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aaronlindsey's review against another edition
3.0
There are some really good stories in this collection, and some that are not so good.
"One Up a Tree" was my favorite and I would love to see it lengthened into a full novel.
"One Up a Tree" was my favorite and I would love to see it lengthened into a full novel.
paulataua's review against another edition
3.0
I really like Chad Lutzke’s writing. I love his short novels, both the story-lines and the style. This collection of short stories, however, never really did it for me. The stories were of variable quality. I didn’t find any bad ones, but I also didn’t find any outstanding ones either. A good pre-sleep read, but little more than that.
bmacenlightened's review against another edition
4.0
Received audiobook in exchange for honest review from narrator. Odd Horror Anthology with an interesting perspective on some pretty original circumstances. Lutzke has a number of very short stories and a couple with more substance but they're all pretty effective. Had to skip part of one because it was grossing me out a bit, but I'll give him credit for that as well.
rock_n_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Chad Lutzke has become one of my favorite authors this year, and for good reason. I loved his novellas OUT BEHIND THE BARN (with John Boden), THE SAME DEEP WATER AS YOU, and STIRRING THE SHEETS. I actually count myself lucky because I've yet to read several of his books, which means I'll have more to tide me over until he releases new material. I adored his collection SPICY CONSTELLATION & OTHER RECIPES, and have never regretted becoming a patron of his early on in my reading of his work.
NIGHT AS A CATALYST was recently revised and expanded, and I thoroughly enjoyed this mix of short stories and flash fiction. My top five favorites (in no order) are:
-Deprivation
-Splitting Pairs
-One for the Road
-One up a Tree
-Self-Immolation
Something that I enjoy is when the author includes story notes, divulging a bit more information on the background of each tale. This really deepens the reading experience for me. Chad included these notes in SPICY CONSTELLATION as well, and this was something I truly loved having access to in each collection.
I know I sound like a broken record, but if you're looking for horror with heart, look no further than Chad Lutzke's writing. Until his new novel releases next month, I'll be savoring his words in one of the few books I've got waiting on my shelf.
NIGHT AS A CATALYST was recently revised and expanded, and I thoroughly enjoyed this mix of short stories and flash fiction. My top five favorites (in no order) are:
-Deprivation
-Splitting Pairs
-One for the Road
-One up a Tree
-Self-Immolation
Something that I enjoy is when the author includes story notes, divulging a bit more information on the background of each tale. This really deepens the reading experience for me. Chad included these notes in SPICY CONSTELLATION as well, and this was something I truly loved having access to in each collection.
I know I sound like a broken record, but if you're looking for horror with heart, look no further than Chad Lutzke's writing. Until his new novel releases next month, I'll be savoring his words in one of the few books I've got waiting on my shelf.
5hadow_girl's review against another edition
5.0
I went on a binge and read everything by this author in just a matter of days. I don't know where all the reviews disappeared to
jeanne25's review
3.0
I read Of Foster Homes and Flies and loved it. I was anxious to read more by the author and I love short stories so this seemed like the best option. The stories are ok but I didn't see the same elements that I loved in Of Foster Homes and Flies. The stories are ok but not particularly memorable.
theboldbookworm's review against another edition
4.0
There is a great variety of horror short stories and flash fiction in this collection. As always, Chad Lutzke packs a lot of story into his short works.
biblio_beth's review
4.0
Once again, the stories are amazing. I am a huge fan of flash fiction so was glad to see a few of those gems. Although that bonus story, I may be looking at my new favorite author 😎
brennanlafaro's review
4.0
Chad Lutzke is a guy who simultaneously gets a lot of love from the horror community, and deserves more. I kept seeing his name pop up as someone I needed to read, so I picked up Of Foster Homes and Flies and Night As A Catalyst, and started on the latter. The revised and expanded edition includes 23 pieces made up of short flash fiction, longer stories, and even a piece written by Chad's son. Many of them pulled from the early beginning of his writing career, some even from his first attempts at story composition from the 1990's.
Lutzke is known as an author who makes his reader feel and there are plenty of stories here that meet that criteria. They Die Easy is about a boy striving to find acceptance with a bit of a dark twist. Splitting Pairs takes a swing at boys-will-be-boys culture and is one of the best stories in the collection. One for the Road makes us a fly on the wall while a young boy copes with his grandfather's transition into, and captivity as, a zombie. Self-Immolation takes on the none-too-easy task of getting the reader to feel pity for a vampire.
Included in the back of the book are some pretty extensive author's notes, which not only give you a bit of background on the stories, but provide some insight into Lutzke's writing style. I was surprised how many examples there were in the collection that stemmed from Lutzke finding a photograph and challenging himself to come up with a piece of short fiction to go with it. Some of the most interesting examples are Deprivation, Feeling Blue, The Damned Thing, and Coming Undone.
There is such a variety represented in this collection, and while all the stories fit generally into horror, we never really visit a trope more than once. We've got monsters, zombies, aliens, vampires, the unknown, body horror, genies, serial killers, you name it. Some stories are gruesome, some are more subtle. Some contain dense prose, others are more simple, or rely on dialogue between children.
It's easy to recommend this collection because it seems like there's a bit for anyone and everyone. I'm settling at 4 stars because there are a few stories that I would skip on a reread, but still such a solid collection, and I can't wait to dive into Lutzke's novels and novellas.
Lutzke is known as an author who makes his reader feel and there are plenty of stories here that meet that criteria. They Die Easy is about a boy striving to find acceptance with a bit of a dark twist. Splitting Pairs takes a swing at boys-will-be-boys culture and is one of the best stories in the collection. One for the Road makes us a fly on the wall while a young boy copes with his grandfather's transition into, and captivity as, a zombie. Self-Immolation takes on the none-too-easy task of getting the reader to feel pity for a vampire.
Included in the back of the book are some pretty extensive author's notes, which not only give you a bit of background on the stories, but provide some insight into Lutzke's writing style. I was surprised how many examples there were in the collection that stemmed from Lutzke finding a photograph and challenging himself to come up with a piece of short fiction to go with it. Some of the most interesting examples are Deprivation, Feeling Blue, The Damned Thing, and Coming Undone.
There is such a variety represented in this collection, and while all the stories fit generally into horror, we never really visit a trope more than once. We've got monsters, zombies, aliens, vampires, the unknown, body horror, genies, serial killers, you name it. Some stories are gruesome, some are more subtle. Some contain dense prose, others are more simple, or rely on dialogue between children.
It's easy to recommend this collection because it seems like there's a bit for anyone and everyone. I'm settling at 4 stars because there are a few stories that I would skip on a reread, but still such a solid collection, and I can't wait to dive into Lutzke's novels and novellas.
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