I Know a Place: Rest Stop and Other Dark Detours

The harrowing first short story collection from Cassidy (Mary) is a dense exploration of madness and depravity complete with a healthy dose of gore. While all 13 tales are chilling, Cassidy nimbly hops genres throughout—including a foray into poetry in the fungal fairy tale “A Fruiting Body.” The standout opening novella, Rest Stop, follows a young bassist in a metal band who gets trapped in a desolate gas station with a supernatural killer. In the dystopian future of “Generation,” babies develop bizarre mutations in utero, while “Run for Your Life” offers a morbid, time-bending reimagining of the origins of the Beatles. Cassidy’s biting sense of humor shines through the mounting dread of these relentlessly upsetting tales. Those looking for restraint when it comes to blood and guts won’t find it here, but there’s a refreshing streak of irreverence amid the gloom and clever nods to the canon of horror writers that paved the way. Splatterpunk fans will be thrilled. (May)