Occasional Demons

Since his first novel, Moondeath, was published in 1980, Rick Hautala s novels and stories have entertained millions of readers around the world.Now, as a companion volume to Bedbugs, his first career-spanning collection of short stories, Cemetery Dance is proud to present Occasional Demons.And once again, like Bedbugs, award-winning artists and Cemetery Dance favorite Glenn Chadbourne has illustrated every one of the more than twenty-four stories, which include collaborations with Matthew Costello, Jim Connolly, his sons Jesse and Matti, and someone named A.J. Matthews.In the midst of normal life, whether it s a tree house in a small Maine town, a fog-shrouded lighthouse, or a darkened tavern on a rain-swept night in October, there are demons. Some of them lurk in the darkest corners of a house. Some of them lurk in our hearts and minds. We might, on occasion, catch a glimpse of them, but all too often it s too late to save ourselves...And they re all gathered here. In fact, within these pages, you ll find a demon for just about any occasion.

From Publishers Weekly

All the stories in Hautala's second horror collection (after 2000's Bedbugs) are competently told, though they lack the sense of discovery that accompanies great horror fiction. The mere jangle of a presumably nonexistent piano in "The Nephews" has the lobstermen at a Maine bar advising immediate flight. An insomniac, possibly a murderer, is unable to sleep without a newly committed act of horror in "Nightmare Transcript." A fussy bookstore employee who foolishly ordered a mysterious leather-covered book finds that it possesses vampirish tendencies that gradually consume a small rug, her cat, her lover and herself in "Non-returnable." Science fiction and horror mix a little uneasily in "The Man Who Looked Like Murphy," while "Toxic Shock" takes a distinctively unusual approach to the politics of abortion. Eight brief but potent Untcigahunk Indian stories and three collaborative efforts round out the volume. Glenn Chadbourne's illustrations perfectly complement the text. (May) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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