The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell

Stories

By: Brian Evenson

Narrated by: Mauro Hantman

“Here is how monstrous humans are.”

A sentient, murderous prosthetic leg; shadowy creatures lurking behind a shimmering wall; brutal barrow men: Of all the terrors that populate The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell, perhaps the most alarming are the beings who decimated the habitable Earth: humans. In this new short-story collection, Brian Evenson envisions a chilling future beyond the Anthropocene that forces excruciating decisions about survival and self-sacrifice in the face of toxic air and a natural world torn between revenge and regeneration. Combining psychological and ecological horror, each tale thrums with Evenson’s award-winning literary craftsmanship, dark humor, and thrilling suspense.

©2021 Brian Evenson (P)2022 Audible, Inc.

Brian Evenson At His Best!

Few writers can compare to the Brian Evenson’s of the world; Kurt Vonnegut? Definitely. Richard Matheson, Chuck Windig orPalahniuk? Mmm, close-but…

Brian Evenson once again delivers big with yet another bizarrely creepy, spine chilling, intelligent; well thought out anthology of short horror and psychologically terrifying stories. For anyone who enjoys Evenson, this is a must have in print, Kindle and especially Audible because the narration does not get any better than this! (FYI, yes, his iconic dry wit definitely shines through making us giggle even while in the utmost suspense; he is an absolute master of that art! To be creeped out and completely uncomfortable and find ourselves giggling in the midst of a completely horrific scenario is writing at its absolute best. Only Kurt Vonnegut holds a torch this literary master of pen to parchment…………

22 Stories by a Master of the Form

Evenson is simultaneously a 21st Century Poe and Kafka; Bradbury and Jackson AND none of these. Locating where his short-stories belong is like mapping Aesop Rock’s genealogy.

22 Stories:

1. Leg ★★★★
2. In Dreams ★★★★
3. Myling Kommer ★★★★
4. Come Up ★★★★★
5. Palisade ★★★★
6. Curator ★★★★★
7. To Breathe the Air ★★★★★
8. The Barrow-Men ★★★
9. The Shimmering Wall ★★★★★
10. Grauer in the Snow ★★★★★
11. Justle ★★★★★
12. The Devil's Hand ★★★★
13. Nameless Citizen ★★★★
14. The Coldness of His Eye ★★★
15. Daylight Come ★★★
16. Elo Havel ★★★★★
17. His Haunting ★★★★
18. Haver ★★★★★
19. The Extrication ★★★★★
20. A Bad Patch ★★★★
21. Hospice ★★★★
22. The Glassy Burning Floor of Hell ★★★★★

Really good, unsettling horror

Although it didn’t hit me like A Collapse of Horses, this is another great example of why Evenson is one of our best living horror authors.

A little disappointing

I chose this audiobook after seeing this on a list of “best 2022 horror.” Honestly none of the stories were frightening, though they had interesting concepts. I guess I’m a little jaded coming off of Richard Mathewson and the Ellen Datlow edited works, as none of the stories here came even close to that caliber of writing. This was a good attempt and I’ll keep reading this author’s work, but I’m not sure I can recommend this audiobook without it being on sale.

Brilliant collection of short stories

Each story takes you to new, dark places. Brilliant writing, always capturing strangeness and fear so intimately. Evenson is a master of horror.