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List Price: $9.49 | | Publisher: CreateSpace
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Editorial Review:
The only thing we have to fear, we're told, is fear itself. In Phobophobia, the first fiction collection from award-winning screenwriter and journalist Mike Watt, ordinary people going through everyday events are subjected to nightmares beyond their imagining. In Phobophobia, nothing is what it seems ... -- Not a classic cherry red Mustang... -- Not a run-of-the-mill art exhibit... -- Not a Valentine's Day gift... -- Not even Christmas Morning... "There is a twisted skein of darkness running through all of Mike's work..." -- Amber Benson (author of Death's Daughter) from her introduction.
Phobophobia Reviews:
Like most things in life, its purpose was corrupted 
2009-04-18 - Mike Watt is one of the best writers you probably don't know - which is a shame, because I never thought I would say this in my lifetime: I have found a contemporary short horror story anthology worthy of study and discussion in a classroom. This is a bold statement for an English major such as myself to make; a literary snob who only places Skipp & Spector, David Schow, Harlan Ellison and Doug Winter on this high of an academic summit. And I'm not about to pass up admitting the fact I know Mike Watt - and now it comes to pass I read his collection of broody tales - and I am honored to know Mike Watt.
I was pleasantly shocked (a feat hard to accomplish these days) after reading Watt's fiction. I was a fan of his non-fiction for years, as well as his films, but this was different. Horror and Sci-Fi were territory completely saturated for me - by hacks, repetition, and banality. As a friend of mine once said, horror fiction had become a tired magic act and I just wanted to yell, "The bunny's up his dang sleeve!" So, I simply wrote it off and moved on.
Until now.
One of the first things you'll notice about Watt: he has restored life into a comatose form (another difficult feat), and he just so happens to know what is really scary. It's not the monster in your closet, hell no! It's something worse in the trunk of your car. He knows the tax man can be placated, so that's not too scary, but by god he knows there are other types of taxes to pay and if you don't - there are fates worse than federal prison. Watt, in a scribe's embrace, encompasses the nostalgia of past fear, the paranoia of future fear, and the high anxiety of present circumstances. Secondly, he's no poseur. He's just a damn talented writer and it's time to let him out of the dungeon.
The anthology's prose is so sharp, it's close to the kind of pain that feels good. The kinky kind you feel a little guilty enjoying so much. Each story did leave me wanting more and beginning not to care what I had to do to get it. Within the intensity, I did smile a few times to parallel the flinching - and I didn't dare put the book down.
Great collection for people who love to read
2009-02-06 - This is a great collection of dark fantasy stories by independent film maker, Mike Watt. Some previously published and some brand new to this collection, they are, in no particular order, disturbing, moody, grim, grimmer, hilarious, thoughtful and horrific. The title, of course, refers to FDR's admonition that "The only thing we have to fear is fear, itself." Hence, the fear of fear: Phobophobia. And this a collection that delivers on fears that we all face at some time in our lives, but Mike's characters don't act or react predictably. The stories, characters and situations are at once familiar and arcane. Vampires, a not so hard boiled private eye, aliens and the thing under your bed are all here, but in refreshing, new interpretations. These are stories for people who like to read written by a guy who loves the language. If you can't find something to like in this book, you should probably give up reading. Read the first line of the story titled "The Naked Bones of an Echo", then try not reading the rest of the story. Mike has written, directed, acted and co-produced several independent movies including: "The Resurrection Game," "Severe Injuries", "A Feast of Flesh" and others. Fans of Mike and his wife/partner/co-producer, Amy Lynn Best, will be pleased to see that Mike writes excellent short fiction as well as screenplays. For those of us who have known and loved him for many years, it's great to have all these pieces in one volume. I can't wait to see what he does next. You won't be sorry you bought this book!
