Horror World Book Reviews
May, 2007

SERPENTINE by Thomas F. Monteleone
Review by Joe Kroeger

Thomas F. Monteleone has been a heavy-hitter within the horror genre for over a decade with award winning novels such as The Blood Of The Lamb and The Resurrectionist, and has been the driving force behind the groundbreaking Borderlands anthology series. With numerous short stories flooding the market and his “The Mothers And Fathers Italian Association” column appearing within the pages of Cemetery Dance magazine, Monteleone has more than proven himself as an author well deserving of his place in the literary community. With the retouched re-release of his popular 1986 novel Lyrica, Serpentine by Thomas F. Monteleone is a novel that is sure to find its way into any horror lover’s library.

In Serpentine, the nightmare begins in a small Italian town as a large snake emerges from beneath an altar of a church slated for demolition. At the same time, a mysterious and exotic woman named Sophia appears and begins to work her way across Europe leaving a trail of unexplained deaths in her wake. Matthew, a paranormal investigator and writer, believes he is on the trail of an ancient demon with an irresistible form that drains the life force from anyone she comes in contact with.

One of the brilliant aspects of this novel is how Monteleone puts a human face and richly developed personality on his supernatural evil. His creation is not just a mindless demon stalking through the pages of his novel racking up a body count but a feeling thinking being that has beliefs and personal reasoning behind its actions. You spend a vast majority of the novel deep inside the mind of the demon being able to view the events through its eyes giving a personal aspect that few horror novels touch on.

Monteleone also expertly breaks up the story with brief flashes in the past, touching on great historical figures as their lives become intertwined with this all-consuming demon. These snapshots only add to the complexity and nature of his perfectly realized demon giving the readers a more fulfilling and entertaining reading experience.

On top of all this, Serpentine is an amazing story written with intensity and passion leading the reader through the pages with a white-knuckled concentration until the final page is quickly turned. Just when you think you know where the story is heading, Monteleone will leave you breathlessly scratching your head wondering how he managed to flawlessly pull the rug out from underneath you.

All in all, Serpentine by Thomas F. Monteleone is an expertly written horror novel that begs to be consumed by the most avid fan of the horror genre. I was extremely pleased that Monteleone decided to revamp and release this novel for a whole new generation of horror fans to savor and would recommend Serpentine to anyone out there.

Borderlands Press

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MIDNIGHT PREMIERE, edited by Tom Piccirilli
Review by Neil Daniels

Every decade or so there comes along an anthology that has such an impact on the field it becomes the standard against which all others of its kind are measured. Harlan Ellison’s Dangerous Visions, Kirby McCauley’s Dark Forces, and—in this case—David J. Schow’s Silver Scream, released nearly 20 years ago.

Since Silver Scream, there have been several multi-author collections that use movies (horror and otherwise) as their central theme, but none, until now, has come close to equaling Schow’s editorial achievement.

Tom Piccirilli’s Midnight Premiere is every bit Silver Scream’s equal – and an argument could be made that it’s even the superior anthology, because many of the contributors exercise an effective and affecting restraint that was for the most part missing from Silver Scream (of which I am a fierce admirer, lest anyone misunderstand). Midnight Premiere also boasts a higher ratio of film professionals than did Schow’s anthology, writer-director Mick Garris and the redoubtable Ray Garton being repeat offenders; joining Garris and Garton (and all co-authoring with established writers) are B-film stalwarts William Smith, Scream Queen Linnea Quigley, and Kyra Schon (who’ll you’ll remember as the little zombie girl from Romero’s original Night of the Living Dead).

Both anthologies boast a wildly uneven assortment of stories, but in Midnight Premiere, the imbalance in quality emerges as one of the book’s many strengths, leaving the reader with the same feeling they might have after sitting through a 24-hour horror movie marathon; a virtual feast, with some courses tastier than others, but still leaving you with the cumulative feeling of deep satisfaction.

After a surprisingly personal and moving introduction by editor Piccirilli, the anthology opens with a near-devastating one-two punch, courtesy of Gary A. Braunbeck and Jack Ketchum, whose respective stories read like unconscious companion pieces dealing with film viewers’ perceptions of what is seen, or—in the case of Ketchum’s story— not seen on the screen.

Braunbeck’s “Onlookers” is the perfect opening story for the collection. On the surface it concerns a man who, as a young child, happened upon the set of Samuel Beckett’s Film, starring Buster Keaton (this is an actual movie, one of the most famous “art films” ever made). The encounter haunts the background of the narrator’s life for decades, slowly revealing that Beckett’s movie has opened doorways of perception that, once experienced, can never be closed again. The intelligence, craftsmanship, and compassion readers have come to expect from a Braunbeck story are here in spades, culminating in a shudder-inducing final line.

