Micropress Dim Shores is rapidly proving itself to be an
integral component in what esteemed author Scott Nicolay has coined the ‘Weird
Renaissance.’ With an eye for quality, and a particular focus on the
heavy-hitters of contemporary Weird Fiction, editor Sam Cowan is releasing short-run, collectible chapbooks for true devotees of the genre. That being
said, it was no surprise to learn that the inimitable Jeffrey Thomas would be
penning the story for Dim Shores’ debut, offering up a little tale titled Ghosts
in Amber.
First and foremost, I am
in awe at how well-crafted this chapbook is. From the quality of the paper to
the immaculate, hauntingly fitting illustrations by Serhiy Krykun, it
is clear that Dim Shores is just as concerned with its presentation as it
is with its content. If this release is any indication of what is to come, I
see a very bright future for this venture.
The plot of Ghosts
in Amber centers on a listless man trapped in an existence that, while
resembling life, is truly empty at its core. He goes through the motions,
retracing the same tedious steps each day, seemingly persisting merely to persist. Though we are offered a vivid picture of who this man is, we are
never actually given a name for our protagonist - a decision I believe
effectively serves to enhance his alienation from the world while
simultaneously allowing us to identify more closely with him.
The beginning of the
story feels intentionally claustrophobic, as if mimicking the restrictions the protagonist himself is feeling. Soon, however, the narrative and its character begin to branch out, gracing fingertips
along shadowed walls of a time and place best left forgotten.
“He wondered if he was dissatisfied with his apathy, or apathetic
about his dissatisfaction.”
Despite being married,
the man’s wife is little more than a roommate. They suffer a strained marriage
endured purely out of habit, as if it would require too much energy to bring to
an end. With no human intimacy to keep him grounded, the protagonist’s only
companion is memory, which plays perhaps the most significant role in the
story. Recollections of his childhood creep into his waking moments, urging him
to seek respite from the nothingness of his existence. He is a man searching
for a way to be alive again, relying on memory to bring him peace.
“It was as though even sound had been stripped from this
place…”
What follows is a fast
descent into much darker territory. Thomas masterfully makes use of the
protagonist’s introspective nature and leads him away from the tedium of his
life and into an abandoned factory across the street from his apartment. The
factory, which quickly becomes his obsession, reignites a sense child-like
wonder in him. He finds a strange sort of pleasure in the place, though that
pleasure is short-lived. As is true of much work in the realm of Weird
Fiction, the horror of this piece subsists just out of sight, and yet is all the more potent for remaining there.
At its heart, Ghosts
in Amber is a stark examination of a man unable to relinquish his
past. It is a beautifully written story concerning the terror of existing without truly being alive. Thomas delivers a
tale only he could have written, and fans of his will find his continual artistic prowess at work here.
Simply put, this is one
of the most beautiful chapbooks I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading, and Sam
Cowan has gone to great lengths to create a product worthy of being considered
a collectible. Limited to
a mere 100 copies, and with stock levels running low, I highly suggest
getting a copy before they're gone.
