Friday, September 25, 2015

Literature Review #15, Roses are Red

2011's "Roses are Red" is a nifty trio of horrific stories from Carrie Green.  After reading the set, it occurred to me that if O'Henry had been a horror writer, his stories would have read much like Ms. Green's.  Irony and terror will compete in the task of leaving a lasting impression on you after finishing these stories.
All three stories are hard hitting and quick to terrify.  In her opening story, "A Long Distance Relationship," we meet a monster, Allan.  This fiend proves to be a vicious murderer and misogynist. Killing humans is less stressful to him than daily traffic.  Is there any stopping him?  Yep....and his past may end up tormenting him for eternity.  Next, Ms. Green gives us a scifi/horror tale of a scary future that may not be that far down the road.  In a voyage through the solar system, Ms. Green shows us where we may be headed in this increasingly computerized world.  Unlike the previous story, the creatures are relationship starved computers.

I have to confess that my favorite story may be one that is not, on the surface, a horror story.  In "Cash Only," we meet a bounty hunter on the trail of a bank robbery suspect.  As the story ended, the images created by the final sentence are brutal.  Whatever journeys our human conditions take us, harsh reality may nullify any chance of redemption and atonement.  Though the story appears to have a good guy and a bad guy (lady actually), the line separating good and bad is erased in a conclusion that doesn't worry about leaving you with the warm and fuzzies.
I repeat, these stories are hard hitting and brutal.  Enjoy them on your next airplane flight or morning train ride by ordering "Roses are Red" from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/ROSES-ARE-RED-Carrie-Green-ebook/dp/B005L36HKS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443199454&sr=1-1&keywords=carrie+green .  Also avail yourselves to Ms. Green's other works, "Violets are Blue" and "Sugar is Sweet."
 

1 comment:

  1. Thank you for your kind words, "If O'Henry had been a horror writer, his stories would have read much like Ms. Green's." WOW! Roses may be red, but I'm tickled pink!

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