Seemingly taking up where “Onlookers” leaves off, Jack Ketchum’s “Elusive” concerns a man’s compulsive quest to see an infamous horror film entitled Sleepdirt that time and circumstances have prevented him from viewing. Ketchum’s subtle portrait of the central character’s obsession with (and eventual paranoia about) the movie are beautifully and unflinchingly portrayed, leading up to a finale that shouldn’t have taken me by surprise but nonetheless did.

John Shirley and Gerard Houarner follow with a pair of stories that are rich in imagery and manage play on new angles to some well-worn tropes. Mick garris’s “Ocular” could very well be a companion piece to his Silver Scream piece “A Life in the Cinema”, offering as it does a savage tale of an accident on a film set that ends with a bone-chilling final paragraph that leaves this powerful—if arguably overlong—story open for a sequel.

Thomas F. Monetleone and Ray Garton follow back-to-back with a pair of brilliant stories (Garton’s story in particular shows him in fine form), and Lisa Morton & Richard Grove contribute one of the two best stories in the collection, “Forces of Evil, Starring Robert Fields”. In the post-Columbine and Virginia Tech atmosphere, this tense and ultimately hopeful story shows in graphic and heartfelt terms how a young man who loves horror can emerge as a healthy and sane individual, despite his darker impulses and being mocked and ostracized by his peers.

Editor Piccirilli offers up a surprisingly grisly and bleak (albeit tongue-in-cheek) tale with “Shadder”, which somehow manages to combine elements from You Can’t Go Home Again with a dollop of Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” and still make you shudder and smile simultaneously.

The real payoff of the collection comes with its final two stories, Brian Hodge’s “The Passion of the Beast” and Ed Gorman’s remarkable “Scream Queen”. Hodge’s story—written as both a narrative and an overly-intellectual analysis of a film that is the flip side of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, manages to be both satiric and affecting and never—despite the potential—becomes heavy-handed. Gorman’s “Scream Queen” is the heartbreaking story of three friends, one of whom works at a local video store, who recognize on the regular customers as a one-time scream queen who simply vanished a few years before. The boys’ reaction to finding out who she is—as well as the reasons revealed for her disappearance—make this, along with the contribution of Morton & Grove, the finest story in the book, and an affecting, elegiac tale with which to end this wonderful collection.

The stories written by the film actors tend toward the ham-fisted (but fun), and there are other stories that many readers may find hit-and-miss, but what cannot be argued at the end is that Midnight Premiere is a superb anthology, one whose faults as well as its strengths give it value. Highly recommended.

Cemetery Dance Publications

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A DARK AND DEADLY VALLEY: A WWII HORROR ANTHOLOGY edited by Mike Heffernan
Review by Joe Kroeger

Whether it is stories that seem too forced in an effort to fit within the set parameters or not enough big names on the cover to draw the attention of the readers, the themed anthology is an extremely tough beast to subdue successfully. However, when an anthology comes together perfectly, as in this case, it truly becomes a magical reading experience that stays with you long after you move on to other books. With A Dark And Deadly Valley, Mike Heffernan succeeds with flying colors at pulling together a top-notch anthology that is sure to sit proudly on the shelf of any great horror aficionado. Any reader will be hard pressed to find a story within these pages that does not move you emotionally while effortlessly sending chills of fear running down your spine.

With 20 stories set deep within the heart of World War II or touching on the echoes of the conflict that still affect people years after, A Dark And Deadly Valley edited by Mike Heffernan is an anthology brimming with stirring and horrific fiction by some of the biggest names in the horror genre. Whether it is the dark horror of Brian Keene or the richly plotted sentiment of Rick Hautala, every story is a perfect fit for this anthology that is more than deserving of publication.

Paul Finch perfectly captures the intense desperation and terror with The Honor Guard as he gives his readers a front row seat as a few injured soldiers make a final stand against an unknown enemy. The Black Wave is a dark tale of survival told with the always magnificent storytelling magic that everyone expects from Brian Keene. As always, Gary A. Braunbeck’s contribution to this grand anthology, But Somewhere I Shall Wake, is an unsettling story haunted with ghosts from the past and deep undertones of guilt told in the genius of trademark Braunbeck fiction.

