Possum

by Matthew Holness

A short tale of psychological horror from the creator of 'Garth Marenghi's Darkplace'.

Length: 5739 words

Matthew Holness created the character Garth Marenghi and co-wrote the 2001 Perrier Award-winning show Garth Marenghi’s Netherhead, Channel 4's Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace and Man to Man with Dean Learner. As an actor he has appeared in Russell T. Davies' Casanova and Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's The Office, Cemetery Junction and Life’s Too Short. He has written and directed 'A Gun For George' and 'The Snipist' for Warp Films.

A previous version of this story appeared in the Shirley Jackson award-winning horror anthology 'The New Uncanny'.

Genres: Horror

19 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 22, 2013

Reviews

[Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange and unsettling short story, Possum is like a half remembered nightmare inspired by deep rooted pain.

[Baibhav Sharma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stupefyingly disappointing prose. Incredible plot. And the prose does no justice to the ambition. Watch the movie of the same name - Possum. Read this story after, combine the most unsettling elements of both, and you've got yourself a new uncanny nightmare. The movie is just, indescribably better and more disturbing. In fact, the movie reads more like a short story/book than this short story on paper does. Gotta love a movie like that.

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sending telepathic messages to Matthew Holness, begging him to write a full horror novel or anthology. I LOVE his writing style; he's fantastic at creating an unsettling, hopeless atmosphere, and his descriptions are skin-crawling. I read an insane amount of horror anthology and both his short stories I've read have been very memorable. Some aspects of the dialogue in this one were a bit confusing - not sure if it was intentional?

Regardless, it makes a great accompaniment to a fantastic movie. I hope between Terrortome books, he manages to find time to write more like this. If he wants to (I really want him to)

[J K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy, oh so creepy. Can't wait for the film (later in 2018), but this is an unsettling journey into...something upsetting...and shared with a deeply disturbed individual.

[Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this short story. However I was a little disappointed in the ending. It was abrupt and a bit confusing. The plot is eerie and disturbing, but a lot of it is unclear. Some of it is relayed in brief flashbacks or memmories, and you only get fragments or implications of the full story.

[A Pimp Named Slickback · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very dark, very odd.

It was quite difficult to tell which parts were in the past or present and if anything was real at all.

[Sam Bryson · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEST horror short TO DATE hits every mark so eerie

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dark and disquieting tale. Though the whole story is only 19 pages and it's a bit disappointing that we never get to see "Possum" in all its glory. I guess you have to go watch the movie for that..

[Buck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this story a few years ago when I was less versed in weird horror literature and it went over my head. Now I’ve returned to it as a seasoned fan of the genre but also of its author Matthew Holness. A really impressive and creepy little tale.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read it and could tell you things that happened, and still have no clue what happened! It was a weird one.