At the beginning of each month we will take a look at some very promising genre talent that you may not have heard of- fresh faces, if you will. These authors will be names to watch out for in the future so check them out so you can say, “Ah yes, I remember reading them back in the day.”

I would first like to state that Down the Drain is a short story about a killer tub. That’s right, a killer bathtub. I went into this expecting an overload of cheese and maybe some cheap laughs, but what I got was a well crafted tale that played the horror completely straight.

Bruce is a contractor who is way behind schedule. He is putting in grueling 12 hour days to catch up. After work he enjoys a few beers and a nice shower. Unfortunately for Bruce, there really isn’t anything all that nice about his particular shower.

Down the Drain is exactly what you would want out of a short story. The novella is overflowing with scares as Pyle showers us with some cringe inducing images. In fact, the story was so stark and brutal that I was taken completely off guard (in the best way possible). Any thoughts that a story about a crazed bathtub would be funny and good-natured are wiped away after the first chapter. Pyle plays it straight and, ultimately, that is what elevates Down the Drainabove other silly monster fare. This isn’t to say that Pyle doesn’t have fun with his audience. He does maintain playful prose throughout which helps to tie the whole story together. It is that wonderful juxtaposition of a silly-idea-taken seriously and serious-horror-written playfully that makes Down The Drain a novella that every horror fan should check out.