Epeolatry Book Review: Wrapped in Plastic and Other Sweet Nothings by Robert P. Ottone
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Title: Wrapped in Plastic and Other Sweet Nothings
Author: Robert P. Ottone
Genre: Dark Fantasy, Horror
Publisher: JournalStone
Release date: 27th October, 2023
Synopsis: Seventeen stories claw at you from that dark space in the corner of your eye in this new collection by Bram Stoker Award-winning author Robert P. Ottone.
In “Only That You Are Still Sane,” uncover the accidental and bizarre discovery of time travel. Meet an ordinary couple with sexual desires that are anything but ordinary in “Nibble.” Follow the harrowing story of Sleepy Hollow’s town constable in “A Mourning in Sleepy Hollow.” Tread carefully along the precipice of darkness in “A Most Curious Tome.” And in the title story, meet a lonely civil service worker who comes face to face with the darkness eating away at him.
Featuring six previously unpublished stories, Wrapped in Plastic & Other Sweet Nothings will force you to stare into the darkness within. Pray you don’t blink first.
A well-respected author and publisher (Spooky House Press), Robert Ottone provides a very interesting collection of short stories that fully disclose his great love for the dark fantasy genre.
Among the tales included herewith are some that I’ve found well worth mentioning for their intrinsic originality and their ability to deeply disquiet the reader.
“Falling Asleep in the Rain” is a surrealistic piece where a man returning to his hometown finds that some memories from his youth are unpleasant or downright scary.
“A Child Awakens” is a spine-chilling story featuring a little boy whose fate is cruelly set.
The title of “A Letter to the Ghost in My Basement” tells it all, but the short tale is delightful.
“A Year of Bloody Gums” is an unusual example of “dental” horror, where the life of a woman with a terrible gum problem becomes a living nightmare. Meanwhile her family is slowly moving toward a massive breakdown.
“The Girl on the Floor” and the title story “Wrapped in Plastic” are offbeat stories having in common the disappearance and the transformation of body parts in relation to house components such as floors and ceilings.
Ottone is certainly a writer worth watching. I believe he has great potential, and his best is yet to come.
/5
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Mario Guslandi was born in Milan, Italy, where he currently lives. A long time fan of dark fiction (especially short stories)he’s probably the only Italian who reviews horror and supernatural tales in English. Over the years his reviews have appeared in many genre sites such as Horrorworld, The British Fantasy Society, Hellnotes, Emerald City, SF Revu, Thirteen O’ Clock, etc.
