Black Leather Required

These stories are solid, some better than others, that cross literary genres. Schow is different, and his stories are always eccentric, startling in some respects, and if that's what you like and need in a short story, read these. You will not be disappointed. A cross between Cormas McCarthy and Harlan Ellison?

"Short stories are the shadow warriors of prose." This is a quote from David Schow's afterword of BLACK LEATHER REQUIRED. He backs those words up with some powerful writing in this, his third collection of shorts. Schow uses every color and tone on his palette. Subtley scratching with fine lines and slam dunking you with broad strokes. Dispicable though deviously enjoyable characters, vivid settings, and roller coaster plots. All written with a sure hand and humorous eye for detail. His writing is so unique that he can horrify and touch you in the same sentence. B.L.R. celebrates short horror at its highest.

David Schow first came to my attention when I read Jerry's Kids Meet Wormboy. One of the funniest, shocking, openings I have ever read. This collection shows just a little portion of the talent that Schow has for making you think. He is one of the few that can take a bad pun and make it outstanding without stretching the boundries of believability. He is an outstanding writer that catches the nuances and foibles of the english language and uses them to his advantage. His sentences have a meter and rhyme that catches you up and pulls you in. (Read Bad Guy Hats, for proof.) Overall, Schow is a much better writer than his image would lead you to believe. Being the "Father of Splatterpunk" has mis-aligned him with the public and critics alike. I recommend Schow whole heartedly to everyone.

Quite simply this book is stunning. The stories are gritty, in your face affairs. Instead of relying on gore and cliche Schow attacks the reader with believable extreme characters. So is there gore? Hell yes, and done better than ever before! Are there cliches? You bet, and all of them are turned on their heads. The best horror writer since Lovecraft.

I will not kid you. Schow's fiction is real; it is brutal; and it often offends (especially those who recognize themselves in his characters). But like Bunuel's classic short film "Un Chien Andalou", Schow also uses his graphically brutal scenes to shock our deadened senses in order to allow us to honestly assess the problems of a post-industrial, post-modern America. Schow challenges our ambigous morals and a culture that voraciously consumes sanitized pre-packaged violence. But most importantly of all he writes ENTERTAINING stories. This collection is a must