Dark Fiction Review: Happy Bunny and Other Mischiefs
Review by Casey Douglass
I’ve always been a fan of short story collections, especially those that feature weird, unsettling and thought provoking stuff. Rebecca Gransden’s Happy Bunny and Other Mischiefs is an assortment of fourteen twisted horror tales that comfortably fit this description, from the reality bending and unease inducing, to the stomach turning and “Ugh!” producing.
As a gamer, I’d have to say that my favourite story of the lot is Fuck It Cat and the Mod Hex From Hell. It’s a cautionary tale about accepting any offers or deals from random people in a pub. In this case, it just so happens to be a games console, and of course, the price is too good to be true. The console happens to have a game already installed, and it invites the player to create an avatar with certain things in mind, some relating to the real world. To say more would be to spoil the tale, but the story offers a pleasing glimpse of the dire consequences in hastily created player characters, and they are not just the “getting your warlock to level fifty and then realizing you can’t stand the playstyle” variety.
Another story that stood out for me is ReWipe, one that also happens to feature technology. This one takes place in a basement archive where two work colleagues, Nathan and Scott scour old VHS tapes, photos and other physical media for interesting stuff. The story begins with them discussing the announcement that there is officially nothing left to find on the internet that hasn’t already been shared. They are poised to start raking the money in as requests for what they have found go through the roof. Strange things begin to happen though. Nathan finds that clicking “like” on things on social media no longer works, and suddenly finding himself unable to “like” things online causes a kind of existential crisis for him. A clever and fun tale with food for thought about the way our technology use can derail our minds.
The final story that I wanted to mention is Slug Slick. It involves two brothers, Dimos and Yuri, a quiet stretch of road, and a dangerous game with some sinister slugs. Once the reader learns what a slug slick is, we are then treated to some serious consequences, but consequences that reveal a far bigger horror than the capers of two young boys. This is another story where technology plays a role, and one in which it is used in a disturbing and quite obscene way. What makes this story even more startling is the way that after reading it, I could fully imagine said technology being made in the real world, as us humans are a silly, profit-led bunch, with one eye on the sack of gold and the other looking everywhere except at the harm being caused.
I won’t go into any more detail about the other stories as I really don’t want to spoil them. I will say that my favourites were the ones that gave me food for thought or made a comment on certain elements of modern day life, such as industrialisation or thrill seeking. The others fell more into the kind of squishy quirky horror that seemed to carefully balance the gore with a kind of cosiness that kept things fun. Each story felt just the right length and none outstayed their welcome, which is a tricky thing to achieve. As far as some of the other themes, there are maggots, strange hybrid creatures with curious powers, cannibals and sacrifices, to name but a few; so something for everyone!
If you enjoy short horror stories and you’d like to take a closer look at Happy Bunny and Other Mischiefs, you can find it on Amazon.
I was given a review copy of this book.
Book Title: Happy Bunny and Other Mischiefs
Book Author: Rebecca Gransden
Published: 13th August 2024
Pages: 158
ISBN: 978-1445215570
Price: £12.30 (Paperback), £2.99 (Kindle).