Bone Marrow Stew (2011)

Sex :
Violence :
Author Tim Curran
Publisher Tasmaniac Publications
Length 455 pages
Genre Collection
Blurb Collected Works Volume One
Country

Review

“Things happen down there, they say. Awful things by night.” – Joe

Bone Marrow Stew draws together seventeen tales of the macabre by U.S Author Tim Curran. While Curran is perhaps not well known Downunder currently, this collection should go a long way towards remedying that. The majority of the stories included have been published previously in various literary magazines but there are a number of previously unpublished tales for Curran fans to get excited about. Of course since the collection brings together a solid chunk of Curran’s work, its well worth getting your hands on in case something by the Author slips under your radar.

While previously I couldn't state that I was familiar with Tim Curran’s writing, Bones Marrow Stew certainly changed that, forcing me to cross my fingers that Tasmaniac sometime in the future, by Christmas no rush, release another volume of the Author’s work. For sure I’ll be hunting out any further available book releases by the Author as Curran shows a remarkable ability to switch styles to suit the content of the tale at hand, with each story simply dripping in tension and atmosphere.

Besides the chance to dial into a new Author via an outstanding collection, there was also the not so small matter of Tasmaniac launching a new series of books. In their most ambitious strategy to date Tasmaniac with Bone Marrow Stew have begun what they are calling “The Asylum Project”, a series of hard cover very limited editions. If that sounds slightly daunting to you then once again I would advise with a Tasmaniac release that it’s better to get in early to avoid disappointment, as to date no release from the Publisher has crossed into a second release regardless of early first print run sell outs. As of writing there are a few copies of Bone Marrow Stew available from Tasmaniac, but that’s not going to last very long.

So to the stories themselves, and we sure do have an eclectic mix going down in the collection. Curran’s style is hard to pin down as the Author jumps outlooks as the requirements of a particular story dictate. We’re talking anything from a Stephen King style voice to a style that approaches Ramsay Campbell’s elegant vision of the dark genre. I’m not entirely sure if this is Curran trying to find his own voice or a Writer with the ability to mix and match his approach to best effect. In essence it ensures that the reader is never going to be perfectly certain of what they will get when they start reading a new tale.

One of the things I really dug was Tim Curran dragging back the concept of the ghoul from the tarnish it has been labouring under since Romero’s Night of the Living Dead was misconstrued as a zombie flick. Two different beasties yo, Romero stumbled on a new guise for the zombie, but unfortunately was making a ghoul orientated movie when doing so. In stories such as The Chattering of Tiny Teeth, Queen of Spades, and Long In The Tooth, Curran re-establishes the ghoul as something to fear in the dark parathion of terror. The fact that they are darn fine stories into the bargain is a real bonus.

While I think most of us can appreciate some ghoulish behaviour that’s not all that Curran has waiting on the unwary in this collection, though notable the normal tropes of horror aren’t paraded out and marched downtown. There’s some everyday madness waiting in Red Sea, while Night And Fog adds to any phobias you might have about the open ocean, and The Wreck of the Ghost brings some Lovecraftian echoes to the party. The collection is rich in offering different delicacies from the dark genre buffet. And in case you think you are missing out on the traditional horror staples, there’s a zombie tale or two and even some ghostly trappings to be going on with.

I’m trying not to mention each and every story in the collection, mainly to avoid the dreaded spoilers but also due to the fact that we would be here till doomsday otherwise. Yes each story is worth a mention but let’s not go there.

Having said that I wanted to mention one story that struck me as matching the best a Herbert or a King could have devised. One Dark September Night… operates almost as a coming of age tale, in that sort of Stephen King small town American fashion, while wildly deviating from the script and going pretty nasty as things unfolds. It’s a remarkable achievement and for mine the best story in the collection. I would almost state that Bone Marrow Stew is worth dialling into on this story alone, but then the other stories in the collection aren’t that far away in impact and ultimate enjoyment.

Before closing, yeah I realised I am well over my world limit as per usual, I should point out that Curran does have a more literary style in stories such as Reign of the Eater and The Resurrection Man. As stated there’s a mixture of styles that are sure to capture the attention of most Readers.

As we have come to expect from Tasmaniac, Bone Marrow Stew simply screams professionalism. Besides the excellent stories, laid out on top quality paper stock, Keith Minnion provides a boat load of excellent illustrations that were a real joy to find throughout the collection. Minnion captures the essence of what Curran is doing story wise making for one heck of an enjoyable reading experience. Oops almost forgot to mention that there is a forward from renowned Brit horror maverick Simon Clark. And you wonder why Tasmaniac are held in such high regard!

Okay so I rocked on with this collection, Tasmaniac have kicked a major here kids, and I’ve found a new must read Writer whose name is now chiselled into my tree of counted sorrows. One of the best collections of the year in terms of quality and content, full recommendation this book is one that you simply cannot miss … assuming you can get a copy before the print run is depleted.

If after additional information then hit Tasmaniac, where you might be lucky to grab one of the few remaining hardbacks for $40. Did I mention these are strictly limited numbered releases? Tim Curran maintains a web presence right about here that appears to be regularly updated. Oh and Keith Minnion is lurking over in this direction. Knock yourself out there kids.

Beyond Scary Rates this read as ...

  Take down the name Tim Curran, you are going to be hearing a lot about him in the coming years.