First, let me say I like Amber Fallon, I really enjoyed her novella Terminal, featuring a horde of bloodthirsty psychopaths from beyond the stars. That was great. TV Dinners from Hell, well, let's just say that this collection of seventeen short stories was like most TV dinners, not very tasty. Oh, there were morsels I liked, but as a whole, I was left hungry.
One of the stories I enjoyed was Behind the Smile. A well-crafted tale featuring clowns which included this wonderful gem...
"Mary's mother had told her that the music came from something called a 'ka-lie-oh-pee,' but Mary didn't like it one bit. To her small ears, it sounded haunting and evil."
There was also 78154, a short which effectively built the level of terror throughout. By the way, who's the moron who decided codes were needed to use the restrooms in a building where you already need a badge to get into work?
Something Bit Me was onlya single page but was scary as hell. It totally freaked me out.
Dawn of the Death Beatles lost me when meteorites which had impacted the Earth were referred to as meteors. Sorry. That really bothers me.
There were, however, a couple of other standout stories here. One being, Tell Me How You Die. If you knew how you would meet your end would you take unnecessary risks which didn't involve the activity that would kill you? Well told.
And then there was my favorite, The Dick Measuring Contest at the End of the Universe, A terrific "What if?" story involving alternate universes and Hellen Marshall.
Six entertaining stories out of seventeen is just OK and not enough for me to really recommend, I hear Amber's book, Warblers is really good, maybe I'll give that one a read soon.
TV Dinners from Hell is available now in both paperback and for the Kindle. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read it at no additional charge. Also, if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read it for FREE using the Kindle Owners Lending Library.
From the author's bio - Amber Fallon lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two dogs. A techie by day and horror writer by night, Mrs. Fallon has spent time as a bank manager, motivational speaker, produce wrangler and butcher. Amber's publications include The Warblers, The Terminal, and others.
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