Synopsis
Return to the world of Renfield County from the Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of Edenville. Perfect for fans of Paul Tremblay and Eric LaRocca.
“You remember all the stories, right? Monsters and giants and kid-eaters and that guy in the tub? Of course you do…”
There’s something wrong in Renfield County. It’s in the walls of the county’s historic houses, in the water, in the soil. But far worse than that—it’s embedded deep within everyone who lives here. From the detective desperate to avoid hurting his own family; to the man so consumed with feeling zen that he will pursue horrific, life-changing surgery to achieve it. From the townspeople taken by ancient, unknowable forces; to those who find themselves lost in the woods, pursued by the beasts who lurk within the trees.
Yes, there’s something very wrong in Renfield County—something that has been very wrong for a very long time. Something that is watching.
Something that is hungry.
From the mind of acclaimed author Sam Rebelein, return to the Bram Stoker Award-nominated world of Edenville in this interconnected series of short stories, and discover the true secrets of Renfield County.
Review
One thing that I love about the horror genre is that often times, the author or creative team will make the setting itself as much of a character as the main cast themselves. Castle Rock, Hill House, Silent Hill, the list goes on. Each of these settings feel like they have their own history, their own myths, local legends, skeletons buried deep. You always get the feeling that these are breathing, living entities, with a life blood that flows through them, could exist as its own force, despite the fact that it is the people living their lives and the choices that they make, the histories they build, that are what ultimately make these places come alive.
And this is exactly what Sam Rebelein is going for in this collection of short stories, The Poorly Made & Other Things. Set in the fictional county of Renfield County – which is also the same setting as Rebelein’s debut, Edenville – Rebelein takes us on a journey of an almost mythological retelling level of local legends, stories, CreepyPasta type tales, in 10 shorts that, on their own, completely stand alone. But Rebelein connects all these stories together by a linked thread, an email exchange between a sister and her estranged brother, as she recounts her own research into their home town of Renfield County and the mass murder of a family that seemly has tainted this town.
Amongst these stories, Sam also sprinkles little “easter eggs” between them all. In one story, you have Hector Brim, a mysterious man who features heavily in the first story. Later on, another story references the Brim family. It’s these that also make these stories feel true to life, that make them feel like they are fully part of a community gossiping with one another, and stories, urban legends, being passed from person to person. It’s another layer of depth to this twisted town.
Of course, as I’ve already said, each of these stories also stands as a terrifying, creepy, horrible tale all on their own. And each are wildly different from what comes before – even experimental in their telling. One is told from a second person narrative – a style of storytelling I usually despise – except here it’s done to create a very effective chase type thriller, which an entity relentless stalking the main protagonist (i.e. us). We have a story from the POV of a child, as if that child is telling this story to us, and I could imagine they are distractedly colouring in a picture with some crayons whilst they do it – which makes this story creative. Which is cool to see. Which this reference will go straight over your head if you haven’t read this one.
Ultimately, we have a package of cosmic, body, gothic, slasher, tragic, folkloric horror tales that makes each story feel totally fresh, linked together by an email chain that creates a mystery to bind these together. All the stories are just enough to have the right amount of bite, like sitting down to a Michelin-starred 10 course tasting experience. Yes, you might only have a mouthful per story, but its so rich, bold, and the flavours are so widely varying, that it creates a satisfying experience. This feels like a modern day Icelandic Tales, through the lens of small town USA. I’m really looking to what Sam Rebelein does next, and luckily, I still have Edenville to fall back onto, for one more journey to the fucked-up town of Renfield County! A highly recommended collection!
With thanks to Titan Books for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
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