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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
Beneath a Pale Sky by Philip Fracassi is a creepy and weird collection of short stories. The tales range from the bizarre to the more bizarre, encompassing sci-if, demons, special powers, and a whole lot more. This collection of dark fiction has a lot going on. My favorites in the collection were Soda Jerk (small town horror with some Stepford Wives vibes) , Ateuchus (sci-fi first contact horror), and Death My Old Friend (a humorous and darkly optimistic story about growing up as Death’s best friend). I also enjoyed The Wheel (from which the volume’s title is taken), but this story exemplified one of my chief complaints about the book. Fracassi’s prose is well constructed and loaded with expression, but it’s also just loaded with details and words. Almost all of the stories felt too long, and at times seemed to include details that didn’t really drive the plot forward or connect with the climax or conclusion of the story. Sometimes I struggled to maintain interest as I listened to the audio version, which was a pity because there is so much to be interested in contained within these tales. At times Fracassi is reminiscent of Lovecraft in this volume, and as with Lovecraft sometimes I wished he’d just get to the madness-inducing action instead of getting bogged down in backstory and human elements. Also in The Wheel (and many others) the stories contained a certain element of ambiguity. I can appreciate some mystery, but I also enjoy clarity. More than once I finished a story and wasn’t really sure what the ending meant or felt the most important component of the story was left unexplained. Perhaps this is Fracassi’s literary point? I don’t know, I just know that sometimes I was confused. Despite this, this is a good collection and I plan to read more Fracassi (and maybe reread this one) in the future. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oh, and P.S. the audiobook version is missing the introduction by Josh Malerman. In the unlikely event Fracassi or Malerman reads this review, it would be awesome if you released an updated version that featured Malerman (or I suppose Ariel Brandt, the book’s narrator) reading the introduction at the beginning.
Oh, and P.S. the audiobook version is missing the introduction by Josh Malerman. In the unlikely event Fracassi or Malerman reads this review, it would be awesome if you released an updated version that featured Malerman (or I suppose Ariel Brandt, the book’s narrator) reading the introduction at the beginning.
Original to this collection, ‘Harvest’ is the perfect example of a Philip Fracassi story, and a fantastic choice for opening the book. Using multiple points of view to give us a complete picture of unfolding events, the author begins with a small-town wedding in a cathedral in the middle of acres of corn crops. We meet Carrie, the innocent bride-to-be and, in separate scenes, the outwardly charming (yet inwardly belligerent and bullying) groom, Parker, and Eli, Carrie’s misunderstood childhood friend, and her admirer. These are complex characters, as evidenced by the flashbacks to reveal more about Carrie and Eli’s friendship, and Fracassi takes the perfect amount of time and pace to explore the complex relationships, all the while allowing the drama to build. Like a kettle left unattended on the stove, the action builds toward a terrifying conclusion, as Eli’s unusual ability comes to the fore, just as a nightmarish incident unfolds. There are a few separate elements that Fracassi expertly weaves together to create an intricately-paced and gripping tale, equal parts terrifying and emotional.
‘The Wheel’ is another story original to this collection, and it too effectively weaves together separate strands to make for an entertaining whole. While a young couple celebrate the anniversary of their first date with a low-key trip to the funfair, their night is about to take a turn for the worse thanks to a degenerate Ferris wheel operator with a shady past and a recent divorcee with a pilot’s license and a taste for alcohol and destruction. Told from multiple points of view, we watch the drama and horror unfold in slow motion, as we quickly grasp what is most likely about to happen, before the main players. The relationship of the main couple is beautifully explored, just as the vile thoughts of the carnival worker are laid bare for all to see, Fracassi juxtaposing the light with the dark, luring us in before hitting us with the horror.
In ‘Soda Jerk’, sixteen-year-old Ellie is new in town, having just moved to the quaint little town of Sabbath with her parents. Feeling homesick for her old home and her old friends, she is surprised when local boy James, in her year at high school, interrupts her unpacking and offers to show her around. Still unsure of her new surroundings, and practically pushed out of the door by her mother, Ellie takes a while to come out of her funk, even as James drives her around the sights of the town. But no sooner is she beginning to feel better, than she learns a horrible truth about her new home. Fracassi does smalltown horror with the best of the genre, as has been stated by many of his fans and peers before, and this disturbing tale is further proof. He has a tremendous ability to set a story in a charming, close-knit community, before unearthing the hideous horror that lies beneath. It makes for a compelling read.
