B. Horror: And Other Stories

Has Robert's bride forsaken her self just as the mummy did for the Egyptian princess? Or will a prenuptial facelift convince her that even swamps and wild mushrooms are better alternatives? Will an older brother pull his younger sister from withdrawal by mimicking Godzilla? Or are there depths that even "Big Greenie" cannot swim? Do werewolves really lurk a Lithuanian village? Or do buzzing, vintage WWII fighter planes remind us that terrors infinitely more horrible than Hollywood stalk us yet? In Wendell Mayo's second story collection, we probe what lies behind the dailyness of life, often through B horror movie images and plots. Not all these stories are dark, however. In the playful "Who Made You," the Baltimore Catechism's rote question-and-answer sessions offer an unexpected anchor to a couple on the verge of financial disaster. And even the title story, "B. Horror," leaves a whimsical, idyllic Frankenstein poised before his infamous well, with an equally idyllic young "girl" forever reaching to soothe his aching scars.