Falling Over is a
collection of short stories written by James Everington and is the first time
I’ve encountered his work. It won’t be the last. It’s a special moment when you
read a new author and immediately get the feeling that you’re onto something
special and such was the case here. The stories in this collection are evidence
of great talent at work, both emotionally and
intellectually stimulating.
The first story gives the collection its title and is one of
the best stories I’ve ever read about paranoia. (And I don’t just say that
because they will probably read
this). Written in first person – as it had to have been – it’s a marvellously
ambiguous tale that slowly builds an - ultimately almost unbearable -
atmosphere of confusion and mistrust. There’s a hint of Bodysnatchers about it but the premise is presented in wonderfully
written prose that allows the reader to tap into, and experience for
themselves, the paranoia of the narrator. An unreliable narrator? Probably.
Maybe. Possibly not… An uncertainty that adds another layer of enjoyment to the
story. It’s an intelligent, thought-provoking piece of writing and a strong
start to the collection.
The theme of paranoia is also evident in Sick Leave (which riffs on ring-a-roses,
another reference to falling over) but which also throws fears of sickness and
death into the mix along with a hint of alienation, the latter something it
shares with New Boy which
incorporates an extra measure of guilt for good measure. (And which also
features a fall…)
Fate, Destiny and a
Fat Man from Arkansas explores themes of – well, fate and destiny as it
happens, the eponymous American a manifestation of the unavoidable karma meted
out on two burglars who choose to break into the wrong house.
Light relief comes in the hundred words of Haunted which delivers everything you
could possibly want from a piece of flash fiction with great aplomb.
The Time of Their
Lives presents another view of mortality and is cleverly written from the
perspective of a young boy, unable to grasp the reality of what is happening in
the hotel he is begrudgingly staying in with his grandparents. The central
theme will call to mind a couple of films which I won’t name for fear of
spoilers but I will mention that the
atmospheric writing conjured up images of sequences in Kubrick’s The Shining for me.
I personally believe that one of the circles of Hell (one
quite near the centre actually) is made up entirely of thousands of suburban
neighbourhoods, each with their own residents committee setting the standards
of what’s required in order to "fit in" with the community. If you’re of a
similar mindset then you’ll probably end up rooting for The Man Dogs Hated – an individual who falls way outside
expectations in this tale which exposes the petty mindedness and hypocrisy of
those who cast judgement on others, those who fail to conform to their own
version of what’s right and proper.
The last two stories in the collection are perhaps the
darkest. Drones is another first
person narrative (and all the more effective because of it) from a soldier
whose job is to carry out remote attacks by UAV, witnessing the death and
destruction via computer monitor. This distancing effect has a profound effect
on him, desensitising him to the terrible acts he is committing, rendering the
act of killing automatic and emotionless. It’s a descent into madness tale
which – if I was being overly-analytical – could have something to say about
video gaming but, whether this was the intention or not, the ending is very
dark, and very effective indeed.
The final story has the ironic title Public Interest Story – just how ironic it is becomes apparent as
you read. It’s basically a (well deserved) diatribe against the British Press
and the monumental hypocrisy of that institution. It’s not press intrusion
that’s the theme here, rather manipulation and the horrifying ease with which
public opinion can be influenced by untruths and prejudices presented as facts.
There’s another theme running through the story too, that of mob mentality -
the two feeding off each other to bring about a conclusion horrifying as much
for its inevitability as what actually happens.
Falling Over is a
fine collection of intelligent, thought-provoking horror which I thoroughly
recommend that you buy. You can do that here.