There are similarities between ‘Symphony’ and Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, in that a young girl, tormented by a male guardian, befriends a fantastical beast that is not what they seem, has motives of their own. But, as dark as Pan’s Labyrinth is, Fracassi really drags us down to the darkest depths of the human heart with this story. Esther’s father is consumed with grief after the loss of her mother, but this soon leads him down a terrible and disturbing path of nightly visitations to his only daughter’s bedroom. Esther records her own dreams and grief in a journal, which is where she writes of finding the strange unicorn statuette in the nearby forest, and the terrifying yet comforting beast that visits soon after. But will it lead to her salvation, or damn her to hell? One of the Weirder stories in the collection, this dark fantasy stands out thanks to the vibrant and nightmarish descriptions, as well as the bleak and disturbing circumstances.
Beginning with an archaeological dig in Utah, ‘Ateuchus’ quickly develops into something much, much bigger. The discovery of a meteorite leads to a horror story of cosmic proportions when university professor Alfie takes it home to his basement laboratory and begins his analysis. The secrets the rock holds within are sure to send shockwaves throughout the world when they are revealed, unless Alfie can exert some kind of control. But, metaphorically speaking, once the genie is out of the bottle, it is much more difficult to put it back in. Consumed by this quest, Alfie begins to lose track of time, and soon loses track of himself, so obsessed with the rock he has become. Fracassi mixes the horror of obsession with some truly gruesome body horror, while hinting at a deeper story of first contact which could come at a very steep price. A further example of the range of Fracassi’s storytelling abilities.
Told from the (frank) point of view of the former patient of a psychiatric hospital, ‘ID’ our unnamed protagonist describes their stay in the ward, while hinting at the more barbaric ward next door, before he is finally released and starts a relationship with another former patient. While he seems to be getting his life together, this relationship leads him to relapse into some bad habits while his new partner, Crystal, exhibits increasingly disturbing characteristics. Another one of the stranger stories in the collection, this one is propelled along by a warm and charismatic narrator, who struggles to extricate himself from a stranger-than-usual and awkward social situation. With some horrific added visuals and disturbing behaviour, this further showcases Fracassi’s versatility as a storyteller.
‘Fragile Dreams’ was originally released as a standalone novella (with the following story in this collection, ‘Death, My Old Friend’, as a bonus story) by Journalstone in 2016, and was subsequently reviewed on This Is Horror. But, upon our reread, we are steadfast in our belief that it is a suspenseful and terrifying trip. Matthew arrives for a job interview at a law firm on the fourth floor but, thanks to a particularly devastating disaster, finds himself buried under tons of metal and concrete. We discover much about his character through introspection and hallucinations, what he has come through to be here, and what he stands to lose. But how much is really imagined and how much is some terrifying presence that has found him beneath the rubble? While the penultimate story makes for a tense and nail-biting affair, the final story is a little more light-hearted. ‘Death, My Old Friend’ tells the story of the lifelong friendship between John and his childhood friend, Death. As with most friendships, they face their own share of hardships and awkward disagreements, but they are, of course, complicated by Death’s role as guide for the newly deceased. Although readers may feel confident in predicting the ending, Fracassi still manages to deliver a poignant and emotional journey for the reader, displaying his ability to adopt all manner of tones within his fiction.
While the new collection includes a couple of previously released stories, this is the first time they have been included in a collection and, with the inclusion of the longer original stories to open the book, we see how his fiction has progressed. Not to say his new work is a dramatic departure in style or quality from his previous work; he certainly seems to have a particular style combining incredibly detailed and compelling human relationships with big concept horror, sometimes cosmic, other times earthbound but older than human comprehension. Fracassi’s publishing history is jam-packed with quality quicksand fiction that seems serene on the surface, innocently drawing readers in, until we cannot escape its devilish clutches, and this collection is no exception. Surely a contender for those year-end awards shortlists but, even more so, a winner in the eyes of old and new fans alike.
‘The Wheel’ is another story original to this collection, and it too effectively weaves together separate strands to make for an entertaining whole. While a young couple celebrate the anniversary of their first date with a low-key trip to the funfair, their night is about to take a turn for the worse thanks to a degenerate Ferris wheel operator with a shady past and a recent divorcee with a pilot’s license and a taste for alcohol and destruction. Told from multiple points of view, we watch the drama and horror unfold in slow motion, as we quickly grasp what is most likely about to happen, before the main players. The relationship of the main couple is beautifully explored, just as the vile thoughts of the carnival worker are laid bare for all to see, Fracassi juxtaposing the light with the dark, luring us in before hitting us with the horror.
