I received a paperback review copy of this debut collection because several of the stories first appeared in ST. And I'm proud of that fact. I seldom talk about why I accept or reject stories because in the end it's all personal taste, instinct, 'vibes'. With Tim Foley I knew there was something good here - I enjoyed his work and felt good about putting it in front of my (admittedly tiny) readership. Let us dive in...
The subtitle is A Collection of Stories of the Uncanny. Not horror, though horror is to be found here. Not ghost stories, though most of these tales qualify. The uncanny is the key ingredient, the mortar that binds together every story. Fans of old-school pulp fiction will enjoy this book, as will ghost story aficionados. More importantly, anyone who appreciates well-crafted short fiction will find plenty to savor and admire.
Foley's world is a realm of abandoned buildings, shabby apartments, ageing hotels, second-hand cars. Above all, it's a world of failed or failing relationships, uneasy solitudes, lost hopes, and faded dreams. The supernatural shades into the psychological in a familiar but still compelling fashion. Sometimes Foley's characters escape the worst that mystery and the night can offer. Sometimes they don't.
Thus in 'Snowman, Frozen', a writer struggling to meet a deadline rents a rural cabin in winter, drinks too much, and becomes obsessed with who might be building snowmen in an nearby field. It's a simple tale, but would make a splendid segment of a portmanteau horror movie. The frozen wasteland is beautifully evoked, and the final showdown as the writer's mind gives way is excellent.
'Galen's Closet', by contrast, is about young people partying in the big city. But they, too, become fixated on a strange phenomenon. The eponymous closet is apparently haunted. At first, the members of a goth-adjacent band and their hangers-on have fund and hijinks. But eventually risk-taking exacts a heavy toll.
The collection begins with an epigraph from E.F. Benson, and I think that author's term 'spook stories' fits quite a few tales here. Not exactly ghostly, but chilling and hard to dismiss. Thus 'The House Opposite' follows the familiar template of a troubled man becoming fixated on a maybe-haunted place. But the denouement is genuinely surprising, as something worse than any ghost is discovered.
One can see 'The Figure on the Sidewalk' as another instance of a familiar trope updated. A man tells another man a story about a mysterious maybe-stalker. There is no explanation, no overt threat, merely a presence that can neither be explored nor explained. A low-key study in paranoia and alienation? Perhaps.
In another (admirably terse) story a young man hitching finds himself somehow entangled with an older guy he doesn't really want to know. The hitchhiker tale is another old warhorse, but 'A Hitch' offers a new twist. The situation becomes bizarre and disturbing as the stranger reveals some details about himself. They both get a lift, but where are they going? One suspects that it is nowhere fun.
More lighthearted is 'The Ghost of Niles Canyon' - a tale of a phantom hitchhiker is told, and then the listener and teller take a drive. Of course, somebody hitches a ride. But all is not as it seems.
Also automotive in theme is 'Flowers Along the Seawall', with its dedication to Amelia Edwards. I particularly liked this one as it does indeed capture that old-fashioned feel yet remain true to modern sensibilities.
'Room 413, Silver Spruce Hotel' first appeared in ST under a slightly different title. Re-reading the story, I was impressed by the way the traditional signs of a haunting are evoked quietly, but not too quietly. Foley's protagonist - stuck in another snowy wilderness - reacts realistically. We learn about what Robert Westall called the 'metabolism' of the haunting, and the ending would have pleased Benson and the old guard.
'Deer' is one of several stories that evoke the great outdoors, with a troubled couple setting out on vacation. When they hit a deer, things are already going badly. This one is told from two perspectives, husband and wife, and again blurs the line between the psychological and paranormal explanations.
'The Sound of Children Playing' is a particular favourite of mine. This takes a deep dive into the USA's troubled history as a superpower, but from an unusual angle. A Vietnam vet, isolated and increasingly strange, spends his time at an old abandoned schoolhouse. I recall reading this for the first time and thinking, 'Yes, this is the genuine article'.
And that can be said for all the stories here. There is a sincerity and humanity behind the weirdness that makes these stories doubly entertaining. I unreservedly recommend this collection. It's been a long time coming but it was worth the wait.
