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A review by mad_about_books
The Seeds of Nightmares by Tony Tremblay
5.0
In the Introduction, by John M. McIlveen, John starts out by telling us that he is not a fan of the short story. That is a sentiment with which I concur... most of the time. Then along comes a Tony Tremblay who seems to have mastered the art of telling an entire story - beginning, middle and end - in a succinct and quite satisfying way. He also conveys creepy in his own special way. Any fan of horror and dark fantasy will understand what I mean. Without a special brand of creepy, the tropes become flat and repetitious. I rather like that Tony gives a bit of background for each of the stories in the collection. I find it interesting to know from whence the spark of inspiration comes.
My least favorite story in the collection is the long, first one, "The Strange Saga of Mattie Dyer." I was even a bit forewarned that I might not find it totally engaging from the introductory notes. It is very well written, and in its own way, as evocative as the rest; it's just not my particular cup of tea.
With each subsequent tale, I found that the I became more and more engaged with the excellent portrayal of both people and situations. I believe that one of the reasons for Stephen King's enduring popularity is his ability to engage his readers in his characters' lives. This is the way I felt about Tony Tremblay's characters. They weren't figments of some guy's imagination, they were real, flesh and blood people. This ability allows suspension of disbelief even in the most incredible situations. It is a talent that separates the author who is an artist from the one who is not.
There are thirteen stories in THE SEEDS OF NIGHTMARES that run the gamut of horror and dark fantasy tropes, yet each one is a fresh new take that captures the imagination. It is difficult for me to pick a favorite story because as I read each one, my thought was this one is even better than the last. This is a collection that belongs in every genre enthusiasts library, and up and coming writers could learn a thing or two from reading them.
I received a copy of THE SEEDS OF NIGHTMARES from the author for review.
My least favorite story in the collection is the long, first one, "The Strange Saga of Mattie Dyer." I was even a bit forewarned that I might not find it totally engaging from the introductory notes. It is very well written, and in its own way, as evocative as the rest; it's just not my particular cup of tea.
With each subsequent tale, I found that the I became more and more engaged with the excellent portrayal of both people and situations. I believe that one of the reasons for Stephen King's enduring popularity is his ability to engage his readers in his characters' lives. This is the way I felt about Tony Tremblay's characters. They weren't figments of some guy's imagination, they were real, flesh and blood people. This ability allows suspension of disbelief even in the most incredible situations. It is a talent that separates the author who is an artist from the one who is not.
There are thirteen stories in THE SEEDS OF NIGHTMARES that run the gamut of horror and dark fantasy tropes, yet each one is a fresh new take that captures the imagination. It is difficult for me to pick a favorite story because as I read each one, my thought was this one is even better than the last. This is a collection that belongs in every genre enthusiasts library, and up and coming writers could learn a thing or two from reading them.
I received a copy of THE SEEDS OF NIGHTMARES from the author for review.