The Bard Reviews: These Windows by Thomas the Younger

I have been a fan of the writing of Thomas the Younger since catching his work at an online writing site. Upon learning he was collecting a few in a volume, I immediately picked up These Windows, a troika of stories stirred from the part of the imagination that’s cold and dank, dark and dusty. Where most writers go to bury their skeletons, Thomas goes to unearth them.

Three stories: Rear Window. Jack Snapped. Jill Killed. Yeah, they pretty much mean what they say. Three tales of madness, surreal dreamscaping, and emotionally charged murder. Watch your step, because stairs don’t exist here. It’s just a sheer drop into a boiling pot of literary stew.

Rear Window: a hallucinatory dive into a house that’s not so much haunted as it is haunting, fully equipped with a rear window that allows a view of certain madness, or perhaps a subtle peek at the writer’s own mind. Jack Snapped: the cold-blooded tale of a unfortunate restaurant encounter with a bloke name Jack. Does he indeed snap? Read the title. Jill Killed: A tale to make Tarantino proud, featuring a dame of ruthless temperament who doesn’t mind serving her revenge cold. Watch out for that surprise ending.

There’s a bit of Stephen King here. A bit of Poe. But mostly it’s a lot of Thomas, a writer who doesn’t waste words. Readers who love pages of backstory and setup will be out of their element in these pages. Thomas the Younger enjoys pushing the throttle before you get both feet in. And then blowing you away with his delight of leaping headfirst into the dark side of the human psyche. 

Go get it.