Horror Reads: Symposium of the Reaper by Andrew Adams

Todays reading recommendation is a horror anthology fully worthy of your time. Symposium of the Reaper was my introduction to author Andrew Adams and, at the time of this writing, he’s already released a second volume that you’ll want to go straight to Amazon to get get your hands on immediately after reading this first volume.

What you get in Volume One of Symposium of the Reaper is thirteen (what an appropriate number) refreshingly dark and original tales, each written in its own distinctive style. By the time you’re done, it feels like you’ve just gotten out of an amusement park funhouse ride inspired by old issues of E.C. comics — or what could easily be considered lost episodes of Tales From The Crypt.

Traversing through graveyards, comedy clubs, and art classes, this collection will truly have you guessing what you’re getting into next. Each macabre entry will leave you with something to think about. Themes of revenge and unpredictable consequences are weaved throughout the entirety of the volume from the opening (“Pavor Nocturnus”) to the end (“The Boy Who Feared Everything”). I think these tales would be best enjoyed on a dark, quiet night with only the sounds of wind howling through the trees.

Clocking in at around 121 pages, this is a light read. However, the quick pace does not, by any means, indicate a lack of imagination. There’s plenty of that to be had.

Andrew Adams knows how to flesh out characters and have you rooting for (or jeering!) the in-depth individuals. After all, characters with flaws make them much more relatable. Let’s just say some of them make very bad decisions and end up learning their lesson the hard way.

Each setting simply oozes atmosphere that anyone who yearns for the old days of horror will very much appreciate. I picked up on multiple hints of everything from Evil Dead to Alfred Hitchcock as far as the tone goes.

Fusing Terror and Humor in Perfect Harmony

Sometimes Andrew Adams’ Symposium of the Reaper gets particularly gory (you know I’m a fan!), but it isn’t the main takeaway. Don’t get me wrong, there are dashes of splatterpunk added into the mix, but not so much that it takes away from the overall mood, which is very impressive and often hard to pull off!

Picking a favorite out of these thirteen stories provided a true challenge. Have you ever listened to an album front to back and couldn’t pick a favorite song? Symposium of the Reaper was kind of like that. Although, if forced, I would have to go with “Gallows Humor” as my personal favorite.

“Coulrophobia” comes in at a very close second. Coulrophobia meaning, of course, having an extreme or irrational fear of clowns. So, if that’s you, then you might want to read that story with a spare pair of clean pants handy.

Another thing I loved about this horror anthology collection was Andrew Adams’ language. He writes in a way that everyone can understand but also doesn’t insult your intelligence at the same time. I think that’s the problem with a lot of short story collections: if the stories are too short, they’re forgettable; and if they’re too long, they feel overstuffed. Symposium of the Reaper lands in a sweet spot where each story last just long enough for the characters and their situations to have an impact on you.

So, if you want something that will make laugh, scream, shudder and cheer for different reasons, you should pick up Symposium of the Reaper, and keep an eye on Andrew Adams. He has a good future in the genre and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next!

Images provided by AJ Spencer, used for review purposes.