Kafkaesque isnt a term thats used often or even lightly. So when it finds itself tied to any modern-day author, you know youll be in for a real treat. And thats just what weve come to expect from Steve Rasnic Tem. His work often embodies the same nightmarish quality that authors like Kafka inject into their own writing. However, in Tems stories the situations are even more nihilistic. His environments are inhabited by droogs and degenerates, lost or forgotten, whose storiesup until nowhave had no voice. But in a world overrun by an abject and apathetic populace, Tem provides his characters with all the voice they need.
Thus, its no surprise that violence is the wallpaper that lines Tems squalid hallways. Stories like Facing It and Rough Justice portray a dog-eat-dog world where little bastards are held in check and accused baby killers receive their just deserts. But keep a look-out for irony knocking on the doorit provides all the epiphany our flawed anti-heroes would ever wish to meet.
In Rat Catcher an infestation of rodents in one familys home leads to an anguished plea for help. But the man who arrives leaves their children unsettled, and like the nightmare the father endured as a child, a horrific manifestation has been resurrected. Just as deplorable is The Stench in which Riley is continually hampered by foul odors found in ordinary people, places, and things, forcing him to avoid them at all costs. But one man��s trash is another mans treasure, and for Riley, the stench he so admonishes may in fact be our windfall.
Tem shows that there may be a glimmer of sentiment lurking insideone that needs its door slammed shut. Love Letters features a man traveling cross country in the hopes of recovering his exs love notes. No matter what their nostalgia, they pull him further from reality and further from the closure he so desperately needs.
Daddys an Actor and My Daughter is Here�� feature two distinct father-daughter depictions: one that surrounds a fascination with the art of acting; and the other with end-of-life care. Their faux relationships may be teetering on the brink of collapse, but thankfully, their daughters are there to swoop in and help as needed in their own little, maladjusted ways.
Unlike the noir-driven exploits from your fathers time, these forty-three tales of crime and deception run the gamut from high-altitude capers to back-alley brouhahas. Youll meet obsessives and connivers, goons and scoundrels. You may find it uncomfortable or even disturbing, but youll never be lonely or bored locked inside Tems Kafkaesque amphitheater. With nearly 500 pages of disturbing content, its not to be read all at once.
Genre: Mystery
Thus, its no surprise that violence is the wallpaper that lines Tems squalid hallways. Stories like Facing It and Rough Justice portray a dog-eat-dog world where little bastards are held in check and accused baby killers receive their just deserts. But keep a look-out for irony knocking on the doorit provides all the epiphany our flawed anti-heroes would ever wish to meet.
In Rat Catcher an infestation of rodents in one familys home leads to an anguished plea for help. But the man who arrives leaves their children unsettled, and like the nightmare the father endured as a child, a horrific manifestation has been resurrected. Just as deplorable is The Stench in which Riley is continually hampered by foul odors found in ordinary people, places, and things, forcing him to avoid them at all costs. But one man��s trash is another mans treasure, and for Riley, the stench he so admonishes may in fact be our windfall.
Tem shows that there may be a glimmer of sentiment lurking insideone that needs its door slammed shut. Love Letters features a man traveling cross country in the hopes of recovering his exs love notes. No matter what their nostalgia, they pull him further from reality and further from the closure he so desperately needs.
Daddys an Actor and My Daughter is Here�� feature two distinct father-daughter depictions: one that surrounds a fascination with the art of acting; and the other with end-of-life care. Their faux relationships may be teetering on the brink of collapse, but thankfully, their daughters are there to swoop in and help as needed in their own little, maladjusted ways.
Unlike the noir-driven exploits from your fathers time, these forty-three tales of crime and deception run the gamut from high-altitude capers to back-alley brouhahas. Youll meet obsessives and connivers, goons and scoundrels. You may find it uncomfortable or even disturbing, but youll never be lonely or bored locked inside Tems Kafkaesque amphitheater. With nearly 500 pages of disturbing content, its not to be read all at once.
Genre: Mystery
Used availability for Steve Rasnic Tem's Rough Justice: Tales of Crime and Deception