• Anti-Spam Policy
  • Copyright Notice
  • DMCA Compliance
  • Earnings Disclaimer
  • Fair Use Disclaimer
  • FTC Compliance
  • Medical Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Social Media Disclaimer
  • Terms and Conditions
HollywoodNewsHub.com
  • Home
    • About
  • News & Gossip
  • Movies
  • Television
  • Music
  • Fashion
  • Horror
  • Trailers
  • Contact
  • Home
    • About
  • News & Gossip
  • Movies
  • Television
  • Music
  • Fashion
  • Horror
  • Trailers
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
HollywoodNewsHub.com
No Result
View All Result

Human Horrors Abound in ‘Cut to Care’ by Aaron Dries

by admin
May 2, 2022
in Horror
Human Horrors Abound in ‘Cut to Care’ by Aaron Dries


Whenever I sit down to read a book by Aaron Dries, I do my best to mentally prepare for what horrors I think the author might have in store for me. It’s never worked. Not once. Not even a little. Dries is an author who zigs when I expect him to zag. He skims the surface of the obvious evil/horror, rarely using it as more than a tease, only to plunge the reader headfirst into an unexpected circumstance that’s so much worse. He is a master storyteller, and Cut to Care: A Collection of Little Hurts, his new collection of short stories is no exception.

In a way, it’s the perfect title. Each story is carefully crafted; each story cuts deep. Dries rarely writes supernatural stories. His horrors come from and live in the real world. His novella Dirty Heads is a notable exception, and here he dips his toe occasionally, often pairing supernatural thrills with body horror chills that are simultaneously compelling and disturbing.

Though I rarely do so with collections, I feel the need to break down/review each of the author’s stories here. It feels like the only way to do the work justice and to give you an idea of what you’ll find inside its covers.

Cut to Care begins with “Damage, Inc.” a story that centers on a young woman who works as a sort of living grief doll. Kaylee spends her days donning costumes and wigs to spend time with clients who have experienced profound loss. She becomes the object of their grief, eases opens their badly-healed emotional wounds, and allows them to say what they never said to find closure. The job tears at her. Every client opens her own scars, but she’s unable to give herself what she so readily and exhaustingly gives to others.

Still, she manages to stick to the treatment plan, so to speak, until she meets a wealthy family who might need her just a bit too much. Dries reaches into the very heart of grief, mining the essential horror of loss in a way that is both gripping and terrifying, leaving an ending just ambiguous enough to fully embody his subject. Some wounds never fully heal; some aren’t meant to. Some ache years after the initial hurt as a reminder and a lesson that we’ve survived.

“Cut to Care” is what could only be considered a sort of horror parable, a simple story with a nugget of truth at its center. A young man is out for a morning run when he encounters an old man asking for change. He gives it, and smiles as he jogs away. At the next corner, he encounters a woman wrapped in a blanket without a shirt. Despite the chill of winter, he gives up his own. He has a home to go to after all. He’ll eventually be warm and there’s a certain glow he feels in giving of himself. Dries seems to be asking “Is it okay to feel good about yourself by helping others? When do we cross the line from altruism to something less honorable?” The answer, of course, is chilling in the hands of the author who crafts a somehow brutally sunny ending.

It’s hard to know what to make of “Tallow Maker, Tallow Made.” Upon first reading it, it rather jumps off the page as a skin-crawling body horror story. A second read, however, takes you much deeper. Again, we are confronted with grief as a young woman desperately tries to come to terms with her father’s hanging after it was discovered he murdered three men. Here, though, she fully succumbs to that grief, allows herself to be changed by it. It was, for me, the second most stomach-turning story in the collection. The author’s knack for description is on full display here. If you have a weak constitution, I can only suggest preparing for the best worst ride of your life.

Cut to Care comes complete with an introduction by Mick Garris!

“Nona Doesn’t Dance”… In a future where the world is covered in toxic smog, and no one has seen the stars in more years than they could count, a family packs up to visit their matriarch at the rest home where she “lives.” That’s all I can tell you plot-wise about this story. Best you find out what happens on your own. Dries spent years working in nursing homes, and this seems to draw upon those very real, sadly mundane horrors of aging and the aged.

As a child, my own grandfather existed in a nursing home for, I believe, eight years. After the first year, he didn’t remember much of anything. Looking back, I realize how performative our weekly visits to the nursing home were. We’d sit by his bed, often talking about him rather than to him as if having happy conversations in his presence somehow negated the state he was in. But the worst was that there was some expectation for him to perform, as well. A remembered name, an acknowledgement of our presence was the price we selfishly expected him to pay. I was a child dealing with undiagnosed anxiety and depression. I could hardly be expected to really know better, but looking back, the memories are bitter. This story brought all of that to the surface, lacing the fear with guilt.

“Little Balloons” explores the potential of childhood, the formation of the self, and how easily it can be lost, a complex story told simply with horror at its core. That’s all I want to say about that right now.

I want to talk about “The Acknowledged.” I want to explore its layers in a way that gives it the weight it deserves. I’m just not sure how to go about it without spoiling the whole thing. Just trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

In “Too Old for Ice Cream,” the author deftly explores the dynamics of a family falling apart and what that kind of trauma does to the children in the home. Growing up too fast, taking on responsibilities far beyond their maturation, and worst of all, missing the freedom to just be children, to enjoy the simple pleasures life has to offer before the crushing weight of adulthood falls on their shoulders. It’s heartbreaking, sad, and yes, scary as hell.

“Love Amongst the Red Back Spiders.” Well, here we are. The story that broke me so much so that I messaged Dries after I read it to let him know that he had broken me. Acceptance of the queer community, as a whole, has gotten much better than it used to be, though we still have a very long way to go. This story takes place in a time when it was much worse. In fact, after a man’s life falls apart after being outed, he takes drastic measures in an attempt to “save himself” from his queerness only to have his life truly go to hell afterward.

This story has extra weight as lawmakers across the U.S. are desperately trying to pass laws making the identity of members of the LBGTQ+ community “illegal” in some unhinged way. Stripping away our humanity and our rights does nothing more than make us a danger to ourselves and others. The horror here sits firmly in our reality as history that could easily repeat itself. I walked away from this story broken by its underlying meanings and more determined than ever to honor those who came before us, fighting and dying to earn us what rights we have. I can only hope I can fill their shoes in my own time in some way that would make them proud.

And finally, there is “Shadow Debt.” The story seems to be an amalgamation of everything that came before it in the collection. All those fears and doubts coalesce into a singular moment, where the ripples of one decision can utterly and completely alter the course of a life. Nanette is uncomfortably living out her twilight years. Her husband has succumbed to dementia and lives in a nursing home. Her daughter’s family is growing. She’s eagerly anticipating her first great-grandchild. Then, one day, she convinces a young woman not to take her own life. It is the ultimate act of life-giving kindness. Or is it?

Dries seems to be pointing at his readership, asking us what we would have done and if we had the chance, would we do it again? Some things, ultimately, can’t be taken back. Some things, even the most charitable, only take from us. And take and take and take. The author presents us a beautifully written, genuinely scary story, that lives in the gray areas of our lives.

As a whole, like any good collection, Cut to Care is a journey in and out of the author’s imagination. Dries proves with the work that his mastery of storytelling is not limited to the longer form. He can, and will, make your skin crawl in even the briefest of stories. If well-written horror is what you crave, you owe it to yourself to read this fantastic collection.

Look for Cut to Care: A Collection of Little Hurts this month wherever you buy books!



Original Source Link

Previous Post

Here’s Your Guide to Elon Musk’s Complicated Family Tree

Next Post

67 High-Street Wedding Dresses That Look Really Expensive

admin

admin

Related Posts

The ‘Leprechaun’ 8-Film Digital Collection is On Sale This Weekend
Horror

The ‘Leprechaun’ 8-Film Digital Collection is On Sale This Weekend

by admin
March 20, 2023
Listen to Horror BFFs Heather Wixson and Patrick Bromley Discuss SCREAM VI on a New Episode of CORPSE CLUB
Horror

Listen to Horror BFFs Heather Wixson and Patrick Bromley Discuss SCREAM VI on a New Episode of CORPSE CLUB

by admin
March 19, 2023
Lemony Snicket and Hellboy Creator Team for Dark Take on Pinocchio
Horror

Lemony Snicket and Hellboy Creator Team for Dark Take on Pinocchio

by admin
March 19, 2023
Shudder Gives Us Something to Scream about in April 2023
Horror

Shudder Gives Us Something to Scream about in April 2023

by admin
March 18, 2023
Exclusive Interview: Corin Nemec (Half Dead Fred)
Horror

Exclusive Interview: Corin Nemec (Half Dead Fred)

by admin
March 18, 2023
Next Post
67 High-Street Wedding Dresses That Look Really Expensive

