Screenshot
Disintegration
Darren Speegle, ed.
PS Publishing (November 1, 2023)
Reviewed by Mario Guslandi
Independent publishers keep providing new short story anthologies, sometimes addressing a specific subject, sometimes simply assembling a certain number of tales with a similar horrific taste. What both types of anthologies have in common is that are always “mixed bags” where every reader and reviewer can find something appealing and something completely forgettable.
The present anthology is no exception and I will take advantage of my “privilege” as a reviewer for commenting only on those stories that I’ve found really worthwhile.
“Tin Pistol” by Mark Morris is a very enjoyable short tale revolving around—as the title suggests—the unexpected properties of a small tin pistol.
“The Tricksters” by veteran author Ramsey Campbell is the vivid, memorable portrait of a diffident woman frightened by the obsessive idea that everyone is trying to trick her in order to get hold of her money.
Perfectly in tune with the title of the anthology, the deeply disturbing “The Twilight of Life” by Jeffrey Thomas portrays an old woman whose memory is going to pieces, continuously repeating the same actions. A tale apt to give you the shivers more than a standard horror story.
Mark Samuels contributes “A Universe of Charnel Glamour,” an outstanding piece of horror taking place in a disreputable asylum for the insane, where dark events occur over and under the surface. This unforgettable story alone is well worth the price of the book.
