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Book Review: Arithmophobia: An Anthology of Mathematical Horror edited by Robert Lewis

Just in time for Pi Day, we have a special treat: David Simms reviews a brand new anthology of mathematical horror,  Arithmophobia!  Now that I think about it, I’m shocked that I haven’t seen more come my way: centuries ago poets were writing about “fearful symmetries”

Speaking of Pi Day, the Monster KId thought ahead and brought home a banana cream pie to celebrate. We’ll see how long it lasts.

 

cover art for Arithmophobia: An Anthology of Mathematical Horror edited by Robert Lewis

Arithmophobia: An Anthology of Mathematical Horror edited by Robert Lewis

Polymath Press. 2024

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1961827042

Available: Paperback, KIndle edition

Buy: Bookshop.org | Amazon.com

 

Many people simply hear the word “math” and their anxiety spikes. Can you blame them? Just the thought of algebraic equations, functions, or those concepts that blend numbers, letters, words, and scientific terms often causes math-phobes to twitch, sweat, eyes to roll, and worse. Yet somehow, somewhere, there exist creatures who do enjoy this discipline. They find comfort in the numbers, patterns, and alchemy that math holds.

 

Some believe that the subject can conjure up darker solutions. No, it’s not calculus or the dreaded word problems on the SAT. Robert Lewis has collected some of the finest, fiendish minds to pen thirteen tales on this realm of academic hell, along with a poem to alleviate the fears of the triskadekaphobics out there. It’s not much of a comfort, except for those who find it in the numbers.

 

The stories within are worth the adventure, although some will be loved by those in love with mathematics more than those who fear it. Still, each one has some allure for various readers.

 

While this reviewer finds all things mathematical  horrendous and spawned from the depths of Hades, that is a bias which yields some pleasures in this book. Four stories particularly stand out. Elizabeth Massie, a former science teacher, opens the anthology with “One Two, Buckle My Shoe”, a short, but effective opening story which discusses Janie, a woman stuck caring for her ailing mother. Her only escape is a part-time job at the dollar store, unless you count her love of numbers. It’s an obsession given to her by her mother, for reasons made clear as the story creeps by. Massie has a great skill in marrying the frightening with the absurd, which is on full display here.

 

“Manifold Thoughts”, written by physics teacher Patrick Freivald, creates math that communicates with the characters– and much more, something that is incomprehensible.

 

Sarah Lazarz’ wonderful “They’ll Say It Was the Communists” is likely the most intriguing of the lot, Its tone harkens back to the 20th century (the decade is unknown, but the protagonist, Leslie, works in an office building and payphones are still a thing). To rise up in the company, math problems must be solved – yet what’s on the other side? This one sticks.

 

“Trains Passing,” by Martin Zeigler, becomes the centerpiece, in a way. It’s the ultimate word problem. Those who have lingering nightmares about the SAT or other ignorant standardized tests will fall headfirst into this tale of a passenger dead set on solving the ultimate practical math problem. She’s joined by another, who happens to have her own reasons for solving the traveling train dilemma. This should make it onto the next big exam.

 

Overall, Arithmophobia is a fun, intriguing read that will remind the reader how terrible those math classes were– or inspire number lovers to keep swimming through  formulas and equations that, hopefully, don’t lead to the dark solutions found between the covers of this book. .

 

Posted on March 14, 2024 by , Reply

Book Review: Passing Through Veils by John Harrison

cover art for Passing Through Veils by John Harrison

 

Passing Through Veils by John Harrison

Wordfire Press, 2023

ISBN-13 : ‎ 978-1680574234

Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition

Buy: Bookshop.org | Amazon.com

 

Sometimes, the best stories have the worst narrators, at least in reliability. Spending time with the character who we travel through the book with, wondering how much is accurate versus that person’s perception, makes for an intriguing read-– if written well. Passing Through Veils has been compared to Gone Girl and The Haunting of Hill House, but John Harrison has penned a novel that forges its own path in Passing Through Veils, constructed with skill and insight, into a mentally unstable mind. Harrison has plenty of experience in entertainment, from writing episodes of Creepshow, to directing Tales From the Darkside, and the horror miniseries Residue, on Netflix.

 

The novel opens with a vicious murder, witnessed only by a young boy, and is seemingly unconnected to the rest of the novel.

 

The reader is then introduced to Kathryn, once a promising star in the legal field until a complete breakdown sends her to a psychiatric ward for six months. When released, she secures a job with a friend’s firm, and purchases a townhouse with her mother. She hears music and other noises through the walls, but just as she is about to relapse, she punches through the wall – and discovers a secret room with a vanity, o ther items, and the source of the music.

 

As Kathryn investigates who used to live there, possibly the murdered woman from the scene at the beginning of the book, reality begins to unravel in front of her. Visions of a strange woman plague her, and she is having bouts of dissociation when in the house or with items left behind. She meets an intriguing man with a connection to the house and his odd brother, both who have integral roles in the story. How the story is resolved is worth the read. Recommended to fans of ghost stories and unreliable narrators-– or simply well told tales.

 

 

Reviewed by David Simms

Posted on March 13, 2024 by , Reply

Book Review: Kiranis: Secrets of the Universe (Kiranis #3) by Ronald A. Geobey

Cover art for Kiranis #3 by Ronald A. Geobey

Kiranis: Secrets of the Universe, by Ronald A. Geobey

Temple Dark Books, 2023

ISBN: 9781739749248

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

Buy:  Amazon.com

 

 

The saga continues…

The third volume in the Kiranis series, Secrets of the Universe continues the far-reaching galactic odyssey.

 

As in the previous two books, it is staggering in scope, and takes place in an entirely new era, with a new slate of characters.  However, while the series is still a very good read, it’s starting to feel like the foundation may be trembling a bit. Adding more detailed explanations to certain parts would certainly help shore the story up.

 

The basic idea still revolves around the hidden planet Kiranis and the fate of Earth, although the Garran race and their planet, Sieltor, play a part also.  A couple of the characters from previous books do play a part, Cassandra Messina being one, and as always, the prophet Naveen flits in and out of the story.  Having a new cast of characters is good and bad in this case: lt allows for a whole new dynamic group of characters, unfortunately just as we got used to the last batch (it’s a shame Sam Vawter didn’t make it back in, he was one of the best characters). At face value, the story is excellent, and as always, adds new items that play a crucial part of the story.  In this case, this includes the Barrier as one of the big ones, and the new spaceship drive that appears to be powered by the sun.  There’s a lot of dialogue in the book, but also a number of large space battles: the author certainly has a flair for creating them with a lot of ships, and a lot of destruction.

 

As good as the story is, it might be getting to be too much for some readers, I’ve never read a series with a scope as large as this one.  It would help to explain a few things a bit more: the author tends to insert new things from his imagination (and they are well-imagined), but they just appear without narrative paragraphs to really clear them up.  While things start to make sense as the story progresses, it would help to offer more details up front.  The Fate Lines are a prime example, I’m still not really sure how those work, and how the characters use them.  The Barrier is another example: it was not in the other two books, and some background would have helped, as it is such a big part of the story.  There is a lot of mental, psy-type material in the book, it’s tougher to grasp than tangible things.  Clearing these areas up would help propel the story to the next level.

 

Bottom line?  It’s still very good and worth the read for fans of the series, but could use a few tweaks at this point for clarification, so readers don’t get totally blown out of the water.  Recommended.

 

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson

 

Posted on March 12, 2024 by , Reply
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