Book Review – The Only Way Out Is Through by Paul Michael Anderson

The Only Way Out Is Through is a novella that has been published elsewhere twice (if I’m not mistaken from the forewords and interlude included in this book. Basically, Anderson and Cemetery Gates Media decided to give the story its own release but Anderson decided to include a few extra stories to help give readers more bang for their buck (which I appreciate).

The novella itself is great, so I’m not surprised it has been published multiple times now. It’s part procedural mystery and part cosmic horror. There’s a great balance here, as well as psychological elements including paranoia and trauma. The lead character is interesting, mostly due to his surprising past that is revealed in pieces, but also reserved and professional in his work. It makes him likeable and someone whose shoes you can put yourself in for the ride. The mysterious trooper behavior hooked me from the start, and the devestating ending left me very satisfied.

The other stories are not related, though I somehow thought they were. Rather, they’re connected by observing the turning point in someone’s life, this being a focus of “The Only Way Out Is Through.” I will admit, I would have preferred the stories to actually tie into the same universe as the novella but I can respect Anderson for at least keeping a central idea behind them. “Growing Into Nothing” is the best of the three for me. It’s a sci-fi/horror story with a creeping sense of dread that is mysterious and scary. The “cliffhanger” ending fit just right. The other two stories didn’t land for me, though. I found “Two Views of the Breaking World” difficult to follow, and “And, In The End, A Reckoning of What I Have Become” felt more like a snippet of a story than one on its own.

“The Only Way Out Is Through” and “Growing Into Nothing” were both damn good, and I know I’ll return to them in the years that follow. I have no problem ignoring the other two stories because these other two were so striking for me. So don’t mistake me — I definitely recommend this book, especially if you haven’t already read the novella. This title has also persuaded me to buy Anderson’s other books when I get the chance.