MILD SPOILERS

And that book is why I still find the word "sloughing" vaguely creepy.

And that book is why I still find the word "sloughing" vaguely creepy.

I was 11, and in an early show of self-reverse-psychology (as well as an attempt to hide the book from my parents), I actually put the thing under my bed - at only a slight remove from the "monsters in the closet" phase, it took an act of will just to take it out and read it, reasoning that if I could conquer the…

I was 11, and in an early show of self-reverse-psychology (as well as an attempt to hide the book from my parents), I actually put the thing under my bed - at only a slight remove from the "monsters in the closet" phase, it took an act of will just to take it out and read it, reasoning that if I could conquer the…

"…drank beer…"
Brr, Gray Matter.  That's such a great example of the King method: you just know one day he got into a particularly skunky brewski, then started thinking about yeast, and then fungus, and sitting and drinking alone with the blinds drawn, then bang!  Story written.

Not too long ago I started reading Shirley Jackson's short story work, and I was totally blown away.  So many of them are little masterpieces of mood and ambiguity, and, like "The Lottery", always seem to know exactly when to end for maximum impact - the stories "Demon Lover" and "The Tooth" leap to mind immediately,…

Not too long ago I started reading Shirley Jackson's short story work, and I was totally blown away.  So many of them are little masterpieces of mood and ambiguity, and, like "The Lottery", always seem to know exactly when to end for maximum impact - the stories "Demon Lover" and "The Tooth" leap to mind immediately,…

Oh, I've seen some of this stuff, but couldn't remember the name!  I love this sort of narrative page-deconstructing playfulness.  Thanks.

Oh, I've seen some of this stuff, but couldn't remember the name!  I love this sort of narrative page-deconstructing playfulness.  Thanks.

…I didn't know there was an Uzumaki movie!  Although I'd think that a serialized television series would be more appropriate, both for the story's gradual, almost prosaic unraveling, and that you could pretty easily break it down into a 'Monster of the Week' format.

…I didn't know there was an Uzumaki movie!  Although I'd think that a serialized television series would be more appropriate, both for the story's gradual, almost prosaic unraveling, and that you could pretty easily break it down into a 'Monster of the Week' format.

"No one built small rural towns like this!"

"No one built small rural towns like this!"

My brain was crying the whole fucking episode.   

My brain was crying the whole fucking episode.   

Small Favors by Colleen Coover
Birdland by Gilbert Hernandez
the works of Milo Manara
Black Kiss by Howard Chaykin
I Wanna Be Your Dog by Ho Che Anderson

Small Favors by Colleen Coover
Birdland by Gilbert Hernandez
the works of Milo Manara
Black Kiss by Howard Chaykin
I Wanna Be Your Dog by Ho Che Anderson

Exactly this.
(By the way: really strong analysis in this article, Ms. K.  You're the MVP of this series so far, and I hope you'll return for the books you've yet to read.)

Exactly this.
(By the way: really strong analysis in this article, Ms. K.  You're the MVP of this series so far, and I hope you'll return for the books you've yet to read.)