Customer Reviews

Pressure Points

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I first became familiar with Craig Wolf's writing a few years ago when Deadbolt Magazine published a delightfully dark story of his called "Need". So when I heard that a collection of his stories was being published, I eagerly bought a copy. I started the collection with high expectations, and I wasn't disappointed.

I'm guessing this collection is going to be described as horror more often than not, and I suppose that's true to en extent. However, if your idea of horror is based around demons, monsters, and the occasional unstoppable axe-murderer, this collection might not be for you. While these stories do feature a beastie and supernatural entity or two, they are more focused on the horror of the human condition (in fact, a couple of the stories aren't horror at all), and that's what gives them a higher quality than most. Scaring us with rats, zombies, and soul-devouring demons is easy, scaring us with ourselves is a much harder task.

So, what are the stories like? They actually remind me a lot of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/artist/glance/-/123517/ref=pd_ap_sr/002-4318973-7130465">The Handsome Family</a>'s music; sometimes humorous, sometimes touching, sometimes about the wrongness that surrounds us... and often a thoughtful mix of the three. I particularly enjoyed the power of "Dripping Water Carves the Stone", the horror of "Mrs. Grady", the tension of "Pressure Points", the oddity of "The Louse Of Mirth", and "A Life, Vanilla, No Topping" (which really leaves me hoping Wolf revisits the characters), and the touching spirit of "Visiting Hour". But for me the best of the bunch (and worth the cost of admission itself) is the festival of quirks, "A Tryptich". Mr. Wolf, if you're reading this, just say the word and I'll FedEx you a couple pounds of French Roast and a handful of CDs if it means I get more stories like this one.

Although I'm not a big fan of the horror genre, I was exposed to some of Mr. Wolf's shorter prose pieces over the Internet and happily picked up a copy of this book. Most of the tales are short, with only the closing piece "Lazarus Descended" running over 15 pages. However, each piece is well thought out and detailed, sometimes encapsulating in a paragraph what lesser writers might drag out for three pages.

Standout stories include the aforementioned "Lazarus Descending", a creepy little number titled "Mrs. Grady," the title piece, and a most fascinating discourse on historical retribution, "Dripping Water Carves the Stone."

The last story magnifies what I enjoy the most about Mr. Wolf's work -- although there are one or two stories that, to me, typify the horror genre, "Dripping Water" confronts the reader with a very unique thought concept and provides both an entertaining and thought provoking telling. To me, it's traditional story telling at its best.

I particularly enjoyed Mr. Wolf's introductions to each piece, which served to give further insight into the story and his creative process. Negative points would include some bad language and one or two philosophical points on which Mr. Wolf and I differ.

But, for the raw force of the written word, that's really not all that important, is it? Agree or disagree, you will be entertained, and likely come out the other end of the book with some thought concepts of your own.

This collection of stories falls short of greatness. As a first collection, it's still worth the money. Some of the longer stories, such as "Lazarus Descended" don't pack the punch they should, but there are gems here. "Dripping Water Carves The Stone" is very effective. "Sketches in the Sun" recalls a young Richard Matheson. "Mrs. Grady" is a chilling, if unusually told, horror story. Mr. Wolf is no Stephen King. Yet. But this collection indicates a fair amount of promise. There's something here to offend everyone. I submit to you that's a plus. For those who like their speculative fiction with teeth, as with the works of Harlan Ellison or Dan Simmons, may find much to their taste here. Worth the money.

Ouch! This collection by Wolf is asoundingly rough to grapple with. It's a wild beast that yelps and snaps its toothy jaws. "Lazarus Descended" reminded me of Clive Barker, back when he was good. "Mrs. Grady" was like Stephen King. Other spec fic icons like Harlan Ellison, Richard Matheson, Jack Ketchum, to name a few, have clearly influenced this young Oklahoman. Is it still legal to write disturbing and thought-provoking stuff like this in a "Red" state? "Dripping Water..." is enough to send the author off to the banned book aisle (or concentration camp for "irreverent thinking") in some alternate reality for sure!

At first, I was a little dubious about this book. I usually don't enjoy short stories, as they mostly leave me not caring to have more...

This, however is not the case with Pressure Points. Craig Wolf has crafted a collection of stories that border on everything from the outrageous to the sublime.

An equal opportunity offender, Wolf pulls no punches when it comes to controversial subjects such as the holocaust. I went into the story with trepidation, but ended up wanting more.

And that goes for the whole book. These stories have definite endings, but many of them had me demanding for sequels.

Kudos to a great book and a promising author!!

These 13 stories may push the envelope, but none will disappoint. Some highlights include "Dripping Water Carves the Stone," which, set in Biblical Egypt, tells of a father vowing to avenge his son's murder, no matter how long the wait; "Sketches In the Sun," in which Wolf shows his Bradbury influence; and "Boot," a tall tale about a collector who goes too far. I'd recommend this to any fan of horror or speculative fiction, especially if you're looking to read a cutting edge voice.

Very well written, unusual stores that grabbed me. If you haven't read this, get it now!