Born Bad: Collected Stories

Andrew Vachss is a mystery writer whose work often times reads more like horror. Therefore, it is not surprising that his collection of short stories has the punch of classic short horror fiction. These are dark stroies dredged up from the depths of Vachss's fertile imagination. Usually, they deal with the worst impulses of man, especially the sexual predator. They are not for the faint of heart, but are powerful in their own way.

If you have read any of Vachss' novels with criminal-cum-savior Burke as protagonist, you should allow yourself the honor of feasting on his short stories. The title is a play on the world's take of how children are bad seeds, i.e., born with a bad streak, prone to be losers, and addled with overripe genes for destruction; this book is a one-man treatise on why that is, summarily, not true and it's done with the usual minimalist and spare style prose Vachss is by now famous for. My preference is for his short stories, and the why of that is simple: it's a shorter, more rapid, and much more heart-wrenching path to the much-welcomed truth that only Vachss seems willing to tell. For me, he is the male counterpart of the Greek mythological character Cassandra--he comes bearing the truth that no one really wants to hear, but the fact is, once heard, you can't take your eyes or ears off of him. For a nonstop, nonpareil ride into the gloom and doom of what child abuse is, where it emanates from, and possibly the solutions to fix its ugly cast upon the world, read these stories; you will weep and you will cry with joy at the sheer simplicity of it, right along with the cutting-edge prose that digs in and plants its tentacles into your heart.

In his Born Bad collection of short stories, and three plays, Andrew Vachss takes the reader through an underworld which can be found in every major city, around the world. Yet is all too often, ignored by most of society. In this collection of ultra violent descriptive noir, some no more than three pages, Vachss's stories are some of the most powerful you will ever read. His prose hits you like a burst of gun fire, and it will leave many of its readers uncomfortable. Which is exactly what Vachss wants. As in all of his books, Vachss wants the reader to not only learn of, but to feel what a horrible subculture has developed in our nations cities. To feel the pain that many of our children feel, and to experience the horrors, and nightmare world in in which they live. Born Bad will do this and then some. For those who are already familiar with Vachss' books, it is a must read. And for others who are new to noir, or want to take a tour of the underbelly of the urban jungle, or "junkyard" as Vachss calls it. I recommend that you get a copy of Born Bad. This collection will not only make you stop and think, but you will never look at life and people the same way again. This year Vachss has published his latest novel Safe House. An excellent read, and I look forward to more books in the Burke series, and perhaps a Born Bad Collection 2. Vachss ranks with Raymond Chandler, James Ellroy, David Goodis, and Thomas Harris as a master of the noir genre.

You'd have to have knocked yourself in the head repeatedly with a ball peen hammer to _not_ appreciate this collection. The taut writing style makes for rapid-fire prose-it's action that moves as fast as you can read. I wouldn't recommend this as a starting point to Vachss' writing-I think his novels provide a deeper message than could possibly be covered in a short story-but once you've read one of the novels, this should be the _next_ book you get

Putting aside Lawrence Block's incredible collections, this collection of crime and suspense shorts by Andrew Vachss is one of the best collections I've read. Every one tight and gripping, not a word is wasted. Shocking and chilling, the subjects vary from dog fights and getting inside the mind of a psychopath to standard, hard-hitting crime pulp. The title story alone is worth the price of admission. These stories were also illustrated in _Hard Looks_. Includes some Burke and Cross stories, and Vachss's vision of a horrific future, "Underground." I can't recommend a book more highly, especially as an introduction to the no-holds-barred world of Andrew Vachss.