Traces of Oblivion: Collected Stories

by William Grabowski

TRACES OF OBLIVION, William J. Grabowski's short fiction (and one complete novel, THE UNTOLD) is populated with darkness and dread and monstrosity...and things blacker far than those, spawned in nightmares (and mundane daylight) provoked by the despair and alienation spreading through our fragmented world like thorny vines pulsing with toxins. The short stories, and novel, herein range from 1985 to 2014; literary footprints journeying from Back in the Day, to the No-Longer-Twenty-Something years, through a dark stretch of nothingness, right up to Now. The path was never linear...occasionally discursive...and littered with plenty of crushed cans and smashed bottles.

356 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2014

About the author

WILLIAM GRABOWSKI is the author of nine books (ghostwriter of many more) and over 500 short stories, articles, essays, interviews and reviews. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, his writing career began when publisher David B. Silva offered a position as book reviewer/interviewer with World Fantasy Award-winning THE HORROR SHOW magazine. The young Grabowski published interviews with Ray Bradbury, Peter Straub, Robert Bloch, Clive Barker, Poppy Z. Brite, Dennis Etchison, John Skipp & Craig Spector, Dean Koontz, Bentley Little, Elizabeth Massie, Joe R. Lansdale, Billie Sue Mosiman, Robert R. McCammon and many others.

Grabowski's BLACK LIGHT was lauded on syndicated radio show COAST TO COAST AM by Emmy Award-winner George Knapp, investigative reporter for KLAS/CBS-TV. Other work is on digital editions of FORBES, PHILADELPHIA BUSINESS JOURNAL, 2 Paragraphs (for Joseph Mackin, original internet editor with THE PARIS REVIEW), Magonia Blog, Hellnotes and elsewhere; in magazines FORTEAN TIMES, CEMETERY DANCE, DARK DISCOVERIES, National Public Radio-associated WIRELESS and more. In September 2016, Michael Sayles's screenplay CASTRO'S CADILLAC—for which Grabowski wrote the novelization—was optioned for film by CuffLink Productions.

He's been quoted by NBC2 News, is a popular guest on radio and podcasts, and a former contributing editor with New York City's iconic LIBRARY JOURNAL magazine.

Currently (late 2021) Grabowski is working on two books: ENTER DARKNESS: Talking With Horror Writers (1984-1989), and METANOIA, a novel of metaphysical horror.

Reviews

[Adam Light · Rating 4 out of 5]

The short stories were all very good. I really enjoyed them. The Untold, the novel that is included here, was also pretty good. I wasn't enamored with the ending, and there are some shifts in narrative style that could be ironed out to make it a truly great book. All in all, a good read. I will likely read more of this author's work.