Exploring Dark Short Fiction #1: A Primer to Steve Rasnic Tem

by Eric J. Guignard (Editor), Steve Rasnic Tem (Contributor), Michael A. Arnzen (Contributor)

For over four decades, Steve Rasnic Tem has been an acclaimed author of horror, weird, and sentimental fiction. Steve Rasnic Tem has been read and cherished the world over for his affecting, genre-crossing tales.

Dark Moon Books and editor Eric J. Guignard bring you this introduction to his work, the first in a series of primers exploring modern masters of literary dark short fiction. Herein is a chance to discover—or learn more of—the rich voice of Steve Rasnic Tem, as beautifully illustrated by artist Michelle Prebich.

Included within these pages are:

• Six short stories, one written exclusively for this book
• Author interview
• Complete bibliography
• Academic commentary by Michael Arnzen, PhD (former humanities chair and professor of the year, Seton Hill University)
• … and more!

Enter this doorway to the vast and fantastic: Get to know Steve Rasnic Tem.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories

224 pages, Paperback

Published July 10, 2017

About the author

ERIC J. GUIGNARD is a writer and editor of dark and speculative fiction, operating from the shadowy outskirts of Los Angeles, where he also runs the small press, Dark Moon Books. He’s twice won the Bram Stoker Award (the highest literary award of horror fiction), won the Shirley Jackson Award, and been a finalist for the World Fantasy Award and International Thriller Writers Award for his works of dark and speculative fiction.

He has over one hundred stories and non-fiction author credits appearing in publications around the world. As editor, Eric’s published multiple fiction anthologies, including his most recent, Pop the Clutch: Thrilling Tales of Rockabilly, Monsters, and Hot Rod Horror , and A World of Horror , a showcase of international horror short fiction.

He currently publishes the acclaimed series of author primers created to champion modern masters of the dark and macabre, Exploring Dark Short Fiction ( Vol. I: Steve Rasnic Tem ; Vol. II: Kaaron Warren ; Vol. III: Nisi Shawl ; Vol. IV: Jeffrey Ford ; Vol. V: Han Song ; Vol. VI: Ramsey Campbell).

He is also publisher and acquisitions editor for the renowned +Horror Library+ anthology series. Additionally he curates the series, The Horror Writers Association Presents: Haunted Library of Horror Classics through SourceBooks with co-editor Leslie S. Klinger.

His latest books are Last Case at a Baggage Auction ; Doorways to the Deadeye ; and short story collection That Which Grows Wild (Cemetery Dance).

Outside the glamorous and jet-setting world of indie fiction, Eric’s a technical writer and college professor, and he stumbles home each day to a wife, children, dogs, and a terrarium filled with mischievous beetles. Visit Eric at: www.ericjguignard.com, his blog: ericjguignard.blogspot.com, or Twitter: @ericjguignard.

Reviews

[Char · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steve Rasnic Tem has been a favorite of mine since the late 70's, early 80's when I started reading his work. I was excited and surprised to discover this "primer" which introduces the reader to several of his stories, and includes a brand new one!

This volume contains an intro from Eric J. Guignard, 6 short stories from Tem, (each with commentary from Michael Arnzen, PhD), an interview with Tem, and an absolutely wonderful essay from Tem: The Subject Matter of Horror. Also included are lovely illustrations from Michelle Prebich.

Each short tale here showcases Tem's abilities and talents. His power to reel in the reader, no matter what the story is about, simply shines. I loved them all, but especially Rat Catcher, The Giveaway and the new story Whatever You Want.

Thanks to Tem's method of finding the "emotional center" of a tale, (as revealed in the included interview), I feel I now have a better understanding of his work and why it affects me the way it does.

Michael Arnzen's commentaries enlightened me on a few things as well. However, I'm a bit torn about the commentaries, to be honest. While they did offer insights into the tales, sometimes I just don't want to know how the sausage is made, so to speak. Sometimes when you see how things actually work, it damages the magic, you know? On the other hand, I'm sure working writers would/could learn a thing or two from these commentaries.

Also included is a (huge) bibliography of Tem's work.