With all the great works of fiction adorning these pages, two exceptional stories rose above the rest and stood out as masterpieces within the horror genre. The Coventry Boy by Graham Joyce tells the story of the night that the small village of Coventry was decimated by German bombing with rich descriptive prose that expertly captures the horrors of war. One the other end of the spectrum, Blossoms In The Wind by Rick Hautala is a perfectly realized ghost story set in present day where a daughter is visited by the ghost of her father who died as a kamikaze pilot during World War II. Hautala succeeds in crafting a touching piece of fiction that stays with you while leaving a heart-felt message that is as prevalent in today’s world as it was back then.

All in all, I was extremely grateful to have walked through the haunting and emotional visions of these twenty authors, and I would give my highest recommendations to anyone looking for a truly great horror anthology. A Dark And Deadly Valley, edited by Mike Heffernan, is one of the best examples of the great fiction that the horror genre has to offer.

Silverthought Press

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ACCIDENTS WAITING TO HAPPEN By Simon Wood
Review by William Gagliani

This tight little thriller channels Hitchcock in all the right ways and serves up like a nice slice of noir pie. From the moment Josh Michaels is run off the road and nearly drowned by a mysterious stranger driving an SUV, you might think he's one of Hitchcock's "wrong" men -- innocents caught up in something larger and infinitely more sinister than they can grasp. Problem is, Josh isn't quite innocent. Not at all.

Now he's a marked man. He's worth more dead than alive due to an unusual

insurance arrangement known as viatical. This arrangement allowed Josh to borrow big against his life insurance when he needed it most - partly to pay off a blackmailer, it turns out. Pinnacle Investments, the company who underwrote his policy and those of others, has reason to want all its viatical clients dead, and they've hired someone to make sure these clients meet with fatal accidents. One attempt may have failed, but the hired hit man is patient. Meanwhile, Josh's blackmailer is back, demanding more and willing to forego the money just to bring about twisted revenge against Josh, who made not one, but two great mistakes in life. Can things get any worse for him? Oh, yes, they can. You can feel the screws turning, the rack stretching. The iron maiden clanging shut. Wood does seem to enjoy punishing his protagonist!

Already not believed by the police with regard to the road incident, Josh learns the Cessna airplane he co-owns has crashed, his partner at the controls. Josh was supposed to be there, too. An accident, shoddy maintenance, or another attempt on his life? Josh realizes the truth, and his friend Bob agrees, but no one else will believe him – and too much confession will also ruin his life. Bob's a good ally, but before long the odds against Josh are stacked.

Occasionally jostling against reality, Josh's mistakes add up a bit too quickly, especially when he seems to ignore logic in planning his next moves. But the author keeps the pace rapid and intensity tight, continuing to raise the stakes, so it's hard to notice or care about the occasional leap as Josh bounces from crisis to crisis, never quite losing his head but always aware that he's bound to lose everything - and everyone - he cares about. The fact that he might deserve to lose everything spices up the plot nicely, as does the personal nature of the events – the world doesn't turn on what happens to Josh, but his world does, and that keeps our interest because we can relate to the knowledge that actions have consequences. Narrated in clean, uncluttered prose, Accidents Waiting to Happen is as streamlined as a bullet from a hit man's gun.

Leisure Books

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AUDIOVILE – 16 SHOCKING STORIES performed by Michael A. Arnzen
Review by Mike Myers

And now for something different.

No one can claim Michael A. Arnzen is not versatile within the genre. After winning a Stoker for Outstanding Achievement in 1 st Novel for Grave Markings, he followed up with Stoker wins in Alternative Forms (2004 for his website Gorelets) and Poetry (2005 for his collection Freakcidents). Drunk on power Mr. Arnzen decided to blaze new trails and produce his first musical creation. That’s right. Musical.

Of course he crashed and burned, right? Right?

Well Mr. Arnzen, you had me at “He’s a madman in plaid flannel”, the opening line to the first track of AudioVile. Damn you.

This CD contains thirteen of the most base, quirky, bizarre and vile tracks. That’s a bakers dozen of depravity where the listener is treated to musical renditions of some of Mike’s short shorts, many of which can be found in his collection 100 Jolts.

My personal favorites are:

Psycho Hunter – A catchy tune detailing a hunt for, well, a Psycho Hunter. Duh. Some great lines in this one.

Brain Candy – Have you ever thought of how an exploding head is like a piñata for zombies? Me neither but it’s a great visual.

Why Zombies Lumber – Ever wonder why your traditional zombie lacks that extra oomph? Find out here.

Stabbing for Dummies – Pure genius. A parody of those Dummy books that are everywhere nowadays, complete with Tips!, Shortcuts, Warnings and Remember prompts. The scary part is the amount of thought Mike had to put into some of these tips, which sound right on target. This track is a must listen.

