Tales of the Weak & The Wounded

     Tales of the Weak and the Wounded by Gary McMahon is a fantastic collection. McMahon is one of my favorite writers, and he certainly lived up to all of my expectations with these stories. A few in here have stuck with me for weeks afterward. One in particular, The Leaner, has stayed with me. I think it's one of those tales that speaks to our irrational fear of things that in real life can't hurt us, but we find them creepy nonetheless. There are also a few in here that have Lovecraftian monsters and that great sense of surprise at the end; I won't name which ones since the there is so much fun in seeing the complete turn things take. Diving Deep, Teen Spirit, and Gone Away Girl all had a more contemplative feel to them; they were stories that had me thinking about them long after and musing on things like loss and the way we relate to others and the world around us. This collection shows off the range McMahon has within his story telling; they are tales that will evoke a full range of emotions from the reader and bring you back for more.

     I have this book in hardcover, and I wanted to also mention that it is a well made, nice looking book. For those of you who enjoy collecting things, this one is well worth having in hardcover. It has a nice dust jacket, and the spine is stamped with the author and title in gold lettering underneath that. There is also a ribbon marker to keep your place. The hardcover edition is limited to 100 signed and numbered copies, and it is something I am proud to have on my bookshelf.

Dark Regions Press

I give it five cocktails.