This slim volume packs quite the horrific punch. From haunted libraries to ghost eaters and, of course, the title story, there’s plenty of haints, gore, and scares to go around.

On occasion, I enjoy unapologetic horror that feels no need to explain itself, and this book did that for me. Most of the stories are really short, and I actually devoured the entire collection in a single setting. With such short pieces, there isn’t a lot of time for background, exposition, or character development, and often, the whys and hows are left out. Sometimes that doesn’t work, but I think it fits perfectly in this collection. The stories are also peppered with creepy poems, and those one shots broke up the “longer” stories.

I had two favorite stories. “Binding” is set in a college library, which hit very close to home. I love haunted library stories, and it’s a cool twist on what could have been a cliché setting. I also really enjoyed “The Cruelest Team Will Win, which involves eating ghosts.

I appreciated all of the stories, though. Their originality, the quick jabs of horror, and the poems in between all work together to create a really interesting reading experience for those who are happy to jump in, ask no questions, and just be along for the ride.

I'd never read anything by Mike Allen before, but I like weird and I like horror so I went for this one. Aftermath of an Industrial Accident is a mix of short stories and poems. Each and every one is carefully crafted, well thought out. I hated some and loved others. Longsleeves, Puppet Show, and Binding were favorites. I think every genre was covered, and no matter which you favor, you're sure to find at least one you'll enjoy. I was originally going to give this 3 stars but man I have to respect the craftsmanship Allen put into each and every piece. Solid 4 for me.

This is a really solid collection of short stories. I like how different they all feel, the body horror, the dark fantasy, and the suspense that is offered in these pages.

Someone with a better education in Clive Barker's work could probably spot his influence in Allen's work. However, Barker is, perhaps surprisingly, a pop culture blind spot for me, so I couldn't point out similarities. And while I've read some Laird Barron, a contemporary of Allen's in so-called weird horror, I'm also not familiar enough with his work to contrast and compare.

Instead, the author comparison that first came to mind to me, besides one I'll get to in a minute, was Karen Russell. Although St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves is not a horror book--unless you look at the title story as an allegory for Indian boarding schools, as I do--there is a similarity to me in the settings. For example, you start reading a story by either Russell or Allen. It seems like it's set in our world. It seems as if it has our rules. But then something shifts. Someone reveals their many limbs or that their daddy's actually a Minotaur and you realize this isn't our world after all. I love that.

And I liked most of the stories. My favorite would probably be "Longsleeves," a horror meets fantasy story about what men will sacrifice for an inch more of power. I also liked the goofy grossness of "Tick Flick" and the dread of "Drift from the Windrows," a darkly satiric sketch of life at a Monsanto-esque corporation.

If there were a weakness in the book for me, then it would be the story endings. Many stories just stop, which left me wondering, And then what? In addition, through no fault of his own, Allen has the misfortune of my reading this book shortly after I read Matt Ruff's Lovecraft Country. Like "Sun Saw," it is also a tale of a Korean War veteran who encounters cosmic horror. And I absolutely LOVED it, so it's a hard act to follow. Again, that's out of Allen's control. But it probably did affect my enjoyment of the story.

So while that tale didn't necessarily wow me, I did enjoy the book as a whole. And I'm pretty sure it made me have at least one nightmare. Because that's the cumulative effect of the stories--the otherworldly aspect of their settings can come off as magical realism. In the daytime. But in the dark, each offering is like a tender slice of a bad dream.

I was intrigued by this collection of short stories and poems by Mike Allen from the description of the book, so I requested to review it from NetGalley.

What a ride this book is!

Throughout the 23 offerings in "Aftermath of an Industrial Accident - Stories by Mike Allen," the author offers a considerable range and variety of horror for the reader to enjoy, from traditional horror to fantasy horror to sci-fi horror.

While I didn't connect with them all, I did encounter some definite favorites among Allen's stories, such as "Binding," "Longsleeves," "Sun Saw," and the title story.

If you enjoy horror stories, especially ones that don't fit neatly into a box or cliche, you'll definitely want to check out "Aftermath of an Industrial Accident: Stories by Mike Allen." Oh and you have to be comfortable with gore, because some stories have a lot of it (would you expect any less from a story that features the NECRONOMICON?).

I'm giving this book a 4.5 out of 5 because I enjoyed the majority of the stories, which were original and inventive.

Visit zengrrl.com to read my full review.

A great introduction for me to Mike Allen. I've heard about him, but somehow not read him. Need to correct that after Aftermath of an Industrial Accident, and find some previous works. Different stories with weird horror. Much recommend.