Mx3 Review: The Monsters Corner: Stories Through Inhuman Eyes by Christopher Golden

It’s a monster-filled day today on the blog! Earlier today, you got to read a guest post by Bram Stoker Lifetime Achievement Award winner and supernatural fiction author Chelsea Quinn Yarbro on the lore behind monsters.  And now, for more moster fun:

• Paperback:400 pages
• Publisher:St. Martin’s Griffin (September 27, 2011)
• ISBN-10: 0312646135
• Source:  Publisher

 
Christopher Golden’s childhood love of monsters inspired him to reach out to some of the hottest supernatural writers for this anthology of short stories. Unlike most monster anthologies, these stories are all from the monster’s point of view. Readers get a unique vantage point: inside the monsters’ heads.  They learn their motives, their feelings, their motivation.

Here is a synopsis of just a few of the stories:

The Awkward Age by David Liss: Neil is a quiet, socially inept fourteen year-old-boy.  When he is invited to a friend’s house for a sleepover his parents, Pete and Roberta, are overjoyed! They allow the sleepover to occur, desperate for their son to make friends.  The sleepover goes well despite the fact they never met the child, Mason. They decide to return the favor, asking the elusive Mason to sleep over at their home. Mason’s appearance astonishes them; Mason isn’t a boy, but a girl. She makes no attempts to hide or explain this.  In fact, this isn’t her only secret.  She’s not a human girl, but a ghoul, surviving off the flesh of human beings…

Torn Stiches, Shattered Glass by Kevin J. Anderson: It’s the late 1930s, set in Nazi Germany. A monster, Franck, attempts to survive in a world where people hate those they don’t understand.  He’s used to this; he’s remained hidden for a century, only returning to his birthplace after seeking vengeance upon his master, Victor. He thought he would be safe, surounded by those attempting to survive the attacks by the Nazis. When he attempts to stand up and protect them, however, he is seen for what he is to them: a horrible, dangerous monster.

Big Man by David Moody: A horrific accident caused Glen Chambers to transform into a horrid creature: growing at an obscene rate, causing destruction across the country. His body sized increased so quickly it became difficult for him to find places to hide.  Despite the changes his body is making his mind, his conscience, is still intact. While appearing to be a monster on the outside, Glen remains human on the inside. He didn’t mean to kill those thousands of people, destroy all those schools and buildings.  At his size, it’s difficult to control his actions.  Instead of fulfilling the promises to obtain a secure location for him to live, the military wants to destroy him.

The Lake by Tananarive Due: Abbie Lafleur is a Boston-native, moving to Florida to accept an English teaching position at Graceville Prep.  She buys a lakeside colonial requiring a substantial amount of work.  It had a lot of potential and Abbie liked that.  The house’s true selling point was the lake and the isolation. No one had told her never to go swimming in Graceville’s lakes in the summer, especially children and women of child-bearing age.  Swimming in the nude, as Abbie opted to do, is absolutely forbidden.  Abbie, ignorant of these rules, takes advantage of the isolated lake & begins to take nightly swims  in the lake…in the nude.  It’s not long before she notices a change in herself: a think webbing of skin forms between her toes, painful slits open beneath each rib.  Abbie is transforming with each swim she takes in the lake.  The boys from her class who she asks to help her with repairs around the house have no idea what they are in store for..

These are but a small sampling of the nineteen never before published stories that make up this anthology.  Additional authors include: Chelsea Cain, Kelley Armstrong, Gary Braunbeck, Nate Kenyon, Sarah Pinborough and more! The stories really run the gamut of horror: some are quite tame while others are quite violent and gory.  Additionally, you won’t find any of your typical monsters (vampires, werewolves, etc.) included in this anthology. Instead, readers get a glimpse of more unfamiliar creatures like Mothman, Golem, man-eating plants, & more.

A highly-recommended addition to your Halloween reading!