"A room without books is like a body without a soul." - Marcus Tullius Cicero

Sunday, 26 August 2012

Fluffs by Daniel I. Russell


Fluffs is an odd short story of around 50 pages long, and is about a drug abuser named Shaun who thinks that multi-coloured things he calls ‘fluffs’ are trying to kill him. The doctors are convinced it’s his drug-muddled mind that is causing hallucinations of the cuddly creatures, but as the carnage escalates Shaun is arrested on suspicion of murder - can he convince the officials that the ‘fluffs’ exist and are the culprits behind the violence before it’s too late?

Admittedly the premise sounds a little silly - live fluffy things of all colours of the rainbow with piranha style teeth trying to eat people (and animals) - but it’s executed very well, is beautifully written and succeeds in being quite scary, as well as having an element of dark humour. It reminds me a little of some of Stephen King’s earlier short stories, and this writer certainly shows promise in his writing style and imagination. The interesting and unusual premise is carried out in such a way that it makes for an intriguing and quirky read rather than a weird and stupid one, which could easily have happened considering the author's peculiar choice of villain.

Although Fluffs is an odd mélange of silliness and horror, the gore factor should be considered by the squeamish or those who are unaccustomed to the horror genre, particularly by animal lovers. The level of bloodshed means that this short story will not be for everyone, but its brilliant writing, unusual premise, extremely quick pace and good level of horror means that I highly recommended it for those who can endure a bit of blood.

Rating: 8/10

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