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Post by nightreader on Nov 11, 2007 10:27:49 GMT
Cover by Les Edwards City Jitters - Christopher Fowler (Sphere 1986) From the intro: “Welcome to the scariest place on earth.
A place of back alleys and strip joints, suburbs and slums. A place where the new fears live. The city.
The new fears are not of dungeons and vampires. They are fears of modern living. These days we are more scared of muggers than of monsters.
Within these pages you’ll find no werewolves or zombies, but ordinary events which take unpleasant and surprising turns.
Ten linked together tales of modern malevolence which could happen to you, today. Tales set in the most commonplace, most disturbing place of all.
There is nowhere more jittery than the city!”
COUNCIL REPORT: Car Parks Left Hand Drive COUNCIL REPORT: Night Clubs Perry in Seraglio COUNCIL REPORT: Taxi cabs Any Minute Now COUNCIL REPORT: Video Arcades Change for the Sky Master COUNCIL REPORT: Burglaries Tigertooth COUNCIL REPORT: Strip Clubs Vanishing Acts COUNCIL REPORT: Slums Her Finest Hour COUNCIL REPORT: Hotels The Cleansing COUNCIL REPORT: Suburbs What is wrong with this picture? COUNCIL REPORT: Total City Breakdown Loaded Blanks Epilogue Members of the city council meet to discuss proposals for a new development area, complete with models and biscuits and plans. Talk turns to car parks, and one of the council members says “I don’t like car parks. They’re not natural”… ‘Left Hand Drive’Packham is delivering a summons to a business in the city of Los Angeles. He parks in the underground car park. His business done he follows the exit signs. Strange how they seem to be leading him downward, deeper into the darkness, where the ceiling is lower and cars look like they’ve been there for years. Packham starts to feel very afraid … This is a very taut and claustrophobic story, Packham isn’t particularly pleasant but you get a good sense of his sweaty panic rising. I would be too. Next on the council agenda is a new entertainment complex… ‘Perry in Seraglio’Perry is Mr. Popular. He has the best cars, drugs and women; he is handsome, charming and witty. He has it all. So it’s no surprise when he gets an invite to the opening of a new nightclub called ‘Seraglio’. Of course he’ll be there, with his friends, he always is. He doesn’t realise his perfect life is about to take a distinctly messy turn... At the council meeting talk turns to transport. The planners realise they’ve not accounted for night buses in their scheme. A councillor assures the others that people would rather take a mini cab at night anyway... ‘Any Minute Now’A simple but effective story. Angela leaves her boyfriend’s house late in the evening, the unmarked and unremarkable mini cab has pulled up at the door as requested. The driver is talkative and seems to be taking an odd route. Angela suspects he might be trying to bump up the fare. She’s right to be worried. Back at the boyfriend’s house the phone rings, it’s the mini cab company... |
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Post by erebus on Feb 24, 2009 18:59:31 GMT
Great cover art. Always wanted this. Anybody else read it ??
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Post by franklinmarsh on Jan 17, 2012 12:16:07 GMT
Haven't done a lot of reading lateley, but did enjoy one of Mr Fowler's Bryant & May crime (with a dash of the occult) stories featuring Bryant & May - White Corridor.
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