BarkerCast Presents: Two Short Stories From Peter Atkins
Reading anything by author Peter Atkins (screenwriter for Hellbound, Hell on Earth, and Bloodline) is always a joy for me. I recently read a couple of his latest short stories and once again Atkins delivers the goods when it comes to his unique style of storytelling. He does an excellent job of combining strong and hard as nails characters with story lines that are emotional, energetic, and strange in a short amount of pages.
Which brings me to his first story The Return of Boy Justice. The main character Chuck G. Alderton, is a retired B-movie actor who played the sidekick to a character called The Blue Valentine (a character that appeared in Atkin’s novel Big Thunder) in a short lived TV show that no one remembers except for a young boy that the author only refers to as “The Kid.” He loves everything about Alderton. In one of my favorite moments, the kid mocks a group of contestants on Jeopardy! who can’t remember the actor’s name when asked by younger Alex Trebek. Even Alderton admires the youngster’s passion. Atkins has a created a story about friendship and redemption that touched my heart. It also pays homage to artists that believe they are long forgotten by the public which isn’t true at all. Loyal fans will always seek out their work and cherish it.
If Return touches the heart, then Stacy and Her Idiot is a pulp-fiction, style gangster story that kicks your balls into a fine paste. What I loved most about Stacy was the main character Ms. Donnelley! I saw her as a cross between Charly from The Long Kiss Goodnight and John McClane from Die Hard. This babe doesn’t take shit from anyone and I loved that. Atkins has always created strong female protagonists and Ms. Donnelley ranks right up there with his tough approach to Kirsty from Hellbound: Hellraiser II. The story is also perfectly paced and the ending is a nice set up for another tale that I’d love to see Ms. Donnelley show up in.
I highly recommend both of these stories to any rabid horror and action reader out there. Atkins has a magical touch to his writing I believe readers will instantly grab on to. I can’t get enough from him.
You can order them both from Amazon by following their respected links below. There’s also free previews attached as well.
The Return of Boy Justice:
Stacy and Her Idiot:
