Speculative Fiction Junkie

Adam Golaski

Adam Golaski's name is one I've encountered repeatedly in my search for weird fiction. While not as prominent as some practitioners of the craft, it seems nonetheless never to be too far from the discussion.

His first collection of short stories, Worse Than Myself, was more difficult to obtain than I had anticipated. There aren't many copies floating around. Worse Than Myself collects eleven weird tales, some of which had previously been published elsewhere and at least one of which has since made it into a "best of the year" anthology.

The subject matter of the tales that make up this collection is varied. An unexpected stay at a remote bus stop, the diversion of a family trip in search of an old animator, frightening encounters in the woods, a good old fashioned zombie tale, and visits from radio personalities long thought to be dead are just some of what you'll find in the stories presented in Worse Than Myself.

In many of these tales, horrors are encountered in close proximity to comforts. Whether it's parents in the next room in "The Animator's House," a mother in the house next door in "In the Cellar," or pajamas and clean sheets in a childhood home in "Back Home," the characters in Mr. Golaski's stories often experience the same "conflicting feelings of comfort and unease" (p. 76) that the protagonist in "Back Home" does and experience the terrifying after straying just a few steps beyond the safety of their usual routines. This dimension adds a welcome focus on safety and innocence that is not present in some of the other weird fiction I've come across.

Other tales are just plain terrifying. While what constitutes terrifying will differ a bit for everyone, I found those stories that are set in the woods to be the most effective in this respect.

The chief accomplishment of the best stories in this collection is the extraordinary sense of atmosphere they create. Even when I wasn't sure exactly what was going on, the atmosphere was thick and immersive and chillingly effective. Upon finishing many of these stories, the reader will feel as though she has stepped out of another world.

My favorite stories in Worse Than Myself were the absolutely terrifying "The Man from the Peak," in which a remote party in a mountain house is interrupted by a mysterious man who arrives from somewhere on the wooded mountaintop; "The Animal Aspect of Her Movement," a wonderfully woven story about the pitfalls of memory and temptation; "The Animator's House," which really contains two chilling stories, one about an encounter in the woods and the other about an encounter in an out of the way diner; and "The Dead Gather on the Bridge to Seattle," a rather straightforward zombie tale. Also enjoyable were "Weird Furka," which is the story of the rediscovery of the work of the dead host of a radio show about weird occurrences in the town of Furka; and "What Water Reveals," a multi-faceted tale involving a struggling alcoholic's discovery of a river island.

Less enjoyable in my opinion were "The Demon" and "A String of Lights," which were, for lack of a better word, a little boring; and "Back Home," which while sufficiently atmospheric seemed rather gimmicky in the final analysis.

Without reservation I can say that those who enjoy strange fiction will love Worse Than Myself. Mr. Golaski practices a brand of the craft that puts a premium on atmosphere and imagery and his stories linger in the mind long after the reader has finished them and moved on.

Rating: 9/10

The True First

Worse Than Myself was first published by Raw Dog Screaming Press in July of 2008, although really, since this is a print on demand title, I'm not sure that one can really speak of the true first.

[This review was not based on a review copy]