“Abraham’s Boys” by Joe Hill: A Story About Killing Your Heroes

The book 20th Century Ghosts features the short story “Abraham’s Boys” by collection author Joe Hill. It took me by surprise as a startling look into the reality of living with the heroes in our lives.

Published in 2005, the novel contains a cache of excellent fiction and short stories that veer from the horrifying to the wistful. The titular short story appears in this collection, and it’s wonderfully dark and horrid. Hill’s writing style is amazingly conversational and specific enough to carry complex stories of horror and trauma.

Regardless, this collection of short stories still amazes me, as there are a number of “classic” short stories inside. “Abraham’s Boys” is just one of those classics.

In this post, we are going to take a look at this vampiric story and analyze its contents for a deeper meanings of family, lineage, and violence.

Summary

The story tells the tale of the legendary vampire slayer Abraham Van Helsing and his later years as he raises his sons, both Max and Rudy. Rudy is reluctant to engage in the family business, while Max is fully dedicated to his father’s very important work. At least, it seems like very important work..

During the story, Max often has to suppress a “shudder of revulsion” because saying “his father was superstitious was an understatement of grotesquely funny proportions” (Hill).

Meanwhile, the legendary Abraham Van Helsing really is an unsavory fellow whose obsession is something akin to the worst dependencies imaginable. His steadfast and abusive personality and violent attitude negatively affect his sons both physically and mentally. After Rudy runs late getting home one night, Van Helsing does not let it slide lightly and disciplines the boy with a small riding whip.

As Max tells us: “The quirt came down with a meaty smack, and Rudy, who would be ten in two weeks, screamed. Max ground his teeth, his hands still digging in his hair; pressed his wrists against his ears, trying vainly to block out the sounds of shrieking, and of the quirt striking at flesh, fat and bone” (Hill).

“Help your brother in,” Van Helsing tells Max after the beating. “You see what you make me do.”

Throughout the story, Van Helsing’s psychological well-being is called into question. In fact, it starts to become clear that their father’s mission may be something less dramatic and more psychosomatic. In the end, the boys take it upon themselves to stand against him to save their own lives and sanity.

Conclusion

The short story “Abraham’s Boys” by Joe Hill is a haunting tale of family legacy. It drives home the idea that the legendary heroes of our lives (our parents whom we look up to and cherish) are, in fact, monsters in their own right. In Hill’s story, we have the pinnacle of that evil, which manifests in the physical, mental, and abuses perpetrated by an unwell doctor who believes evil creatures infest the world. His children’s naivete soon turns cynical as they come to terms with their father’s maniacal extracurricular exploits.

It’s a sinister story that leaves the reader with a deep sadness for lost youth and the horror of the expression never meet your heroes.