20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill

Joe Hill’s 20th Century Ghosts was first released by PS Publishing in 2005 with a limited print run. Hill was relatively new on the scene at the time, but 20th Century Ghosts was well received, and it went on to win the 2006 Bram Stoker Award for Best Fiction Collection, the 2006 British Fantasy Award for Best Collection, and the 2006 William L. Crawford Award. At the end of 2007, the collection was re-released by Gollancz in the UK and William Morrow in the U.S.

The collection is a thrilling mix of dark fantasy and horror, combined with what seems to be a central theme for Hill—childhood and coming of age, specifically memories of boyhood—and many of the stories are told retrospectively from the first person point of view.

Take, for example, “Pop Art”—one of Hill’s best known stories. This tale displays Hill’s understanding of human nature with honesty and brilliant characterisation. In fact, it is so well written that it does not give readers time to dwell on the fact that they are reading a story about an inflatable boy and his struggles with his affliction. From the portrayal of loss and loneliness to the depiction of the deep and loving relationship between Arthur—the inflatable boy—and his best friend, Hill captures what it is to be human so expertly that it is impossible not to feel moved by young Art’s story.

“The Cape” is another tale of boyhood innocence and growing older. This piece, again told in the first person, from the point of view of the protagonist looking back at events from his boyhood, is a story about sibling rivalry. The competitive relationship the boys share is one that most readers will recognise, but in this story, it leads to two devastating accidents, and the aftermath of those incidents are far reaching. While first and foremost about the difficulties and trials of growing up, “The Cape” also reflects Hill’s love of comic books. Both boys have a desire to become a superhero, but only one gets the chance to have that dream realised, and the consequences of that opportunity are shocking and horrific.

The recollections of a boyhood trauma are central to the story in “Voluntary Committal”—about a boy and his schizophrenic brother, Morris. When Morris sees his older brother struggling to end a troubling friendship, he takes it upon himself to help him out, with sinister consequences. The characterisation is excellent; Hill handles Morris’s illness with sensitivity and skill, and the tale displays an emotional depth beyond that which one would usually expect from a horror story.

Hill’s desire to write horror and dark fantasy stories which have as much literary weight as non-genre pieces is achieved several times throughout this collection, but few stories achieve such a delicate balance between that cold prickle that a good horror sends across the back of your neck with the awe of knowing you are reading a truly great story like “You Will Hear The Locust Sing.” Hill often uses bizarre and surreal scenarios in order to convey his own brand of social commentary, and this tale is a perfect example of this.

Francis Kay is a boy who eats bugs at school to entertain his friends, until they stop finding his trick amusing and stop being his friends. He is lonely, ostracised, and has only one friend in the world. So, when he wakes one morning to find that he has been transformed in the night from a normal child to a giant grasshopper, Francis is not altogether unhappy. As the day unfolds, however, and Francis becomes aware of the implications of his situation, he experiences a growing sense of terror and confusion. It is this lack of understanding and the violence directed at him which are significant; they illustrate a fear and hatred of what is different, even if it poses no threat. Eventually, Francis lets go of his desire to hold onto his human values and embraces his new self, in a truly horrific manner.

Among the gems, the collection does harbour a few disappointments. The plot of “In The Run Down” is weak and laboured, and reflects little explanation or understanding of the characters’ motives. “Widow’s Breakfast” is a nice enough story, but it is too simplistic, and any undertones of meaning are lost in Hill’s attempt at a clever ending. “My Father’s Mask” is a strange and obscure tale, which is often confusing but never dull. It is almost rescued by its vivid descriptions, which make for some of the most powerful images in the collection.

Hill’s biggest skill is using his understanding of the way people think to write believable stories that the reader can invest in emotionally. “Better Than Home,” “Abraham’s Boys,” and “The Black Phone,” whilst all being wildly different, each share one commonality—an emotional hook that will hold your attention and take you on a journey which is sometimes enlightening and often disturbing.

“Bobby Conroy Comes Back From The Dead” is about reconnecting with lost love, the choices we make, and how they effect the lives of others. Reflecting on what it would be like to start over, it is made more poignant, and hopeless, because the reader knows that in the end, there are no do-overs.

“Dead Wood” is a short and bitter tale about loss and loneliness. A well constructed piece with a lyrical quality.

“Last Breath” is grim and macabre, but thoroughly entertaining. The idea that a doctor is able to collect the dying breaths of people and then places them on display for all to listen to is a great concept, but the focus of the story is the reaction of other people to what they hear when they listen to these sealed glass cases. Chilling and interesting enough to hold the reader’s attention, if not entirely surprising.

The title story, “20th Century Ghost,” is reminiscent of those ghost stories you heard as a child about the haunted building in your hometown. The skilfully crafted characters and fine pacing make the lack of originality forgivable. A teenage girl haunts the movie theatre where she died while watching the Wizard of Oz. When the cinema teeters on the brink of closure, she calls upon those she has appeared to over the years to save the home she loves.

The opening story, “Best New Horror,” was originally written, according to Hill, as a defence of dark fantasy and its associated genres. It is an interesting offering, about the editor of a series called America’s Best New Horror. Eddie Carroll is subjected to some awful writing and terrible stories as he trawls through endless submissions in an attempt to put together his next anthology. Every once in a while, though, he comes across something truly spectacular. “Buttonboy” is one such story—a tale which captures his imagination, turns his stomach, and leaves him desperate to track down its creator. His search soon plunges him into one of the very stories he is so familiar with, and only his knowledge of the genre will help him get out of it.

This is a wonderfully enjoyable collection. The excellent characterisation, Hill’s sensitive and skilful writing, and the element of suspense and horror which is prevalent in so many of the tales make it well worth reading.

Publisher: William Morrow (Oct. 2007)
Price: $16.47
Hardcover: 336 pages
ISBN: 0061147974