A Slice of the Dark and Other Stories by Karen Heuler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another excellent story collection from Karen Heuler, an accomplished fantasist more people should be reading!
Among my favorites in this collection are the title story, in which a man gets a taste of the dark and craves more until things get out of control; “Bone Broth,” which gives a fascinating pre-history of New York City (and the world) through the eyes of a discontented waitress; “Unquiet Dreams,” one of Heuler’s few straightforward forays into horror, which tells of something stalking the patients in a sleep disorder clinic; “Teeth,” in which a woman literally becomes Death but enjoys it a bit too much; and “The Afterlife of Books,” which is a story that will speak to any writer or avid reader.
All the stories share Heuler’s surreal sensibilities and unique, playful writing style. (As a side note, I think the cover art is fantastic, one of the best and most evocative I’ve seen in a long time!) If you’ve read Heuler’s recent novel THE SPLENDID CITY and are interested in exploring her short fiction, or if you’ve just been curious about her work, A SLICE OF THE DARK AND OTHER STORIES is a fine place to start.
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