By Frank Duffy

Author of The Resurrection Children

​

John McFarland's new collection... proves to be every bit as equal as its predecessor, The Dark Walk Forward. Baby Monster contains 19 stories, many of which are set in the town of Ste. Odile at the turn of the 20th century. I can't think of many writers working in the genre today who write fiction within a time period that's now over a hundred years in the past. McFarland writes with elegance and humanity, whether about people, animals, or monsters, as they may or may not be perceived. There's a real humane depth to his writing, and it's a testament to his skill that the times he so eloquently brings to life feel vividly real and authentic. There's a seasonal vivacity to the stories too, as if the stagnant heat that wafts across the parched landscape literally emanates out of the pages, as if the cloying gloom of dark nights reaches out to instill more of its gothic sensibilities. McFarland applies the same emotional tones to the characters, whose bone-weary dissolution and fevered mania, coupled with their doomed ambitions, give them a quality that aches with desperation.​

​

McFarland's Ste. Odile is an impressive act of world-building, too, usually a term we apply to science fiction and fantasy, but no less so here. There are stories that dovetail, whether thematically or with characters who gracefully arc through one another's stories. Previous stories ripple and echo into narratives, creating a sense of unifying fate for the people McFarland has chosen to write about. I thought every story was worthy of the story that followed, but standouts were "Anabis," "Renatus Sum," "The Emperor of Ice Cream," "Obasute," "The Testament of Cleander," and the eponymous "Baby Monster."

​

If I were to recommend one reason for reading Baby Monster, it would be "Plank Road." An absolute world-immersing tale of early 20th-century hardship that is historically illuminating as well as providing a number of characters so beautifully drawn that at times it feels as if the fiction has been culled from the diaries of people from that period. I was particularly smitten with the depiction of amateur league baseball as played by a group of weary post-World War I veterans, a sport I know very little about but of which I'm aware is an important cultural pastime for many Americans.

​

And one final word. Not only has McFarland written one of the best genre collections of the year, he also provides the wonderful illustration that accompany each story. And much like the legendary Clive Barker, McFarland's talents are clearly not limited to the written word. Lastly, the production of the book is excellent, especially the cover art by Gabriel Augusto, as well as the cover design. I'm also rather envious of the author photo by Cindy McFarland.