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A review by tobin_elliott
Corpsemouth and Other Autobiographies by John Langan
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I was lucky enough to be seated beside John Langan about a month ago at a gathering of horror authors somewhere in the Hudson Valley, and I picked up both THE FISHERMAN, that I was actually halfway through listening to as I'd made the drive down to the event, and I also grabbed this book, primarily because the "OTHER AUTOBIOGRAPHIES" part of the title caught my eye...because a lot of my own horror writing is often partially autobiographical.
Langan did not disappoint here. Each of these absolute jewels is a study in short story creation. And I'll state right up front that, while Langan often uses the same template for coming at each story, each one is very much its own beast, and a completely unique creation.
What you'll find in these 11 stories is a slow, careful build up of the world in which the story takes place... Langan takes pains with the narrating character, as well as the other key players, and the setting, often providing a lovingly detailed backstory as necessary. Does he occasionally perhaps give too much information out? Maybe, but I will say that at no point did I feel any of my time wasted with anything he chose to deliver.
Then, once the stage is set, Langan brings in the weird. And his imagination knows no bounds here, however the common element seems to be that we inhabit just one of the various realities on tap, and sometimes we get glimpses into the other ones, and it rarely goes well for us.
What Langan excels at—aside from bringing both the wonder and the dread—is the truly real emotion that would go along with whatever hell he's offering up. I find that, in a lot of horror, while there's initial panic, it's often quickly supplanted by a "well, it's happening, lets try and survive!" mentality that mostly sidesteps the ongoing mental anguish that the characters should struggle with throughout the ordeal. Langan brings that.
And that, to me, is what makes these incredibly fantastic stories frighteningly real to me.
I absolutely loved this collection.
And, even better? To then discover in his story notes that most of these things really do spring from various elements of Langan's life? Well, that's just icing on the cake.
Langan did not disappoint here. Each of these absolute jewels is a study in short story creation. And I'll state right up front that, while Langan often uses the same template for coming at each story, each one is very much its own beast, and a completely unique creation.
What you'll find in these 11 stories is a slow, careful build up of the world in which the story takes place... Langan takes pains with the narrating character, as well as the other key players, and the setting, often providing a lovingly detailed backstory as necessary. Does he occasionally perhaps give too much information out? Maybe, but I will say that at no point did I feel any of my time wasted with anything he chose to deliver.
Then, once the stage is set, Langan brings in the weird. And his imagination knows no bounds here, however the common element seems to be that we inhabit just one of the various realities on tap, and sometimes we get glimpses into the other ones, and it rarely goes well for us.
What Langan excels at—aside from bringing both the wonder and the dread—is the truly real emotion that would go along with whatever hell he's offering up. I find that, in a lot of horror, while there's initial panic, it's often quickly supplanted by a "well, it's happening, lets try and survive!" mentality that mostly sidesteps the ongoing mental anguish that the characters should struggle with throughout the ordeal. Langan brings that.
And that, to me, is what makes these incredibly fantastic stories frighteningly real to me.
I absolutely loved this collection.
And, even better? To then discover in his story notes that most of these things really do spring from various elements of Langan's life? Well, that's just icing on the cake.