Rarely do you come across a collection of short stories as delightfully creepy and darkly charming as September and Other Stories. From ghost-hunting ghosts to vengeful werewolves, fans of dark fiction are sure to find something to spook them.
The first three stories are interlocking tales involving the protagonist Natasha Collins, a professor of philosophy and religion in the 1920's. Besides being wealthy and beautiful, Natasha has the peculiar gift of being able to communicate with the spirit world (much to the dismay of her family, who are all convinced she's insane). The stories, told via Natasha's journal entries, often leave the reader wondering the same thing. Is she delusional, or are the these things really happening?
Two of my favorite stories are "Bad Karma" and "Bus 264." In "Bad Karma," a selfish man suffers from a karmic nightmare from which he can't awaken. In "Bus 264," a young girl trying to get to an abortion clinic before her parents come home from vacation meets a strangely familiar woman at the bus station.
Readers looking for smart, entertaining horror fiction will get exactly what they are looking for with this collection.
- Carey Milton
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