Wednesday 9 May 2012

Review: Tracie Mcbride's 'Ghosts Can Bleed' brings fresh ideas to the bookshelf in ways that other writers should envy.

If you are the sort of person who waits in anticipation for the next Neil Gaiman collection, Tracie Mcbride's 'Ghosts Can Bleed' will very comfortably fill that gap, and like Neil Gaiman, you will wait in anticipation for more.

If you have not yet read Neil Gaiman, or want more convincing, 'Ghosts Can Bleed' is a collection of stories that are imaginative in an inventive way. Tracie Mcbride brings fresh ideas to the bookshelf in ways that other writers should envy. Her characters are people you will recognise from among the people around you. Her writing style is easy to read. Her stories are short enough to be read quickly, but the ideas will take root in your head.

If you have come to this review in the page of finding a decent 'horror', be warned that you won't find the standard creatures of the horror pantheon. What you will find is 'disturbance of the peace'. Vampires and zombies make predictable stories. These stories don't follow set paths.

There is a bonus in this collection: short poems scattered amongst the stories. Dark poetry is rarely done well. These short, dark vignettes show how it can be done well, and without the need for analysis to get the idea.

This collection is a rare opportunity to enjoy the works of a skilled storyteller.

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