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Closing Time And Other Stories by Jack Ketchum
01/03/2008 . Source: Tomas L. Martin 
Pub: Gauntlet Press. 256 page hardback. Price: $55.00 (US). ISBN: 1-887368-90-6. Buy Closing Time And Other Stories in the USA - or Buy Closing Time And Other Stories in the UK  check out website: www.gauntletpress.com
I've been reading a few short story anthologies lately and found to my pleasant surprise that many of the collections from authors I've not heard of have turned out to be good. This one, by award-winning horror writer Jack Ketchum, impressed me a lot.
I read this collection quickly and with great enjoyment. The stories are often very short and nineteen are contained in its slim 256 page length.
Ranging from violent and shocking to introspective through just plain weird, the stories contained are varied but always study the human characters within. People go crazy, behave oddly and do things we wouldn't expect but Ketchum explores the reasons behind these moments well.
The story 'Station Two' chronicles an astonishing event at the end of a night in a New York restaurant, told through the perspective of many of the staff and clientele. Winding its way delicately through each of the character's story to the shocking climax, the tale is concise, compelling and brutal in the execution of its climax.
A lot of these stories are in the 'American Psycho' region of horror, exploring the crazy and violent things people do when pushed to the limits of their tolerance or sanity. They also play off various 'What If' scenarios, which is complimented well by their short length.
'Do You Love Your Wife' is a smart tale about a protagonist placing all his feelings about his current relationship and life on another failed romance, as he investigates the new boy-friend of his old flame. 'Honor System', where a woman checks into a motel without staff that relies on the honesty of its clients to pay for what they use, is similarly thoughtful.
'Consensual' and 'At Home With The VCR' are sordid tales of unusual sex lives, whilst opening story 'Returns' tells a ghost story of a haunting with a sweet twist. The bleak ending story 'Closing Time' won the Bram Stoker Award for Long Fiction in 2003 and tells a story of loss in post 9-11 New York well.
Each story comes with a little explanation of the story by the author, with notes on how they came up with the idea and why they did it. This is the kind of touch I really appreciate when reading a collection and it definitely added to my enjoyment of Ketchum's work.
I was very pleasantly surprised by this collection. The stories are short and punchy and varied enough to give a very good representation of the author's ability. Some of the stories are a little extreme in their content but a great deal of thoughtfulness in the characterisation helps make it all seem worthwhile.
Tomas L. Martin
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