Strange Weather: Four Short Novels

by Joe Hill

Four short novels from the author of THE FIREMAN and HORNS, ranging from creepy horror to powerful explorations of our modern society.

One autumnal day in Boulder, Colorado, the clouds open up in a downpour of nails, splinters of bright crystal that tear apart anyone who isn't safely under cover. 'Rain' explores this escalating apocalyptic event, as clouds of nails spread out across the country and the world. Amidst the chaos, a girl studying law enforcement takes it upon herself to resolve a series of almost trivial mysteries . . . apparently harmless puzzles that turn out to have lethal answers.

In 'Loaded' a mall security guard heroically stops a mass shooting and becomes a hero to the modern gun movement. Under the hot glare of the spotlights, though, his story begins to unravel, taking his sanity with it...

'Snapshot, 1988' tells the story of an kid in Silicon Valley who finds himself threatened by The Phoenician, a tattooed thug who possesses a Polaroid that can steal memories...

And in 'Aloft' a young man takes to the skies to experience parachuting for the first time . . . and winds up a castaway on an impossibly solid cloud, a Prospero's island of roiling vapour that seems animated by a mind of its own.

• ISBN10: 0062663119
• ISBN13: 9780062663115
• Publish Date: 24 October 2017
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Imprint: Collins
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 448
• Language: English

Reviews

[inlibrisveritas]

Strange Weather is a collection of four short stories that are very different but all have their own chilling twists that will leave you thinking about them after they end.

Snapshot, performed by Wil Wheton, is one that seems to really encompass Joe Hill’s horror writing. It’s subtly off center and engrossing, and even though you may see the path of the story you can’t help but become immersed in it. This was creepy and pure Joe Hill perfection. Also Wil Wheton is fantastic to listen to, as always.

Loaded, performed by Stephen Lang, is a hard-hitting more contemporary horror novel. There is no supernatural element here, just pure human emotion…and that’s honestly kind of more terrifying. It deals with gun control (or lack thereof), racism, and police brutality. It’s not an easy read but I was hooked, and even as my stomach lurched at parts I couldn’t stop listening. The ending was especially chilling, and while the subject matter and callousness of some of the characters really bothered me I think Loaded is my favorite of the four.

Aloft, performed by Dennis Boutsikaris, is the weirdest and probably the lightest of the four. A man is trapped in a strange cloud and we are along for his rather bizarre journey to discover where he is and if he can survive. This was my least favorite but still a fun read, and definitely a nice little breather after Loaded.

Rain, performed by Katie Mulgrew, is more along the post-apocalyptic lines and has the same feel as The Fireman. I love weird natural phenomenon stories and this one is definitely one of the most unique. Honeysuckle, our main character, is such a treat. She’s tough and full of fight, and paired with Kate’s amazing voice she is perfect. This one has some political undertones as well, and you can definitely see the timeline in which he wrote/edit this one.

Overall, I think it’s a pretty strong collection of stories. I don’t think it’s necessarily Joe’s strongest writing but it definitely gives a nice little sampling of his different styles of writing.

[kimbacaffeinate]

•  Snapshot performed by Wil Wheaton. A creepy tale about a Polaroid camera that takes more than just your picture. Classic horror tale with a Hitchcock vibe, I listened to this in almost one sitting. A man known as the Phoenician takes photos with an old Polaroid that steals your memories and an eleven-year-old boy takes him on. Will Wheaton is a favorite narrator and perfectly matched to Hill. -4 cups of coffee



• Loaded performed by Stephen Lang. This story could have been taking from today's headlines regarding gun-control. Mass shootings, police brutality, racism, gun fanaticism, and hate. Randall Kelloway works as a mall cop, he's tried to join the Police force but keeps being rejected for good reason. Randall is mentally unfit and has issues in his personal life begin with an order of protection against him from his ex-wife. After a mall massacre, he is seen as a hero, but when a reporter begins investigating Randall's story quickly crumbles. With brilliant characters, disturbing truths and Hill's clever storytelling this was one of my favorites. The middle dragged a little keeping this from a five cup rating, but the ending wowzers! Stephen Lang's voice is made for storytelling and gave me chills. - 4.5 cups of coffee



•  Aloft performed by Dennis Boutsikaris. Unidentifiable flying objects, Aloft wasn't very scary but delivered readers to the Twilight Zone.  This intriguing story shares events that occur when protagonist Aubrey Griffin joins his friend Jane as she full-fills items on her bucket list. Which is how he finds himself sky-jumping. Everything goes wrong, and he ends up stuck in the clouds. Dennis Boutsikaris is a new to me narrator with a pleasing voice. - 3.5 cups of coffee



• Rain performed by Kate Mulgrew. Hill shares the beginnings of an apocalyptic world when rain falls in the form of sharp needle-like crystalline. It kills protagonist,  Honeysuckle's girlfriend and neighbors. Honeysuckle sets out to inform her father-in-law of his daughter and wife's passing. Along the way, she encounters cult members of a hate group. Set in Denver, this tale has a political message similar to Loaded. Relevant, captivating, and chock full of both sad and humorous moments, I got a kick out of Honeysuckle. 5 cups of coffee

This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer