Tales From The Midnight Shift is the first short story collection from Mark Allen Gunnells and it's a great introduction to the author. I myself have been a fan since reading his novella Asylum, and because I enjoyed that piece so much, I was eager to see what else he could do. The answer is a gathering of stories that range from the humorous to the horrific, making up a solid collection that is well worth the reader's time.
Gunnells opens Tales...with a bang, starting off with a short, dark tale that reminded me of early Stephen King in the way that real evil lies at the heart of a small town; in it, a young girl looking for solace instead finds terror in God Doesn't Follow You Into The Bathroom...
...in Jam, what starts off as a seemingly normal but inconvenient traffic jam turns into a quick descent into insanity as isolation and fear bring out the worst in the trapped motorists...
Acts 19:19 Party is another great example of why Gunnells is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors of short fiction; he is wildly original! This tale of a book burning gone deliciously awry had me laughing throughout and I joined in on the applauding at the end!
Playing Possum is a story of two men, their relationship, where it went wrong and how one of the partners decides to stop pretending everything is ok; I found the dialogue between the two lovers so authentic that I really felt for Kevin and what he was going through...
The Barter System tells of a woman contemplating a life change while on vacation; it's a surprising little nugget that shows exactly what someone is capable of when pushed to their limits...and also how one can never tell when opportunity will knock...
The Room Where No One Died turns a tale of paranormal activity into a poignant account of abuse and its ramifications on the victim...
The Gift Certificate is a cautionary tale about stealing what's not yours...or you WILL suffer the consequences! One of my favorites in this collection...
Christmas Getaway, one of the more outright horrific stories in the book, chronicles a father's growing paranoia as he takes leave of reality and terrorizes his family; another highlight!
Big Dog is a take on the writer-who-has-lost-his-muse tale and the desperate lengths he goes to get his mojo back; I thought the story meandered a bit and the ending came too abruptly for me...
Collector's Market is a tasty little vignette about the extremes some publishers will go to for that one of a kind book...
Accidents Happen is another sad piece, posing the question of whether an innocent victim is haunting the protagonist...or is it his own guilt? I can be a sucker for sad stories and this one definitely fit the bill...
Snuff is another nasty little nugget; I thought I had it all figured out from the start but Mark totally threw in a surprise twist and I loved it!
And my absolute favorite story in the collection, The More Things Change, is just an awesome piece of work! It is a topical, fast paced tale of high school bullying that actually managed to give me goose bumps as the tension kept mounting but still had the emotional weight to have me sympathizing with the traumatized student and his family; brilliant!
Out Of Print is the opposite side of the coin from Collector's Market, detailing (quite graphically; some passages made me cringe) how much fans are willing to pay for that rare find from their favorite author. It's a quick read, written as posts on a message board for said writer, pretty gross but with a great ending.
The World's Smallest Man brings Tales...to a close with a dark fantasy that takes place at the heart of a traveling carnival; when a magician joins the troupe and strange things start happening, it is up to the carnival's smallest member to try to unmask the man and bring to light all the magician's terrible secrets. This is the only story from Gunnells that I've read that is outright fantasy; I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope that he dips into the genre more often.
All in all, I found Tales From The Midnight Shift a pleasure to read. There's something for everyone here and each story, no matter the genre, kept me glued to the page. Mark Allen Gunnells is definitely an author to watch for; if this collection is any indication (and I believe it is), then he will be entertaining readers for a long time to come.
Great review, of a great collection. I've been friends with Mark for a while and have been fortunate enough to read most everything he's written. He's a terrific talent and deserves increased success. Thanks for taking the time to give his book such a thorough review.
ReplyDeleteIt was my pleasure! I think he's very talented as well and he's quickly becoming a favorite of mine!
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