Like a meeting between The Twilight Zone and Romper Room, the two short stories offered here blend horror and innocence. In the first, Killed by Kindness, we follow the exploits of a teddy bear named Buttons, who gets involved with a lethal mafia of stuffed rats as he travels between Toy Land (where toys go when they’re “asleep”) and Humanity. In the second, A Little Overdose of Reality, a stick man in a Matrix-like scenario gains consciousness and knowledge of reality from his creator. Both stories are sinister and violent. The hard-boiled flavour of Killed by Kindness is particularly amusing. Houle’s execution is sometimes a bit corny, and he certainly needs a proofreader, but overall this is fun stuff. (Shaun Smith)
litzine, $4, Zachary Houle, Apt. 503, 266 Bronson Ave., Ottawa, ON, K1R 6H8, [email protected]