Strange Highways (1995)

Short stories collections can be tricky. They can be an amusing read if you come across a fast-paced and well concocted story, but they can also mark a sudden and unexpected slow-down on your reading rate if you stumble in a poor one. Well, that's what happens to me, at least.

Strange Highways was no exception. I started it with growing expectation, since I'de never tested Koontz's skills in short stories, and I was presented with a variety of themes and tones that left me in two minds: did I like this collection or not?

As Koontz himself brilliantly put it in the "Notes to the reader" section, this book provides small pieces of fiction dating from a large span of time. The older one is "Kittens" (1966) while the most recent one is the tale that gives the title to the whole volume. Knowing this you'll be able to see more clearly how the author's skill improved thorughout the years. The first attempts, in fact, are still shrouded with a veil of inexperience that can be sensed in every single page. Koontz himself revealed that he saw "amateurish" written all over some of his older efforts, while we went through the reviewing phase prior to the publishing of this book.

Let's try to see more in detail:

"Strange Highways" (1995) is the first of the two long stories in here. It is clear while we read it that this is pure Koontz of the nineties. The main character comes back to his hometown after his father's death only to deal with his troubled past. His life took a crazy turn one night of many years ago and now he is bound to go through that night again, trying to make different choices from the ones he made in the past. Great characterization, gloomy atmospheres, an abundant touch of supernatural and a top-notch villain make of this tale one of the best medium-length stories I've ever read. It starts slowly but picks up soon and never lets go of your collar till the very end. Memorable the conversation between Joey, the protagonist, and his brother.

"The black pumpkin" (1986): One of the few tales of the book that I needn't have read. You can skip this one and you won't have missed a lot. Two brothers. The good and sheepish one would give an eye not to buy that carved jack-o'-lantern, but his older, mindless bro is enraptured by it at the local fair. It will turn out to be the worst, deadly purchase of their lives. So cartoonish that your disbelief just puts its feet down and won't be suspended even if you pay it! I'm afraid I could have written this myself.

"Miss Attila the Hun" (1987): Does the title sound ludicrous? Well, the content is pretty much so. An alien entity from outer space dating from eons ago finds its match in a third-grade teacher with a crippled husband. It started good but deflated like the tires of my grandpa's bike and just left me yawning.

"Down in the darkness"(1986) is just darn good! The Hispanic protagonist has earned a good living with his restaurant after his traumatic experience in Nam. In a claustrophobic, almost Poe-like style, he shares with us in first person the secrets lurking in the cellar of his new house. You can't help reading this in a single breath. The scariest horror is the one you don't see and Koontz is aware of that.

"Ollie's hands"(1972): another good one. Ollie lives as a panhandler and as the pages unravel we get to know what are the causes of his predicament while he silently attends his guest. Not scary, ok, but curiosity drives you right to the very last line in a few minutes.

"Snatcher" (1986): advice for incautious thieves. You never know what you're going to get. Good though predictable after a while.

"Trapped"(1989): as stated by Koontz in the final pages, he was asked to write something which presented some of the elements of his masterpiece novel "Watchers". This is what he came up with. A short story that sounds so much like other stuff he's written that I had its ending figured out after the first pages. The idea is good...maybe a bit shopworn. Mom and son have a terrifying night session of hide-and-seek with something too evil to be true. For fans only: the only dog of the book is in this story!

"Bruno"(1971): This isn't what I thought I'd bought. Scary story?! Not in the least! This is more a literary game Koontz played to delight us with his humor! I was upset at first, when I doped out that this story was trying to make my lips twitch in smiling rather than in anxiety or suspense, but then I relaxed and just enjoyed the thing. A pleasant interlude you might remember for its outlandish characters.

"We Three"(1974): another one I'd have happily skipped, but I can easily believe other people liked it. Good, dark and sick premises give way to a somewhat incomplete denouement, and this tiny tale of three eerily endowed children and their scary plans for the world left me scratching my head in puzzlement...

"Hardshell"(1974): I'm afraid I might give away too much of this abnormal chase between a fearless sleuth and a sinister villain. The action plays out in a single night and you'll be compelled to see how this ends. Supernatural galore, as you find out pretty soon.

"Kittens"(1966) just goes to prove that the master was already honing his weapons in the far sixties. "Why did my kittens have to die?!" This is the harrowing question tormenting the young protagonist, who's bound to find an answer in a few pages. Is "disturbingly funny" a clash of words? Not in this tale. Really good!!

"The night of the storm"(1974): the world is ruled by powerful robots who think like men and have feelings of their own. Mankind is just a legend of a silly mythology....or so this creatures believe. A brilliant example of how perspectives can be believably turned upside down when a skilled writer wants to! Didn't like the far-fetched premises, at first....then loved the rest of it!

"Twilight of the dawn"(1987): what a pleasant surprise when I read that this is Koontz's favorite piece of the whole book. I read this in a gulp and it deeply affected me. It almost brought tears to my eyes and I didn't think a story could have such power coalesced in a few pages.

An atheist has to struggle against his principles when so many bad things happen to his family. This is the bare plot, but there's so much more in this awesome piece of literature!! Koontz give his best again with a first-person narration that borders on pure poetry. Will you get at the end of this story with a lump in your throat, too?

"Chase"(1972): this was originally published as a stand-alone novel. It is the slow moving story of a Nam hero whose life drudges along until he stops a killer in the middle of a murdering spree. I guess it may be worth a read but I simply couldn't feel for the protagonist even when things got hairy and the action started to spin. It is an early work and it lacks some of the recent books irresistible pace.

All in all I'd rate this book with a 7/10 because even though it has some nice pieces I think that several of them would only be appreciated by staunch DK's fans.

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