Larry Johnson isn't just a remarkable illustrator. He's a remarkable raconteur. His novel, The Mayfly, and his graphic novel, The Hand, prove it.
Johnson's latest, short-story curation, the illustrated Fantastic Tales, is a tasty companion to those entries, sweetened by appearances from several of his most memorable characters, including the likeable Lew Brown; Lew's brother, Freddy (protagonist of The Hand); electrical engineer Lenny Jones (who's destined to become Ohm the Electric Man); psychotherapist Doctor Charles Young; the shape-shifting, android hunter, Bart Rover; the demon-plagued Madame Boogala; her amusing son, Goomar; and those dusty but diligent, weird-western cowhands of the Broken B.
Also, as one can infer, the stories are diverse in theme and offer the following scenarios: Lew's attempt to rescue Freddy from a transcendental cult; Lew's shift from reality to weird reverie; Lew and Freddy's run-ins with strange maintenance workers; Boogala and her black-widow talisman; Lenny Jones and his image-altering "Inter-dimensional Viewfinder"; the creepy consequences of a red-headed fly (a Mayfly precursor, one might say); a cowpoke's extraterrestrial encounter; a penetrating meeting between cosmic colonists; Bart Rover's slimy transformation; and Doctor Young's analysis of Lenny's batty visions.
Johnson's writing flows with scrupulous care and rich rumination (rather Bradbury-esque, if the truth be known, both in tone and variety). This makes his misadventures genuine page turners.
I must say, I'd like to read more of Johnson's work. I hope he considers a Fantastic Tales follow-up. If he does, you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be first in line to purchase it.
Order Fantastic Tales at
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GVSHYJSS?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
