From the back cover: It can appear in a dream state; it can breathe in familiar shadows; it can be a dizzying decent into madness. In these twenty-five gothic horror tales from the master of the short story, Joyce Carol Oates explores the waking nightmares of life with eyes wide open, facing what the bravest of us fear most.

Simplicity can be unnervingly effective. It is Oates ability to present a character through everyday actions that will get to you; such as the stepfather figure in Schroeder’s Stepfather. The nonchalant disgust for a boy’s emotions, the disdain for the life of a dog, the need for control over his surroundings; all these traits are presented by Oates as plainly as if this man could be your next door neighbor. It is the way she uncovers what would otherwise remain hidden that makes you uncomfortable. It’s always been there for you to see, you just need to pay attention to what is really going on.

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