Only The Broken Remain by Dan Coxon
Thanks to Black Shuck Books for an advance copy of this collection in exchange for a fair and honest review
Publisher - Black Shuck Books
Published - Out Now
Price - £11.99 paperback £1.99 eBook via publisher link here because I am kind!
A young man joins a circus where the mysterious ringmaster is more interested in watching him fail. An immigrant worker forms an unlikely alliance with his housing estate’s foxes. A fraudulent accountant goes on the run, but loses herself in the dry heat of Australia.
This debut collection from Dan Coxon unearths the no man’s land between dreams and nightmares, a place where the strange is constantly threatening to seep through into our everyday reality. Populated by the lost and the downtrodden, the forgotten and the estranged, these stories follow in the tradition of Thomas Ligotti, Robert Aickman and Joel Lane. Because when the dust has settled and the blood has been washed away, Only the Broken Remain.
When does horror become fantasy and what’s the dividing line? What makes one say be just dark and eerie versus unsettling terrifying - how do we tell the difference? In film Guillermo Del Toro crosses the line often and we end up loving the monstrous and hating the authorities then fearing the giant cockroach person that’s right behind you. In fiction Shirley Jackson is a great example of someone who delights in making you uncomfortable via everyday things not feeling quite right. The delight in storytelling is the author sends us down a path we haven’t been down before and great author doesn’t make realise exactly where I am until it’s too late. In Dan Coxon’s new collection Only The Broken Remain we get a enthralling set of tales that could be tricks or treats and you won’t know until you’ve finished the last bite…or it bites you.
In this collection tales I really enjoyed were
Stanislav in Foxtown - Stanislav is an immigrant in a run down part of the U.K. working for a uncaring Mr Sharples in a fast food place. Stanislav realises this empty part of town now largely deserted bar for his dilapidated hone is getting overrun with foxes and Stanislav has access to something they may want to trade for. Couldn’t help think of Brexit when you read this tale but the main attraction is the atmosphere of a town where nature is coming back with sharp teeth, eerie and hungry.
Roll Up, Roll Up - Robbie a man of little talent is unexpectedly hired by a circus. His lack of skills is strangely treasured by the crew and he starts to feel as if he’s found a home and acceptance at last. Circuses are always to me creepy but this is a good example of trying to work out when the other shoe will drop. Initially just funny and weird when that show finally falls the story grabs you by the throat hard.
Only The Broken Remain - Alison is reluctantly staying at home due to an incident at work. Lost and alone she is getting disturbed by constant banging and starts to investigates the house’s secrets. A tale of madness, loss, pain and hope. A standout tale I really can’t say more about but it’s brilliantly written giving an insight into characters and secrets without ever being explicit!
Miriam Is Not At Her Desk - a woman arrives in Australia trying hard not to think about work. She seeks luxury and distraction but it never lasts long. A strange tale of guilt and trying to escape your life with a surprising left turn.
Baddavine - a small place in the middle of nowhere knows they have a strange presence outside. It drives the town to hostile action. A great example of a story where your view of monsters may alter with reading.
Far From Home - a business trip to Swindon gets stranger and stranger. I really liked how this tale makes a selfish businessman take a left turn into the land is weirdness. Very redolent of the Twilight Zone in its approach.
Ones and Zeroes - a young woman finds a new home all is well…but the house never settles and there are strange noises to investigate. No one likes the idea of a strange sound when you live alone and this is definitely a trip into horror. Malevolent and inexplicable that strikes you out of nowhere - great scares await!
No One’s Child - a young London evacuee tells us of her adventures in a stately home where she stays with a hostile patron. No doorways to Narnia but instead something nastier awaits. This story goes into a very different direction than you’d expect and revenge is sometimes going to be nasty. Deliciously wicked.
After The Reservoir - A young teenager gets away from home for some peace and finds he touches the unexplained. A cross between cosmic horror and fantasy as someone sees their universe broken. Powerful and unsettling either idea of you accidentally passing something completely outside all your understanding. Another highlight in the collection.
Static Ritual (With Dan Carpenter) - we meet a man in 2013 who is fixated by a strange image. We go backwards through his life via various medium including video tapes watching a car crash backwards. A tale of obsession and how the weird can get it hooks into you and never let go. Unnerving and I’m never sure why but the atmosphere is spot on.
This is a fantastic collection and I enjoyed each story never knowing if I would be comforted or disconcerted. We cross the globe with a myriad of memorable characters and strange forces delivering a fantastic celebration of the strange - highly recommended for those who like to go down the scary forest paths!
bonus feature - to hear more from Dan on the collection I’ve an interview at this link here
