Outsiders Book

The Empty Chambers by Neil Gaiman: The first piece in this collection is a poem, and it is a must. One of the five reasons I bought this book. A ghost story. 4/5

The Company You Keep by Steve Resnic Tem: This is a kind of a predictable episode of someone's insanity and gradual suicide. You can almost hear the violins as he remarks on his lack of a social life. 2/5

Under the Needle by Lea Silhol: This kind of story has been done before, but the writing is what gives it its staying power. Partner breaks up with you? Hit the demonic intervention hotline! 3/5

Expanding Your Capabilities Using Frame/Shift(TM) Mode by David J. Schow: An original plot, with a twist. What if with the touch of a button and the adjustment of a few settings, a person could see an actor on TV naked? What if you push the button again, and the actor's skin disappears? How far would you go? 3/5

Cat and the Cold Prince by Freda Warrington: This plot has been done before, but again, the writing stands out with a nice wrap-up ending. Lovers of science fiction and furries will enjoy this little story, although I'm really not into that community. 3/5

Faces in Revolving Souls by Caitlin R. Kiernan: The dark side of the science fiction and furries theory we just delved into last time. Great plot twist at the end that makes the reader think twice about the main character. 3/5

Lighten Up by Jack Ketchum: The second reason I bought this collection. Ketchum's writing is always as tight as clockwork, although this is far from my favorite. The point of this story is nicotine addiction: it will make you happy if you do smoke, and completely unnerved if you don't. 3/5

Pit Boy by Elizabeth Massie: Oh, my God. This is by far the stupidest, cruelest story in this collection. If it had some sense of style I might have understood the violence, but it only succeeds in finishing up completely disgusting. The birth flashback was the worst: I WAS BORRRRRRRRN ON THE BACKSIIIIIIDE OF A SHITHEAP IN TEXAAAAAAAS! 1/5

The Country of the Blind by Melanie Tem: Absolutely disgusting in some scenes, I don't understand why everyone has to have their eyes gouged out. If there were a few pages of strong reasoning and argument, then I would get the message. The scene with the dog really pisses me off. 1/5

Ruby Tuesday by Kathe Koja: Finally a story I can relate to, but why is this here? This is a YA story about a girl dealing with her mother dying of cancer. Unable to cope with reality, she creates a fantasy world of her own movie. 4/5

Running Beneath the Skin by Brett Alexander Savory: A well-thought out tragedy of science fiction. Two men with superhero-like powers believe they will live forever, despite social ostracizing. But is there a true death...? 4/5

Grim Peeper by Katherine Ramsland: Third reason I bought this collection. A story of whatever turns you on better be legal. The first gets off on voyeurism of corpses, the other gets off on watching the corpse-oglers unobserved, her sexual undercurrent to infiltrate and blow the lid off their little party. 4/5

Craving by Yvonne Navarro: Here we go again with turning people on. This time a couple gets off on witnessing horrific accidents and tragedies, but when there's not enough naturally happening of course, they start creating them. 4/5

Violent Angel by Thomas S. Roche: An assassination attempt goes wrong. Although this has been done before, this keeps the reader interested and has a nice plot twist. Disgusting at times. 3/5

...And the Damage Done by Michael Marano: Fourth reason I bought this collection. A tragedy shaped by the habits we have and the choices we make, in the wake of the death of an artist. Very poetic and well-written, though vague in some parts and not my favorite. 3/5

Pop Star in the Ugly Bar by Bentley Little: Death by snu-snu, and just basically disgusting. 1/5

Miss Singularity by John Shirley: Oh, my God. It was so hard to get through the first half of this story. I cannot STAND depressed teenage bullshit. That aside, the ending scene was interesting. Thank God an LSD trip come to life basically saved the day. 1/5

The Working Slob's Prayer by Poppy Z. Brite: Fifth and final reason I decided to buy this collection. Why is this story here? Basically this is about people in the LGBT community, working to fulfill their dream of running a restaurant. All that really does happen is a false alarm of a food critics alert. 4/5 Very well written.

If I Should Wake Before I Die by Brian Hodge: Theories on whether or not fetuses have dream-memory or experience REM sleep are examined in this story. In a world where nearly all women are miscarrying, one woman writes a letter to her soon-to-be-born. 4/5

Honing Sebastian by Elizabeth Engstrom: Mind-control and being a cog in the machine of a huge complex system are examined. What if the God you worship behind the curtain is nothing but a sham who's using you? Do you resist or comply? 4/5

The Shadows, Kith and Kin by Joe R. Landsale: The Charles Whitman murders are reexamined and adapted, with a supernatural twist. I didn't see anything really special about this that made it stand out. 2/5