Title: Staring Into the Abyss
Author: Richard Thomas
Publisher: Kraken Press
Release Date: March 1, 2013
Reviewed by: Nick Tab
First off, let me say that I’m usually not a fan of short
story collections. I would rather sink
my teeth into a 300-500 page book where I can get into a story and live it for
a few weeks, than the immediacy and instant gratification of reading a short
story. So when I found out that Staring Into the Abyss by Richard Thomas was a short story collection, I had my
misgivings to say the least. I am
pleased to say that Staring Into the Abyss may have changed my attitude toward
the short story format, it’s that good. There
are 20 stories that span a number of different styles and genres. Yes there are straight-up horror stories, but
smattered among the 20 gems are also stories that have obvious science-fiction
and fantasy themes. Take for instance
the story Stillness which pays an
obvious homage to Vincent Price’s The
Last Man on Earth. Then there is Maker of Flight about a mysterious mechanical bird maker locked in
a room where his only task is to make a certain number of toy birds every
day. For what purpose and for who, you’ll
have to read it to find out. But of
course, this is a horror collection by and large. And there are plenty of intense and downright
horrific stories here to satisfy any horror reader’s cravings. Committed
tells the story of a video-gamer with serious anger-management issues. Steel-Toed
Boots is an especially disturbing entry describing what happens when a wife
decides to find out what is really going on when her husband goes out at night
for a couple of beers. Splintered
shares some insights into a situation that many people find themselves in: a
relationship that just isn’t working anymore for one party. His girlfriend has an interesting way of
addressing the problem and you’ll be both disturbed and delighted by how it
turns out. These are just some of the
horror treasures that you’ll find in this fine collection. The thing that I most enjoyed about these
stories was the way Thomas told them through the characters’ own eyes as if you
were seeing things in real time as they happened. The style of his writing really captured my
attention. There was an almost poetic
quality to the writing as well. Thomas
used a lot of staccato sentences and sometimes fragmented thoughts as opposed
to spelling out each and every detail of the story. I thought that this style worked very well
and added to my enjoyment of the stories as a whole. My final thought on Staring Into the Abyss is that it is truly aptly-titled in the
respect that these stories come across as describing the human-condition at its
worst and best. These are stories where
the characters are forced to look at their lives (some of which have not been
lived on the straight and narrow) and come to a final resolution that is both
real and intense. If you are looking for
a collection of stories that won’t take very long to read but will leave you
forever changed, then Richard Thomas has a treat for you. It is called Staring Into the Abyss and you
should pick it up and read it. Hopefully
you will enjoy it as much as I did.
(4 out of 5 stars)
