Bedbugs

Rating:
Summary: A First-Rate Talent
Review: Bedbugs is an excellent collection in every respect but then why wouldn't it be? Rick Hautala is a first-rate talent who deserves much more note and notice than he's received lately. In addition to being a great storyteller, Rick has a good deal to say about our time. His stories are often wry comments on life in the new century. Spooky and cautionary tales. Bedbugs has something for every taste, from a few that EC Comics would have published with delight, to some horrifying psychological suspense stories that Ruth rendell readers will appreciate. A fine introduction to Rick's work--and a guaranteed pleasure to read for readers of all kinds.

Rating:
Summary: Fairly Creepy
Review: For people like me who really liked Rick's recent book The Mountain King or his earlier Little Brothers you might be a little disappointed in this collection. These stories read more like the books Rick wrote between the two I mentioned. In other words they deal mostly with atmosphere, feelings, and creepiness and not horrible monsters.

I knew his monster books were not the norm for him but I decided to try the collection anyway. I was not disappointed. I would have liked to know when each story was written (there were no separate copyrights) so I could place them in his career but that did not really detract.

Some of the stories have appeared in theme collections and you will probably recognize those themes. There are also a number of stories offered as tributes to other authors. One of my favorites was Crying Wolf that was written in the style of horror great Richard Laymon (Hautula really nailed that one).

Readers have to remember that this is a collection spanning the years of a writers career. That means that writing styles will differ, themes will vary greatly, and quality will have hopefully improved over the years. Taking that into account, one is not surprised by anything in this collection. Ghosts, werewolves, monsters, desolation, devils, psychopaths and dementia are the fare within. If you want ravening monsters, stick with Little Brothers and The Mountain King, otherwise you should enjoy this offering.

Rating:
Summary: Solid But Predictable
Review: I have all of Rick's novels... yes, I mean ALL. Moondeath, Moonbog, Night Stone, Winter Wake, Dead Voices, etc. Even when he wrote under the name A.J. Matthews. On the whole, I have enjoyed all his work (except Mountain King). However, being a good novelist doesn't always mean you are effective at writing short stories. In this case, I think Rick is a better novelist. I knew the ending to most of the short stories way before their conclusion. Yes, they are well written, but I've read similar stories like them before. The only real gem in the collection is "...from a Stone". Other good ones are, "The Back of My Hands", "Colt .24", and "Rubies and Pearls". With all that being said, Bedbugs is still worth a read.

Rating:
Summary: A wildly imaginative collection
Review: I loved Bedbugs.
Over the years I have read and enjoyed many of Rick Hautala's novels. I find his style uncomplicated and to the point. Too many horror writers try too hard to be literary when what they should be doing is telling a good story. And telling a good story is what Rick Hautala does best. In Bedbugs he has offered up a veritable potpourri of nightmarish scenarios and offbeat characters, giving his readers a wide, cross-sectional look into the depths of a fertile imagination.
In my opinion Rick Hautala is a writer at the top of his form. Good going, Rick. Can't wait for the next one!

Rating:
Summary: A wildly imaginative collection
Review: One of the things I like best about Mr. Hautala's stories is the range and diversity. From circus dancers to IRS agents, they all have a place in the crazy universe of BEDBUGS. My favorite story is "The Schoolhouse", which is a delightfully creepy trip back into the nightmare of grade school.

I read this book in two nights and loved every minute of it. Mr. Hautala's prose style is easy to read and he knows how to write a rocking good story. BEDBUGS is destined to become a classic!

Rating:
Summary: excellent! really creepy stories
Review: Prior to this, I had read the author's pseudonymous ghost mystery THE WHITE ROOM. It wasn't groundbreaking, but it was solid and well-written and I enjoyed it enough to keep. I was expecting at least the same level of quality from BEDBUGS, his collection of short work. I was disappointed.

If you've ever regularly watched any horror or suspense anthology show, or picked up an EC comic, you've probably come across most of these stories before. A mysterious woman in a carnival sideshow irrevocably changes the men who fall under her spell. A poorly covered up murder gradually reveals itself. A man switches places with another whom he has accidentally killed. Hunters get their just desserts when one of them goes missing. A man makes a deal with the devil that naturally comes back to bite him, but only because of his own stupidity; the reader realizes the catch long before he does. In fact, nearly all of these stories are so familiar that I guessed the outcome from the first or second page. Sometimes the story is purely a set-up for a punch line (and a pun) involving its title, such as "...From a Stone," "Master Tape," "Closing the Doors," and "Served Cold," which only makes it more obvious. I let out a very audible groan upon finishing every one.

There were just a few entries that weren't so tired. "Karen's Eyes" concerns spectral remnants of the dead that just won't go away. "Perfect Witness" offers a disturbing idea of how murder cases might be handled in the future. "Worst Fears" effectively blurs the lines between life and death for two close friends. However, none of these is worth going through the whole book for.

If I'm ever inclined to pick up another of Mr. Hautala's books, it will likely bear the name of A. J. Matthews, under which he wrote the aforementioned novel. It's almost as if they aren't the same person at all.

