BURNED MAN AT NIGHT
John S. McFarland
JournalStone (10/24/2025)
Reviewed by Brian James Lewis
Hello there, Horror Fans! Are you ready to take a trip back in time? If so, Burned Man At Night-Pensive Horrors by John S. McFarland is your ticket to that ride. Even though this collection of short horror stories was published recently by JournalStone Press, readers will swear that an archeologist delivered this manuscript to the editors. This is McFarland’s territory where people walk and use dogsleds as major modes of transportation, their talk more familiar to that of a century ago than our silly modern-day slang that seems quite senseless in comparison. It is also not a place for the faint of heart. So, tighten up your belt, pilgrim, we’re going in!
Case in point, the collection’s first tale Seeping Towards Gehenna is set in 1342. Plague, death, and desolation are running wild across the land but that doesn’t seem to bother our nameless narrator. He is in relatively good spirits as he goes about the tricky job of earning a living, which he does in his own twisted way. Along the road he meets a young dispassionate soul who joins him in his pursuits and speaks with wisdom beyond his years. As their options narrow, it becomes clear that the narrator and his friend must make some serious choices. Will two heads be better than one?
Speaking of the Devil, another excellent tale by McFarland, Oriax of Hell shares with us the plight of a man sewn together after a serious accident, the questionable surgeon using spare parts from other bodies, and naming his creation Oriax, a powerful demon in Hell. The plan is revenge against another doctor in the area, but Oriax is unable to do the evil deed and soon finds himself alone. Finally taken in by some suspiciously “divine gentlemen” as a sideshow attraction to raise money for their church, the scary looking monster goes along with their plan in exchange for food and housing. But the longer he lives, the more Oriax’s brain develops until he sees clearly that evil exists regardless of a person’s title or the flowery words of a sermon. He’s unsure what to do about it until two victims of the church, the only people who have been truly kind to Oriax of Hell, ask for his help.
Burned Man at Night is also a story of good vs evil. This time peaceful Hungarian immigrants dealing with basically white trash hillbillies who consider themselves to be above the basic laws of human decency. The Farrens are an especially vile example who have guns that they enjoy showing off to Ambrus and his granddaughter while hunting game too close to the property line. Basically, redneck intimidation tactics. Ambrus stays peaceful, refusing to engage in their foolishness and quietly continues to practice Hungarian witchcraft until the day he sends his granddaughter on an errand that she never returns from. All clues point directly to the Farren brothers, but legal justice is evasive. Fortunately, The Burned Man knows of Ambrus’ plight and arrives to help in ways unavailable to a mere mortal. Sacred beliefs and quiet knowledge are stronger than loudmouths with guns.
This reviewer gives Burned Man At Night by John S. McFarland Four Stars out of 5! I really appreciated the variety of the collection, solidly defined characters, and the lessons offered by each tale. They were quite vivid and spellbinding, once I was able to get into the book. Big thanks to the introduction by Frank Duffy which hipped me to the fact that many of these stories occur in St. Odile, Missourri a fictional town that McFarland created and has used as the setting for previous work. Once I had that home base as the reason for some characters reappearing in multiple stories, things made more sense. Although one character that dies in an earlier tale, reappears later to engage in some grotesque medical experiments. This collection also confirmed why some nonfictional people consider Missourri and “misery” to be the same thing. If you’re already a fan of John S. McFarland’s work, you will love this. If you’re a newbie, like I was, know that it is well worth the time to acclimate oneself to St. Odile.
JournalStone Press has many fantastic titles available and I highly encourage you to check them out at: www.journalstone.com or seek out their books at your favorite bookseller
John S. McFarland is the author and artist of multiple works who is highly regarded by big name authors such as Ramsey Campbell and Philip Fracassi. You can find out more about him and listen to his stories at: www.jsmcfarlandauthor.com He is also easy to find on Facebook.
About your reviewer
Brian James Lewis/Your old pal Skull is a disabled writer, poet, and book reviewer with PTSD whose work has appeared in Trajectory Journal, Mythic Picnic, The Awakenings Review, and multiple horror anthologies. Please visit him at: www.damagedskullwriterandreviewer.com, X/Twitter @skullsnflames76, or https://facebook.com/DamagedSkullWriterandReviewer
Thanks for taking the time to read this review and support independent horror. See you soon!
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