"He was dark and swarthy, not like the Fred we knew at school. All of a sudden the horror of the situation dawned on me."
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A Collection of Bizarre Short Stories and Dreams by Dr. E.R. Buckler Trafford Publishing
book review by Peter M. Fitzpatrick
This short collection of ten short stories and eight small vignettes describing the author's dream experiences are strangely affective. All deal with human relationships (or the lack thereof) and are topical: aging, alcoholism, adultery, and so forth. But they are not merely journalistic descriptions, but compelling stories that bring the reader right into the lives of the subjects dealing with these issues. A womanizing braggart winds up being used by a woman who he actually falls for. A husband can't wait to show a film of a vacation that reveals to his wife an act of adultery he misremembers as infatuation. A young high school girl idealizes a popular girl only to discover her heroin addiction. These are only a few of the tightly structured stories that pack a wallop in less than ten pages.
The author is very good at tight plotting and the short form. He does this by focusing on precision of language and the use of irony. Irony is used as plot device perhaps more than necessary, in that it call attention to itself, but this is ameliorated by the range of subject matter the writer covers. His talent actually lies more readily palpable in his sympathy for his human subjects, perhaps reflective of his medical career. The dream section seemed out of place, but only takes up about ten pages. He describes the stories as "mystery and/or suspense," but I could only find one truly "blackmail" story that would suit that description. The rest describe the mystery and suspense of the human condition, and it is in this direction, character development, that his talent holds promise. This is Dr. Buckler's first fiction. He has shown mastery of the tightly wound plot. Perhaps more in the realm of character and theme will let his capacity for human emotion shine.