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The Roots Run Deep and Other Stories by C. M. Forest

 The Roots Run Deep and Other Stories by C. M. Forest

C. M. Forest is one of my favorite authors I have found. His debut novel, Infested, turned this author into an auto-buy for all his magnificent books and stories. This collection, however, is a fantastic assortment of stories which shines his ability to pull you in and keep you devouring them all. I’m going to break down the stories to show you the range in which he writes.

Home - A quick, dark poem about what a home sees and feels. At just 21 lines, the poem gives the aura of a bleak, yet happy, home. The ups and downs of life, absorbed into the walls of the home. 

What The Storm Brought In - When a storm washes up an unexpected guest onto a secluded beach, the effects of this guest are unexpected. This is a unique story with a completely unpredictable ending. This little doozy of a story has the same vibe as his novella We All Fall Before the Harvest (which I HIGHLY recommend). 

Born Of Death - A cable guy is on a mission to find where some stolen service is coming from. Let me just say, this isn’t what you think. He ends up finding way more than he thought he would! The imagination to come up with all the different twists this story takes; I have to wonder what it is like living in Forest’s head. 

On A Dark Road - A woman gives birth. I won’t say more than that. A very short and messed up story. 

Glass Weavers - Cosmic horror. Jonah is on a ship and has a particular routine he follows, until one day, one little issue causes a massive wave of oh-shits. 

Hunger - You start this story with Gordan visiting a location where Maddie disappeared. You’ll never guess where she ended up.

Playground - Have you ever been to one of fast-food restaurants that has those indoor playgrounds for the little kids? If you have… be prepared. If you have not… you will soon find out that perhaps you shouldn’t. A weird story.

Reggie VS. The Moths - The best line from this little short story, “fudge nuggets and fries!” Reggie is just a little ol’ man doing his simple little ol’ job. He doesn’t need all this extra stress and goes to great lengths to fix this issue. 

Gone - Travis has a business meeting at a hotel, but he can’t find anyone. He starts looking around and the oddity of the surrounding silence  is nerve-wracking. I really enjoyed this story. 

The House In the Ground - The plot twist in this one will really throw you for a loop! William is running away and finds a house… in the ground. 

Time To Make Donuts - Not gonna lie, I craved donuts when I read the title. After reading the story, I changed my mind so fast. A weird alternate-reality type of story. 

We Called It Mother - Okay, WTH?? A group of teenagers are on a bus heading for summer camp when they get into an accident. You want to know how to turn a life-altering, teenager survival horror story into just a few pages? Read this one and find out. The connection of calling this thing ‘Mother’ is way out there.

Blood and Snow - A husband and wife are on the way to a cabin in the middle of winter when the husband stumbles upon a nasty creature. Revenge story… sweet and epic.

Transmissions -  I absolutely gravitate towards epistolary stories and this one delivers. Another cosmic horror story. Bleak, lonely, devastatingly horrific. 

The Roots Run Deep - I think this is a sad story. Julie is taking her sister's ashes to the ocean. 

I am not at all surprised that I loved all of these stories. Forest’s ability to put together such an array of short stories that touch on just about every sub-genre in horror, is quite impressive. From eco-horror to cosmic-horror, there is something for everyone in this collection. Also, the way he writes with just fluid smoothness, makes him one of the best authors to read. Forest is certainly a writer to look for. He is definitely going to be writing some top-notch stories. 

You can find many more stories in numerous anthologies. His website, ChristianLaforet.com, can direct you to those books.