Lincoln Crisler

Hiram Grange and the Twelve Little Hitlers, the second book in Shroud Publishing’s Hiram Grange series of novellas, is, on the surface, a string of twelve vignettes, each dealing with the capture and/or extermination of one of twelve clones of Adolf Hitler that escaped from the World Trade Center when the towers fell. These vignettes are connected by a one-man opiate, psychedelic and alcohol binge unparalleled in the history of the planet. Hiram Grange, not the most sympathetic protagonist to begin with, has clearly fallen farther than he ever has before.

I gave the first installment in the series a modest review, but upon further consideration I realize that Jake Burrows, the author of the first novella, was operating from a distinct disadvantage: he not only had to tell his story, he had to introduce Hiram and the entire series at the same time. Scott Christian Carr, the author of Twelve Little Hitlers, doesn’t have that monkey on his back. He starts grinding Hiram into the dirt from the get-go: he’s lost his home, narrowly missed a conviction on stalking charges and is squatting in someone’s home while they’re on vacation. It keeps getting worse from there.

Carr’s writing style takes a little getting used to, but once you’re in, you’re in. The ending was a true, completely-out-of-left-field shocker, and was somewhat traumatic to read. I have to say I really loathe Hiram after this one. So far, the Hiram Grange series is delivering the goods: none of your assumptions are safe, and none of the standard storytelling conventions are sacred. 4.8/5.