It has been an experience to read Women and Other Monsters by Bernard Schaffer. This collection contains lots of darkness and cruelty, a good dose of satire and some surprising tenderness. Each story evokes different and sometimes conflicting emotions.
Room Service – A down and out recovering addict takes revenge on the vampire who killed his girlfriend.
(A dark, vengeful story with a make you grin ending. No sparkly vampires here)
The Reluctant Death – No matter how many times Clarissa dies, a supernatural creature brings her back.
(An eerie tale of African folklore, poignant but chilling)
Codename: Omega – A soldier comes back from the dead with extraordinary powers and is enlisted to take out Nazi SS soldiers.
(Complex and unique, with plenty of action. I was urging him on all the way!)
Cold Comforts – A wife takes out her revenge on her unfaithful husband.
( Deeply disturbing and scary. Understood her rage, but cringed at her wrath)
Nazareth – Two alien researchers use us as experiments and change the course of our history.
( Funny and gruesome, this thought-provoking tale makes me more certain than ever that I do not want to meet an alien, ever!)
Digestif – Different and revealing.
(You are treated to wonderfully written passages that evoke a longing to be there, in the pages. It had a lasting effect on me, like an echo. It felt familiar.)
I entered the world of Bernard Schaffer at my own risk. I left it knowing I had to have more. And I am going to be reading other books by this author. He has many to choose from, just look at the list below.
About Bernard Schaffer
As a teenager, Bernard Schaffer starred in Nickelodeon’s “Don’t Just Sit There,” musical productions, television commercials, and a skit on Saturday Night Live. He left acting to pursue a career in law enforcement. Since 2000, Schaffer has worked as a patrolman, detective, and narcotics officer in the suburbs of Philadelphia.
In 2012, he released a series of books titled Superbia about a dysfunctional police department that reached the Kindle Top 100. As a result, he was stripped of his detective rank.
Schaffer is the founder of the Kindle All-Stars. The project’s first release was an anthology titled Resistance Front that starred Harlan Ellison and Alan Dean Foster. All profits from that book are being donated to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Contact Bernard here:
http://www.BernardJSchaffer.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/ApiarySociety
More books by Bernard Schaffer. To purchase, just click on the covers.
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A Knife And A Quill- old 
Nice review. Hard to do with short stories, but I really think you got it. Made me think about it, even though I’m not a big short story fan. Sounds worth a read.
Thanks. You know how I love reviewing short stories and collections. They are a challenge to do without revealing too much. This one I had to keep short.
[…] was browsing on Amazon and I couldn’t believe my eyes. I just reviewed Women and Other Monsters by Bernard Schaffer. It is a collection of short stories. One of the stories was part of a larger […]
I saw this review earlier today and must say it was truly humbling. Thank you very much for taking the time to both read the book and leave a review. They mean everything.
You’re most welcome. After I finish Omega I will be reading Superbia. I must say it took courage to write something important to you at such a cost. I am enjoying your writing and look forward to telling others.