The cover alone of ‘The Monster Club’ by R. Chetwynd-Hayes told me I would love it: vampires, goblins, and ghouls.
The book is a collection of short stories, tied together with another framing story. It begins when Donald finds a starving man on the street and takes him home to feed him. Offering him some food, Donald soon discovers that the man is, in fact, a vampire. After supping on Donald, the vampire decides to thank him by taking him to a club. There, they encounter several characters, each with their own story to tell.
Throughout ‘The Monster Club’, Chetwynd-Hayes weaves dark comedy and horror with skill. Some stories lean harder into horror than others, but none disappoint. We learn about vampires, werewolves, ghouls, and the strange hybrids born from interbreeding. There’s even a monster family tree: werevamps, shadmocks, fly-by-nights, and more. The atmosphere is as goofy as the best B-movies. My favourite story follows a man trapped in a village populated by ghouls and a single humgoo – a human/ghoul. It’s tragic, it’s creepy, and there’s always a thread of humour humming beneath.
The book’s short length works in its favour – it reads fast and never overstays its welcome. The experience feels a bit like watching the ‘Creepshow’ anthology movies. Its old-fashioned style is delightful, like a late-night Hammer Horror marathon. If, like me, you adore those movies, this book is for you. It’s rare to find a horror collection that makes you grin as much as shudder.
I only wish the club were real; I’d like to visit.
★★★★☆
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