I don’t remember if I read my first H. P. Lovecraft story in elementary or junior high school. But, when given a chance to review a book entitled Lovecraft’s Pillow and Other Weird Tales I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read it. I didn’t want to ruin the relationship. However, I’ve had the chance to read some of K. Scott Forman’s other work including his story in The Hunger. I thought Lovecraft would be treated well.
I picked up a copy of Lovecraft’s Pillow and Other Weird Tales at the League of Utah Writers Spring into Books 2018 event for review purposes.
The Selection
Lovecraft’s Pillow and Other Weird Tales by K. Scott Forman is a collection of horror stories, as one would expect. The author selected thirteen of his short works to reprint. I am sure Forman purposefully selected thirteen because he also wrote the foreword on Friday, April 13, 2018.
These tales are a showcase of Forman’s ability to tell a good horror story. Settings are from the past, the present, and into the future. These tales range from lighter horror stories crafted to make you think about the possibilities to those reminiscent of the book’s namesake with the teller slipping into realms of insanity.
The Progression
The first story, The House That Jack Built, is told in the style of H. P. Lovecraft. By the end you are left wondering if the person is sane or if there is something greater to be concerned about. Lovecraft’s Pillow brackets the book at the end, tying the just over 100 page book nicely together.
Between the brackets be prepared to take a ride that will slide you to one side and then jerk you back the other way.
Forman’s book structure creates a wonderful arc taking the reader on a journey. The stories are stand-alone tales that build on the theme, taking you from recollection of the style to a final resting place that keeps you thinking about what may come next.
Overall
Lovecraft’s Pillow is an excellent collection for anyone who enjoys horror shorts. I found this to be a wonderfully decrepit read.
Lovecraft’s Pillow and Other Weird Tales is published by Fear Knocks Press, which is where Forman also maintains a blog.
I give Lovecraft’s Pillow 4 ½ out of 5.
About the Author (From the Book)
K. Scott Forman is a writer and editor. He co-edited and contributed to the first three volumes of Fast Forward: A Collection of Flash Fiction along with working on three more volumes, a novel, and a flash novel for Fast Forward Press. He also edited It Came From the Great Salt Lake: A Collection of Utah Horror and has published several short stories and poems. He was the recipient of the Robert Creeley Scholarship in 2007 at Naropa University, and graduated with a Master in Fine Arts degree in 2009. Scott teaches English Composition at Weber State University, and was an adjunct faculty member at the National Cryptologic School. He is a member of the Horror Writers Association (HWA) and enjoys long walks in inclement weather, sunsets with blood in them, and Metallica at volumes determined unsafe by the Surgeon General. He currently is at work on the Great American Novel. He makes his home in the Rocky Mountains with his family and a collection of guitars.