Country: U.K
Genre: Bizarro/Horror
Pages: 153 kb (eOriginal)
Buy It Here
"Who are you?", Samms said, struggling to stand beneath the shadow of the Mustard Man.
"I am the ravaged dreamland of your mind and I have brought you a lather for I know all the things you have done, now open up. I am going to turn you to stew.
Richard Godwin doesn't have much to do, to get my attention. I thought his novels APOSTLE RISING and MR. GLAMOUR made him the first post-Thomas Harris author of serial killer fiction, but I was wrong. Hidden in Godwin's backlist of short stories was this very peculiar man, who has an undying love for both killing people and fine cuisine. The Mustard Man terrified the readers of Pulp Metal Magazine for the last four years, enough for editor Jason Michel to put together a collection of his most nefarious crimes. It's only six stories long, so it's a little short but it should only be another incentive to read this fantastic little tome. It's going to take you an hour and blow your mind harder than a sawed-off shotgun.
The Mustard Man comes from the mind of thriller writer Jack Laretto. Unfortunately for him, he's one of these characters that take a life of their own and in his case, he literally does. He doesn't jump from the page like in a children fable. No, he just happened to walk in one day, to help him solve a few personal and professional problems in the PICKLE PARTY story. Then the Mustand Man goes on tour across the United States, spreading horror, violence and his love for spices from State to State. Those stories, especially KENTUCKY KETCHUP, OKIE ONION and RAVENOUS RADDICHIO were particularly brilliant in their brutality and their chaotic intent. OKIE ONION, especially who had a very bold and surprising twist on the vigilante storyline and also puts in perspective the violence it proposes. I thought this story in particular had an amazing depth to it, while dealing with such a highly colorful character.
What The Mustard Man represents is really the fractal and chaotic nature of creativity. Its sheer power, also. While Godwin treats his character with the utmost serious, he always keeps an eye on satire and shows very good comedic timing. The relationship between The Mustard Man and his creator is particularly flavorful in this regard. Godwin's metafictional killer provides great insight on how he transcended the roadblocks that cluttered serial killer fiction since Thomas Harris put Hannibal Lecter on a page. The Mustard Man isn't as polished as the killers of his two novels, he is not meant to be. He is meant to be as blunt and as honest as he is presented. He literally disembowels the myths and spices up the recipe. Through him, you understand that Richard Godwin's recipe to convincing killers passes by fiction, by creation, rather than imitation of reality. You can only write Ted Bundy so many times.
"There are no Corn God sacrifices here. You are in the wrong house. Now you gonna eat bitch. These mushrooms are like human flesh", the Mustard Man said.
The Mustard Man stories are hard not to like. You have to have a stomach for Richard Godwin's gory scenes, but that's pretty much a perequisite to like the author. His descriptions of gore are second to none on today's market, maybe even in literary history (at least according to my culture on the subject). The contrast of this "comic-bookish", borderline funny character with its serious, driven author really highlight everything that's interesting about Richard Godwin's literature. The Mustard Man stories beg for a graphic novels adaptation. Godwin's visual style and the killer's colorful nature would be eye candy, if put on panels. Six stories, an hour of your time and a character you won't forget. That's a winning bet if there ever was one. PIQUANT lives up to its name, but more than that, it lives up to the author's legacy.
FOUR STARS