Growing Things and Other Stories by Paul Tremblay

“Something About Birds” is only one of many stories in which horror, real-life commentary, and Tremblay himself mix together in various ways to create truly unique horror.

This story is a deconstruction of contemporary horror fiction and a look at the way in which an author’s persona tends to bleed into real life and vice versa. Neither of the characters are Tremblay, but both of them clearly are … or are they? We think we know, but we are invited to rethink that knowledge because in fiction there is “so much ambiguity and potential for different meanings.” The interviewer dissects the author’s work, asks smart questions, and eventually receives a decapitated bird’s head as an invitation to a party. The tale is made up of fragments of an interview with a famous author conducted by an aspiring writer. There are no throwaways in this collection, but the first clear indication that we are in the presence of something special comes with “Something About Birds,” the third story in the book. Packed with smart, engrossing stories, Growing Things shows Tremblay is as adept at short fiction as he is at writing novels and proves he’s one of the best, most innovative writers in contemporary horror. Growing Things, Paul Tremblay’s Bram Stoker Award–winning short story collection, pushes him into this select group. Chambers and contemporary masters of the genre like Brian Keene and Laird Barron have also produced enough interconnected fiction to have their own universe. Lovecraft is usually the first name that comes to mind when talking about this group, but others like Robert W. ONLY A FEW HORROR WRITERS manage to produce enough work, and self-referential work at that, to enter the realm of authors who have created their own mythos.

Growing Things and Other Stories by Paul Tremblay