Bentley Little
Have you ever heard of a horror novelist named Bentley Little? No? Neither had I. But when the master of horror fiction Stephen King said in his regular article in ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY that he’s the best horror writer working today, it became an absolute necessity to check him out. So, I went to my local bookstore and found a good sized selection of Little’s work. After reading the back of each novel, I chose THE COLLECTION, an anthology of short stories to get my feet wet.
After having read this book, I am sold on Little’s talent, and I cannot wait to dive into his other works! Like King, Little has the uncanny ability to take such an odd or stupid idea, and spin it off into not only something enjoyable, but damn frightening! For instance in "Pillow Talk," a man has trouble when he learns that his pillows are alive and possess lustful desires for him. In "The Mailman," a man who had a traumatizing experience with a dwarf as a kid, finds trouble when he discovers the mailman at his new home is a dwarf (read if little people frighten you!). "The Llama" features a glimpse into the twisted mind of a man who is obsessed with strange coincidences (FUCKED UP)!
My favorite story in the book is definitely "The Washingtonians," which tells the story of a man whose family is terrorized by a cult of vicious George Washington worshippers after he discovers a letter that reveals the father of our country was in reality a serial killer who murdered women and children, ate their flesh, and used their bones for tools! This is a DA VINCI CODE for American history! Just wait until you hear what they have to say about Benjamin Franklin in this story! "The Washingtonians" was fucking brilliant! Never have I read an idea so imaginative! (I heard it was a horrible episode of the latest season of MASTERS OF HORROR, what a fucking shame!)
This large anthology covers so much more frightening ideas and concepts, from a family who takes their obsession with recycling WAY too far (sick but great shit!), to a brutally twisted religious cult family. From what ever happened to James Dean’s tire iron after throwing it over the ledge in REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE, to how bad it could be when your father finds a new spouse. And from killer papers, to an America still ruled by the Queen of England. Sure, this book has a few dragging stories, but what anthology doesn’t? Besides, the involving and frightening tales far outnumber the boring ones!
Little is one imaginative writer that I am now determined to read all of his nineteen books. I cannot wait to see what this guy does with a novel!
To close, Bentley Little ROCKS! And I can’t wait to get to know him better! 3.5/4
i agree with you, i've been reading Bentley Little for years and i've always loved the books. You almost cant put the books down when you start reading them…
i just finished this book and i thought it was CRAZY BRILLIANT! i only picked it up in the first place because i was required to have a book in class and this was the only one that didn't look like it would put me to sleep; boy, did i underestimate it! i'm so glad i found it!