Christopher Golden is an author whose work I often look forward to, even if sometimes, he goes a bit longer than he should. There’s no such trouble in THE HISS OF ESCAPING AIR; this limited-edition chapbook from PS Publishing is over and done with in 25 pages, cover and all.
Don’t mistake a tiny page count for a worthless idea, as this one is as good as Golden has ever put to paper. Courtney Davis is a famous Hollywood actress, married to the much-older super-producer James Massarsky. As the story opens, Courtney has driven to Santa Monica for a clandestine meeting with a stranger. Despite your initial assumptions, it’s not sex, but life and death.
Things in the Massarsky-Davis household haven’t gone great lately, leading to divorce proceedings. We’re not told exactly what went down, but he hurt her. The story flashes back to their initial meeting at his mansion, filled with memorabilia from classic films, including an old red balloon from a lost, unreleased Anthony Mann picture.
The inflatable was from a movie about a gangster who believes as long as the balloon he owns stays full, his life is safe. How that figures into real life, and Courtney’s meeting, is best left for the reader to find out on his own; after all, 25 pages is just 25 pages.
Suffice to say, the moral fable the kind of reality-based fantasy in which Golden excels. It’s somewhat remarkable that something so short can contain so much mystery, and it doesn’t have time to disappoint or even lag. The only mark I could place in the negative column is that James introduces himself as Steve, yet is James everywhere else before and after.
UK-based PS is offering this novelette — written in conjunction with the author’s appearance as Guest of Honor at Fantasycon 2008 — in hardcover format for $11.10 in American dollars. That price is a steal for hardcore collectors, and just about right for everyone else. —Rod Lott
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS AUTHOR:
• BLOODSTAINED OZ by Christopher Golden and James A. Moore
• FOUR DARK NIGHTS by Bentley Little, Douglas Clegg, Christopher Golden and Tom Piccirilli
• THE MYTH HUNTERS: BOOK ONE OF THE VEIL by Christopher Golden
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi there — Great review. However, because of a goof-up here in the busy heart of PS, Chris’s book was produced only as a paperback edition. But it’s signed and limited to just 300 copies (which are going super-fast, incidentally) so we think — or hope — that people will reckon it’s worth the money. And sorry about the proofing glitch — I did this book myself so, alas, there’s nobody else I can point a finger at. Damn! Best wishes — Pete Crowther, PS Publishing
I love Golden’s books, and I can’t wait to read this!