The complete track listing is:

Psycho Hunter (3:37)
Brain Candy (1:57)
Obictionary (2:14)
Take Out (1:43)
Why Zombies Lumber (1:46)
Dreamachinery (3:40)
Six Short Films about Chauncey the Serial Killer (2:19)
The Seven-Headed Beast (3:51)
In the Middle (2:57)
Stabbing for Dummies (7:55)
Little Stocking Stuffers (1:52)
Donation (raw) (4:29)
Not the Reaper (2:27)
While not every track is a hit, there are more than enough laugh out loud, make you cringe moments for me to recommend AudioVile, which caters to those among us who are just a bit twisted. Personally I really dug this album and already placed an order for 100 Jolts based on this sampling. Be on the lookout for AudioVile, which will be available soon from Raw Dog Screaming Press.

Just thank heavens there’s not a Stoker for Best Musical Performance.

Right?

Raw Dog Screaming Press

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DIRTY PRAYERS by Gary McMahon
Review by Joe Kroeger

When it comes to the numerous short story collections that you have to chose from within the horror genre, Dirty Prayers by Gary McMahon is just about as good as it gets. With the success of his previous published novellas, Rough Cut and All Your Gods Are Dead, McMahon has shown his skills at crafting stories that venture into the darkest and most disturbing shadows that not many author dare to go. The stories contained within this collection cover the depth and breadth of McMahon’s’ talent at leading his readers through the desolate landscape of the darkest of human emotions with an unflinching horrific vision.

Whether it is the surreal madness of Do Not Be Alarmed or the lingering horror of The Man In The Chimney, each of these stories contains a Lovecraftian quality that raises this book above your average horror collection. McMahon peppers his tales with richly realized human darkness along side plenty of ghosts, real or imagined, to haunt the readers long after the final pages.

The high point of this collection for me was his simple but utterly disturbing story Out On A Limb in which his character goes to check out an abandoned asylum for a movie studio and finds himself slipping into his own form of quiet madness. This story is the perfect example of how McMahon takes the most basic of storylines and infuses it with such deep emotion and darkness that the story transforms into something much more sinister. It is this quality of writing that makes his collection an intense and enjoyable reading experience.

All too real human despair and surreal darkness permeates the magical prose that McMahon uses to create these tales of blood-curdling madness and supernatural horror. Each story in itself is a surprising gem that oozes with such shocking originality and poetic writing that this collection is a must have for any horror aficionado.

With richly developed stories written in the commanding style that he has built his successful writing career on, Dirty Prayers proves once again that Gary McMahon is the next big name in the horror genre. I highly recommend this collection to anyone who truly wants to see the best that horror fiction has to offer.

Gray Friar Press

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GAST by Edward Lee
Review by Mark Justice

Justin Collier is a beaten man. His TV show has been cancelled. His marriage is over. The only thing he has left is his latest book on beer and a tip about a great home brew in a tiny Tennessee town.

When he arrives in Gast, Collier takes a room at a bed and breakfast that used to be the mansion of the millionaire the town was named after.

Collier learns that Harwood Gast was an evil man who built a railroad on the backs of slaves in the years prior to the Civil War. The atrocities committed by Gast and his crew would make Nazis blush. After a couple of nights in the house – and a few bizarre dreams and sexual encounters -- Collier begins to believe the evil of Gast lives on. Collier himself has come under the influence of the libidinous spirit of the place and, even as he learns more about the horrors Gast created, he finds himself falling in love with the local tavern owner.

Gast is being promoted as Lee’s first hardcore horror novel since The Bighead. That’s no exaggeration. The laundry list – and graphic descriptions – of the crimes of Harwood Gast are among the most disturbing scenes I’ve ever read.

It wouldn’t be a Lee novel without sex, and Gast contains a cornucopia of copulation. There’s more sex here than in any six Richard Laymon novels, sex in every position and variation imaginable, including some that may even raise the eyebrows of the most jaded reader (including one scene involving a piece of aquarium tubing that could send the easily nauseated reaching for the Dramamine).

As in most Edward Lee novels, the prose is lean and fast, propelling the reader through the story like a runaway car on Gast’s hellish railroad. The historical details are also quite impressive.

But it’s the ending that most impressed me. Lee manages to avoid the clichéd conclusion to most haunted house novels and movies, the one where gradual occurrences of hauntings grow more frequent and stronger, leading to a spectral cataclysm. Instead – without giving too much away – Lee opts for a different sort of denouement, one that combines hope with the certainty of escalating horror.

Is GAST worth the price of this exclusive limited edition? That’s up to the individual collector/reader. I found it to be exactly what was promised: Edward Lee doing what he does best.

