“Anthropologists are permitted to believe in myth. It’s part of their charm.”

8. The Twilight Pariah – Jeffrey Ford

Excavating outhouses is a fun way to find out a lot about the past. It’s also a good way to find bodies other people were trying to hide – like the horned child they find in this familiar story of digging something up gone wrong. Sometimes those summer projects you think will help you discover something cool for your archaeology major will actually get you up close and personal with the town demons. Whoops, Maggie, Russell, and Henry. Whoops. It was Maggie’s idea and she was pushy.

There was a lot about this story that was familiar to me or that I’ve seen in person, like anthropology field school including outhouse excavation (not that I went, that’s outside and dusty and therefore not for me), having a house that is dilapidated enough to seem haunted in the woods outside of town (Is there a Midwest county that doesn’t have at least one of these?), and of course the tale of friends doing something illegal while drunk together that ends up in dismemberment and feeling like you’re constantly being watched that any horror fan has encountered once or twice. It’s a fun enough read and quite short.

 

Pickles and Belvedere will follow Murderface anywhere. She is their mother, but I wouldn’t put it past her to ask them to dig up a demon baby.