Joe Hill – 20th Century Ghosts
Ironically, it’s not the ghost stories, monsters or undead that will scare you…it goes much deeper than that.
Although historically, horror has provided popular, imaginative stories from Frankenstein to Carrie, i’ts hard to deny that in recent times the critical opinion of the genre has slipped. I mean if the literary world was a classroom, horror would be the bullied kid in the corner who gets beaten up and dismissed. Why? Well just like a bullied kid you could say it’s because of the apparent lack of good looks, its differences and the notion that it’s slightly slow, because it provides no substance and no great meaning about life.
It’s a notion I hate with all genres. I do however, see why many critics pick up this opinion, since writers these days seem hell bent on making money from over-used and cliché ideas like vampires and werewolves in a stale and conventional sense (see Twilight), but there are also good writers out there…and one in particular who writes not just good solid horror, but modern refreshed horror is Joe Hill, whose anthology ’20th Century Ghosts’ proves against critical prejudice that horror can do more than scare.
The first story is the just over a page long; ‘Scheherazade’s Typewriter’ is about a writer whose typewriter continues his work after its owners death. It was a very neat story and a nice starting point. At first it did feel ill-placed in terms of being outside the anthology in a sense, but I later felt it was a good way to perhaps sum up the nature of the writing industry, that even after death words and stories never stop flowing. Officially, the book starts off with brilliant investigation of the genre, which focuses on an exhausted editor of a horror anthology trying to track down a reclusive writer. (We’ve all been there – Ed). It’s a story that epitomizes the genre while keeping you entertained with Hill’s realistic yet punky writing style. Not only does it offer an ironic parody of horror in an inoffensive and rejuvenating light but through its predictable conclusion you know you were treated to an award winner. Likewise, 20th Century Ghost, the story of a haunted movie theatre is truly heart warming as the theatre owner faces both bankruptcy and his own morality. It’s a simple, beautiful story, if not for the ghost I think a critic might call it ‘literature’.
Pop Art, however, is perhaps Hill’s finest achievement for me. It feels completely realistic and true to life, and has an ending that makes you upset, angry and yet slightly hopeful. However, You Will Hear the Locus Sing can’t live up to the strength previous holy trinitity, but thankfully it’s Hill’s only mediocre attempt. The story about a child who turns into a giant locus feels clumsy from the start and doesn’t seem to keep your full attention. The ending though does have a satisfying conclusion reminiscent of the classic B-movies. Post-disappointment we receive three good, solid stories, starting with Abraham’s Boys. This is based around the cold and distant sons of the famous vampire hunter, Van Helsing, and shows the nature process of when son surpasses father in a whole new way. Better Than Home, a novella about a boy with mental disabilities and his relationship with his dad is sweet and at the end shows some people’s inability and ignorance against those different from themselves. Black Phone is about a kidnapped boy who’s placed in a room that the dead can call, is enjoyable but really nothing special. The Cape recaptures the brilliance of Hill’s writing, as it follows the life of a man who as a child had a cape that let him fly. It’s a lovely story dealing with our choice whether to live in fantasy or reality and a relatable tale with an ending that’s unexpected and will make you smile.
Last Breath is my favourite idea; a story of a museum which holds the last breaths of famous people, was awe inspiring, well written but was too short. I say that, as I really wanted to explore the museum just that tiny bit more. The short and simple Dead-Wood was a ghost story about trees, it doesn’t sound like much but when it’s done you won’t want to go down to the woods alone. The Widow’s Breakfast is about as plain as Hill gets, being the story of a homeless maid who receives a free breakfast from a kindly widow, but the stories’ final words make everything worth while. Bobby Conroy Comes Back From the Dead, however, is gripping from start to finish, a true modern horror in an unconventional sense. It deals with an actor who having failed in New York, returns home and while acting in a George A Romero zombie film, finds his former comedy partner and girl of his dreams, married…It’s emotionally gripping but pulls tightly on the true the ironies of life. My Father’s Mask is a trippy tale of a family who spend the weekend at a cabin in the woods…making me think if Stanley Kubrick was to write a short story, this would be it. Finally, Voluntary Committal, is another emotionally charged novella dealing with a boy with autism who builds box forts that lead to other worlds. The anthology started on a high, and with this it ends on one too.
As an anthology, there are repeated themes that appear; from the protagonists in one way or another all being social exiles, to the fact that some stories deal with horror in an unconventional way. Although it contains stories of giant insects, vampires, ghosts and film-set zombies, many stories rely on our fears of our social status, our past mistakes and our relationships with others, which frankly is more frightening than any member of the Munster family. However, I suspect they would scare the pants off critics who have dismissed horror for lacking substance and meaning. I apologise for this long winded review, but I suspect if you made it this far you are hopefully intrigued my Mr Hill’s ability to tap into new areas of fears, that quite rightly make him the king of ‘modern’ horror.
Maybe in the future,it’ll even be classed as ‘literature’.
Great review, I wish to see this book on the shelves of the local library soon! <3
I mean, I haven’t seen this book around here in Finland yet. x) At least not in the three libraries I have access to, heh…