67 High-Street Wedding Dresses That Look Really Expensive

Benjamin Voisin & Xavier Dolan in Trailer for France’s ‘Lost Illusions’

Benjamin Voisin & Xavier Dolan in Trailer for France's 'Lost Illusions'

Megan Thee Stallion Day Proclaimed in Houston

Megan Thee Stallion Day Proclaimed in Houston

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

ADVERTISEMENT

POPULAR POSTS

What Was ‘Jeopardy!’ Contestant Avi’s Snappy Comeback During High School Reunion Tournament?

What Was ‘Jeopardy!’ Contestant Avi’s Snappy Comeback During High School Reunion Tournament?

February 22, 2023
We Asked an AI Chatbot Why 20 Classic Albums Are So Great

We Asked an AI Chatbot Why 20 Classic Albums Are So Great

February 22, 2023
Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter Shares New Song “Le Minoutaure”: Listen

Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter Shares New Song “Le Minoutaure”: Listen

February 26, 2023
Justin Bieber, Hailey Baldwin’s Most Romantic Quotes

Justin Bieber, Hailey Baldwin’s Most Romantic Quotes

February 26, 2023
Have U Seen A Slide Like THIS Before???

Have U Seen A Slide Like THIS Before???

March 19, 2023
15 Creepy Films We Can’t Wait To See at SXSW 2023

15 Creepy Films We Can’t Wait To See at SXSW 2023

March 7, 2023
See All the 2023 NAACP Image Awards Red Carpet Fashion Looks

See All the 2023 NAACP Image Awards Red Carpet Fashion Looks

February 26, 2023

Browse by Category

  • Books (1)
  • Business (2)
  • Events (4)
  • Fashion (1,345)
  • Horror (700)
  • Interviews (7)
  • Movies (1,348)
  • Music (1,366)
  • News & Gossip (2,002)
  • Television (1,361)
  • Trailers (1,336)
Smoothie Diet
ADVERTISEMENT

POPULAR POSTS

Country Music Gets Bloody In Brea Grant’s New Film

Country Music Gets Bloody In Brea Grant’s New Film

January 30, 2022
Celebrities That Have Renewed Their Vows: Photos

Celebrities That Have Renewed Their Vows: Photos

February 3, 2023
All The April Beauty Launches We’re Obsessed With

All The April Beauty Launches We’re Obsessed With

March 5, 2022
“The Beast Inside” Musical Score Review by Edmund Barker

“The Beast Inside” Musical Score Review by Edmund Barker

February 9, 2023

READERS' PICKS

Shadow and Bone Season 2 Episode 2 Review: Rusalye

Shadow and Bone Season 2 Episode 2 Review: Rusalye

March 17, 2023
Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter Shares New Song “Le Minoutaure”: Listen

Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter Shares New Song “Le Minoutaure”: Listen

February 26, 2023
Twitter Rallies Around Ariana Madix Amid Tom Sandoval & Raquel Leviss Affair Rumor!

Twitter Rallies Around Ariana Madix Amid Tom Sandoval & Raquel Leviss Affair Rumor!

March 4, 2023
Pearl Jam Deep Cut Was Featured in Episode 7 of ‘The Last of Us’

Pearl Jam Deep Cut Was Featured in Episode 7 of ‘The Last of Us’

February 28, 2023

EDITOR'S PICKS

Other People’s Children review – Touching tale of impossible love

Other People’s Children review – Touching tale of impossible love

March 18, 2023
Netflix Music Doc ‘Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now’ Official Trailer

Netflix Music Doc ‘Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now’ Official Trailer

March 20, 2023
The Last of Us Creators on Anna & Portraying Ellie’s Immunity

The Last of Us Creators on Anna & Portraying Ellie’s Immunity

March 18, 2023
Bob Odenkirk Details What Makes His ‘Lucky Hank’ So Different From Saul Goodman

Bob Odenkirk Details What Makes His ‘Lucky Hank’ So Different From Saul Goodman

March 18, 2023

© 2022 HollywoodNewsHub.com - All Rights Reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
    • About
  • News & Gossip
  • Movies
  • Television
  • Music
  • Fashion
  • Horror
  • Trailers
  • Contact

© 2022 HollywoodNewsHub.com - All Rights Reserved

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT