My Horse and Other Stories

The 18 stories in this debut collection range from the disquieting to the bizarre to the terrifying. One stands out for having all these qualities. A woman discovers a ``flesh-colored hump'' on her shoulder that cannot be removed. What is frightening is not the plot, which finishes on a vague note, but the woman's all-consuming obsession--``It might have been possible that the hump jiggled and swayed somewhat less now than it had when it first appeared, a month before; it seemed harder, and being harder, it also seemed smaller.'' Another chilling story concerns a miniature pet horse that seemingly becomes a metaphor for the psychological and sexual abuse of weaker creatures--``I would knead him then; he never struggled . . . and once, because I held him for so long, he began to howl.'' Other stories, including one about a self-abusing boy-man who hungrily stuffs himself with furniture and later becomes a judge, sacrifice internal logic for shock value. While some tales are successful for their rhythm and lyricism, the focus on the gruesome and the lack of character development make this a generally uneven work. (Oct.)