Coach’s Midnight Diner

Long before the rise of Christian publishing, marketing departments, and book committees domesticating content to appeal to the sensibilities of evangelical audiences, Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote novels filled with profound Christian truths. However, his characters were a dark and colorful bunch including murderers, the mentally challenged, gamblers, seditionists, and prostitutes. Dostoevsky noted that he built some of his most recognizable character by recalling his fellow inmates during his own time in prison. Fyodor’s painted his characters with such a dark brush that one wonders if “The Possessed”, “Crime and Punishment”, or “The Brothers Karamazov” would be publishable in today’s Christian market.

Coach Culbertson and the creative minds at ccPublishing are hoping to change all that with The Coach’s Midnight Diner, an anthology of “horror, mystery, crime, and paranormal goodness.” Like Dostoevsky’s universe, the pages of the diner are filled with murders, strippers, demons, debauched pastors, trolls, alcoholics and host of other unlikely purveyors of divine truth.

A warning on the title page cautions that the stories inside “may cause insomnia due to the intense nature of some, and thus is not recommended for children or those with weak constitutions or heart problems.” The tongue is firmly planted in the check but the warning is accurate. The language in this anthology is often raw and uncensored. The violence is often equal to an episode of Sopranos. The authors in The Coach’s Midnight Diner walk a fine line. It would be easy, nearly inevitable, to depict evil in a manner that glorifies darkness. The authors collectively avoid this trap, gratefully. Darkness, rather, is a backdrop against which justice, grace, and redemption shine.

One category of story that Editor-in-Chief, Coach Culbertson, called for was “Jesus vs. Cthulhu.” For the uninitiated, Cthulhu refers to the mythos of demigods, settings, and themes created by horror writer H.P. Lovecraft. Culbertson. Culbertson’s invitation pushed contributors past the now hackneyed angels vs. demons plotline which dominated Christian fiction in the late 80’s.

Notable stories include “The Salvation of Sancho” by Robert Garbacz. Set in a murky Shadowland known as The Abyss, we meet Sancho, the faithful sidekick of a quixotic preacher who defiantly attempts to establish the God’s kingdom in lawless town. Like the fabled Don Quixote, the preacher is broken under the weight of his quest. However, Garbacz’s Sancho finds redemption a table with C.S. Lewis, Dostoevsky, and Tolkien.

Kevin Lucia’s “Way Station” is a smartly worded story of a writer unable to repeat the success of his first novel. In a handful of pages Lucia creates a paranormal thriller worthy of Rod Sterling’s The Twilight Zone.

R.M. Oliver’s “The Last Trip to Crystal Moon” is gritty tale of vigilantism set at a strip club. The protagonist is an employee at the club who is forced to front his conscience when a new proprietor introduces lower levels of depravity to the establishment. Oliver’s story is reminiscent of Frank Miller’s Sin City in both setting and in the fact that even the shadiest of characters can find redemption and justice.

Not every story in the anthology works. For example “Polly’s Muse” was well written but was yet another “Screw Tape Letters” send up and didn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the anthology. However, most of the stories were satisfying.

Coach’s Midnight Diner is not for every reader, and decidedly not for children. If you enjoy horror, detective stories, and tales of the paranormal, but wondered if these genres could be redeemed, this anthology is for you.

Coach’s Midnight Diner is available for purchase at www.reliefjournal.com.