Not Quite Hell

Great horror, in my book, does more than just give you a superficial fright. Great horror touches upon things that are meaningful to you, things that for some may even be considered "too close for comfort." It doesn't just scare you briefly and quickly fade from thought, or resort to merely inducing a gag reaction through gory, gross-out visuals. Instead, it gets under your skin and in some way lingers long afterward. And in some cases, the most frightening stories are the ones about the most mundane yet real experiences, the ones that revolve around the kind of nightmares that, in our day and time, can be all too real.

"Not Quite Hell" is "not quite" the most terrifying story I've ever read. But it is an excellently written, literary tale about love, loss, and the oft-repeated tale of a life cut tragically short, but with the kind of sad twist worthy of a Shakespearean tale. This is not meant to compare the author, E. Robert Orn, with Shakespeare. Far from it. But Shakespeare had the ability to bring great drama and character to what at their root were simple tales, and I think that's what Orn has managed to pull off here in this Amazon Short about a convenience store owner named Buddy and his golden retriever Caesar.

By the time you've finished reading "Not Quite Hell," you may find that your perception of the world around you is not quite the same. And sometimes, that's not such a bad thing.

- Gregory Bernard Banks, author, reader, reviewer

This is a very visual writer who gives the reader a lot of images. Not a gory horror story, but the suspense builds gradually until it gets to a surprise ending. I never suspected the turn in this tale.

Chrissy K. McVay
Author of 'Souls of the North Wind'

E.R. Orn's story Not Quite Hell, is incredible to say the least. At first, one expects it to be something else other than a horror story. However, by the story's end, you will have gone to a frightening place. The story begins almost like a dream, a poetic aria on the night, from an ambiguous point of view. Then we meet Buddy, a nice store owner who loves his dog, Caesar. Together they run his `gas n go' store. Buddy remembers high times, when business was hopping, only now, the place is dying, and the customers have moved on to busier strips. He treats all of his patrons with respect, and talks to them, and has a sense about them. They in return have a sense about him, and his lovely dog. But tread carefully dear reader, for you never know when someone might be a ghost, in fact, you may never know, but cross that ghost, and there may be hell to pay. The end of this story was book ended with another little aria, on the morning, and puts things into a perspective that leaves you breathless. This tale by Mr. Orn is nothing short of brilliant, almost in the tradition of Poe> Edgar Allan Poe: Complete Tales & Poems. Highly Recommended by Matthew Alan Pierce Author of: The Dark Curse of Whispers

For my title of this review I took words from the first page of "Not Quite Hell," a beautifully written, fascinating concept offered through a ghost story. Reading the first paragraphs and pages, I felt immediately as if I had fallen (and willingly continued the fall) into one of the great classics in literature, a Hemingway novel, or maybe an F. Scott Fitzgerald. Yet, I knew this story had been placed in the horror genre, which somewhat confused me as I continued through a rich, sensual sensitivity of word choice, a high quality of prose of the type suited to the opening of a lengthy saga of a Great American Novel.

Reading further, I wallowed in shifting moods painted with life-(and death)-filled words. It didn't take much of this artistry to begin hoping the horror aspects wouldn't be too twisted, because this type of artful language should be used for something beautiful. I continued reading with a slight cringe factor, especially during the scene in the store with the old man, his gorgeous Golden Retriever, and the group of seemingly wonderful kids who happened in off Route 66. I was drawn into the goodness of the man, his dog, and these kids, and didn't want to be abruptly thrown into the sewer of human stench.

We see one side of horror and believe that the other side would be such a blessing. Then we see that other side and it becomes a horror as well. Where to go with that. When to go. Those are a couple of the questions posed here with high panache, and a good dose of pizzazz honoring both literary and horror genre requirements. Strange bedfellows indeed, yet they work in classically artistic tandem this story.

Here's a small sample of what I mean: >>Closer toward the city, between Oakton and Vienna, where quiet little neighborhoods are separated by miles of undeveloped land and the summer air is still and warm, the plaintive cry of a lonely owl can be heard rising toward the drifting clouds. A cool summer breeze whispers like the ghost of winter through the swaying trees, and the songs of a thousand restless crickets fill the night like a lover's sad poem. <<

E. Robert Orn will make his literary mark. Make no mistake about that.

Linda Shelnutt
This is Someone's Loved One: An Undertaker's View

I must disagree with one of the reviewers that said this piece is not well-crafted. The story was compelling, drew me forward, was a page-turner, created suspense and the feeling of dread that something horrible was going to happen and that something horrible had already happened. His character descriptions were right on, I could visualize them. His settings and atmosphere was real, I felt as if I was there, felt the hopelessness, could see it. The opening, story-line and the ending were very satisfying . . . it is a very good story. Reminds me of Ray Bradbury and Dean Koontz. I loved it. And I'm going to read more of his work.