Title: What If …,Too
Author: Joseph Ingerson Mahar
Publisher: Bellevue Publishers
ISBN: 979-8295770760
Pages: 218
Genre: Thriller / Suspense / Science Fiction
Reviewer: Susan Brown
Hollywood Book Reviews
How would you respond if you were hiking in a forest and stumbled into a cave filled with deadly spiders? Or had an out-of-body incident that dropped you into a prehistoric world? Or, found yourself in a swampy basement where a giant predatory insect lives? Or met aliens, or a man who’s pure evil? Likely, not well. For those of us who would never want to experience any of these situations in real time, Joseph Ingerson Mahar has written a compelling collection of seven short stories which provide an immersive experience in these, and other, storylines that can be enjoyed from the comfort of an armchair.
In this type of speculative fiction, a blend of fantasy, suspense, science fiction and the supernatural, when written well as it is here, the intensity of the narrative can create a panoply of feelings of dread, apprehension, and fear for readers. The tension and anxiety the author generates in his characters transports the reader right into the drama in each narrative. The plots are imaginative and unique, experimenting with a wide array of paranormal, psychic, abnormal and just plain spooky ideas.
Many of the themes tap into our universal common fears which make the effects of these stories, for readers, just so much more tangible. For instance, I have an enormous dislike of basements; the story about a monstrous insect inhabiting one took me right back to my childhood terror of the pitch-black darkness of my basement. This is compelling writing indeed.
The author, a lifelong scientist, draws on his insight to test hypothetical “what if” situations in his storytelling. In each narrative, characters are put in situations which challenges everything they know to be real, provoking them to question the veracity of their existence and reality in general. In that process, characters also must face their own fears and limitations, in unfamiliar environments and situations, with no guidance or help and little understanding of the how or why of their circumstances. The outcome in each predicament highlights the complexity of human nature to try and comprehend the incomprehensible.
Thought-provoking, at times spine-chilling and unnerving, these stories represent skillful writing by Mr. Mahar. What If …, Too follows his first book What If. Let’s hope there’s a What If … 3 in the works. If you’re a lover of science fiction, whodunits, the paranormal or all three, What If …,Too is well worth your time.