Negative Tilt: Stories by Bobby Mathews is a collection of tales so full of emotion, tension, and drama that at times you’ll feel like the author has picked you up above his head and is about ready to suplex you on the hard concrete below. With a wide variety of characters and scenarios; the violence is sneaking, the heartbreak shattering, and the storytelling tight and impactful.
The stories feature everyday men and women that are incredibly relatable regardless of your geographic location or economic station. You can feel the loneliness, you can smell the ink, and you can hear the squeal of the rubber tearing down the asphalt. As all great writers do, Bobby finds the magic in the mundane and produces one engaging story after the next.
While I mostly read full length novels and a novella here and there, Bobby reminds me once again why short story collections should be on everyone’s reading list. The difficulty in creating connection between readers and characters in such a short format is something I’ll always appreciate. Bobby somehow sucked me into each and every one of the stories in this collection in a mere matter of paragraphs.
The authenticity of both the settings and characters is undeniable, which makes sense when the author himself has always been so full of life, joy, and kindness that he himself might as well be a fictional caricature in one of these stories, most often found regaling dive bar regulars with stories of the absurd and unbelievable.
For those of us lucky enough to have gotten to know Bobby over the years, the underlying foundation of these stories are known and we can do nothing but hope the process has been therapeutic for a man who has always supported and encouraged others in their down times. If anyone deserves a bit of peace through the writing process, it is him.
Follow Todd on Twitter or contact him via the site.
Purchase Negative Tilt: Stories
(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)
Barrington Books
Chapter 2 Books
Murder By The Book
Once Upon A Crime
The Book Dragon
The Poisoned Pen
