This Island Earth

Here’s an unusual collection inspired by the heroes of the drive-in, featuring eight novellas suspended between science fiction and horror. The enthusiasm of the author for that type of movie is quite apparent and has produced a bunch of fine fiction finally collected in one volume.

Bailey is an excellent writer, so much so that, although not particularly interested in that specific genre ( or sub-genre) , I'm glad for the opportunity to read such an entertaining and enjoyable book.

In particular I’d like to mention the four  delightful novellas which kept me particularly engrossed.

“I Was a Teenage Werewolf” is an excellent, tense piece of fiction set in a small town plagued by a mysterious, particularly violent werewolf ( with a nice twist in the tail).

“The Creature from the Black Lagoon'' is an insightful fantasy featuring a creature with an embarrassing body but a human heart, in love with a pretty colleague on a movie set.

Another very lovely piece is “Invasion of the Saucer- Men”, a smart mix between a cautionary tale about human stupidity and a warning on our inability to understand what we don’t know.

“The Ghoul Goes West” is an unforgettable story about movies which could not exist yet appear to be real, with a touching homage to the likes of Bela Lugosi and Ed Wood.

Have fun!