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| Cover Image courtesy of Four Winds Bar Publishing |
I received a HWA read request in my inbox for this little cosmic horror piece, and I chose to check it out for the oddest of reasons: the author's name happens to be a name I recognize from my high school days. We weren’t necessarily friends—or enemies, for that matter. Or even in the same graduating class. And as I write this, I’m not convinced that @thatscarylarry is even the Larry I had a passing knowledge of. It’s plausible though. And that’s kinda weird.
Much like the novella in question, The Eris Ridge Trail, by Larry Hinkle, is kinda weird in a cosmic/weird tales kind of way. It’s an imaginative story of a random group of people (and their dogs, in some cases) who individually get lost in different locations across the country, while on the same named trail. They find each other in this weird new world that seems to be otherwise desolate, and that randomly shifts through time, sometimes at photo shutter speeds.
Each character among this ragtag group is also in a state of being lost within the trajectory of their lives, and because of it, they gravitate to becoming a much needed family. They learn to depend on each other in a world full of constantly shifting unknowns.
It's a cleverly written piece and a quick read at just under 200 pages. The characters are relatable and likable enough and, of course, the dogs are adorable saints and saviors to some degree. That having been said, I didn’t feel like there was much of a character arc for any of them—no real epiphany for them to come to. The horror aspect was mostly situational, and not really the result of anything derived from deep character flaws. Mistakes are made throughout their combined attempts to return home, but I felt like the reason why this was happening to these characters in particular was left unanswered.
The horror aspect of the story as a whole was atmospheric, with a couple of gory parts that were relatively brief. Overall, this is a pleasant novella length story from a promising newish voice.
Click on the cover image above for options to buy.
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