20th Century Ghosts

I like Stephen King very much. Sometimes, mostly lately, I've had to try hard to keep liking him, but overall I think he's usually worthwhile reading. When I found out that Joe Hill, the author of 20th Century Ghosts, was his son, I was angry that Mr. Hill would even try to write a book. Surely, he couldn't live up to the legacy that his father left. The only reason I picked up the book was because he didn't capitalize on his last name, but instead chose to shorten up his middle name- Hillstrom-and use Hill as his pen name to hide his King heritage. I figured that it might be readable, but if not then I could just set it on the shelf to gather dust. He wasn't good. He was VERY good. I would even say, better than his father...maybe not yet, but I think he will be.

I'm not usually a fan of short stories. I like long novels where I can get to know the characters intimately. Short stories leave me feeling unfulfilled sometimes, like I was cheated out of something better and richer. This isn't always the case. I love O. Henry and John Updike, just to name a few. Short stories are something that are becoming lost in our culture, and I think it's a tragedy. Joe Hill has managed to jump the hurdles of the present and execute little gems that are a true pleasure to read.

While, technically, the stories are supposed to be horror, they go far beyond that genre. They are bizarre and touching at the same. The tales are often gruesome, but not overtly so. Pop Art, probably my favorite, is about an inflatable boy with a tragic wish and is truly a beautiful story about friendship. Some of then endings of the stories aren't what you would expect, but to me that's what makes good short stories so wonderful, you should be surprised and maybe a little angry. There is a definite old school vibe to the stories and they all make for a good read. A lot of short story anthologies have a lot of hit or miss stories that I often end up paging through, but not Joe Hill. He's all hit.