“The Damned Busters” by Matthew Hughes is a hilarious and imaginative novel speculating on what might happen if Hell went on strike. As I began reading it I felt a sense of déjà-vu—soon I remembered Hughes published the first part of this as the novelette “Hell of a Fix” in “The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.” It was clever and entertaining then and still is.
Chesney Arnstruther is an actuary at an insurance company and a genius with numbers. A bizarre set of unfortunate circumstances causes Chesney to accidentally conjure a demon that in turn demands his soul. Chesney pleads his case and causes quite a ruckus among God, Satan and their prospective minions resulting in the demons of Hell going on strike.
Desperate to restore order, Satan negotiates a settlement with Chesney which includes making his ultimate dream come true. He gets to be a superhero (The Actionary) for two hours a day and is assigned a demon assistant, Xaphan, a cigar smoking throwback to 1930s gangster movies.
The first section provides a hilarious satirical look at what the world would be like if the temptation to do bad things did not exist. It really would unravel a lot of the fabric that holds society together. Hughes also has great fun contrasting the two parts of Cheney’s new personality—the confident superhero and the socially challenged secret identity.
This all leads to an exciting and humorous climax, including a poker game with the Devil. This is highly recommended for all who like some humor mixed with their horror.
– George Wilhite
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