Camelot Books

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SCHOOL: A GHOST STORY by Brian Defferding
Review by Mike Myers

For a comic geek like me, the chance to read the first four issues of a new small press comic is just too good to pass up. While always more of a Marvel than a DC man, I’ve read plenty of diamonds in the rough from the smaller presses. TMNT, The Tick and Flaming Carrot are a few small press black and white comics I enjoyed that rivaled anything put out by the big boys. So, what of School? What’s it about and is it special?

School tells the story of Lindsay Buckner, the ghost of a murdered girl who wakes one morning in a school she never attended. Herself haunted by a past she can’t remember Lindsay soon realizes she is not alone. From potential allies, a mysterious trio of robed figures bearing Smiley Face masks, to the deadly soul-stealers, hideous monsters bent on taking her soul for their own, Lindsay must work to discover the truth behind her death.

So does School deliver? For the most part it does. For me the strength of School is in its writing. This is not to say that the artwork is substandard. I found School’s dark, heavy use of inks as well as Brian’s non-standard page layouts help set the mood and do a good job in illustrating the story.

Weak points that detracted from the story include several spelling errors that could have been avoided, and a few times where the non-standard page layouts made following the flow of the narrative difficult. While not major issues, both pulled me temporarily from the story, which I very much enjoyed.

When publishing a comic book I would think one of the most important goals is to make the reader want to search out and buy the next issue. I will have my order in for the promised graphic novel that will continue Lindsay’s story in the near future.

School: A Ghost Story is published by Deftoons! where issues #1 – #4 are currently available. Also, in case someone is thinking of ordering School for the little ones, profanity and adult situations make this more of an adult read.

Deftoons!

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SCREAMS FROM A DYING WORLD by David Agranoff
Review by Joe Kroeger

Even though much of the chapbook Screams From A Dying World could be interpreted as preaching about the damage that man is bringing to bear on the environment, David Agranoff pulls it off with such style that you have no problem forgiving his transgressions. Featuring six expertly crafted tales ranging from supernatural horror to the darkness within the human heart, this is a creative and well put-together chapbook by an author who has nowhere to go the horror community but up. Screams From A Dying World is a fun yet disturbing one sitting read that any great horror fan is sure to love.

David Agranoff starts the chapbook off with Buffalo Trace, a richly written story brimming with myth and emotion that tells what happens when a man fighting for the earth warns of the arrival of a protecting spirit sent to thwart man’s encroachment. Self Killing Self is a disturbing tale of loss and lack of options as a woman trapped in an apocalyptic world begs an angel for permission to end her own life.

Coast To Coast is a flat-out fun horror story of a late night drive that leads to a horrifying evil that will stop at nothing to protect its secret from the late night radio audience. Normal is an emotionally written tale that shows the true disturbing evil that only man is capable of inflicting on one of his own. Fertility portrays a bleak world where man’s selfish desires have warped the planet into a nightmare landscape where one man carries out his own thirst for revenge.

Grandpy’s Spirit That Never Was is the longest entry of the bunch that tells a expertly written story of a man-made horror haunting a town told as a perfectly realized ghost story. Chock full of expertly created characters and enough emotion to leave to reader feeling as if he just finish an epic novel, Grandpy’s Spirit That Never Was is the perfect ending to a highly enjoyable chapbook.

Screams From A Dying World by David Agranoff is a moving reading experience rich with decriptive prose that makes each story come alive and a subtle message that will leave you looking at the world in a whole new way. This chapbook is a welcomed addition to the horror genre.

Punk Horror Press

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STEALING LIFE: DREAMS OF INAN by Antony Johnston
Review by Joe Kroeger

Abaddon Books has once again returned to the magical and exciting world of Inan with their latest entry in the Dreams Of Inan series, Stealing Life. With rich flowing prose and a story that moves like a freight train, Antony Johnston has successfully carried on the torch by creating a second novel that is chock full of the action and intrigue of the first book while being richly infused with an originality and imagination that is all his own. Reading with the intensity of a stand-alone action novel, Stealing Life: Dreams Of Inan by Antony Johnston is an exceptional addition to the already exemplary line of Abaddon Books titles.

Living his life within the turbulent world of Inan, Nicco makes his way as a master thief within the harsh streets of Azbatha trying to live his life by a personal code to avoid violence and killing. Refusing to cross that line with his latest job, Nicco finds himself hunted by a vicious mob boss looking to be paid back which sends him carelessly into accepting a job he senses could be fraught with danger. After successfully stealing a magic necklace from a visiting dignitary, he finds himself a wanted man and must desperately fight to survive long enough to discover the truth behind the theft.

