Typecast By: Jeff Ryan Star Rating:

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Synopsis

Hollywood casting director Linda is on a quest for the perfect actor to play a serial killer in an upcoming television show. Bored with all the actors she's been auditioning, she and her assistant, June, head across the street for coffee. As they enjoy their drinks, Linda shows June her skills by making a game of flawlessly casting each person around them in the coffee shop, until the perfect person to play the serial killer catches her eye outside the window. Then she races after him with unforeseen results.

Review

"Typecast" is a very short story of only about ten pages about Linda, a Hollywood casting director, and her long-suffering assistant, June. The pair take a break from a casting session that's a search for the perfect actor to play a serial killer in a television series. As they enjoy their coffee, Linda proves to June that she can flawlessly cast anyone by telling her what role each person around them in the coffee shop would be best at playing. Then her attention is suddenly diverted by the perfect person to play the serial killer, walking by the window. Linda races after him with unforeseen results.

Linda is not a particularly likable character. She's a stereo-typical, demanding, high-maintenance, Hollywood type who may be good at her job, but she knows it and tends to rub it in other's faces, namely her assistant, June, a meek, mousy type who simply does as she's told. Overall, the story was OK, but I have to admit that once Linda leaves the coffee shop on her quest for the man who would make the perfect serial killer, I saw the ending coming from a mile away. So, not bad, but a tad too predictable. "Typecast" can be found in the anthology Blood Lite III: Aftertaste.

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