{"id":9224,"date":"2022-07-13T08:00:23","date_gmt":"2022-07-13T08:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pointhorror.com\/?p=9224"},"modified":"2022-06-26T06:26:50","modified_gmt":"2022-06-26T06:26:50","slug":"strange-matter-1-no-substitutions-by-marty-m-engle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pointhorror.com\/strange-matter-1-no-substitutions-by-marty-m-engle\/","title":{"rendered":"Recap #308: Strange Matter #1: No Substitutions by Marty M Engle"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Strange<\/a>
Strange Matter No Substitutions<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Title: Strange Matter #1 \u2013 No Substitutions, a.k.a. \u201cFairfield Nights: The Ballad of STACY CALHOUN\u201d<\/p>\n

Author: Marty M. Engle<\/p>\n

Summary: Your next class could be your last.<\/p>\n

Curtis Chatman and Shelly Miller didn\u2019t plan for trouble. They expected a quiet sixth period in the library reading their favorite supernatural tales after Mr. Mayfield\u2019s dull biology class.<\/p>\n

They didn\u2019t expect suspension<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Fairfield Junior High welcomes Stacy Calhoun, the new substitute. He holds an unnatural power over his class. An appearance as unsettling as his lesson plan, his silvery eyes catch every movement, his pointy ears can hear every whisper.<\/p>\n

After a terrifying encounter in the library, Curtis and Shelly discover a shocking secret about their temporary teacher, a secret that could cost them their lives.<\/p>\n

Now, after a lifetime of avoiding trouble, it howled<\/em> outside their window, simply dying<\/em> to get in.<\/p>\n

Initial Thoughts<\/h1>\n

It was time to devote focus to another series as an ongoing project, and the one most deserving was Strange Matter<\/em>. Considering Marty Engle allowed me the honor of recapping \u201cRilo Buru\u2019s Summer Vacation,\u201d it was only fair to give Strange Matter<\/em> its due.<\/p>\n

As it stands, I actually bought Wing this book years ago as a birthday gift \u2013 and long before I\u2019d read it myself. I know how you are with your werewolves, Wing darling. [Wing: You do, you do, and you give the best gifts! I’m thrilled you’ve decided it’s time to recap this.<\/strong><\/span>]<\/p>\n

Thankfully I own the entire Strange Matter<\/em> collection so I don\u2019t have to worry about tracking them down. Now it\u2019s simply down to having the time and energy to focus on these recaps.<\/p>\n

Here’s author and series co-creator Marty Engle’s thoughts on “No Substitutions”<\/p>\n

It was the \u201ctest case\u201d book to see if ray and I could put a strange matter on the shelf once a month. Going in, we decided to write stories we wanted to read even as adults and not write \u201cdown\u201d to kids. Also as children of the 80s growing up on a steady diet of Lucas and Spielberg, we wanted to capture our experiences of growing up in comfortable small towns while at the same time putting the fantasy adventures we always wanted to go on down on paper.<\/p>\n

We treated each story as a movie we didn’t have the budget to film. Hahaha<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[Wing: I love that they were determined to not write “down” to kids. I’ve heard a lot of different people talking about how kids aren’t discerning in their reading and since they’re new to most tropes, it doesn’t matter how they’re pulled off, etc., and I think that’s a load of shit.<\/strong><\/span>]<\/p>\n

TW: Spiders<\/p>\n

[Wing: WHY IS IT ALWAYS SPIDERS?!<\/strong><\/span>]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Recap<\/h1>\n

With one springing leap the wolf overtook the wild rabbit. The wolf\u2019s speed amazed me. That rabbit never knew what hit it. Both animals flew amazingly fast across the field. The grass behind them blurred into a streak, then WHAM! In a flash of claws and bone-white teeth, the rabbit met his doom.<\/em><\/p>\n

We couldn\u2019t see how much blood splattered the grisly scene because of the grass.<\/em><\/p>\n

We could hear it though, wet sounds between the cracks and crunching. That\u2019s the way it always goes in those lame nature films. They never show the good stuff.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Goodneth what a violent beginning! [Wing: Love the hell out of this.<\/strong><\/span>]<\/p>\n

Curtis Chatham had a hard time staying awake in Mr. Mayfield\u2019s biology class thanks to boring biology movies like this. When the bell finally rung and Mr. Mayfield announced the reading assignments for next class, Curtis yawned when his best friend Shelly Miller ran up to him with BIG news.<\/p>\n

Curtis and Shelly were both easily excited and easily bored. Though Shelly could be frustrating at times, she was the only person who could keep up with Curtis. When it looked like Curtis was too bored to care about Shelly\u2019s news, she turned around in a huff. Curtis knew she wouldn\u2019t leave; Shelly always got antsy when she knew something Curtis didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

So FINALLY, Shelly decided she tell Curtis her big news after all. Mr. Jackson\u2019s out today so they have a substitute teacher! Mr. Jackson happens to be one of the most boring teachers at Fairfield Junior High. He keeps all the windows closed and the heat up high in his classroom, he always talks in the same monotonous tone, and he always strolls up and down the classroom making sure kids pay attention. It doesn\u2019t help that his class is right after lunch and late in the afternoon.<\/p>\n

Curtis went over the potential substitutes. There was:<\/p>\n