Review: The Spaces Between Your Screams
The Spaces Between Your Screams by Christopher Hivner
This collection of short stories is not for anyone squeamish or put off by body fluids. It is recommended for readers who enjoy variety in their horror or who want to be able to read and finish a story within a short window of time. These are bite-sized stories with vivid imagery that stays with the reader long after the page has been turned. Some stories put the characters in a situation and reveal what happens next. In other stories the situations are created by the characters.
Character-wise, Chris Hivner’s story collection has a little bit of everything such as aliens, angels, demons and vampires. It also includes the unexpected… changing road signs, living tattoos and thumping corn stalks. Their motivations vary and the characters don’t always get the outcome they wish. In fact, the telling of the tale can be downright humorous.
One example is “The Twister”. Grand Schon is a small town consisting of 27 streets where the residents do the same thing day in and day out. A twister touches down each year “at the crossroads where prosperity meets despair” to take one of the residents away to an unknown place. Frank Samples volunteers this particular year with the words, “I may not be the smartest man in the world, but I’m sure as hell gettin’ out of this used up town!” as he travels by foot to the crossroads. Before long “I may not be the smartest man in the world” becomes a familiar refrain to the reader and can create a snicker or two.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read.
