After a short introduction
by Jonathan Mayberry to Strange World: A Biff Bam Pop Short Story
Anthology the book opens with “Sister Mine” by Annie Michaud. It is
hard being the baby brother who is scared by his older sister's screams from
nightmares and other odd events. But, when Jenny disappeared without a trace
things got worse.
Taking a called strike three
that results in the final out is brutal. Shane knows that all too well in “Dirt
Man” by Jason Shayer. The ninth grader knows his local history and has a plan
to seek revenge against his bullies. The small town of Atwood has had strange
events before in its 75 year history and if Shane gets his way it will happen
again.
Ms. Chagrin is perfectly
willing for you to “Blame Me” in this stream of consciousness type tale by
Rathan Krueger. You might think of her as a serial killer. She sees herself as
a liberator of sorts helping those who need freedom from their oppressors.
“Medium Double Double” by
Andrew Burns features a regular guy who has been driving eighteen wheelers for
about twenty years now. About ten years back another driver told him he time he
had to go check out a place called “The Coffee house.” The coffee there was supposed to be something
special and well worth going off at Exit 43-A and down the road 20 minutes. The
long haul driver known as “Hammer Monkey” sent him and that serves as the best
introduction he ever could have gotten.
40 year old Doctor Jane Shockrowski
or “Doc Shock” to her peers lives the good life in Virginia. Being the only one
with a PHD at the “Automobile Safety Institute of America” she takes her job
and responsibility and very seriously Prudent and sensible she has everything
firmly in control. Then there was the day when everything changed in “Crash” by
Jim Morris.
“Kitty” by David Sandford
Ward comes next in a disturbing tale of what it is like to be experimented on
from the animal's point. Needless to say the animals are not happy and looking
for their chance to settle the score a little bit.
50 year old Naomi just had
some seriously lousy sex in “Live To Write, Write To Live” by Glen Walker. If
she liked sex without pleasure she would have stayed with her husband of
twenty-eight years. The writer's workshop that evening had been the only thing
worth doing and quite an inspiration for all the participants. That might have
led to her current situation where she is tapping out words on her cell phone
in some guy’s bathroom in the middle of the night while the lousy lay sleeps.
Everything is grist for the mill and this will be too once she figures out what
that weird banging sound is that just started outside the locked bathroom door.
It has been 12 years of
living in the house without a problem. Then, after a great date with Jessika as
he is trying to sleep he hears a noise. Not a soft sound either. It is a
“ka-thunk” type of deal in “Down In the Cellar Basement” by Kayla Tyson. After
twelve years of being in the house, he has never once gone into the basement.
Thanks to the noise tonight is the night to go down there assuming he can get
the old door leading down into the basement open.
“The Face in the Well” by
Andre Narbonne comes next where a girl apparently was right about the monster.
The narrator was a young boy then living in a small village where his dad owned
a small store. The girl came in the place looking to buy a drink and instead
took him away from his toy cars to see a troll in nearby well. Or maybe it was
a genie. Either way, the narrator has an 8mm camera and plans for a movie and
whatever is in the well will be in it.
Susan has signed her
contract and has been assigned locker 307 storage facility. “The Storage
Locker” by JG Chayko is a tale of memories, secrets, and fate.
Eric had said the hiking
trip in Schwartzwald would be great. He was wrong and not just because he
backed out at the last minute. Now our unnamed narrator is “Lost In The Dark Woods”
by Ken Haigh. Fortunately, he has somehow found an isolated castle like
structure where he can take shelter from the weather and the night.
Lucas Mangum comes next with
his tale titled “Occupy Babylon.” Michaela is one of many protesting what is
happening while her boyfriend, Eddie thinks such actions are a waste of time.
The world is at the brink of collapse according to some and Michaela knows that
something is happening to her. She just has to have faith. The real question is
what kind of faith and faith in what?
The last thing the young kid
wants is the syringe in “I Hate Needles” by Ian Rogers. But, Dr. Peters has a
job to do and is not going anywhere. His eight year old patient isn't coming
out from under the table either so a negotiation is in order. This should be
interesting.
A brief afterword and short author bios bring this
read to a close.
Compiled by Andrew Burns, JP Fallavollita, David
Sandford Ward and Corina Newby is an interesting anthology that uses the concept
of “horror” with a very wide brush. Much of the works in this collection are more
about strange events that may or may not have rational explanations when viewed
by others. Things that may have appeared one way to those directly involved and
far different to others. While zombies and dracula do make an appearance here,
most of the stories are more about what is in your mind.
Strange
World: A Biff Bam Pop Short Story Anthology
is a good read featuring a well done mix of story types, writing styles, and
plenty of interest characters. Many of
them take the everyday and twist it into something far more complicated as the
story pushes the definition of reality. The collection comes across to this
reviewer more as a dark fantasy type anthology than actual horror. No matter how
you define the genre, the read is a good one.
Strange
World: A Biff Bam Pop Short Story Anthology
Compiled
by Andrew Burns, JP Fallavollita, David Sandford Ward and Corina Newby
Biff
Bam Pop Press
November
2012
ISBN # 1230000031504
E-Book
Kobo
Exclusive
$0.95
A PDF of the book was provided quite some time ago by
Glen Walker in exchange for my objective review.
For more on the book at the time of release go to:
Kevin R. Tipple ©2014
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