Haunted Place and Other Stories, by Mark Allan Gunnells

Haunted Place and Other Stories by Mark Allan Gunnells

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Haunted Places and Other Stories, by Mark Allan Gunnells, is another fine addition to the horror genre by this talented author. The stories range from the title story's twist on the concept of what a haunted place-in this instance, the body of the surviving lover, to "The Book Hunter," a twist on Fahrenheit 451, where the hunter is yes, looking for books in homes, but not to burn them. Rather, finding books saves the owner from execution. Indeed, the twist, the flip in perspective, is what shines in this collection, and in Gunnells' work. That these stories are almost told from a queer perspective, or through a queer lens, makes them all the stronger and powerful.

I want to call just couple of the other fine stories here. I loved "Door to Door," which is both making of an recurring motif in American fiction, the traveling salesmen, and the idea that we must have a belief system. Here, the salesman is selling belief systems, made to order, and the options available and her choices, reveal her biases, and the consequences thereof. One of my favorites is the concluding story, "I Just Worry." Two thirteen-year-old boys, Zeke and Gregg, best friends, are up to mischief. They are trying to sneak into a drive-in to catch a horror flick. I wasn't surprised that doing so brings them into contact with real monsters. But there is more going on here: this a story of friendship, of coming of age, and coming out, as feelings are revealed. There, is of course, a twist at the end.

Horror fans, take note. Recommended.





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