Tempting Providence and Other Stories

Quirky horrors steeped in surreality distinguish Thomas's uneven second collection (after Midnight Call and Other Stories). In the title tale, a Brown alumnus's return to Providence, R.I., reacquaints him with a vision he once had of native son H.P. Lovecraft as Lovecraftian horrors appear to be encroaching on the town. "Power of Midnight" tells of an audiophile's hunt for a rare album known in collecting circles as "the Necronomicon of vinyl" and the bizarre consequences of his quest once consummated. Although written in a mannered style that won't be to every reader's taste and hobbled by clichéd prose ("Craig was sure these guys could set the world on fire, if only they'd quit hiding their light under a bushel") as well as excesses that editorial fine-tuning might have corrected, these stories impress with their energy and originality. (Feb.)