Amphetamine Day Dreams by Mike DeFrench Review
I’m always on the lookout for new horror writers. I find that most books labeled as “horror” nowadays have a tiny spec of horror and the rest is elevated thriller. Sometimes, a girl just wants a straightforward horror story.
Thankfully, I found a full-fledged horror writer in Mike DeFrench.
DeFrench is an American author of short stories from Indiana. I’ve been following him on Instagram for a while now. When he reached out looking for readers to review his latest collection of short stories, I raised my hand — virtually speaking — immediately.
I could not read through the stories in Amphetamine Day Dreams fast enough. DeFrench has a talent for capturing the inner turmoil of characters whether they are recovering addicts, plotting a murder, or trying to determine if something they see in a dream is real or not.
There are 11 total stories in this collection and each one builds off of the other. DeFrench does a fantastic job of dropping you right into the scene. It doesn’t take you long to figure out what is going on and by then you’re already invested and chilled by the context of the story.
One of my favorite stories is called “attractive woman in apron smiling holding a spatula.” It’s about a man who, after finding a women’s stock image online, makes it his sole mission to find and murder her. He doesn’t understand why she unleashes this urge and there comes a point when you don’t either because you’re so invested in his search. Will he find her and if he does, will he actually kill her?
Two other stories that really stuck with me were “A Voice in the Static” and “Lucy in the Sky with Demons.”
DeFrench himself is a hilarious online personality that creates relative Reels and posts. Many writers will shout, “Same,” after checking out his Instagram profile. He enjoys scaring you, but also wants to make you laugh. When it comes to the horror genre that is an ideal combination.
If I were to compare him with well-known names, I’d put him in the same realm as H.P. Lovecraft and Neil Gaiman. His stories fall into that magical blend of reality and fantasy, but the way he portrays the things happening to his characters is very psychological.
Are they really experiencing this terror or not? You don’t worry too much about whether they are or not because you’re too invested in them and wonder if they’ll make it through the end of the story alive or at the very least sane.
His writing style is punchy and funny. If I wasn’t laughing, I was cringing at the visceral details. His characters come across as real people you would pass by on the street in today’s world. They are literally everyday people dealing with extraordinary situations. Another nod to the horror genre.
Since this is only Volume One, I’m sure we can expect another amazing batch of stories that will ignite the paranoia in all of us.
With the spooky season right around the corner, this short story collection is one horror fans should add to their reading list. DeFrench is definitely a name to watch in the horror realm and if this collection shows us one thing it’s that he has staying power and his stories will only get better.
So if you’re in the market for a collection of horror stories that make your skin crawl or leave you looking over your shoulder, DeFrench’s book is perfect.
You can find Amphetamine Day Dreams here and don’t forget to browse the rest of his collection. Sign up for his Substack and receive free short stories guaranteed to give you a spine-tingling reaction. You can also find him on Instagram and Twitter.
