In the Palm of the Left Hand Black by Damien Casey

In the Palm of the Left Hand Black Reviews

• 
  Remo Macartney

  Damien Casey gleefully colors outside the lines in a varied collection of stories that blend comedy and horror.
  
  Casey provides a collection that is equal parts comedy, horror, and heart. Whether its the hypnotizing Five Years (That’s All We Got), the painful relatability of Smoking Section, or the rom-com madness of “The Body is a Temple,” this collection delivers a variety of subjects and aesthetics.
  
  While the stories remain tonally buoyant, an underlying theme weaves its way through each tale. That being finding companionship in a desolate or unfriendly world. The fusion of horror and comedy lends itself seamlessly to the task. Each story provides the reader with a small reprieve. All this infused with Casey’s district flare. My only complaint here is that I wanted more stories.
  
  This collection is like a guitar case covered in punk stickers. A Grimoire dipped in glitter. A B-52s song covered by Danzig. A Devo record, spun backwards. A sit-com about a labyrinth Minotaur.
  
  A book that should be your next comfort read.
• 
  Coy Hall

  In the Palm of the Left Hand Black gives us six deranged and hilarious tales from Damien Casey. Christopher McCormick provided the gorgeous artwork with a ghost to accompany each story. If you've never read Casey's work, this is a great primer, with a mix of tales that range from the legitimately frightening and poignant "Smoking Section" to the angry "Pretty Penny" to the tongue-in-cheek, Happy Death Day inspired slasher "Holy Diver."
  
  "Frist!" stood out, too, as an idea story with a what if? premise beneath the humor. I really liked this direction for the author.
  
  "Smoking Section" was my favorite of the book. Two hours with Casey's imagination is always an excellent time!
• 
  Tasha Reynolds

  I have a pretty odd sense of humor that covers a lot of different bases. Having a previous career in Healthcare and a current job in Law Enforcement caused an exponential growth in my existing dark/morbid sense of humor, and I use horribly inappropriately timed jokes as a coping method when I'm really stressed out. Irony and sarcasm sit blissfully in the middle of my humor spectrum, and on the other side of that - there is no joke too cheesy to get a laugh!
  
  I have a love/hate relationship with horror comedies because I always want so desperately for them to succeed, but they tend to either stray too far in one direction, or just plain fall flat. Damien originally just sent me one story from the collection of six, but I was curious and had to go check out the rest of them.
  
  It starts right off with the really cool hand drawn cover design, giving it a cozy and nostalgic vibe that makes it feel more personal and really captures the Indie spirit. He takes major themes from the last few years (quarantine, climate change, social media obsessions, racism/sexism/all the other awful -isms, and my favorite - the horror of dating), painting some grim pictures but highlighting them with various types of humor.
  
  My favorite story is The Body is a Temple! First of all, I feel like it would be just my luck to meet "my person" in the midst of some godawful situation like the one Kerry and Lucy find themselves in. Their quips are so inappropriately timed that I feel like they'd be my best friends if I ever ran into them, and that would obviously happen mid-apocalypse.
  
  Overall, In the Palm of the Left Hand Black* was a fun read that gives us time to view serious subjects through a lighter lens, and escape the reality of them. Or in some cases - give us some hope for quirky, goofy humor to exist if (or when) they come to fruition! I know I'll be the one who still drops the worst jokes you can imagine while we're hunting for dry land that isn't insanely hot!
• 
  Kyle J. Durrant

  That was weird, but quick and entertaining. Damien has a mad imagination and it really shows in this short collection of comedy horrors.
  
  I had fun with these. I was chuckling at times. If you want quick reads with horror inspiration that will make you laugh, this is a good choice for you.
  
  Unless you're a right wing snowflake, anyway. Damien doesn't hide his political persuasions, and there is biting satire in these. Which I loved.
  
  My only complaint is that everything felt so fast and ended so abruptly. The stories move fast, they make you laugh, and then they're over, and I think that just made it a little hard for me to really connect with them.
  
  Description is sparse, too, so I did struggle to properly envision the scenes.
  
  But Damien has produced something that is, at its core, fun. There are issues with grammar and punctuation, but for a pure fun read those can be overlooked.
• 
  Andrew Robert

  "In the Palm of the Left Hand Black" delivers a collection of six darkly comic stories by Damien Casey, each infused with his unique blend of humor and horror. Each tale is beautifully complemented by Christopher McCormick's ethereal artwork, which features a spectral presence for every story. For newcomers to Casey's world, this collection offers a perfect introduction, from the chilling depth of "Smoking Section" to the fiery spirit of "Pretty Penny" and the witty, slasher vibes of "Holy Diver."
  
  The story "Frist!" is notable for its ingenious "what if?" scenario, cleverly concealed beneath layers of humor. Among all the tales, "Smoking Section" emerged as a personal favorite. Diving into two hours of Casey's imaginative realm is undoubtedly a treat for the senses!
• 
  Adam Hulse

  This is such an entertaining read. It's a collection that would be a great starting point for new readers to Casey's work. It also serves as a great display of his range. Here we have someone who writes in vibrant colours as he creates likeable characters and excellent stories. There are laughs, deaths, and everything between. I enjoyed every story but absolutely adored Five Years (That's All We've Got). I'm hoping it's a concept that Casey expands on in the future as it is such a masterful display of world building. Although there is great variety here, all seven stories have one thing in common. They're all written with a bucket load of heart.
• 
  Sarah Huntington

  I read these stories via email when Damien first wrote them and I loved them all. I still grabbed a copy as soon as the book came out and read them all again.
  Each tale is vastly different, and each one has a huge amount of humour. The stories are told with unique style, and that is what makes Damien's work so compelling. The casual, almost laid back approach to such horrors, but at the same time, it's also serious.
  One of the most talented writers out there and so overlooked that it's criminal.
  Oh and Frist! ( Read the book and you'll get why I'm saying that)
• 
  Joe Ortlieb

  Damien has a unique style of writing. Almost carefree. He writes what he enjoys. Which is a nice change from other authors. He takes horror humor and whatever else he wants puts them in a blender then puts it on the page. These 6 short stories shows just what he can do. After each one he says a little something about the story which is just as enjoyable as the story. As far as shorts go each one feels like a complete story. Each one begs for more. Next thing you know you're one the last page.
• 
  Cass

  This was mental. I loved it. Honestly had no idea which direction each story was going to take. If you want short, crazy stories that are funny, gory, and fast, this is the book for you.
• 
  Caitlyn Pace

  This book was so much fun! Perfect for getting you out of a reading slump or if you want to finish a book in a afternoon. I loved the “Pretty Penny” story.
• 
  Sarah

  Amazing collection of short stoires! You never know what to expect from damien casey, but it is always, crazy, funny, and a little bit gory, and i love it. Was nice to be able to pick this up and just enjoy a short story. Helped get me out of the beginning of a reading slump