[Review] Unclean Spirits by Bikram Mann
Unclean Spirits
By Bikram Mann
Published by Velox Books
4 out of 5 Stars
(This was a 3.5 that I decided to round up to four due to how much I enjoyed the overall reading experience.)
I picked up this book knowing that I’d like it because I’d already heard a few of Mann’s stories via the Are You Scared? Youtube series hosted by Shane Madej and Ryan Bergara (which I also 100% recommend). However, I was a little worried that maybe I wouldn’t enjoy this collection as much without Ryan’s narration and his interactions with Shane. Thankfully, I was wrong, Mann’s exceptionally talented at building atmosphere and a master of pace, which made me fly through this book. Having said that, I found some of the stories featured to be a tad underwhelming, especially compared to the stronger pieces in the collection.
This is the perfect read for those that enjoy Creepypastas, such as myself, in fact, you might even already have come across one of Mann’s stories before. He is “India’s foremost NoSleep author” according to this book’s synopsis on Goodreads. The SubReddit r/NoSleep is a community on Reddit where users post disturbing stories that can be either experienced or imagined, the latter being more known as Creepypastas. As is the norm with this sub-genre, all of the stories in this collection are written in the first person, which is perfect for me, but it might not be for everybody.
The two strongest stories are Homeowner’s Association and Inheritance Games. The first one is about a family of immigrants that moves to a gated community where there are terrible consequences for those who do not follow the HOA rules. However, the neighborhood is not what it seems, everyone has a secret and, as things escalate, the narrator must decide what he’s willing to do in order to protect the ones he loves. It’s remarkable how Mann wrote a story that is not only terrifying but also a brilliant commentary on the United State’s concept of the suburban utopia that is the “American Dream.” The Inheritance Games is a mix of Knives Out (2019 movie) and The Hunger Games (2008 book series), family members are pitted against one another in a deadly game to decide who gets the patriarch's hefty inheritance. This story tackles how money can change people and, once again, how far someone can go in order to defend the people they love. Both of those stories are packed with action and violence (please check their specific trigger warnings at the bottom of the review), the tension building as they progressed so that when the final “showdowns” happen, the payoff is astronomical.
I did find the second half of the collection to be weaker (Stolen Reflection, The Wandering Wraith of Wadgaon, Dinner Date, Kathputli, and World’s Highest Skydive), however, none of these stories were bad, they just fell short next to the tales in the first half. Stolen Reflection and The Wandering Wraith of Wadgaon were too mellow for me, there is nearly no action in either of them and their focus wasn’t to scare the reader. Out of all the stories, they were the only ones that least reassembled Creepypastas, which is absolutely fine, but not what I was looking for. As for Dinner Date and Kathputli, they were entertaining, but even though they weren’t lengthy, I believe I’d have enjoyed those stories more if they had been shorter. Finally, my dislike for World’s Highest Skydive is solely based on the fact that it’s way too Lovecraftian for me, I just can’t get into cosmic horror no matter how well-written the story may be.
Trigger Warnings Per Story
Manpig: Bullying, Murder, Child Death
November 1, 1984: War, Gun Violence, Hate Crime.
Homeowner’s Association: Murder, Gun Violence, Gaslighting, Police Violence, Hate Crime, Panic Attacks, Racism.
Nighttime Visitor: Child Death
My Girlfriend’s OnlyFans: Satanic Imagery, Gore.
Homecoming: Murder, Child Abuse.
The Inheritance Games: Patricide, Homophobia,
Stolen Reflection: Dysphoria
The Wondering Wraith of Wadgaon: Child abuse, Murder
Dinner Date: Murder
Kathputli: Murder, Hate Crime.
