You know that feeling when you wake up from a dream, disoriented and unsure of what’s real? That liminal space between sleep and wakefulness where the rules of reality seem fluid and anything feels possible? Zach Williams’ debut short story collection, “Beautiful Days,” lives in that uncanny valley, blurring the lines between the mundane and the surreal until you’re not quite sure which way is up anymore.
As I devoured these ten stories, I found myself constantly off-balance, like I was trying to walk on shifting sand. Just when I thought I had my footing, Williams would pull the rug out from under me with a twist that left me reeling. It’s been a while since a book has gotten under my skin quite like this one did.
A Master of Unsettling Atmospheres
Williams has an uncanny ability to infuse even the most ordinary scenes with a sense of creeping dread. Take the opening story, “Trial Run,” the protagonist arrives at his office during a snowstorm, finding the building eerily empty except for a security guard, Manny. As they converse, the interaction gradually becomes unnerving, as Manny delves into conspiracy theories and existential dread. The story builds a creeping tension in the seemingly mundane setting, reflecting on isolation and paranoia.
Or in “The New Toe,” a father discovers that his toddler has suddenly grown an extra toe. This bizarre and unsettling event causes the father to spiral into existential questions about reality, parenthood, and the responsibilities of caring for his child. As he tries to rationalize the sudden appearance of the toe, he becomes increasingly anxious about the implications, leading to a disturbing resolution that reflects his inner turmoil and fear of failure as a parent.
The author excels at creating atmospheres thick with tension and unease. Reading these stories often felt like holding my breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop. And when it did, it was rarely in the way I expected.
Time as a Fickle Beast
A recurring theme throughout the collection is the unreliability of time. In “Wood Sorrel House,” a couple finds themselves trapped in an endless summer, their child perpetually a toddler while they continue to age. “Ghost Image” plays with memory and identity in a way that left me questioning everything I thought I knew about the narrator.
Williams seems fascinated by the ways time can stretch, compress, or loop back on itself. His characters often find themselves adrift in temporal streams they can’t control, forced to reckon with versions of themselves from the past, present, and possible futures.
The Absurdity of Modern Life
While there are elements of horror and the supernatural woven throughout these stories, what truly unsettled me was Williams’ keen eye for the everyday absurdities of modern existence. In “Golf Cart,” two brothers patrol their family’s sprawling property, clinging to a way of life that’s clearly slipping away. “Neighbors” turns a simple act of checking on an elderly woman into a surreal meditation on isolation and the things we can never truly know about the people around us.
Williams has a knack for exposing the bizarre rituals and unspoken rules that govern our lives, making the familiar suddenly strange and unsettling. It’s a bit like looking at your own reflection in a funhouse mirror—you recognize yourself, but everything’s just slightly… off.
Characters on the Edge
The protagonists of these stories are often teetering on the brink—of sanity, of major life changes, of complete dissolution. There’s a palpable sense of anxiety and unease that permeates their inner worlds.
In “Red Light,” the protagonist, Parker, meets a woman named “Jane” (not her real name) for a casual, transactional encounter. As the two engage in flirtatious conversation, Parker reflects on the nature of human desire, and the lines between fantasy and reality blur, creating a tense, intimate atmosphere. The tour guide in “Return to Crashaw” finds his carefully constructed reality unraveling as he leads a group of disparate strangers to a mystifying archaeological site.
Williams has a gift for getting inside his characters’ heads, allowing us to experience their growing disorientation and desperation firsthand. It’s uncomfortable at times, but also deeply compelling.
Parenthood as Horror
Several stories in the collection grapple with the terrors of parenthood. “The New Toe” and “Wood Sorrel House” in particular explore the ways having a child can upend one’s sense of self and reality.
Williams captures the visceral fears that come with being responsible for a tiny, vulnerable human—the constant vigilance, the worry that you’re somehow failing them, the dread of what might happen if you look away for even a moment. He takes these universal anxieties and dials them up to eleven, creating scenarios that are both fantastical and emotionally devastating.
A Unique Voice in Contemporary Fiction
What sets “Beautiful Days” apart is Zach Williams’ distinctive prose style. His sentences have a fluid, almost hypnotic quality that pulls you along even as the stories veer into increasingly strange territory. There’s a dreamlike logic to the way events unfold, making even the most outlandish twists feel somehow inevitable.
I found myself frequently pausing to reread passages, marveling at the way Williams can pack so much meaning and atmosphere into a single, perfectly crafted sentence. His ability to shift tone on a dime—from darkly comic to deeply poignant—is truly impressive.
Comparisons and Influences
While reading Beautiful Days by Zach Williams, I found myself drawing comparisons to other masters of the weird and uncanny:
- The surreal domesticity of some stories reminded me of Kelly Link’s work
- The creeping dread and body horror elements evoked early Stephen King
- The exploration of identity and reality brought to mind Philip K. Dick
- The satirical edge in some pieces felt reminiscent of George Saunders
Yet Williams’ voice feels wholly his own, synthesizing these influences into something fresh and unique. This is a writer unafraid to take risks and push boundaries.
Not for the Faint of Heart
I’ll be honest—”Beautiful Days” is not always an easy read. Williams doesn’t shy away from dark subject matter, and some of the stories venture into truly disturbing territory. The collection deals with themes of loss, grief, mental illness, and the breakdown of reality in ways that can be emotionally taxing.
There were moments when I had to set the book aside and take a breather, particularly after the gut-punch endings of stories like “Mousetraps” and “Lucca Castle.” Williams has a way of worming into your psyche and leaving you feeling slightly destabilized.
That said, for readers who enjoy having their perspectives challenged and don’t mind venturing into uncomfortable psychological territory, this collection is an absolute must-read.
A Promising Debut
As a first collection, “Beautiful Days” announces Zach Williams as a major talent to watch in the world of literary fiction. His ability to blend the mundane with the surreal, to find horror in the everyday, and to explore complex psychological terrain marks him as a unique voice.
While the stories can be unsettling, they’re also deeply human. Williams taps into universal fears and anxieties, holding up a warped mirror to our modern existence. The result is a collection that lingers long after you’ve turned the final page, leaving you looking at the world around you with slightly different eyes.
Who Should Read This?
Beautiful Days by Zach Williams is perfect for readers who:
- Enjoy literary fiction with elements of horror and the surreal
- Appreciate stories that challenge perceptions of reality
- Are drawn to complex, psychological narratives
- Don’t mind feeling unsettled or disturbed by their reading material
- Are fans of authors like Kelly Link, Karen Russell, or Brian Evenson
Final Thoughts
Beautiful Days by Zach Williams is not a collection you’ll breeze through in an afternoon. These are stories that demand your full attention, that ask you to sit with their discomfort and wrestle with their implications. But for those willing to take the journey, the rewards are rich indeed.
Zach Williams has crafted a debut that is by turns haunting, darkly funny, and profoundly human. It’s a book that gets its hooks in you and doesn’t let go easily. I, for one, can’t wait to see what twisted landscapes of the mind he’ll lead us through next. A stellar debut that announces a bold new voice in contemporary fiction. Not for the faint of heart, but absolutely unmissable for fans of literary horror and surrealism.