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| Short Story: “Every Wrong Turn” |
Finally! The trend is broken. “Every Wrong Turn” by Tim Lebbon managed to break the vicious cycle that was occurring in Hellbound Hearts and served up a tasty treat of a story. Once again, the Hellraiser themes aren’t in your face, but you’ll have that slight feeling that the Cenobites are lurking on every page you turn. Read on for the rest of the review…
The story of “Every Wrong Turn” is about a man who is seeking out a certain experience that can only be obtained by finding the right place. This place happens to be a labyrinth maze out in the middle of the woods, in a far off place. The labyrinth, that Tim Lebbon describes, is claustrophobic and alive. It’s a character itself and in the end, you’ll see what I’m talking about. Our protagonist (sorry I don’t believe a name is given), winds his way through the maze and on his journey he runs into all the past regrets and mistakes he has made in his life. He isn’t a good man and according to the heinous acts he’s committed, I can see why the Cenobites would take great pleasure in knowing his flesh.
Hellbound Hearts is a funny book. You’ll have one story where the connection to Hellraiser is barely there and depending on whether the story is interesting enough and offers an intriguing mystery, I’ll either love it or hate it. On the other hand, you can have a story that tries too hard to connect to Hellraiser and comes off as some poor fan fiction. The point I’m trying to make is, “Every Wrong Turn” offers the former and thankfully serves up a mystery that will keep the pages flipping and the mind racing.
Lebbon’s story so far falls in with the best of Hellbound Hearts and I think any fan of Hellraiser and the deep mythology will see what I’m talking about when they read it. However saying that, with these stories, this one included, I do wish more, but still written well, connections to Hellraiser would be made.
Rating: 4/5