It’s
time for another special edition of Short Story Sunday. It seemed like a
no-brainer to use Halloween as an excuse to read horror short stories. I
decided to check out a collection of science fiction, fantasy, and horror
stories from George R. R. Martin and well as explore the earliest stories of
Stephen King. I enjoyed myself so much I might just do this every year.
“The Pear-Shaped Man” by George R. R. Martin
Read in Dreamsongs volume 1 (2007), a collection
of works by George R. R. Martin
Originally
published in Omni (October 1987)
“The
Pear-Shaped Man” is a very creepy story. I was pretty grossed out while reading
it and I have to admit it’s going to be a really long time until I ever eat
cheezies again. The story is about the titular Pear-Shaped Man. You know who
I’m talking about, you’ve seen him. He’s very odd and Martin describes him
exceedingly well. Even without a description you can probably get a sense of
the kind of character the story refers to. In essence, he’s noticeably strange
while also appearing rather harmless. Martin conveys the banality of the man
while also convincing the reader of his unnatural creepiness. You, as the
reader, want to get to the bottom of it. Who is the Pear-Shaped Man and why is
he so damn eerie?
