Review: Death In Its Many Forms by S.H. Cooper

Synopsis

A young woman pulled from a bog. An office worker straying from routine. An author making deals in the dark.

Death comes for everyone, but never strikes the same way twice. In these ten tales, it wears many faces, turns homes into haunted places, and often, it is only the beginning.

Review

S.H Cooper writes chilling horror and breath taking fantasy, so when she releases a new book, it is not to be missed.

This collection of ten short stories is all about death, as the title suggests.

Cooper’s novels are full of intriguing premises and deep characters who refuse to be broken by the difficult, and often terrifying, circumstances they find themselves in. While the plots are much simpler in these stories, the characters are, for the most part, just as engaging and complex as their long form counterparts.

The author is skilled at writing unique personalities and bringing the reader into the characters’ heads. This works most effectively in ‘Justice Has Teeth’, where the strong voice of the character compliments the author’s lyrical style and knack for description, producing something stronger than the sum of its parts. The endearing figure of Messy in the final story, ‘Haunting the Ghosts of Halftop’, is the perfect example of the type of character Cooper writes so well. Unusual, burdened, but fighting on despite the odds. Able to see the good despite the sadness and pain that make up life. Even in less character heavy stories, such as ‘Breaking the Routine’, where it is obvious where the story is going, Cooper keeps the reader’s interest by maintaining investment in the character.

Cooper’s prose is lyrical and descriptive; able to convey a lot with few words. It is easy to sink into each story, knowing the reader is in safe hands.

Death is the main theme of this collection. Violence against women is the through line of the book. Justice for the dead is obviously an important theme for the author, as she returns to it in five different stories. Despite being the sweetest story, ‘Haunting the Ghosts of Halftop’, delves the deepest into the meaning and the sorrow of death; both for those who have gone before, and those who are left behind.

Despite so many murders in these stories, only one story comes close to exploring why people choose to kill others. ‘The Key to Happiness’ has an intriguing premise that could have been given more room to develop.

The settings vary widely in country and time period, which shows the breadth of the author’s imagination. ‘The Witch’s Path’ takes on a mythological tone, hinting at an ancient past. ‘Breaking the Routine’, ‘Human Nature’, ‘Death of the Author’, ‘The Space She Takes’, and ‘The Key to Happiness’ are all contemporary and set in familiar scenarios – an office, a store, a hotel bar, and a home. ‘Banbogach’ and ‘Charnel Mother’ are both historical pieces. The rural settings of ‘Justice has Teeth’ and ‘Haunting the Ghosts of Halftop’ are as important as the characters in the story.

While most of the stories are written in first person, some play with structure. The first story, ‘The Witch’s Path’, uses second person narration to great effect. ‘The Space She Takes’ is reminiscent of a newspaper article. The journalistic style works well in a piece that challenges the reader to question how they would react in a similar situation. The collection closes with ‘Haunting the Ghosts of Halftop’, the only story written in third person.

Each reader will vary on how much these stories touch their emotions. For the horror reader, the details of these stories will not be particularly shocking or frightening, but the strong character work will keep the reader engaged and eager to find out what happens next.

For authors, ‘Death of the Author’ is bound to inspire a mixture of horror and delight. A cautionary tale that could be an episode of ‘The Twilight Zone’, there is an aspect of wish fulfillment to this fun story, the most lighthearted of the collection.

‘Haunting the Ghosts of Halftop’, despite its gentle pace and bittersweet moments, provides a deeper look into mortality, and is a more moving story because of this.

Cooper is an accomplished writer, and these ten stories showcase her talents. Readers will choose different favorites, but each tale has something to capture the heart and imagination.

While the author excels at telling a story through first person narration and bringing the reader into the head of the character, more variety in structure and point of view between the stories would have been appreciated.

This collection is a good introduction to the author’s work. For those seeking to read more of S.H Cooper, be sure to add the following to you TBR: ‘Reap, Sow’, ‘The Ungodly Duology’, ‘Bottling His Ghosts’, and ‘Threads of Ash: South’.

A strong collection from a talented author, ‘Death in Its Many Forms’ is full of stories to entertain, make you think, and put you in another’s shoes for a few hours. Highly recommended for those looking for horror that goes deeper than a visceral reaction.