Soze Says

Brian Keene's Where We Live and Die is yet another collection of stories from this veteran of the horror genre, it's central theme being all of the tales contained within are about writing in one way or another. Now, some of these links are tenuous - for example, Adam Senft (from Dark Hollow and Ghost Walk) reappears in a story, and because his character is a writer, Keene includes the story here. Others are quite literally about writing, and in some cases, are about him writing in a meta-fictional way.

And those stories are particularly excellent. The Girl on the Glider remains one of his most powerful and (if you'll excuse the choice of word) haunting works. The tale that follows, Musings, is also an excellent insight into the life of a writer mixed with fantastical elements. The Eleventh Muse provides much the same, though takes this notion in an entirely different direction.

And then there's the printing of a spoken word "poem" that very cleverly runs through the history of horror in the written form and introduces the new-wave of horror authors toward its end.

All in all, Where We Live and Die, is an excellent collection with stories ranging from decent to amazing. It would easily rate five stars were it not for one simple fact.

I had read all but one story elsewhere.

I purchased this one as I started The Cruelty Of Autumn, never realising that the stories in Where We Live and Die I had not read were all (but one and the spoken word poem) included in the newer release. Now both collections were released within four months of each other, meaning I'm not a complete dumb-ass since who would expect these stories to again appear in print so soon after previously being published. So it really does feel like double dipping. But I guess everyone has to eat, right?

4 Terrifying Scenes on a Baby-Monitor for Where We live and Die.