Myths & Monsters Review

“Myths & Monsters” is a collection of horror-themed short stories by Scottish author William Meikle. I have to admit that I had the book in my ‘to read’ stack for a long time without really getting into it. That is more of a ‘me’ problem, though, because I just have so many unread books in my stack and some just slip out of sight. Now I regret that, as the stories are great and I have certainly enjoyed myself while I was reading them — in that uneasy way in which you enjoy horror stories where people are killed and maimed. Meikle fuses monsters and mythological creatures from all over the world with his Scottish homeland and the Scots and creates short, poignant, and readable stories of monsters, myths, and humans.

Every now and then, I love reading some short stories. While I’m also a fan of novels and novellas (and comic books and audio books and graphic novels), the nice thing about a short story is that it is short. A small, nice package to enjoy in a short time (an hour or less) which is a lot of fun if it is well-crafted. Meikle’s stories are always well-crafted, no matter the length.
When I just want to curl up on a rainy and cold day or when I’m not feeling too well, a short story is the best choice for me. It doesn’t demand that I devote a lot of hours to it in one go. It gives me quick gratification while I’m having a cup of coffee or tea and let the world around me fade into the background for a little while. While I can certainly wait for my gratification, sometimes a quick shot is welcome as well.
Many people do not give short stories the respect they deserve. A short story needs to be very well-plotted, because there’s not much time and space for mistakes. It is much harder to write a good short story than it is to write a good novel. The novel forgives a few weak plot points, the short story does not. Every word, every sentence, every scene counts.

As these are horror stories, not all of them end well for the main character or characters. There are only two stories which share the same main character (the first and the next-to-last one) and both of them don’t necessarily have a good ending, either, even if the character survives.
That doesn’t mean, though, that the stories are exceptionally depressing or dark. They are horror stories and that means that not everything will end well for everyone. Within the story, you will find monsters and mythological creatures which are not always nice towards humans and often enjoy killing, maiming, or even eating them. Yet, we humans do have a tendency to survive even against the worst odds, as many monsters have had to learn the hard way over time.

I’ve first read several pastiches by William Meikle — he’s written several Sherlock Holmes, Professor Challenger, and Ghost Hunter Carnacki stories as well.
I find his Professor Challenger much more palpable than the original by Doyle and like how he has the three characters he’s worked with cross paths every now and then. One of the stories in “Myths & Monsters” does include Challenger, Malone, and Carnacki, although they can’t find out what the message given to them and several others means — until history makes it clear what ‘three and thirty at three thirty’ means.

Meikle loves to set his stories in Scotland or to use characters from Scotland in them. That’s not a bad thing — Scottish people have travelled far and have seen much, in real life as well as in this collection. The Scottish highlands are also a great place to set a horror story in. He has a great way with words and has mastered the way of pulp writing. That is not a negative thing at all. Meikle writes in a way that makes you want to follow the story, to read on, even if you don’t really have the time or have something else you need to do. It’s a good thing, therefore, that this book is full of short stories.
Another great thing about the book are the illustrations at the beginning of every story. They are beautifully done and always connected closely to what the story is about. While they’re not the main draw for me, they certainly add to the overall atmosphere of the book.

“Myths & Monsters” is a book for people who love short stories and enjoy horror stories where not everything ends well. The stories are well-written and span a wide range of monsters and mythological creatures. There are some which are tinged with Lovecraftian horror (like the second one) and others which follow a much more traditional path. Give the book a chance as you should be able to read most of the first story through the ‘Look Inside’ feature on Amazon. I had a fun time with the book and I’m sure many of you will have one as well.