Book Review: “Wyrd and other Derelictions” by Adam Nevill”
Wyrd and Other Derelictions was released by Ritual Limited on October 26, 2020
When a reader approaches a short story collection, there are certain expectations they have. First off, that a story will have a familiar structure, exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution. Secondly, that there will be characters who they will grow to like, hate, or find compelling. Lastly, that the stories will run a gamut of emotions. Adam Nevill takes all those preconceptions and uses his new collection Wyrd and Other Derelictions to show us what short stories can be capable of.
A lot of readers will most likely be familiar with Nevill through his novels The Ritual, Last Days, and No One Gets Out Alive. He is a British horror writer and one of my personal favorites. I’ve read several of his books and none of them have ever left me as unsettled as Wyrd did. This collection is one where every story breaks all the rules and we are all the better for having it in our lives.
This collection is seven stories long, with six of them being original and “Hippocampus” being a reprint. I shouldn’t call these stories, they’re really derelictions. What do I mean by derelictions? Well, each of these ‘stories’ take place after a devastating event. Nevill guides us through ruined landscapes and describes the aftermath and corpses, Nevill then leaves it to the reader to piece together what happened. Each of these derelictions left me unsettled and I couldn’t put the collection down.
The highlights in this collection are “Hippocampus,” which describes the deck and insides of a ship that has been ravaged by something. Some of the imagery in this story has haunted me in my dreams, from the shoe with the foot stump still inside, to a sink with something left inside. This is a great introduction story to let the reader know what to expect.
The title story “Wyrd” also stands out. Nevill takes us over a strange and haunting landscape. The cliffs, the ocean, the woods and abandoned tents all come to mind. The imagery was sharp and vivid and what was left behind in the tents was absolutely chilling. Reading this dereliction put me through a ton of emotions, but mainly fear.
I could go on and on about these derelictions, but I will say that Nevill saves the best for last with “Hold the World in My Arms for Three Days and All Will be Changed.” Here we are presented with the longest dereliction. An abandoned town that has just recently been abandoned before the narration started. Food is still set on tables, candles still lit, houses feel lived in, and there is sometimes a scream in the background. What happened to this idyllic English village? Well, that’s for you to find out, but the horrors of any of these derelictions will stick in your mind for days to come.
This collection is a challenge to review, there are no villains, no main characters, no side characters, nothing but a barren landscape. At times, its frustrating, and it’s mentally straining. Most readers will find this collection to be frustrating. But I say stick with it, do the work and you will find this collection to be very rewarding. Pay close attention to every word, each sentence is chosen carefully, open your mind and let Nevill’s derelictions inside. This is a collection that comes along once in a long while, and it’s worth the attention. I read a lot of short fiction and this collection is unlike anything I’ve read in a long time. It’s worthy of your time, just don’t expect it to be easy. Let Nevill’s work inside and I promise you, for better or for worse, it’ll be stuck inside and once you visit these derelictions, you don’t leave.
5/5 Stars
Buy:
Ritual Limited (signed copies available)
By Richard Gerlach
Twitter: @Rudy53088
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