Rating:
Summary: THANKS, MR. HAUTALA?FOR A LIVING HELL!
Review: So, some of you have yet to read this mind-altering stack of stories, huh? All I can say is you better be prepared.... You better be prepared to throw any sense of peace you now appreciate in your life right into the trash. It used to be I could hop in the car and take a leisurely drive on a Sunday afternoon. NO MORE! Now I pass a bridge, I see a cycle of horror that goes on forever. I pass a country home, I see children, a stranger and death. A tiny school house seems to harbor hundreds of pairs of ghostly eyes. Even in the city, I can find no solace because with graffiti comes images straight from hell. So, go ahead...go ahead and read this tomb of twisted and dark tales, but don't say I didn't warn you. And God forbid you ever receive a summons to court-that story still gives me shivers. Bravo, Mr. Hautala for a job too well done. Your haunted fan, Tim Greaton, author of The Santa Shop.

Rating:
Summary: These Bedbugs have bite!
Review: Those who only know Rick Hautala as a novelist might be surprised to learn that he's a talented short story writer as well. Ample proof is available in BEDBUGS, a collection of 26 tales of horror, suspense and the macabre.

One has to be impressed by Hautala's versatility. Many of his short stories capture the style, feeling, and, sometimes, the very intensity of writers as diverse as Edgar Allen Poe ("The Back of My Hands"), Robert Bloch ("Colt .24"), Joe R. Lansdale ("... from a Stone") and Gary Braunbeck ("Schoolhouse"), even as he puts his own spin on the material. Hautala's also proven that he can deliver even when constrained by narrow or quirky
themes, as in his stories originally written for theme anthologies. Tales such as "Winter Queen" (from Dark Destiny), "Surprise" (The Ultimate Zombie), and "Piss Eyes" (Frankenstein: The Monster Awakes) demonstrate his consummate professionalism and extensive range.

As Matt Costello notes in his afterward, Hautala brings "... a special freedom to his short fiction ... as though the short stories didn't have to fit in a certain niche of Rick Hautala books, and he could just wail." This assertion is proved repeatedly as Hautala takes readers on an oft-times bizarre tour of the human psyche. In "Crying Wolf," a tale dedicated to Richard Laymon, they're introduced to Billy Lewis, a sociopath
who'd give Todd Hunter of "Apt Pupil" fame a run for his money. In "Sources of the Nile," they meet a narrator who takes his eye fetish to extremes. Finally, there's "Rubies and Pearls," featuring a serial killer whose M.O. is sure to raise a few hackles.

Such is Hautala's craftsmanship that many readers won't even notice it. Take the opening paragraph of "Speedbump":

"I can't go swimmin' anymore, 'n all because Phil had to go and kill our son-of-a-b**** of a boss, Lester Croix. I suppose it was bound to happen, but I dunno. I think Phil coulda done a better job of it. Lucky thing for Phil, though, I work with him and was the first one to notice Lester's body -- his hand, anyway. That way, just as a favor to Phil, I could clean things up to make sure no one else ever found out about what he had done."

Hardly anyone reading lines like these is apt to stop. Openings like this are only one indication of Hautala's abundant literary gifts, all of which are on display in this estimable collection.

Rating:
Summary: These Bedbugs have bite!
Review: Those who only know Rick Hautala as a novelist might be surprised to learn that he's a talented short story writer as well. Ample proof is available in BEDBUGS, a collection of 26 tales of horror, suspense and the macabre.

One has to be impressed by Hautala's versatility. Many of his short stories capture the style, feeling, and, sometimes, the very intensity of writers as diverse as Edgar Allen Poe ("The Back of My Hands"), Robert Bloch ("Colt .24"), Joe R. Lansdale ("... from a Stone") and Gary Braunbeck ("Schoolhouse"), even as he puts his own spin on the material. Hautala's also proven that he can deliver even when constrained by narrow or quirky
themes, as in his stories originally written for theme anthologies. Tales such as "Winter Queen" (from Dark Destiny), "Surprise" (The Ultimate Zombie), and "Piss Eyes" (Frankenstein: The Monster Awakes) demonstrate his consummate professionalism and extensive range.

As Matt Costello notes in his afterward, Hautala brings "... a special freedom to his short fiction ... as though the short stories didn't have to fit in a certain niche of Rick Hautala books, and he could just wail." This assertion is proved repeatedly as Hautala takes readers on an oft-times bizarre tour of the human psyche. In "Crying Wolf," a tale dedicated to Richard Laymon, they're introduced to Billy Lewis, a sociopath
who'd give Todd Hunter of "Apt Pupil" fame a run for his money. In "Sources of the Nile," they meet a narrator who takes his eye fetish to extremes. Finally, there's "Rubies and Pearls," featuring a serial killer whose M.O. is sure to raise a few hackles.

Such is Hautala's craftsmanship that many readers won't even notice it. Take the opening paragraph of "Speedbump":

"I can't go swimmin' anymore, 'n all because Phil had to go and kill our son-of-a-b**** of a boss, Lester Croix. I suppose it was bound to happen, but I dunno. I think Phil coulda done a better job of it. Lucky thing for Phil, though, I work with him and was the first one to notice Lester's body -- his hand, anyway. That way, just as a favor to Phil, I could clean things up to make sure no one else ever found out about what he had done."

Hardly anyone reading lines like these is apt to stop. Openings like this are only one indication of Hautala's abundant literary gifts, all of which are on display in this estimable collection.