When I discovered this series existed, I wrote to Eric J. Guignard at Dark Moon Books to ask for a review copy and he happily complied. Now that I've read it, I've already purchased the primer for Ramsey Campbell's work and I plan to read the entire series. I feel like I've just discovered a treasure trove!

My highest recommendation, especially to those that are new to Tem's work, but also to his loyal fans!

*Thank you to Eric at Dark Moon Books for creating this series and for sending me an ARC.*

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Primer to Steve Rasnic Tem is a biography, a collection of short stories, and an analysis of Tem's work. It includes an interview with Tem as well as a non-fiction essay by Tem.

I absolutely loved this introduction to Steve Rasnic Tem. It's not only an introduction to some of Tem's stories, it's also an introduction to the author and his view on genre.

There are six short stories by Steve Rasnic Tem in this primer. Each story is accompanied by commentary from Michael Arnzen. I'm not big on literary analysis, but I enjoyed reading Arnzen's take on each story. I imagine folks who love analysis will really dig those sections. There's also a nice write up by Arnzen titled "Why Steve Rasnic Tem Matters".

I loved each one of the stories in this primer, and I think Steve Rasnic Tem really captured why during the interview portion of this book.

The writing process for most of my stories involves discovering what that emotional center is, and until I find that emotional center I feel there's not really a story yet. ... And as all this evolves I'm constantly looking for that emotional center - what the viewpoint character is feeling about whatever is going on, because in my experience it's the conviction of emotion that gives things meaning.

His stories are about the characters, and character driven stories are the best of horror for me.

Whether you are unfamiliar with Steve Rasnic Tem or are already a fan of his work, I highly recommend A Primer to Steve Rasnic Tem. I definitely want to read more of Tem's work, and I'm looking forward to diving into more Exploring Dark Short Fiction primers from Dark Moon Books in the future.

[David Agranoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lets talk first about this format, which is fair I think because it is the first in a series. Edited by Eric J. Guignard I think he is on to something special here. If this is the system he is going to follow. This is a really, really cool book and the format is inspired. It has six short stories by the subject of the book, including one new to this edition. A long and complete bibliography, each story comes with academic commentary,beautiful art and an essay on the genre from Tem.

When I closed the book my first thought was all the authors I would love to see in this series. Lisa Morton, Cody Goodfellow, Stephen Graham Jones, to name a few. I have no idea who Guignard has in mind but I am ready to trust him as I love the format.

OK I am familiar with Steve Rasnic Tem but not a huge devotee. I read and reviewed a collection of stories he co-wrote with his late wife. I had read stories here and there and was a fan of a novel of Melanie Tem but have yet to read one of his. So I was a prime candidate for this book. The Six stories were a great example of various tones and subjects in horror. I finished the book very interested in his most recent novel and I will read more.

Several of the stories had moments of humor but most were dark in all the right ways. "Hungry" the first story was great at setting the tone and I like that we got introduced to the author's work with the same story as the editor. That was a neat touch. The story played with the freak show setting and made for a wonderful story environment. The second story "The Last Moments Before Bed" was to me the most powerful story in the book, this absolute heartbreaker of a story that explores loss.

All the commentaries written by author and PHD Michael Arnzen all added depth to the experience and in a few cases confirmed my feelings on stories. I have admit on the Christmas story new to this book I didn't catch some of the elements Arnzen brought up. It was great because I re-read the story with new eyes.

This is not just a great collection and introduction to a underrated writer, it is great showcase on the nuts and bolts of what makes short horror fiction work. This is a book that may some day be taught, I don't say that lightly.

[Patricia V. Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steve Rasnic Tem is a modern master of the literary and quiet short horror tale, incorporating a striking range of emotion, surrealism, and character study into his cross-genre work.

This is the first in a line of scholarly studies of modern-day authors who write short fiction stories in the horror genre, and one can see they've been carefully curated by editor, Eric J. Guignard, Besides stories by the author, this collection includes commentary, illustrations, author interview, and a complete bibliography. It's worth the purchase for the illustrations (by Michelle Prebich) alone. This is a great introduction for writers like myself who are just beginning to dabble in the genre.

[Anita Patel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great introduction to this author! I've only read Mr. Rasnic Tem a few times before, though always enjoyed his work. This primer really hot me excited for him. Great idea to promote horror authors as modern literary icons, and amazing pictures drawn by the artist!

