June 15, 2008 @ 10:26 pm
The Fix reviewed Cemetery Dance #58, and here’s what they had to say about my story:
Of all the stories in this issue of Cemetery Dance, only Ian Rogers’s “Inheritor” made me stop and shiver. It is surely a sign of an effective horror story that, even when read on a crowded commuter train on a bright summer’s day, the final paragraphs can leave a reader dread cold.
Daniel Ramis is estranged from his family, so on the death of his father, he is surprised to discover that he has been left his childhood home, which Daniel had assumed sold years before. Dragged back there against his better judgment, Daniel also discovers that he has been left some unfinished family business.
Rogers does a very fine job of building a sense of anticipation and dread as Ian is drawn from his safe city life back to small town America and the long-abandoned farmhouse. The ending is handled with a compelling economy that allows for chills but no histrionics. It is clever writing and effective storytelling.
It’s always nice to get any kind of feedback, since short fiction is seldom reviewed anywhere, and it’s even better when that feedback is positive.
You can read the entire review here.
Kudos, brother !! (What exactly are kudos?)
Great review Ian!
Only just discovered THE FIX myself and spent some time reading through it yesterday.
Thanks, Sheldon. (I have no idea what kudos are, exactly, but I’ll take ‘em!)
Ally — It’s a great site and the only one I know of that seems to review a wide selection of short fiction.
That is awesome, congrats!
Thanks, Erik!
Congratulations, Ian.
Thanks, Simon.
BTW, “kudos” is a greek word meaning “praised and honoured congratulations”.
Most common mistake using it? It’s singular.
Tune in tomorrow for more unwanted lessons.
Thanks for the factoid, Simon. I love trivia, especially etymology.
Isn’t David Morrell the guy who wrote the book that the “Rambo” movies are based on ?
Yep, he wrote a whole bunch of novels, First Blood among them. I met him last year at World Horror Con. He’s a really nice guy, very down-to-earth and easy to talk to.