Stealing Life is a flat-out fun reading experience alive with enough excitement and intrigue that you will surely be pulled along with breathless anticipation as the pages fly past. Antony Johnston creates characters seemingly pulled from life itself that you are unable to stop yourself from caring about which enhances the thick atmosphere that he expertly immerses you within. All of this is brought to life with Johnston’s magical prose that flows smoothly throughout the novel creating an over-all enjoyable read.

I highly recommend Stealing Life: Dreams Of Inan by Antony Johnston for anyone looking for an action-packed novel that will hold their attention well into night. I am truly looking forward to finding out what further adventures are to be born out of the Dreams Of Inan series.

Abaddon Books

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THE GRIN OF THE DARK by Ramsey Campbell
Review by Joe Kroeger

When new writers talk about the horror authors that had the most influence on their decisions to pursue a writing career, the one name that almost invariably is mentioned is Ramsey Campbell. With his sophisticated style and richly atmospheric writing, getting your hands on a Ramsey Campbell novel means you are sure to be in store for a intense and satisfying reading experience. His latest novel of supernatural terror, The Grin Of The Dark, has everything you have come to expect from a Ramsey Campbell horror masterpiece and so much more. The Grin Of The Dark is truly an amazing novel of surreal horror from an author at the height of an outstanding career.

After Simon Lester is fired from his position as a magazine film critic following a lawsuit, He considers it a stroke of luck that his old university approaches him to write a book about the silent comedy star, Tubby Thackeray. In the old days, Tubby Thackeray was considered to be equal if not superior to the performance and abilities of Chaplin and Keaton, but since then, his entire career has seemed to vanish into thin air. As Simon delves deeper in the silent film star’s controversial past, his world takes on a surreal quality as he realizes that some ancient darkness, older than the cinema itself, lies waiting underneath the veil of normal life.

The true genius behind The Grin Of The Dark lies within Ramsey Campbell’s ability to take even the most normal everyday elements of his story and infuse them with an uncomfortable surreal horror that puts even the most seasoned horror reader on edge from page one. Simple aspects of the story, like the sound of a ships horn or the grin of a passerby, takes on a nightmarish unsettling quality at the expert hands of Ramsey Campbell. He instinctively knows just what it takes to craft a perfectly disturbing horror tale.

With writing so atmospheric that you will find yourself lost within the prose and characters so real that they will haunt you long after close the book, The Grin Of The Dark is a book that is not merely read and placed back on the shelf, but is a story that is experienced and carried within you long after its final pages. Ramsey Campbell has once again proven that expertly crafted quiet horror can carry the most intense impact for the readers.

For anyone out there looking for an example of the best that the horror genre has to offer, I highly recommend getting a hold of The Grin Of The Dark by Ramsey Campbell and settling in for one of the most horrific and unsettling reading experiences you have had in a long time. For any true horror fan, this is a novel that cannot be missed.

PS Publishing

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TWELVE COLLECTIONS & THE TEASHOP by Zoran Živković
Review by Joe Kroeger

If you have never had the chance to enjoy the fantastically magical fiction of Zoran Živković than there is no better time to start than with the publication of Twelve Collections & The Teashop by PS Publishing. One of the most original and glamorously written books I have enjoyed in a long time, this double novella offers up some of the most refreshing surreal fantasy stories that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. With the enchanting prose that comes to life in full Technicolor imagery and characters that live and breath within the pages, it is no wonder that Zoran Živković is considered one of the best lesser-known fantasy writers in the genre today.

Twelve Collections & The Teashop starts out with twelve beautifully written short tales woven together into a novella length story cycle that leads you into the private world of some of the strangest things that people have collected. One of the magical things about Twelve Collections is that each of these separate stories are delightfully enhanced with common elements that rise to the surface with each tale you read. Each story is infused with elements of the color purple flowing throughout each page as well as characters with surprisingly similar names haunting the heart of each tale. It is the fact that these enchanting elements are generously peppered hrough each page that makes this book come alive so fully in the imagination of the reader.

Aside from a couple of stories that seemed forced and effected the smooth flow of this collection as a whole, the majority of these 12 tales were an amazing reading experience. Days starts out the collection with a story of a pastry shop owner who trades his patrons a phenomenal but addictive dessert for and day from their past that the customer chooses. Dreams begins as a man is woken in the middle of the night by a phone call from someone who collects dreams. Stories, one of my favorites of the collection, tells about a young man who is propositioned by someone who collects writer’s final stories and learns the true price he will be forced to pay by accepting. Autographs, another outstanding story, follows a man who seemingly collects autographs at random until the truth behind his darker agenda is revealed. Each of these twelve stories comes together as a cohesive whole creating a wondrous and spectacular novella that will leave you breathless by the final tale.

