Ushers (by Joe Hill)
Author Joe Hill is easily one of my favorite horror writers. And why wouldn’t he be — he’s the son of Stephen King! I’ve read all of his novels and short story collections, so I was excited when I learned from Joe’s newsletter that his latest short story, Ushers, was available on Amazon’s First Reads for the month of October.
At 29 pages, Ushers is a quick, entertaining read. Perfect for the spooky reading season. Federal agents are eager to interview Martin Lorensen because he has surprisingly survived two disasters that killed many people. During the interview, federal agents are having a hard time buying Martin’s explanations for his near misses in two significant tragedies. Martin is a likeable young man, just starting out his adult life with a job as a counselor for troubled teens. As with many pairs of agents, one seems curious and open-minded, while the other is hard-headed and unsympathetic.
I thought Ushers was great. The story opens with the humor I’ve come to expect from Joe. I was quickly engaged by the story as I wanted to understand what Martin was involved in. Then, the story moved into an element of darkness, but with a feeling of compassion and empathy. It ended up being a rather emotional story.
Available on my blog is my review of the short story Joe Hill published last year for the spooky reading season. Also, I have attended a few author events with Joe. You’re welcome to check out my review and author event posts below.
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