novel

Book: Little Deaths Year: 2012 Publisher: Books Of The Dead Author: John F.D. Taff Language: English Chapters: 19 Short Stories Pages: Paperback = 218, E-Book = 345 Type: Novel

Author’s Summary: You think you’ve got bad dreams? Consider author John F.D. Taff’s nightmares. Taff has the kind of nightmares no one really wants. But it’s nightmares like these that give him plenty of ideas to explore; ideas that he’s turned into the short stories he shares in this new collection Little Deaths. Little Deaths features 19 pieces of short horror fiction; some have appeared previously in print elsewhere, others appear for the first time here. All of them are chilling, weird looks at the human condition from a decidedly dark perspective.

Review: Little Deaths is a collection of 19 short stories which I will outline briefly. BOLTS; a Frankenstein tale with reanimations; CALENDAR GIRL; A mysterious black book  documents daily life and strange occurrences; BUT FOR A MOMENT…MOTIONLESS; God, Uriel and the bizarre; THE WATER BEARER; Water becomes a fountain of youth for a Doctor; THE CLOSED EYE OF A DEAD WORLD; Another world manifests when a hidden door is found in a newly acquired old house; SNAPBACK; A race for humanity with leaks in an underground facility; THE MIRE OF HUMAN VEINS; Spiders and menstrual cycles foretell a supernatural experience; THE SCENT; The sense of smell is amplified for a man with a hat; CHILD OF DIRT; Unborn babies do have feelings; ORIFICE; The body coloring tattoo process has a life of its own; HELPING HANDS; Extremities appear on a killer named Mr. Cradock; IN MEN, BLACK; An ordinary dress suit will change a man’s life forever; DARKNESS UPON THE VOID; What can happen when a Religious man loses everything; SHARP EDGES; The subconscious state of dreams can really be true; THE LACQUERED BOX; Halloween and magic is never a good mix especially for Vivian; HERE; Dogs are a man’s best friend except when one owner can’t escape paranoia; THE TONTINE; Creatures of the night hold the cards for wreaking havoc in the world; The MELLIFIED MAN; Having a sweet tooth is more disturbing than ever imagined; BOX OF ROCKS; A newly married widower has her hands full with her abusive husband.

I gave you a taste, albeit short of Little Deaths a new novel by the 25 year senior author John F.D. Taff. There is definitely a style to Taff’s writing which brings me back to THE TWILIGHT ZONE…weird, psychological stories that never wrap up in a tight little bow. The collection of short stories is well crafted and for the most part interesting. The good thing about a book like Little Deaths is…if a story doesn’t suit your fancy, you know you only have a dozen or so pages to read to get to the next one.

Three stories intensely captivated me which led to a second read for a more thorough dive into depravity. First is HELPING HANDS, a genius piece of craftsmanship. A killer has his victim’s hands grow all over his body, and his trip to a Doctor does more harm than good. What a fascinating tale that had me engulfed in the story. I could see a whole novel being featured on this subject matter. Second is THE MIRE OF HUMAN VEINS, spiders always get under my skin, I almost mean literally, and this tale takes an unexpected turn that I still think about while writing this review, a dark, creepy and satisfying horror experience. Third is THE MELLIFIED MAN, a based on real life scenario that shows how crazy some people are out there in the world. True events or even the thought of a true depiction like this truly freaks me out, this one even has a moral, put down that candy!

I would like to outline my thought process when tackling a book that is comprised with many different subject matters and stories. I shifted my “review mind” after each mini-fiction piece. I jotted down my thoughts and put a rating on each story. When the book was completed, I tallied up the ratings and divided by 19 which gave me the final outcome or rating if you will.

I would like to close Little Deaths by saying that I appreciate the Author relaying his thoughts behind each of the 19 short horror stories; it is exciting to me to learn how stories and books come to be. The smallest life experience can turn a person into a creative mastermind. Little Deaths is available for $10.84 in Paperback form, or if you have an Amazon Kindle or E-Reader Device you will be pleased to know that an electronic form of Little Deaths is only $3.99. My ratings and suggestions are below. I hope you enjoyed reading my review on Little Deaths, there is nothing better than relaxing at home with a good book in hand, and, if…the book is good…you escape into this fantasyland without a care in the world.

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Reviewer: Dark Goddess Date: 06/30/2012 Rating: 4/10 Suggestion: Paperback: Avoid Suggestion: E-Book: Buy