[Nicholas Diak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review – Exploring Dark Short Fiction: Modern Masters: A Primer to Steve Rasnic Tem

A Primer to Steve Rasnic Tem is the first collection under the Exploring Dark Short Fiction: Modern Masters line from Eric J. Guignard’s Dark Moon Books. As a primer, the collection isn’t a best of collection of Rasnic Tem’s writings, but is instead an introduction to the author and his work. The primer accomplishes this by providing an editor’s introduction to contextualize Guignard's enthusiasm for the project, a biography, six short stories, individual essay commentaries and a short form essay by literary professor Dr. Michael Arnzen, an interview between Guignard and Rasnic Tem, and essay by Rasnic Tem and a bibliography of the writer’s work. Peppered throughout the book is artwork by Michelle Prebich.

The centerpiece of the primer are Rasnic Tem’s short stories: “Hungry,” “The Last Moments Before Bed,” “In These Final Days of Sales,” “The Give Away,” “Rat Catcher” and “Whatever You Want” which was published exclusively for this primer. All the stories are choice cuts from Rasnic Tem’s decades of writing, and all are written well. “In These Final Days of Sales” is the most standout short story, no doubt due to its length, the fact that it won a Stoker Award, and its surrealist quality of a mediocre salesmen, drifting through the motions. This story, along with the dying mall in “Whatever You Want” would be perfect subject matter for a vaporwave musician. The “Rat Catcher” is Rasnic Tem’s most gritty story in the primer, perhaps the closest to “spooky-traditional” horror, in that it has a grotesque rat catcher, that intrudes on a family’s home, perhaps in worse ways than the rats he is to be catching. “The Last Moments Before Bed” has Rasnic Tem in his most sombre, as an old widowed man tries to fall asleep. Character descriptions are loose in Rasnic Tem’s stories, but all the stories are extremely emotive, perhaps tapping into the readers’ sense of pity for his characters: the lonely widowers, the frazzled single mom during Yuletide, the ineffectual salesmen, etc.

The short commentary interlude chapters by Dr. Arnzen are interesting, but most top level observations of themes of the short stories. As this is a primer, and thus an introduction to Rasnic Tem’s work, Arnzen is really underscoring common elements and themes to make obvious for the reader. Dr. Arnzen’s longer form essay accomplishes this a bit better.

The biography of Rasnic Tem is fairly barebones, two paragraphs of bibliographical highlights and one paragraph of actual biography, the sort one finds mostly to advertise an author rather than illuminate them.

The interview between Guignard and Rasnic Tem is much more insightful, providing illumination into Rasnic Tem’s creative process. Rasnic Tem’s essay on his thoughts on his particular brand of what constitute horror versus fear also helps ground his writing philosophy.

About one-third of the book’s page count is devoted to cataloging Rasnic Tem’s bibliography. Bibliographies are a tricky thing now-a-days in that the internet “mostly” does an acceptable job at cataloging a writer’s output. Websites such as the Internet Speculative Fiction Database only catalogs a specific genre of a writer, thus ignoring their other output. Goodreads is only as good to what is submitted to it, but its ad-laden services make it hard to search individual writers’ work. Authors keep their own websites but most of these fall to ruin (Rasnic Tem’s has not been updated since 2015), as many writers switch to Social Media instead. The textual bibliography in the Rasnic Tem primer will not doubt become outdated in the next few years as Rasnic pens more works (which he eludes to in his interview), however Guignard does go the extra mile to make this bibliography as complete and accurate as possible by cataloging all the different versions and reprints of each work. For a completionist, this no doubt is indispensable.

The end result is that A Primer to Steve Rasnic Tem accomplishes its goal to highlight and introduce Rasnic Tem in spades. The chosen stories are excellent, and Guignard gives Rasnic Tem the Criterion Collection treatment with this book. It is hoped that the success of this primer will carry over to the next one to be released, which is on Kaaron Warren.

[Jonathan Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been reading Steve Rasnic Tem for decades. If anyone, he definitely deserves to be studied for his writing. Genius, unique ideas. Strange tales, tragic, always heartfelt. Can’t wait for the other books in this series!

