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Mike Allen's "Unseaming" was THE collection of 2014. Hell, it's one of the finest collections I've ever read. Extraordinary stories of loss, sin and the greater cosmos."Her Acres of Pastoral Playground" is a truly frightening tale. Many of these pieces are indeed short, and what Allen is able to do with just a few pages is a revelation. "The Button Bin", "The Blessed Days" and "Let There Be Darkness" should gain momentum until they are considered modern classics. "The Quiltmaker" is a tour-de-force of multiple perspective retribution.
"Unseaming" is a collection I will cherish and return to more often than a sane man should. Notice has been served - this is 'top-of-the-food-chain' amazing.
I found each of the stories to be quite unique; especially in the style of writing the author chooses to use. Each tale starts off rather innocently and slowly builds to a sense of utter bewilderment and unsettling horror as the reader realizes what's happening . Very well done; highly recommend especially for fans of Lovecraft-type tales of extra dimensional nightmares.
4.0 out of 5 starsUtterly twisted. Utterly brilliant.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 5, 2015
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Great collection of dark fantasy and body horror short stories, some of which tie together. Be aware that the stories can be a bit surreal, making them harder to follow / understand than traditional tales.
The first few stories are absolutely excellent, five star ratings without a doubt. However these are let down slightly by some of the middle content which, even to me, was occasionally too much to follow. This is pulled back by the penultimate story which, with its Cronenberg style body horror (think Videodrome or Yuzna's Society), conjured such vivid images it left me wishing I had the artistic talent to draw the grotesque churning monster of flesh the story made me picture!
A highly recommended collection for horror fans. I will be looking for more of Allen's work!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 26, 2020
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I thought the few stories I read were written okay, but the subject matter didn't suit me. Don't let me put you off as I think they are more for a younger generation. I was brought up on MR James and his compatriots.
4.0 out of 5 starsWeird? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 5, 2015
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As one reviewer noted, this is "a bit weird".
Yes, yes it is. That's kind of the point I think. And it's weird in a very good way. I believe one of the stories in this - "The Button Bin" - is an award winner of some kind. I can believe it. It's distinctly unsettling.
I don't want to go into details for any of the stories - I think it's best if you experience them for yourselves without any spoilers. It will help maintain the "bit weird" feeling if you don't know what to expect. I do think there were a couple of weaker pieces in the middle though that could probably have been cut to give a stronger overall collection that may have rated 5 stars, but on the whole a very satisfying read.
![Unseaming by [Mike Allen, Laird Barron]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51zLAj-kAjL._SY346_.jpg)
