Last Meal in Osaka & Other Stories by Gary Buller
Swashbuckle Cove:
Swashbuckle Cove is a closed-for-repair boat ride in a dying seaside resort. Harry Bootle and his brother climb aboard for one last ride, but little do they know what lies beneath the surface.
Or how hungry it is.
Last Meal in Osaka:
Influential billionaire Curtis Makin, bored of the finer things in life, books a table at the secretive and exclusive restaurant 'Ouroboros.' Will the experience be as good as he hoped?
Or will 'Ouroboros' claim its pound of flesh?
Rise of the Chiggy-Pigs:
“Don’t touch, whatever you do,” dad said. “If you do, you might just turn into one.” They live at the bottom of the garden, in the cold damp, feasting silently on decay, but someone is about to disturb them...
...and learn a very important lesson.
Writing about Last Meal In Osaka & Other Stories Gary Buller said: “We have three completely different protagonists in this collection, from the innocent all the way through to unexpectedly nasty. Unfortunately, it doesn’t end very well for any of them...I had to dig deep [when writing the stories] recalling how I felt when similar experiences happened to me. I wouldn’t say this was difficult, but it did bring back memories, not all of them pleasant.”
Swashbuckle Cove is a closed-for-repair boat ride in a dying seaside resort. Harry Bootle and his brother climb aboard for one last ride, but little do they know what lies beneath the surface.
Or how hungry it is.
Last Meal in Osaka:
Influential billionaire Curtis Makin, bored of the finer things in life, books a table at the secretive and exclusive restaurant 'Ouroboros.' Will the experience be as good as he hoped?
Or will 'Ouroboros' claim its pound of flesh?
Rise of the Chiggy-Pigs:
“Don’t touch, whatever you do,” dad said. “If you do, you might just turn into one.” They live at the bottom of the garden, in the cold damp, feasting silently on decay, but someone is about to disturb them...
...and learn a very important lesson.
Writing about Last Meal In Osaka & Other Stories Gary Buller said: “We have three completely different protagonists in this collection, from the innocent all the way through to unexpectedly nasty. Unfortunately, it doesn’t end very well for any of them...I had to dig deep [when writing the stories] recalling how I felt when similar experiences happened to me. I wouldn’t say this was difficult, but it did bring back memories, not all of them pleasant.”
I've read a lot of Gary Buller's tales over the years and was really excited to see he had a mini collection out with Demain Publishing. The bar has been set really high here! One striking thing about Gary's work is that it is really dark horror that stays with you long after you stop reading! This is a really great little collection which gets darker the more you read on!
The first tale is Swashbuckle Cove of two brothers holidaying in what was once a luxurious holiday resort but has now fallen into ruin. Sneaking off from their parents they sneak onto a unsupervised ride around Swashbuckle Cove. They think they're alone but they're not! I really liked this tale of childhood innocence coming to an end. The atmosphere is foreboding right from the get go. I loved the build up to the tale there's a great atmosphere and I could really imagine myself being on the lake with them.
Second is Last Meal in Osaka Curtis Makin is determined to go out in style and dines at a luxurious restaurant where his every whim is being catered to. However what he really wants is off menu... This was really dark and I loved it. I don't want to say too much and give spoilers but its really dark!
I really liked all these tales but I have to say Rise of the Chiggy-Pigs was my favourite. You'll never look at insects in the same way again after reading this one. A young boy's life is forever altered on the fateful day he helps his father in their back garden. Little does he know how everyone around him is going to be affected. The ending is amazing!
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