★★★☆☆ Honorable Mention
(Uncanny Horror) Ben Clarke travels to Hollywood to settle his late brother’s affairs. He learns a variety of things about his brother, but the biggest surprise is what he finds in the bedroom. (13,285 words; Time: 44m)
"The Ghoul Goes West," by Dale Bailey [bio] (edited by Ellen Datlow), published on January 17, 2018 by Tor.com.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: The writing is excellent, and Ben is a great character. His feelings of love for his brother and guilt over his failure to support him come through loud and clear.
The ending, where Ben finds someone and is no longer “all alone in the world” is satisfying but bittersweet.
Con: The story’s fascination with might-have-beens is a bit maudlin for me, particularly since the speculative element doesn’t seem to have been included for any other purpose.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 01/17/18)
Dale Bailey Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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The ending, where Ben finds someone and is no longer “all alone in the world” is satisfying but bittersweet.
Con: The story’s fascination with might-have-beens is a bit maudlin for me, particularly since the speculative element doesn’t seem to have been included for any other purpose.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 01/17/18)
Dale Bailey Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
Good, but probably more appealing to lovers of classic horror films.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good point. I should probably try harder to identify when a story has elements that would strongly appeal to a particular audience.
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