Book Review: Her Infernal Name & Other Stories
By Elizabeth Suggs
Her Infernal Name & Other Stories is a collection of short horror fiction from the mind of author Robert Ottone.
Each story takes us through a different sort of nightmare. From one about an Instagram-famous model in “Her Infernal Name” to a video game made into reality in “Playing God,” each story plays on the anxieties of our modern society. While this collection is a little predictable or cliché at times, the stories are fun, and I definitely found some favorites. There’s a ton of notable stories, but I’ll focus on four to keep things simple: “Apple Valley,” “Gnats in the Teacher’s Lounge,” “Playing God,” and “Green World.” Also, can we take a moment to take in that cover? It’s one of my favorites!
“Apple Valley” is a twisted story about a doctor who does tests on various creatures, some of these creatures are fish with human body parts. This is disturbing and weird, and I love this for that very reason.
“Gnats in the Teacher’s Lounge” is disgusting. Oh, boy! I despise gnats so much, and this feeds off that hatred and fear. Very good story, but don’t plan to eat while you read this!
“Playing God” reminds me of my childhood, which is probably why I like this story so much. As a child, I played a computer game called The Sims a LOT. It’s a simulation of the human world, where the gamer controls various characters, gives them tasks, and falls in love. “Playing God” has a lot of similarities, at least at the very beginning.
“Green Gospel” is what I wish the world would do—it fixes itself, changing the minds of humans to make the world a better place.
Here are some great quotes:
Sweaty and confused, she wiped her face with a wet paper towel and shook the cobwebs loose. - Her Infernal Name
The gnats were everywhere. In the span of only a few hours, they had gone from a nuisance to a disgusting cloud of black…" - Gnats in the Teacher’s Lounge
If you’re looking for some short, disturbing stories, then this collection is for you!
Elizabeth Suggs is the owner and founder of Editing Mee. When she’s not writing or editing, she loves to dive deep into books (the weirder, the better!), and she loves to take random long walks to unplanned destinations. Check out her recently released book Collective Darkness with eleven other authors. Buy your copy here: www.CollectiveDarkness.com