[Judi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exploring Dark Short Fiction #1 for Steve Rasnic Tem. This is a great study of an author of short stories, highlighting some of his best and explaining the author’s importance. This is an indie book, and amazing quality. All the sections are illustrated, and besides the short story fiction, there is an interesting interview, essay written by the author, commentary on the works, and more. 5 stars.

[Vivian Metzger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent series idea, discussing authors. Much needed. Happy with books I've read so far in the series

[Faith Dincolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This "primer" is a collection of some of Steve Rasnic Tem's shorts and Novella ..a Bram Stoker award winning story..."In the Final Days of Sales." Michale Arnzen, PHD gives analysis to the genre fiction presented, and explains why Steve Rasnic Tem stories matter, and how he has hyper real and transcended the expectations of the genre. Fascinating read, great way to learn an author and the insight into his work and into the genre of dark fiction.

[Ian Welke · Rating 5 out of 5]

If this is the start of a series of these, this is the best possible start. The short stories are like masterclasses in short fiction in themselves, the decision to follow each of them with analysis from a PhD was brilliant. The illustrations are the perfect means of offering a buffer between topics. These are great to read as is, but for anyone interested in the craft of fiction, particularly dark fiction, this is a must have.

[T.C. Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book in the 'A Primer to' series for Writer Steve Rasnic Tem -- was a fantastic treat for every ( Steve Rasnic Tem, fan, or first time readers), I started reading Steve's work, probably in the early nineties and I was hooked--he's one the master's of the craft and his voice is unique-'this book is a grab bag of amazing stories--he's also a writers writer.

Eric J. Guignard (editor), did a wonderful job, as did ( writer ) Michael Arnzen, who wrote the commentary--my only problem was that it ended--but that's a good problem to have-get it NOW...

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a primer. It's non-fiction with some fiction included. HUNGRY is one of the stories in this primer and you must read it! It is a must-read. Then read the commentary about HUNGRY, and everything else. Stories, essays, interview, bibliography, and more.

[Eugen Bacon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book introduces readers to the astonishing and prolific work of Steve Rasnic Tem, and to the tropes and conceits of dark fiction. --review by Dr Clare E Rhoden, Aurealis

[Aaron Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories in this primer are amazing. I'm now a fan of Steve Rasnic Tem. I also loved the illustrations. The articles/interview were good, too, but a bit wordy.

Apparently, 'Hungry' is one of Tem's most popular stories, and I can see why. Creepy vibes all the way through. 5 out of 5.

Next up: 'The Last Moments before Bed'. Another creepy and interesting piece. 4 out of 5.

'In These Final Days of Sales' was my favorite story in the collection. It's a novella. A madness slowly sinks in as this one goes along. Very well executed. 5 out of 5.

'The Giveaway' was really good, too, and reminds us of how cruel kids can be. 5 out of 5.

'Rat Catcher' was so creepy and has a super exciting ending. 4 out of 5.

The final short story in the primer: 'Whatever You Want' is a vivid night terror of a story. Dreamy and smooth. 4 out of 5.

[Laura Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are six short stories in this collection. The Primer is authored by Steve Rasnic Tem and then analyzed by Michael Arzen. There’s also an interview that explores why he wrote these and how.

I’m huge on group dynamics and strong character drive stories and all of these were great for very different reasons. The wicked cover art and excellent illustrations for each story are the icing on the cake for what waits between these pages. I’m not one to name favorites and it would be hard for me to do that when they’re all so good.

I have the next Primer to read and I’m excited to dig into more quality writing of horror and the bizarre that Steve has cooked up.

I received a complimentary copy. My review is voluntarily given.

[Michael Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exploring Dark Short Fiction #1: A Primer to Steve Rasnic Tem is the first PRIMER book in a series. What a fantastic idea! Great intro to Steve Rasnic Tem, who's been around, writing, for decades. These Primer books are each actually a mini-collection with 6 short stories, 1 written specifically new for the book. Then Michael Arnzen provides commentary on each story and on the author himself. There's also an essay by the author and interview and other things. I read these primers out of order, which doesn't matter, as each is a standalone book focusing on one subject author.