Review: Things You Need

Things You Need by Kevin Lucia
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review: THINGS YOU NEED by Kevin Lucia

That old proverbial expression, “what you want is not what you need”? Well, Kevin Lucia's spectacular new thematic collection is both what you want and what you need. Certainly that proved true for this reviewer. I've admired Mr. Lucia's fictional community of Clifton Heights (both admired, enjoyed, and feared) for quite some time, and I was ecstatic to return to its “loving” arms and welcoming smile.

Mr. Lucia's horror is never Splatterpunk. It is neither unseemly nor undignified. His is the horror-under-the-surface, much like the neverending eternal mine fires burning under the former community of Centralia, PA. Usually (mostly) you don't see it, but somehow (“there's something in the lockers”) your intuition is aware of it, and something in your spirit screams: “DANGER! DANGER!”

Mr. Lucia's horror creeps on little cat feet. But creeping along is an inevitable, implacable, “you ought never to have come here but you did and oh boy are you in trouble now” danger. You can't get away, you can't get out. Your personality and character are going to be peeled right down to the inevitable core by revelation after revelation. And when it's done, you'll either be someone new—or you will no longer exist—like many of the characters. But what a wonderful fun ride it's going to be!

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