This book finishes with The Teashop, an imaginative story about a woman with some time to kill who finds an out of the way teashop hat has some of the most unusual things on the menu. It is an inspiring tale that touches on the magic of storytelling and the far-reaching lines of fate’s web. The Teashop is the perfect conclusion to a book filled with miracles and curiosities.

Twelve Collections & The Teashop by Zoran Živković is a quick read that will leave you wanting more of the magic that literally bursts from the pages. I highly recommend this book for any lover of written word and the enchantment that a well-told story contains.

PS Publishing

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UNNATURAL HISTORY: PAX BRITANNIA by Jonathan Green
Review by Joe Kroeger

Successfully taking on the “alternate reality” genre, Abaddon Books brings to life Unnatural History: Pax Britanniaby Jonathan Green, an exciting new novel infused with an intense originality and larger-than-life characters dragged straight out of the pulp novels of the ast. Jonathan Green’s stylishly written and fun-filled novel is an excellent introduction to the Pax Britannia series that is sure to have a long and spectacular life. Any full-blooded reader would be hard-pressed not to have a great time reading this highly enjoyable and entertaining novel.

In Unnatural History, the colossal nation of Magna Britannia prepares to celebrate its 160 th year of Queen Victoria's rule, who is being kept alive by the miracle of advanced steam technology, when a series of seemingly unrelated events threatens the very fabric of the British Empire. Ulysses Quicksilver, ­ an agent of the throne back who is brought back from the dead, is tasked to solve the mystery and uncover the truth before a villainous mastermind succeeds in destroying the Empire.

With dinosaurs lose on the streets and unimaginable technology gracing this magnificent land, Jonathan Green leads his readers through this spectacular story with the ease and showmanship of a well-seasoned writer. His comprehensive characters come to life with the flowing memorable prose that Green uses to paint every action-packed scene. Reminiscent of the action-packed pulp fiction that used to grace the bookshelves, Unnatural History with have thoroughly enjoying every turn of the page as you race toward the electrifying ending.

I highly recommend Unnatural History: Pax Britanniaby Jonathan Green if you are looking to enjoy an absolutely fun reading experience, but be prepared to throw reality aside while your imagination get a well-deserved workout.

Abaddon Books

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UNTCIGAHUNK: STORIES AND MYTHS OF THE LITTLE BROTHERS by Rick Hautala
Review by Joe Kroeger

One of the fond memories I have of the horror fiction boom of the 80’s is enjoying the frightening tales from one of the many Rick Hautala titles that I found nestled within the shadows of the bookstore shelves. Whether I was enjoying MOONBOG, Night Stone or Winter Wake, I knew deep down that Hautala was an author who understood the intricacies of crafting an amazing horror novel. Sitting down to read Untcigahunk: Stories And Myths Of The Little Brothers, the Delirium re-release of his popular novel Little Brothers, was like hanging out with a long-lost friend. From page one, I was instantly transported back in time as I lost myself within the lurking terror of this expertly written story.

The bulk of this magnificently bound Delirium edition is the reprint of the slightly revised version of Little Brothers that is further enhanced by the addition of nine short stories that delve deeper into the Untcigahunk myth. The novel portion of Untcigahunk: Stories And Myths Of The Little Brothers centers on the character of Kip who, five years before, witnessed his Mothers death at the hands, and claws, of the Untcigahunk. The Untcigahunk, translated to mean “Little Brothers”, are mythical creatures that emerge every five years to feed on humankind, and their time has come around once more.

Rick Hautala creates the rich atmosphere behind this novel with his flowing descriptive prose and more than enough chills hiding in the shadows ready to scare his unsuspecting readers. His creation of the “Untcigahunk” is alive with originality and flawlessly pulled off by his detailed background and ample complexities he adds to the story. With his writing, he brings to life characters that you feel at ease with and commit deeply to caring about how they handle their everyday struggles while being thrust into this supernatural menace. Even though I had read this novel in the past, I still found myself riveted to every word as I flew through the pages with white-knuckled intensity.

The nine stories that follow the novel are an excellent culmination to this beautiful Delirium edition that creates an extensive reading experience of the “Little Brothers” mythos. With the first three stories, Hautala lays out the creation of the Untcigahunk expertly told with a perfect narrative voice that grabs the reader’s attention. The Witch House offers a chilling story that delves deeper into a frightening aspect only touched on in the novel to further add to the already spine-tingling atmosphere. Chrysalis and Oilman were personal favorites of mine with the rich writing and powerful punch you have come to expect from his stories. We can only hope that Rick Hautala has plenty more stories to revisit the Untcigahunk legend.