In ‘Soda Jerk’, sixteen-year-old Ellie is new in town, having just moved to the quaint little town of Sabbath with her parents. Feeling homesick for her old home and her old friends, she is surprised when local boy James, in her year at high school, interrupts her unpacking and offers to show her around. Still unsure of her new surroundings, and practically pushed out of the door by her mother, Ellie takes a while to come out of her funk, even as James drives her around the sights of the town. But no sooner is she beginning to feel better, than she learns a horrible truth about her new home. Fracassi does smalltown horror with the best of the genre, as has been stated by many of his fans and peers before, and this disturbing tale is further proof. He has a tremendous ability to set a story in a charming, close-knit community, before unearthing the hideous horror that lies beneath. It makes for a compelling read.
There are similarities between ‘Symphony’ and Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, in that a young girl, tormented by a male guardian, befriends a fantastical beast that is not what they seem, has motives of their own. But, as dark as Pan’s Labyrinth is, Fracassi really drags us down to the darkest depths of the human heart with this story. Esther’s father is consumed with grief after the loss of her mother, but this soon leads him down a terrible and disturbing path of nightly visitations to his only daughter’s bedroom. Esther records her own dreams and grief in a journal, which is where she writes of finding the strange unicorn statuette in the nearby forest, and the terrifying yet comforting beast that visits soon after. But will it lead to her salvation, or damn her to hell? One of the Weirder stories in the collection, this dark fantasy stands out thanks to the vibrant and nightmarish descriptions, as well as the bleak and disturbing circumstances.
Beginning with an archaeological dig in Utah, ‘Ateuchus’ quickly develops into something much, much bigger. The discovery of a meteorite leads to a horror story of cosmic proportions when university professor Alfie takes it home to his basement laboratory and begins his analysis. The secrets the rock holds within are sure to send shockwaves throughout the world when they are revealed, unless Alfie can exert some kind of control. But, metaphorically speaking, once the genie is out of the bottle, it is much more difficult to put it back in. Consumed by this quest, Alfie begins to lose track of time, and soon loses track of himself, so obsessed with the rock he has become. Fracassi mixes the horror of obsession with some truly gruesome body horror, while hinting at a deeper story of first contact which could come at a very steep price. A further example of the range of Fracassi’s storytelling abilities.
Told from the (frank) point of view of the former patient of a psychiatric hospital, ‘ID’ our unnamed protagonist describes their stay in the ward, while hinting at the more barbaric ward next door, before he is finally released and starts a relationship with another former patient. While he seems to be getting his life together, this relationship leads him to relapse into some bad habits while his new partner, Crystal, exhibits increasingly disturbing characteristics. Another one of the stranger stories in the collection, this one is propelled along by a warm and charismatic narrator, who struggles to extricate himself from a stranger-than-usual and awkward social situation. With some horrific added visuals and disturbing behaviour, this further showcases Fracassi’s versatility as a storyteller.
‘Fragile Dreams’ was originally released as a standalone novella (with the following story in this collection, ‘Death, My Old Friend’, as a bonus story) by Journalstone in 2016, and was subsequently reviewed on This Is Horror. But, upon our reread, we are steadfast in our belief that it is a suspenseful and terrifying trip. Matthew arrives for a job interview at a law firm on the fourth floor but, thanks to a particularly devastating disaster, finds himself buried under tons of metal and concrete. We discover much about his character through introspection and hallucinations, what he has come through to be here, and what he stands to lose. But how much is really imagined and how much is some terrifying presence that has found him beneath the rubble? While the penultimate story makes for a tense and nail-biting affair, the final story is a little more light-hearted. ‘Death, My Old Friend’ tells the story of the lifelong friendship between John and his childhood friend, Death. As with most friendships, they face their own share of hardships and awkward disagreements, but they are, of course, complicated by Death’s role as guide for the newly deceased. Although readers may feel confident in predicting the ending, Fracassi still manages to deliver a poignant and emotional journey for the reader, displaying his ability to adopt all manner of tones within his fiction.
