NIGHTMARES UNHINGED: TWENTY TALES OF TERROR
“Needles” by Joshua Viola and Dean Wyant
A short story review by weird speculative fiction author Ted Fauster
This twisted little anthology from Hex Publishing is a real keeper, a genuinely well-produced and edited little tome of horror shorts. Lots of good reads in here. Today, I’m going to be focusing on one little ditty called “Needles”.
This short piece of fiction is from horror authors Joshua Viola and Dean Wyant, and it does not disappoint. Needles tells the story of a drug addict and her symbiotic relationship with the needles she uses to inject her poison. It’s a pretty straightforward read, but sometimes this is the only way to go.
Modern horror fiction can get pretty dicey, often pushing the envelope in extremes. This can feel like pandering. Needles has none of this.
Viola and Wyant employ a utilitarian approach to this short, choosing instead to state things plainly. The story is horrible enough, terrifying to encounter. Why mess it up with too much gore? At least this is what I suspect the authors must have been thinking when they penned this little piece.
I have to say, I’m a BIG fan of the old Creepshow films from Stephen King and George Romero, and this certainly feels like something that would fit right in. In a way, this little piece carries a strong sense of nostalgia while also managing to be quite modern in its presentation. At times, it gets downright… creepy!
There’s a whole lot more to this anthology that I’ll have to dig into, and I can’t wait!
TF
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