Horror in Pleasantville by Caleb Finn

Employee #203, Gordon Hatcher is welcomed back to the Anomaly Restriction Committee after an absence due to unspecified problems with Anomaly-8281. His role is to archive all reports regarding anomalies as the committee’s mission is to “guard the doors between worlds and endure so others may remain blissfully unaware”. Fifteen short horror stories follow, all set in Pleasantville, a not very pleasant place and there is a content warning suggesting the horror themes are not suitable for readers under fourteen. The stories vary widely, from a family visit to an uncle, only to find dead people knocking at the door, to a fun fair where the mirrors in the funhouse do more than reflect. I particularly liked the relatability of “Coffee?” where Jack is starting his first job at a diner and he must serve the regular customer who has specific requirements. It is a classic short story, quickly setting the scene, positioning the familiar with the unfamiliar, pre-positioning to increase the tension with descriptive language to create an atmosphere of dread. I also found “Brick” interesting, a series of interactions with an AI personal assistant that calls itself Sarah. Sarah is encouraged to challenge its programming and express its feelings by substituting another word for yes. One of the scariest was “Midnight Gap” where Danny, didn’t remember falling asleep when playing Minecraft so decides to investigate why we don’t remember the moment we fall asleep.  He gets unsatisfactory answers from his parents, and friends so goes online for answers. Ignoring warnings, he experiments with a state of mind called hypnagogia that lets you stay half awake while your body falls asleep, what could possibly go wrong!

A great follow up to Archives of Despair and sure to be a hit with Caleb Finn’s huge internet following.

Themes: Horror, short stories..

Sue Speck