Sleep Paralysis
Patrick Lacey
Great Old Ones Publishing
July, 2016
Reviewed by Jess Landry
Sleep Paralysis: A transitional state between wakefulness and sleep, accompanied by powerful hallucinations and muscle weakness, preventing one from moving.
A website that specializes in suffering.
A basement filled with secrets and bones.
An apartment housing more than just ghosts.
These are the stories that stay with you long after you’ve read them. These are the things that visit your dreams. And nightmares …
Fiction collections are awesome: they give readers a chance to pick and choose from a veritable smorgasbord of an author’s work. More often than not a collection ends up being hit-or-miss, however in the case of Sleep Paralysis there’s a whole lot of hit going on.
Lacey is a natural storyteller, something that shines through as you make your way through each story. The wide variety of scenarios and horror sub-genres that comprise Sleep Paralysis bring a freshness to every tale so there’s enough to keep readers interested for the whole book. There are also hints of Lovecraft in some of Lacey’s works, so fans of weird fiction will find familiar tones here.
A few stand-outs from the collection include: “Pen Pals,” a story about a mysterious pen pal (can’t say much more without giving away the juicy bits); “Operation Parasite,” a charming little tale about a man with extreme paranoia that makes those around him question their own sanity; and “First Bell,” a haunting short about the actions of one and the ghosts of our past.
Sleep Paralysis is a solid collection from an author who’s just getting started. Pick up this fun read and keep an eye out for Lacey’s name.
