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A review by znnys
The Strange Thing We Become and Other Dark Tales by Eric LaRocca
4.0
In this collection of short stories, emotional turmoil is made physical, visceral and gory. LaRocca disembowels the quiet agonies of human beings and spreads them out like a haruspex reading fortunes.
There are common themes running through this collection - most notably, the horrors of parent/child dynamics, abandonment, helplessness against fate, and the body being used as both metaphor and offering. The best stories in this collection feel allegorical, Twilight Zone-esque and fable-like, but not particularly didactic. I don't think LaRocca is attempting to hold my hand and teach me a lesson. Some of these stories, it's difficult to say I enjoyed, but they definitely affected me. I think that's a sign of an effective storyteller. When a story, even in its unpleasantness, has really sunk its claws into you and left a mark. It's due, quite largely, to how downright grotesque this book can be at times, but it doesn't feel like it's there for shock value. I feel like everything visceral has a purpose.
Since the collection isn't officially released yet, I won't go into detail on the individual stories. Not every story resonated with me, personally, but the ones that did were Bodies Are For Burning, The Trees Grew Because I Bled There, You're Not Supposed to Be Here, and I'll Be Gone By Then. I'll Be Gone By Then, I think, was the best in the entire collection, being an exploration of resentment and the failed American dream.
I really appreciate Eric LaRocca giving me a digital ARC to read this before official publish date and look forward to reading more in the future.
There are common themes running through this collection - most notably, the horrors of parent/child dynamics, abandonment, helplessness against fate, and the body being used as both metaphor and offering. The best stories in this collection feel allegorical, Twilight Zone-esque and fable-like, but not particularly didactic. I don't think LaRocca is attempting to hold my hand and teach me a lesson. Some of these stories, it's difficult to say I enjoyed, but they definitely affected me. I think that's a sign of an effective storyteller. When a story, even in its unpleasantness, has really sunk its claws into you and left a mark. It's due, quite largely, to how downright grotesque this book can be at times, but it doesn't feel like it's there for shock value. I feel like everything visceral has a purpose.
Since the collection isn't officially released yet, I won't go into detail on the individual stories. Not every story resonated with me, personally, but the ones that did were Bodies Are For Burning, The Trees Grew Because I Bled There, You're Not Supposed to Be Here, and I'll Be Gone By Then. I'll Be Gone By Then, I think, was the best in the entire collection, being an exploration of resentment and the failed American dream.
I really appreciate Eric LaRocca giving me a digital ARC to read this before official publish date and look forward to reading more in the future.