Obscene Folklore by Mer Whinery
Watertower Hill Publishing (July 2024)
Reviewed by Rowan B. Minor
Mer Whinery is a folk horror author who was born and resides in Oklahoma. He is the author of two collections of short fiction: The Little Dixie Horror Show (Literati Press, 2012) and Phantasmagoria Blues (Literati Press, 2015); as well as the weird western novel Trade Yer Coffin for a Gun (Muzzleland Press, 2018) and the coming-of-age horror novel The Country Girl’s Guide to Hexes and Haints (JournalStone, 2022). Several pieces of his short fiction have appeared in various anthologies, including the forthcoming Hospital of Haunts (Watertower Hill Publishing, 2024).
Obscene Folklore, Whinery’s newest short story collection, is a book of southern backwoods folk horror with a title that isn’t misleading or disappointing. These ten dense short stories, most brand new, as well as a few reprints from his previous collections that are now out of print, combine the author’s original ideas with reinventions of classic horror tropes. Although fiction, these stories are inspired by real events, people, and places from the author’s life. The unique decision to publish an author’s note after each story both allows readers to catch their breath between tales of horror, and offers personal insight that is reminiscent of oral folklore and storytelling traditions.
Whinery is illustrative with his words and provides a vivid sense of place by using language that is concise, explicit, and stripped down. No matter if the author is tapping into overdone horror tropes like witches or vampires, folklore is the foundation of each story and consistent throughout. “The Little Red Tent at the Edge of the Woods” is a reinvention of the classic ghostlore trope that uses inspiration from horrific real-life events, and “The Loved Ones” will make readers feel as if they’re in the middle of a Twilight Zone episode that’s been directed by Mario Bava.
The author’s use of regional as well as dated language helps reinforce the settings and time periods of each story. “The Feasting Season” appears to critique southern Christian racism by using themes and language that might be shocking or offensive to some readers, but the overall plot point feels unnervingly conscientious. This, as well as a few other stories, effortlessly tap into slasher and body horror.
Whether you’re in the mood for a fresh bloodbath or modern twist on a classic haunting, each individual story in Obscene Folklore keeps you hanging and leaves you craving more, but the collection as a whole is fully satisfying. For readers from the rural south, Whinery’s work will make you feel right at home.
