More Tomorrow & Other Stories

Rating:
Summary: An excellent collection by a master of his craft
Review: M.M. Smith is undoubtedly one of the best horror/fantasy writers in the short form genre. The way in which he crafts a first-person narrative that always ends with a gripping climax is unique and he rarely misses with his format. His characters are always fascinating if not tragically flawed. The best in the collection is "The Vaccinator," a hilarious, bizarre, MEN IN BLACK-tinged absurdist tale about a fixer who prevents kidnappings of the alien abduction variety. When a kidnapping that he is paid to prevent still happens, our hero is pissed and uncovers a mystery that is both amusing and chilling. "Hell Hath Enlarged Herself" is a close second. A long story that only really kicks in at the end, but truly worth the wait, "Hell" is about the relationships that form between three scientists and the virus that destroys their lives, unleashing a hell that none of them can escape. "More Tomorrow" is a lurid story about voyeurism and a guy who can only watch but can't help. "They Also Serve" is a gem in the vein of 2001 about a guy in space, escaping from the war that is being waged on his planet but unable to escape the schemes of his overprotective computer. "To Receive is Better" is, in fact, better than Smith's full-length version of the story, his book SPARES which lacks the tension and atmosphere and fear that permeates "To Receive." All these stories start with great protagonists and end with great climaxes that are often morally ambiguous and always chilling and tragic. A stellar collection that had me up late at night, wanting more.