"Hereafter and Other Stories"

"Hereafter and Other Stories"

Written by Adam J. Smith

Review written by Diana Iozzia

"Hereafter and Other Stories" is a small collection of short stories. I enjoyed mostly all of them, but there were some that were better, and some that I didn't like as much. It's hard to critique a self-published book, because you have to account for how hard the writer has tried. I think Adam Smith's writing style is very traditional with simple, effective dialogue. I have listed the stories I liked in the order of my favoritism.

My favorite story in the collection is: "Eviction". "Eviction" follows an eerie and unsettling occurrence during an eviction from the show "Big Brother". The main character seems to be in on a dangerous plot to kill the contestants, which is pretty relevant for the terroristic plots occuring in the world today. This is a genuinely creepy story, similar to something from "Black Mirror" and would be a great short film.

My second favorite story in the collection is: “Hereafter”. "Hereafter" is an interesting story, following the neighborhood boys from "The Virgin Suicides", twenty years after the Lisbon sisters had killed themselves. I haven't read "The Virgin Suicides" yet. I know, I know, why haven't I yet? It's a classic. I've seen the film, of course. However, for not knowing much about the book, this is a pretty good short story, following the same characters. I can't at all compare it to the original, but I enjoyed the story nonetheless.

"Dawn" follows the main character, Kacey, as she and her siblings try to find their cow to milk. Then they get cold. Then this character, Richard, tries to warm them up. I didn't really understand this story.  This is third on my list.

"Time" is the fourth story rated on my list. "Time" is about a man named B.C. Hackman who has learned how to travel to different moments that have or will occur in his lifetime, but only in his, no one else's. He calls them "Different Time Dimensions" or D.T.D.s. His story is told in journal entries. It's a curious story, because B.C. is a very unlikable, rude, and over-confident narrator. This time travel, of course, goes terribly wrong. I think I'd like this story more if it kept the same time travel idea, but was less grotesque. I'm quite a prude when I read, so reading about vomit and genitals does not create a pleasant reading experience for me.

“Silence” is my fifth story on the list. “Silence” is a really confusing story. We read about Graham and Jill who are failing in their marriage and don’t seem to be very happy. I don’t understand who is telling the narrative. The blurb on the back says something about possessions owning you. I dunno.

The sixth story on my list is "Urge". This is an uncomfortable, strange story about a man who visits a naturalist / nudist beach in England. I mean at least he enjoyed himself?