Even if you have read the earlier version of Little Brothers, I highly recommend picking up Untcigahunk: Stories And Myths Of The Little Brothers by Rick Hautala as a special book sure to enhance any horror lover’s library.

Delirium Books

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WHERE OR WHEN by Steven Utley
Review by Joe Kroeger

It is always a pleasure when I discover an author who can take a well-covered idea and write something that is so alive with originality that it rises above anything that has come before it. Writers such as this unquestionably have the unstoppable talent and creative ability that it takes to truly redefine a genre. Where Or When by Steven Utley is a collection of stories that successfully does exactly that, this book redefines the idea of time-travel fiction. Instead of wasting his efforts on the science behind the time-travel or bogging things down with innumerable paradox that could arise, Utley focuses his writing on the individuals and their personal reasons for and emotional effects that result from their journeys through time creating a wonderfully powerful collection of stories.

Steven Utley shows his readers a dark and dismal future where mankind uses the power of their minds, with the help of drugs, to travel back in time as an escape from the nightmares of their own reality. Each of these stories is an emotional journey in the hearts and minds of the Utley’s characters fraught with an intense darkness and sadness that is expertly balanced with an enlightened glimpse of the selflessness that mankind is capable of. Where Or When by Steven Utley is an emotional rollercoaster that is sure leave its readers pausing to catch their breath as soon as the final page is turned.

Steven Utley touches on a lot of dark aspects within these stories as with TO 1966 that deals with a man who transports back in time to save the life of a woman he was infatuated with by raping her. Utley shows the danger of deluded thinking creating the ability of ven the most vile acts to be completely justified within the mind of the individual. The Maw shows the depths of a killer’s obsession as he travels back to share the mind of histories worst serial killer, Jack The Ripper.

I felt the masterpieces of this collection were Time And Hagakure, where there is a desperate attempt to save the life of a Japanese pilot who died toward the conclusion of World War II, and The Glowing Cloud, in which one time-traveler is sent back to 1903, prior to the eruption of Mt Pelée, to eliminate an errant time-traveler only to abandon his mission to avert the death of a local family. Each of these stories is so descriptively written with such magnificent prose that the locations fully came to life in my imagination in full color clarity.

One thing that each of these tales captures perfectly is the longing for the nostalgia of the past that people use everyday as a form of escape from the pressures of life. Steven Utley has created an entertaining collection of short stories that is sure to touch the heart of any reader who dares to venture into pages of this book. Even if you have never read any of Steven Utley’s fiction before, I highly recommend picking up a copy Where Or When to enjoy the expertise of a truly exceptional reading experience.

PS Publishing

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THE EVIL WITHIN MAN By Scott Buckingham
Review by Patricia Snodgrass

Scott Buckingham creates an intriguing psychological thriller about a man who you are never quite sure if he’s lying or telling the truth about a creature that only he can see. What we do know is that his protagonist, a quiet and somewhat subdued character by the name of John Wilkins, is quite insane. During the course of the novel, we watch John Wilkins’ mental state deteriorate as he either kills or at the least is an accomplice to approximately 60 murders. Wilkins will calmly tell you hat he killed nobody. However, the police say differently. But the question is, is the police correct?

The Story begins when we meet John Wilkins, who is standing at the Underground tube station waiting for his train to arrive. His peaceful morning journey to work is shattered when he sees a shadowy figure shove someone onto the tracks. Wilkins is the only witness and when he tries to report it, nobody believes him.

Wilkins is certain he can catch the murderer in the act. Yet as he makes attempt after attempt, the “Creature” kills the ‘bait’ before he can stop it. The Creature begins calling him on the phone, leaving him gifts; trophy pieces of its latest kills. Eventually Wilkins becomes a willing party to the murders. He caught, but on circumstantial evidence. He is released, but is captured again, this time in the act. Or is it?

The story has a very Hitchcock like atmosphere, and the plot, which seems predictable on the surface, is only a ploy. Buckingham leads you into a false sense of security, then twists the plot just enough to keep you guessing. The storyline is intriguing; the writing is strong and clear. However, Buckingham uses passive voice phrasing and excessive adverb use that’s somewhat distracting, but it’s nothing a little extra editing can’t cure.

Further, I had a problem with the epilogue. Although intriguing, those final few paragraphs take away from the initial what if? That makes stories like these so interesting. I think the story would be much stronger without it.

The Evil Within Man is a good read. I recommend it and hope it finds a home with a professional publishing company.

Publish America

 

 

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