Title: The Bunny Man

Author: Lance Dale

Release date: November 7th, 2023

Originally released as a limited chapbook back in the summer of 2023, Lance Dale has now released his short story about a strange folkloric/urban legend as a standard ebook and paperback. Lance and I connected I don’t know how long ago and he’s been a massive supporter of my work (and all things Alanis) ever since, so I absolutely knew I was gonna grab this and give it a spin upon arrival.

What I liked: Lance has only released short fiction up to this point, but has an extension non-fiction background, and his ability to craft a story is front and center here, packing a novel’s worth of story into roughly twenty-five pages.

The story follows Sally, who was chosen to tag along with a super popular Youtube show in a contest, as they go to film their next video. It’s exploring the history of ‘The Bunny Man,’ a mysterious creature or man-in-a-suit, who attacked some people back in the 70’s near a bridge, but has popped up a few times over the ensuing decades.

Lance does a very solid job of introducing us to the cast, and getting us to understand their quirks and ticks and how they all interact together.

Once there, we get a quick rundown on how the episode will go and, as this is a short story, arrive at the apex of the story, with the action/conclusion taking place. It was a lot of fun, gave us some great brutality and showed us how far someone is going to go to survive.

What I didn’t like: I think the obvious part is the length. I think Lance could’ve easily expanded this to a novelette or novella length to give some of the story more room to breathe and to flesh out a bit more of the backstory. As is, the backstory is pretty tame when it comes to the urban legend world.

Additionally, the ‘twist’ is telegraphed far in advance, so I think expanding this would’ve helped keep those cards closer to the chest. And when it comes to a secondary ‘twist’ involving a character, that came a bit out of left field and more of that aspect could’ve been infused.

Why you should buy this: For such a quick read, this packs a wallop and it’s one dark fiction fans will whip through. Lance has really created a dynamic world with these characters and the setup and it definitely excites me to see what he creates next!

5/5