A lot of short fiction comes across my desk. When a Jeffrey B. Burton submission enters my Inbox, my pulse quickens. I know a Burton tale will take me down unexpected alleys. No one sees the world quite the way he does. Late at night, when I can't sleep, I fear that his vision might just be close to reality. Still, I keep coming back for more. Burton is the master of the twist ending . . . no, make that the master of the twisted twist ending.
Burton breaks the mold. The reader is often unsure which character wears the white hat and which wears the black. Like in real life, his characters wear many hats. When his characters put on the black hat, watch out, nasty things happen. The loving dad with a late night hobby, the annoyed downstairs neighbor, the good cop, the academic, all these people and more, inhabit Burton's rogue gallery. Evil often has an ordinary face, perhaps even the face that tucks you in at night. Other times, evil really is the monster living in your closet.
Burton has a way with children. He knows how the love for a parent can inspire a child to try his darndest to make the world right. He also knows how dangerous power can be in the hands of someone too young for a fully developed moral sense. There is a reason the most brutal armies use children as troops. Burton understands.
I recommend the Shadow Play collection. Let's keep Burton typing . . . and away from heavy blunt objects, sharp knives, and weapons of mass destruction..
