Writtenyes: Matthew Barber
Although the cover Blood on the Pages The book’s introduction states “The Complete Short Stories of Brian Keen,” but that’s not really the case. As the first paragraph of the preface states, there are two other large collections that offer many more stories in print: Rise: Doomsday scenario selection and Earthworm God: Doomsday Scene Selection. Note also that Blood on the Page is the first of a planned multi-volume set.
So, Blood on a Stain is not the complete short story collection of Brian Keene. Anyone who buys this book thinking they have read every short story Keene has ever written will be disappointed. Otherwise, this is a fantastic collection of 29 stories from one of the best horror writers working today. These include:
Portrait of a Magician as Writer (unpublished)
Captive Heart
Johnstown
Waiting for the Darkness
dust
Burying Betsy
Fast Zombies Suck
I sing a new poem
Stuck in Mosh
I am an export
This is not an exit
Those who wander
half
without you
Couch potato
Fade out to empty
The Fall of Babylon
One man’s revolution
Fill it with
Two-headed alien bastard
August Rabbit
The Wind Calls Mary
Resurrection and Life
Stone Tears
Redwood
Monster ghost
lounging in Bethlehem
Marriage causes cancer in mice
Golden Boy
As with any collection, the quality of the work varies. However, some of the stories in it are among the best Keen has ever written. “The Resurrection and the Life” is a surreal interpretation of the story of Lazarus. Here, Keen takes Bible With his own works, Rise…Lazarus was indeed resurrected at Jesus’ command, but he had a craving for human flesh.
Zombie stories abound. In “Couch Potato,” a young child living in the inner city watches Hamelin’s Revenge wreak havoc across the globe on television. Her mother sits on a nearby couch smoking cigarettes and snorting cocaine. When she runs out of cigarettes and cocaine, the woman abandons her child to search for the next drug, only to be transformed into a zombie. Sometimes, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
There are also some stories about LeHorn’s Hollow that happened because Dark Hollow and Ghost Walk. Quotations from these and other novels are abundant throughout the collection, and many of the stories provide interesting insights into Keane’s other works.
For Brian Keene fans and newbies, Blood on the Pages is a must read. This book has it all. There is action, humor, romance, and a ton of horror. The stories show the reader most of the different worlds and stories the author has written over the years. Keen has an amazing imagination. It is Blood on the Pages.
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score: 4/5
