Rant 218 5/8/12 Subject: Stories that leave you confused

Rant number 218


I'm a huge fan of what the derogatory describe as 'genre fiction.' This is to say books and films about horror, thriller, fantasy and crime. Particularly I love horror stories. I have always loved a story that can really get under my skin and scare me.

As well as having my own favourites in this genre - Brian Lumley, HP Lovecraft and Clive Barker for example. I also like to pick up anthologies of these stories. Particularly 'The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror' - which comes out every year. I think I own around 15! And these contain around 20-25 stories each.

Now, one of the only downsides of these kind of stories is that some authors never explain the questions that they answer, and that really gets on my nerves.

I understand with short stories that you have a very limited amount of word count to get through your story. I also understand that - by going on for any longer than this word count, you end up with a novel - not a short story.

Really though, that isn't an excuse, for trying to pull the wool over your eyes and leaving you perplexed.

H.P Lovecraft, wrote a hell of a lot of stories. Even if you haven't heard of him, I can assure you that he has probably inspired someone whose writing you admire.

Hundreds and Hundreds of them. Many of the stories explore some really complex ideas. Parallel universes, alternative mythologies (for instance, the Cthulhu mythos,) mysteries and intrigues all abound. He never makes you feel cheated though. Each story ends when it needs too (some stretch to a couple of pages only, some are forty or fifty pages long.)

If he can do that, why can't the others that follow in his footsteps?

Thomas Ligitti for instance, is a fantastic author, who has some brilliant stories to offer except, many leave you unfulfilled. I remember a particular one 'The Medusa,' which I think was intended to come across as complex and mysterious - but really read as rushed and undefined.

What's got me onto the subject again is the film I've just watched. The visually stunning, but somewhat perplexing Manga 'Paprika.'

I wouldn't put you off watching it at all. The visuals really are bloody fantastic! None of the little shortcuts that Manga usually is guilty of seem to be obviously used, and some of the scenes look too good to be drawn. The premise also is good and has great potential (think inception, but stranger with a pretty Manga chick.) It never quite grows legs though, and the set pieces can't make up for the slight empty feeling of:

'wha?'

As the credits roll.

When I engage in a story, I want them to tell me the story. I don't want to have to puzzle out the bits they didn't want to tell me. I want to read their head goo, not poke mine at the subject!

Rant over.