While the new collection includes a couple of previously released stories, this is the first time they have been included in a collection and, with the inclusion of the longer original stories to open the book, we see how his fiction has progressed. Not to say his new work is a dramatic departure in style or quality from his previous work; he certainly seems to have a particular style combining incredibly detailed and compelling human relationships with big concept horror, sometimes cosmic, other times earthbound but older than human comprehension. Fracassi’s publishing history is jam-packed with quality quicksand fiction that seems serene on the surface, innocently drawing readers in, until we cannot escape its devilish clutches, and this collection is no exception. Surely a contender for those year-end awards shortlists but, even more so, a winner in the eyes of old and new fans alike.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
dark
tense
medium-paced
The writing here is so excellent, and I enjoyed nearly all of the stories. (Apart from the rat story. It was very well-written but I cannot bear rats.) I think my favourite was the last, mostly because it ended on a positive, somewhat uplifting note. It's the story of two men who have been friends since they were kids, except one of them is Death. I've read a few stories where Death is the main character, and this is one of the stand-outs. It also, like the first story "Harvest," works better for me because the speculative element is woven all the way through. It's not particularly strong or anything, but it's consistently there, and feels well-integrated. Unfortunately, that's not always the case.
The stories here are often solidly realistic, with an undercurrent of weird, but to me it's the realism that most appeals. The characterisation is so incredibly competent, in a lot of these stories, that when the speculative occurs, it can occasionally feel like intrusion. There's one story in particular, "The Wheel," where this really stands out. It, like a lot of the others collected here, is about disaster - an earthquake, a tornado, and, in the case of "The Wheel," a plane crashing into a Ferris wheel. It's tense and disturbing and horrifying, as the couple on the highest point of the wheel are increasingly endangered by inferno... and then it ends on a note that's so bizarre, and so disconnected with the rest, that I just can't sympathise with it. The rat story is the same - it's already so horrifying, that the intrusion of the speculative (and that's the second time I've used that word, but "intrusion" feels like absolutely the right one) almost lessens the horror of what's actually occurring.
They are excellent stories still.
The stories here are often solidly realistic, with an undercurrent of weird, but to me it's the realism that most appeals. The characterisation is so incredibly competent, in a lot of these stories, that when the speculative occurs, it can occasionally feel like intrusion. There's one story in particular, "The Wheel," where this really stands out. It, like a lot of the others collected here, is about disaster - an earthquake, a tornado, and, in the case of "The Wheel," a plane crashing into a Ferris wheel. It's tense and disturbing and horrifying, as the couple on the highest point of the wheel are increasingly endangered by inferno... and then it ends on a note that's so bizarre, and so disconnected with the rest, that I just can't sympathise with it. The rat story is the same - it's already so horrifying, that the intrusion of the speculative (and that's the second time I've used that word, but "intrusion" feels like absolutely the right one) almost lessens the horror of what's actually occurring.
They are excellent stories still.
A fantastic collection that takes you to some unexpected places. It's got horror and magic, some fantastic genre trappings and brilliantly orchestrated set pieces, and everything's grounded in fantastic character work that hooks the reader emotionally. Fracassi does tension brilliantly, and his writing is often quite cinematic. A brilliant, varied collection I highly recommend.
This was such an incredibly beautiful collection of stories and I am honestly a bit in awe of Fracassi's prose and his ability to weave such beauty together yet somehow create horror stories. To make horror beautiful, well that's art in itself and takes incredible skill.
This is not the sort of collection you speed through, eagerly racing towards the finish line. These are the type of stories you want and need to savour, taking time moving from each story to the next and reflecting in between. Attention to detail is needed if one is to truly appreciate this collection for what it is.
These stories are largely centred around the theme of sky but yet each is executed in a unique way. The breadth and scope within this collection is incredible. Each story pulled me in immediately and I found myself wishing the collection wouldn't end. I wanted to write about each story but I did not feel I would describe them to the true extent of what they deserved. To be honest, this is also the sort of collection that I feel the less you know the more you will appreciate each story for its true merit.
I cannot wait to read more of Fracassi's work.
This is not the sort of collection you speed through, eagerly racing towards the finish line. These are the type of stories you want and need to savour, taking time moving from each story to the next and reflecting in between. Attention to detail is needed if one is to truly appreciate this collection for what it is.
These stories are largely centred around the theme of sky but yet each is executed in a unique way. The breadth and scope within this collection is incredible. Each story pulled me in immediately and I found myself wishing the collection wouldn't end. I wanted to write about each story but I did not feel I would describe them to the true extent of what they deserved. To be honest, this is also the sort of collection that I feel the less you know the more you will appreciate each story for its true merit.
I cannot wait to read more of Fracassi's work.