Review: Nothing Short of Amazing
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 2, 2011
As a writer, inspiration can hit you at any moment as long as your mind is clear and open. More often than not, however, the story ideas that hit you, while exciting and full of possibility, don't always leave enough open space to craft an entire novel. You're left with two options. You can either surrender to your doubt, allowing the story to continue to float past you harmlessly, or you can take your idea and attempt to mine a short story from it. With Women and Other Monsters, author Bernard J. Schaffer has taken the latter approach and offers up a serving of six deliciously twisted tales for your amusement.In an effort to keep the stories from feeling familiar as the book progresses, Schaffer has carefully insured that each story is completely different from the last. Some stories are based upon the creations that stem from an overactive imagination, while others carry a subtle hint of morality buried deep within the madness. The one attribute that each story shares in common, however, is that each one will make you think. Some will make you laugh, some will make you queasy, but above all else, they will absolutely make you think.Women and Other Monsters is likely to remind you of other great short story word-slingers, but take comfort in the fact that you'll only sense influence, not imitation. While Stephen King is the most obvious of which, I was also whisked back to a time in my youth when Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone, and Tales from the Crypt were the champions of scaring the pants off of suburbanites. To me, this book feels right at home in that same category. That's not to say that the book is scary, but rather that it creates a pleasing concoction of chills, laughs, twists, and the macabre that will satisfy even the most jaded reader.Schaffer pulls no punches with Women and Other Monsters. His imagination unapologetically consists of a balance of vast intellect and fearlessness when it comes to spinning yarns. He is going to tell you his story in his way and will make no concessions in reaching that goal. Readers that tend to be more sensitive may not appreciate his work, but I simply couldn't put it down. I liked this collection of stories immensely and was left wanting more as I'd turned the final page. For the mere price of four quarters, this book belongs in the palm of any reader with a slightly askew take on reality. When one can see reality every day, it's the gems like this book that make diving into insanity that much more fun.