Rating: 4 of 5
Synopsis: “Climb halfway down the stairs with Bram Stoker Award-Winning author Gary A. Braunbeck, into worlds that occupy the spaces between “here” and “there,” where office workers become little more than scrolls of code and an ordinary man discovers that he has to help reassemble the missing face of God; from battle-scarred veterans who have to protect their village from encroaching spirits to a college experiment that may bring about the end of days, all of these stories feature Braunbeck’s trademark element: an unblinking eye for emotional detail that elevates the subject matter of each piece into the realm of the genuinely literary.” (source)
My thoughts: There’s truly something for everyone in this behemoth collection, Halfway Down The Stairs, that covers Braunbeck’s 30-plus year career. Genres range from horror to mystery to science fiction; there are short pieces and stories over 35 pages long. Where I think Braunbeck excels is the people who populate his stories and the ideas that permeate every layer. I’d only read Mr. Hands prior to this collection, but I’m now a die-hard fan and I cannot wait to read more of his novels. Next on the list: In Silent Graves.
This took me nearly six months to complete! Highly recommended to Braunbeck’s fans.
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(Review cross-posted on LibraryThing and Goodreads.)
Received paperback from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.