Unbecoming Me,’ which tells the story of an individual who lived at birth while their twin did not. Things unravel from there.
Stanley has a very easy writing style to read, which let these three pieces flow quickly and each story hummed along. I loved how each story was very different from the other, allowing each of the different plots to breathe and not feel formulaic.
What I didn’t like: For me, personally, ‘Unbecoming Me,’ was a bit jumbled in spots. It was an enjoyable story but didn’t fully click, which can happen in a three-story collection like this. I enjoyed the idea behind it, but I think it would’ve worked better for me if it was a novella, not a short story.
Why you should buy it: Each story is high on the creep factor and Stanley sucks the reader in immediately in each one. The stories are quick, short reads, which allows you to dive in and out of three different worlds in one sitting, which is always a bonus, I find.
Short! Sharp! Shocks! has unleashed some fantastic reads in the first 50 entries and with the arrival of #51, it looks like there is no slowing down.
Short Sharp Shocks! #51
Unbecoming Me & Other Interruptions: Christopher Stanley
A chilling new short story collection from the author of The Forest is Hungry and The Lamppost Huggers and Other Wretched Tales.
In DEVIL’S REACH, a frantic father boards a ferry, hoping to save his daughter and escape his wife. But nothing is as it seems as the ferry sails into darkness, and there are forces at work he won’t begin to understand until it’s too late.
In HELL’S TEETH, a young girl enlists the help of supernatural forces to exact revenge on the school bully, only to find she can’t live with guilt.
And in the final story, UNBECOMING ME, a young man’s desperate search for love takes an unexpected turn after he’s rejected by the woman of his dreams.
Dark, sinister and unforgiving – Unbecoming Me and Other Interruptions will make you want to sleep with the lights on.
(cover by Adrian Baldwin)
You can buy Unbecoming Me & Other Interruptions from Amazon UK & Amazon US
Steve Stred
Steve Stred is the author of a number of novels, novellas and collections. He has appeared in anthologies with some of Horror’s heaviest hitters.
He lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with his wife, son and their dog OJ.
You can follow Steve on Twitter @stevestred
You can follow Steve on Instagram @stevestred
You can visit Steve’s Official website here
Leave a Reply