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A review by madmooney
Suburban Monsters by Christopher Hawkins
5.0
[b:Suburban Monsters|63267244|Suburban Monsters|Christopher Hawkins|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1668039001l/63267244._SY75_.jpg|99171745] features a collection of short stories ranging from 2007 to 2023. This is a 5-star collection of stories – each one feels different from the rest (which is how I normally score short story collections). I also would like to put each entry into specific categories on whether or not there is potential for these short stories to bloom into something bigger.
Perfectly fine in its current format
“Moonrise Over Water With Sargassum, 2022, Oil on Canvas" (3/5) - This one reminded specifically about a story from Creepshow (I think it starred Leslie Nielsen)
“Interlude” (1/5) - Coulrophilia. Boy runs away with the Carnival. I would say it was my least favourite of the collection.
“The Stumblybum Imperative” (5/5) – I can see a subreddit opening on this story alone. Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared meets Babadook.
“Shadowman” (2/5) - Peter Pan and hid shadow’s hijinks in the real world.
“Carpenter’s Thumb” (4/5) - This one really harkened me back to reading Clive Barker’s Body Politic so many years ago.
“Notice” (3/5) - An epistolary, where someone slowly relates why they are resigning.
Would love to see developed into a movie
“A Candle for the Birthday Boy" (5/5) - This one was quite a ride as well! Expect a gut punch in the final pages of this one.
“Ten and Gone” (5/5) - Cat Burglar finds a pitchet plant of a target. A mimic meeting the end of Poltergeist. WOW what a ride this one was!
Would love to see developed visually as a Graphic novel (or an entry in Heavy Metal magazine)
“Origin Story” – (4/5) At first, this entry felt very out of place of this collection, but it quickly twists its way back into belonging.
“Swallow” (5/5) - It has long since been proven that a blinking of the eyes suppresses visual cortical activity with each blink. It is because of this that the world does not go noticeably dark 80 tmes a minute. What about gustation? How do we turn off tasting ourselves when we are not eating? Are we blocked from developing a craving for ourselves?
Has true novella potential
“Poppy” - (3/5) More of a sad story rather than a creepy one. Not the only one in the run that deals with mannequins
“Storms of the Present” – (5/5) OH MAN. This one had me grimacing, clutching my ethereal pearls and holding my face in empathetic pain. But it was a form of dread/disgust/horror that I had to immediately share. (Self-harm and Mental Health warnings in this one). It was very hard for me to get through this one – but for all the good reasons.
Single Season as a Mike Flanagan series
"Green Eyes” (5/5) - Latchkey kid spending time at home with convalescing mother. Sweet scenes overlain with gruesome.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my copy of the book.
Perfectly fine in its current format
“Moonrise Over Water With Sargassum, 2022, Oil on Canvas" (3/5) - This one reminded specifically about a story from Creepshow (I think it starred Leslie Nielsen)
“Interlude” (1/5) - Coulrophilia. Boy runs away with the Carnival. I would say it was my least favourite of the collection.
“The Stumblybum Imperative” (5/5) – I can see a subreddit opening on this story alone. Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared meets Babadook.
“Shadowman” (2/5) - Peter Pan and hid shadow’s hijinks in the real world.
“Carpenter’s Thumb” (4/5) - This one really harkened me back to reading Clive Barker’s Body Politic so many years ago.
“Notice” (3/5) - An epistolary, where someone slowly relates why they are resigning.
Would love to see developed into a movie
“A Candle for the Birthday Boy" (5/5) - This one was quite a ride as well! Expect a gut punch in the final pages of this one.
“Ten and Gone” (5/5) - Cat Burglar finds a pitchet plant of a target. A mimic meeting the end of Poltergeist. WOW what a ride this one was!
Would love to see developed visually as a Graphic novel (or an entry in Heavy Metal magazine)
“Origin Story” – (4/5) At first, this entry felt very out of place of this collection, but it quickly twists its way back into belonging.
“Swallow” (5/5) - It has long since been proven that a blinking of the eyes suppresses visual cortical activity with each blink. It is because of this that the world does not go noticeably dark 80 tmes a minute. What about gustation? How do we turn off tasting ourselves when we are not eating? Are we blocked from developing a craving for ourselves?
Has true novella potential
“Poppy” - (3/5) More of a sad story rather than a creepy one. Not the only one in the run that deals with mannequins
“Storms of the Present” – (5/5) OH MAN. This one had me grimacing, clutching my ethereal pearls and holding my face in empathetic pain. But it was a form of dread/disgust/horror that I had to immediately share. (Self-harm and Mental Health warnings in this one). It was very hard for me to get through this one – but for all the good reasons.
Single Season as a Mike Flanagan series
"Green Eyes” (5/5) - Latchkey kid spending time at home with convalescing mother. Sweet scenes overlain with gruesome.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my copy of the book.