The Souls of Drowning Mountain
For me, this story greatly blurs the line between Fantasy and Horror. I think this is a result of not only the story itself but also of the style in which it is written. The story style is very "cold." Everything is somewhat drear, and it definately reads from the mind of a manly man ( which makes since seeing that the author is a mack-truck-driving-mountain-man. ) To me, this style both takes away from the fantasy element as well as the horror element. It makes the story a bit too dreary to be entirely fantasy and a bit too slow and calm to be completely horrific.
The Zombies seem like the distant, hillbilly cousins to those whacky Canadian Zombies we read about in Kelly Link. They're obviously not entirely frightening like zombies often are portrayed, and they can be confused for regular people. The reader is made to feel somewhat sorry for these poor, living-dead miners, and the mangled bodies flying from the exploding Cadiallac seem a fitting payment for their forsaken lives and the way they've been treated.
My only complaint is that the story seems to be a bit lop-sided. There is a strong buildup to the explosion, but things get very faint and lazy at the climax and conclusion of the story.
The Zombies seem like the distant, hillbilly cousins to those whacky Canadian Zombies we read about in Kelly Link. They're obviously not entirely frightening like zombies often are portrayed, and they can be confused for regular people. The reader is made to feel somewhat sorry for these poor, living-dead miners, and the mangled bodies flying from the exploding Cadiallac seem a fitting payment for their forsaken lives and the way they've been treated.
My only complaint is that the story seems to be a bit lop-sided. There is a strong buildup to the explosion, but things get very faint and lazy at the climax and conclusion of the story.
posted by Joel at 8:32 PM
2 Comments:
I agree that the story seems a bit removed. I kept expecting something really horrific to happen, especially the way the narrator goes on about the whole thing, but I have to admit I like the twist on the typical "oppressed coal-miners" idea.
The premise of the story was very intriguing, but I think the writing itself didn't do the idea justice. You're right - there was a great build up then...nothing. No high point or real resolution. I actually think that's an alarming trend in all writing today, to leave the end blurry so you can just fit your interpretation in there. But it seems pretty hard for me to add interpretation to a plot ending that isn't there.
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