By Matthew J. Barbour
Jack Ketchum is a familiar name in the world of horror fiction. He is often listed as one of the top ten horror writers of all time, and his most famous work is The Girl Next Door and Off-seasonMost of his work centers on reality, rather than fantasy elements. Humans are the real monsters. Ketchum’s stories are startlingly believable and, in some cases, based on actual historical events.
Peaceful Kingdom is a collection of 32 short stories. The vast majority of these stories have been published in other venues. However, many of these publications are out of print or have become difficult to obtain. The stories in this collection represent a wide variety of material that Ketchum wrote from 1994 to 2003. In 2003, Peaceful Kingdom Winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Best Collector’s Edition.
It would be a bit of an overkill to list all 32 stories in the series. Suffice it to say that a few notable masterpieces are in the works. These include “The Box,” which won the Bram Stoker Award for Best Short Story in 1994, and “The Vanishing,” which won the Bram Stoker Award for Best Short Story in 2000.
The Box and The Vanishing aren’t the only standouts in the series. There’s very little filler in the book. This is surprising considering the book is over 400 pages long. Some of the stories even include speculative elements like ghosts, vampires, and zombies. These things are rare in Ketchum’s work, but feel right at home in this series.
The only thing these works have in common is the clean, simple writing style that has been a hallmark of Ketchum’s work since he entered the horror field in 1980. Stories like “To Suit the Crime” fit the bill. Off-seasonOther works, such as Detention Cell, recall The Girl Next DoorThere are also some pieces, like “The Walking Wounded,” that seem to have no connection to the author’s other works. Some pieces even seem to be inspired by classics. The story “The Chain Letter,” in particular, seems to be Ketchum’s homage to Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery.” All of the pieces are wonderful and feel like Ketchum’s work, even though their themes and tones are very different.
The collection opens with “The Rifle,” which leaves a lasting impression both literally and figuratively. It is quite possibly the most brilliant piece in the collection. A mother discovers a loaded gun in her son’s closet. She goes to confront the child, only to discover that the rifle is just the tip of the iceberg. After realizing that her son is a monster, she is forced to make a life-changing decision. Her actions will shock and appall you. However, if you were in the same position, would you make a similar choice?
The Peaceable Kingdom is a fantastic book. It is a classic in its own right. It is Ketchum’s finest work and a must read for fans of the horror genre.
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score: 5/5
