The Collection

If you're in the mood to be scared, then the stories in Bentley Little's "The Collection" will do just that. Each of the stories begins with a brief blurb about how he came up with the idea -- from everyday things about which no one really bothers. Like those random scraps of paper and trash that litter every gutter and fence no matter the city: those little papers have an agenda of their own in "Paperwork". Or how about the guy who delivers the phone books: what if he never left you along, like in the story "The Phonebook Man". Even boiling a pot of macaroni and cheese becomes a task from Hell in the short story "Blood". Little doesn't just stop with skewering the views of the mundane. He also turns his view on more heady topics, such show more as what if everything we knew about George Washington wasn't the truth? A simple piece of paper with the terrifying words sheds new light on the former President in "The Washingtonians". Or, what if the United States was still part of the British empire, but the government was keeping it under wraps, as in "The Colony"?

"The Collection" is a fantastic -- collection -- of deftly told bizarre and terrifying tales that will definitely cause a shiver or three to spill down your spine. show less

Not since Clive Barker's Books Of Blood has a writer put out a book of stories visceral and grotesque enough to make you cringe at every sentence. And while Bentley Little may not be as talented a writer as Barker, the stories in The Collection are truly some of the best modern horror stories I have come across in a long time. These are, for the most part, short, disgusting, fun stories that'll quench your thirst for fictional violence. With clever plots, great satire and black comedy, and a fair share of intriguing characters, The Collection is a must for every fan of horror.

The stories here aren't all winners. Some aren't so very good at all. But the ones that are (The Sanctuary, The Phonebook Man, Life With Father and The Idol are the ones popping in my memory now) are great. Well worth reading. Even the clinkers generally have an interesting concept.

Great collection. Some highs, some lows and some of the most memorable stories I've had the pleasure of reading. It's so much fun to read the short introductory paragraphs where the author explains the genesis of the idea for each story and after reading the story, realizing he took it in a direction no one else possibly could have. Some truly frightening, truly creative and often darkly comedic stuff. Personal favorites: "The Washingtonians" (also a great Masters of Horror episode), "The Idol" and "The Show".

I don't usually read short story collections, but this was just what I needed right now. 32 short stories, most only taking 10 minutes to read. So I didn't need to commit a lot of time or energy and could just read in little bits.
I really enjoyed the first few stories. They were creepy and entertaining. But as I read more, I realized that all the stories were too similar and no longer surprised me. They all seemed to follow a formula. Some of the stories were a little too disturbing, and I had to keep reminding myself that this was a "horror" book, and those are generally pretty disturbing anyway. But overall, I enjoyed the book.

His novels are so much more terrifying than this collection. This is not to say that you should skip it, but don't be off of his work because of this book.

Will leave reviews as I work my way through.

**** The Sanctuary

Disturbingly wicked little ditty. Probably will stick with me for awhile.

*** The Woods Be Dark

Though I think this story would have been more effective if it would have been made clear at the beginning that the narrator was female, it was successful in building suspense and anticipation and withholding details to create curiosity. Fun but not essential.

**** The Phone Book Man

A bizarre little tale that doesn't resolve anything but is a delight to read. Reminds me a bit of my own NOSE HEARS story for some reason. Silly, strange and fun.

*** Estoppel

The tone and surreality of this one reminded me a bit of Adam Light's [b:Way Out Of Here|17415558|Way Out Of Here|Adam show more Light|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1361802129s/17415558.jpg|24267064], but the ending isn't as good. Really interesting concept, but I think the idea had a lot more potential than this story explored. This tale is an excellent example of the ability of the written word to allow the human mind to accept the plausibility of impossible realities.

***** The Washingtonians

A classic, must-read for horror fans. What an amazing concept, and near-perfect execution. George Washington and the founding fathers were....cannibals? Love it.

***** Life With Father

Holy crap. Wow. Brutal, dark and disturbing.

*** Bob

Amusing in a way, but not entirely successful.

* Bumblebee

I don't know why, but I'm not that into zombies. Not even western zombies. So this story just didn't do it for me. Certainly not up to the same standards of insane creativity set by the preceding stories. Just felt strained and ordinary.

** Lethe Dreams

Too much build up and too little payoff. The ending was much tamer than anything else in the book so far, and just seemed to come out of left field. Maybe this would creep someone out if they were reading it in a book titled "My First Spooky Story", but for me? Yawn.

**** Paperwork

I love stories like this. Love the pervasive sense of weirdness and not knowing what's going on or what will happen next. The ending was a bit of a headscratcher but still very effective and unique.

**** The Idol

Another incredibly unique story, not horror but weird, weird weird! The first couple pages caused me to lose interest the first time I started reading it, but so glad I went back and gave it another shot. I dare you to find another story with such a unique premise. Funny stuff.

***** Skin

Short, simple, effective. A family sees a house made of human skin and something is not quite right after that.This is one of those kind of stories that I love to read and strive to write from time to time.

***** The Man in the Passenger Seat

What would you do if you got in your car and a strange man was sitting in the passenger seat? What if he refused to get out? What if he commanded you to drive? Would you do what the character in this story does? I bet you might.
Another fantastic story, very reminiscent of Richard Laymon.

***** Comes the Bad Time

Okay, now Little's just showing off. A gripping, original tale of haunting that sucks you into it's grip and then runs away laughing, teasing, just when it's getting really good. C'mon man...more!

***** Against the Pale Sands

Exquisite weirdness. Alas, at only eight pages, will leave you wanting so much more.

** The Pond

A former hippie realizes he's a sell out who has lost his soul. At least that's what I think it was about. If there was a deeper subtext, it was wasted on me. Yawn.

***** Roommates

This story is wayyy over the top with its silliness and won't be for everybody, but I love this stuff! Makes me glad I'm not looking for a roommate, but I imagine this story aptly illustrates what the process of finding one must feel like.

***** Llama

Pure insanity, and the focus on concrete meaning in numbers and patterns is a fairly accurate representation of the delusional thinking that can occur with schizophrenia or severe OCD. Of course the rest is pure twisted fiction. This story is a bit of a bold experiment, a la Joe Hill's POP ART, and it worked for me.

* Full Moon on Death Row

Okay, I don't like it when Bentley Little tries to write straightforward thriller/supernatural fiction, especially in a western setting. Unlike Joe Lansdale who switch seamlessly back and forth across these genres, Bentley Little should stick with the weird and twisted. This story struck me as so forced and boring I couldn't bring myself to read it all the way through. I skimmed to the end, and it didn't appear to improve. show less