Michael Wehunt

[Greener Pastures] by Michael Wehunt is a nicely curated collection of weird stories. With only eleven stories, this collection is an ideal length, and each story is distinct from the others. Wehunt's stories are weird, atmospheric, disturbing rather than scary, with an Appalachian flavor. Yet even though they deal with bizarre subjects--a man changing into a swan, a mountain that bleeds, women falling from the sky--the underlying themes are very familiar, dealing with such core human show more experiences as loss, grief, longing, and loneliness, and I think that's what grounds these stories. Wehunt also includes brief story notes, which I always appreciate; I like to know what inspired short stories and why they were written. show less

Wehunt's brand of horror sneaks up on you in a fashion that feels almost languid, lush with gorgeous prose and striking images, and then when the uncanny truly slips in--or hits you over the head in some few cases--the shift is all the more powerful. That's not to say that the moves into the uncanny are unearned or unwelcome; whether they come early or late in any given story, sneaking up on the reader or feeding themselves out as the fabric of a story little piece by little piece, the show more little drifts of horror are the very backbone of this collection. A few of the stories kept me up later than I should have stayed up, just because I knew what a bad idea it might be to fall asleep with them in my head.

The stand-outs here, for me, were "Greener Pastures" (the title story), "Onanon", "October Film Haunt: Under the House", and "A Thousand Hundred Years". At a different time, I think I'd have listed "Beside me Singing in the Wilderness" as another favorite. And while some few of the stories didn't land quite so well for me, or felt a little too ambiguous/abstract in their wrap-up for me to ultimately want to revisit them, the stand-outs more than made up for those few.

Absolutely recommended. show less

I wish I got it. I wish I were not so jaded. I wish I were smarter, or whatever it takes to "get it" because I was *so* looking forward to this book.
No doubt about it, Wehunt can write well. In particular, his descriptions of loss are exquisite. In fact, I wondered on more than one occasion if, perhaps, he had been incorrectly slotted into the horror genre and belonged, simply, in the literary fiction category. Because, see, for me...none of the stories were scary. Weird, yes. But never did show more I find myself startling at a sound (real or imagined) while reading. I didn't have to turn on more lights or make sure my feet were securely tucked under the blankets. Not even while reading the "centerpiece" of the collection, "October Film Haunt".

So, it must be me. I just don't get what everyone else does. I wish I did. I wanted tingles up my spine. Maybe someone can guide me. Point out what I clearly overlooked. Seriously. I'm not trying to be snarky. If anyone cares to comment and educate me, I would welcome the tutelage. Otherwise, I'm afraid I am about to give up on the horror genre. Nothing printed scares me any longer. show less

This book hit all of my buttons, in the best way possible! Greener Pastures by Michael Wehunt is a wonderful collection of short stories that creep their way out of the horror genre and into Southern Gothic and New Weird. Every single story creates and maintains its own sense of unease, while also building upon and blending into the overarching feeling that ties everything together, the visceral and oppressing wilderness.

The very first paragraph from the very first story sets the mood for show more the remainder of the book. The constant feel of ache and weariness contrasted against the savagery of the environment. From a technical standpoint, it’s amazing how Wehunt manages to construct sentences that are both simple, yet impactful. To go from a character holding a jug of milk, to feeling devoured by the unending vastness of night, Wehunt juxtaposes common day occurrences with a dread and terror that fit seamlessly in. You’re left with a feeling that at any moment, you could find yourself in that very position, that very place. Whether intended or not, Greener Pastures oozes Southern Gothic charm. From unstable characters, the undertone of rebellion and overbearing small-town religion, to the sublime, yet grotesque depictions of nature.

Though themes do seem to be threaded through each story, they are each standalones and different, all in varying degrees of weird. From love lost and its consequences, to a quartet of child stories that are interesting to make sense of as a collection of its own, to life in places better left untouched, each story confronts the inevitable differently, makes use of the environment in its own way. Beside Me Singing in the Wilderness, one of my favorites, has a mountain demanding its return. Greener Pastures, another favorite, a darkness that consumes and demands more.

Whenever it comes to a book of collections, readers are naturally wary; I sure am most of the time. Greener Pastures by Michael Wehunt, however, is what short story collections should be. Every story accomplishes its goal of disturbing the reader, inducing horror and unease. Out of the eleven, there are only one or two that I personally didn’t enjoy as much as the others, and yet, they were still good. Definitely pick this up! show less