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Book Review: Fright Train edited by The Switch House Gang

cover art for Fright Train edited by The Switch House Gang

Fright Train edited by The Switch House Gang

Twisted Publishing, 2021

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1949140279

Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition ( Amazon.com )

 

Thirteen new stories, plus two classic tales ( “The Signalman” by Charles Dickens and “The Lost Special” by Arthur Conan Doyle) have been assembled in this anthology devoted to the theme of trains as the setting of horrific events. Some stories take place during a train journey, whereas in other tales trains have an important role, but the actual horror develops elsewhere.

Among the various original contributions I will mention the ones that I consider  the more accomplished.

In the extremely enjoyable  “The Habit of Long Years” by Charles R Rutledge, a couple of vampires, a police inspector and a professor of anthropology meet on a train on Halloween night. Mayhem follows. The story seems to be the first in a series, so let’s hope further episodes will soon be available.

“Pépère’s Halloween Train”,  by Tony Tremblay is a nice cautionary tale, proving that going to Hell is quite easy for anyone, and the unusual and disturbing “Country of the Snake”, by Stephen Mark Rainey, features a man trapped in a place called Eden, dominated by a devilish entity who hired him as a personal bodyguard.

Amanda DeWees provides the gentle “A Traveler Between Eternities”, where a worried pregnant woman with an abusive husband finds solace thanks to a  mysterious, sweet little girl.

My favorite tale is Jeff Strand’s “Devil- Powered Death Train of Doom”, an extraordinary mix of horror, surrealism, and black humor ,where a toy train assembled by a little boy becomes a terrible weapon able to attack and destroy the inhabitants of a small town.

Other contributors are Bracken MacLeod, Mercedes M. Yardley, Lee Murray, Elizabeth Massie, Scott T Goudsward, James A Moore, Errick A Nunnally, Christopher Golden.

Whether you like trains or prefer other means of transportation, you’ll find here plenty of reasons for avoiding trains in the future.

 

Reviewed by Mario Guslandi

Posted on October 14, 2021 by , Reply

Book Review: Howls from Hell: A Horror Anthology edited by HOWL Society, with a foreword by Grady Hendrix

cover art for Howls from Hell: A Horror Anthology

Howls from Hell: A Horror Anthology edited by HOWL Society, with a foreword by Grady Hendrix

HOWL (Horror-Obsessed Writing and Literature) Society

ISBN-13: 9781736780008

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition, Audible ( Bookshop.org |  Amazon.com )

 

Howls From Hell presents sixteen emerging horror writers from one of the largest horror communities in the world, the HOWL Society. I love reading horror anthologies and this volume holds a place in my personal library now. Each tale offers something different. Some stories that stood out follow in this review.

 

“Red Punch Buggy” by B.O.B. Jenkin involves a car accident leading to a new way of thinking for a young office worker when the accident victim finds his own mind has been…released. “She’s Taken Away” by Shane Hawk is told in a transcription, between a doctor and his patient, Annie Ellis, held in evidence by the Wichita Police Department. Annie has a twin sister who was institutionalized for violent and disturbing behavior, but Annie holds a secret to the case. In “Gooseberry Bramble” by Solomon Forse, the narrator relates a childhood memory in front of a court when he ignored a warning given by his grandmother about not journeying out of the area. As with most children in these stories, he discovers the disturbing truth when he decides to wander to the forbidden territory.

 

“Clement & Sons” by Joe Radkins is a great haunted house story. Lydia Carrigan purchases a “fixer upper” house, hoping to restore it to its former glory. She discovers an old grandfather clock that holds a strange power. In “Duplicitous Wings” by Amanda Nevada DeMel, Lisa craves revenge for familial betrayal committed by her brother. In her drunken fury, she summons a winged woman named Anza to take out Lisa’s ire on her brother and his family. Unfortunately for Lisa, Anza has her own plans.

 

“Possess and Serve” by Christopher O’Halloran comes closer to the length of a novella, and is a solid read. In this story, the police can possess and gain control over the body of an attacker to resolve a crime or problem before it gets out of hand. When Sarah discovers that one of their own could be using the service for nefarious reasons, she suspects she knows who the rogue cop is, and sets out to prove it.

 

Other authors in the anthology are J. W. Donley, P. L. McMillan, Joseph Andre Thomas, Alex Wolfgang, Lindsey Ragsdale, Justin Faull, M. David Clarkson, S. E. Denton, Quinn Fern, and Thea Maeve. Grady Hendrix provides an excellent foreword for this volume.

 

Howls from Hell is one of the best anthologies I have picked up recently. I like discovering what new writers have to offer. If you are looking for a new favorite author, consider picking this up. I look forward to seeing more of these authors’ work in the future.

 

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

 

Highly recommended

 

Posted on September 22, 2021 by , Reply

Book Review: Worst Laid Plans: An Anthology of Vacation Horror edited by Samantha Kolesnik

cover art for Worst Laid Plans: An Anthology of Vacation Horror edited by Samantha Kolesnik

Worst Laid Plans: An Anthology of Vacation Horror edited by Samantha Kolesnik

Grindhouse Press, 2020

ISBN: 9781941918708

Availability: Paperback, Kindle edition ( Bookshop.org | Amazon.com )

 

Worst Laid Plans is a collection of “vacation gone wrong” stories. It’s a lot like an actual vacation, in terms of story quality. There are some serious high points, some decent times, and some mediocre, forgettable times. The stories vary in terms of reading enjoyment, but the stories that are outstanding help offset the others.

The first three stories are undoubtedly the best in the book. S.E. Howard’s “You’ve Been Saved” is a frightening look at a road trip gone wrong, and a grim reminder that normal-looking psychopaths do occasionally haunt the American highways. Asher Ellis’s “Expertise” goes in somewhat of the same direction, using a tropical tour guide instead of highway ramblers. Both are excellent stories, with well-written, simple plots and a nice twist to surprise the reader. The true knockout is Greg Sisco’s “Summers With Annie”.  Beautifully written, it’s what might have happened if the queen of summer beach reads, Elin Hilderbrand, decided to write from a darker and supernatural perspective. Set against the backdrop of young love and mysterious disappearances, this story alone is worth the price of the book.

The other stories are generally satisfactory, although some are skippable. The writing is decent and there are some original ideas, the stories just don’t pack the same punch as the first three. Of these, Jeremy Herbert’s “Taylor Family Vacation 93”, Hailey Piper’s “Unkindly Girls”, and Patrick Lacey’s “Caught a Glimpse” are probably the best of the rest. The rest of the stories are somewhat interchangeable in terms of quality. While some good ideas are there, some of them lack of coherent finish, and others are too quick to finish after a long buildup.

Worst Laid Plans is truly a varied collection in terms of story quality, but the few outstanding ones compensate nicely for the others.

 

Contains: violence, profanity, mild gore

 

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson

 

Editor’s note: Worst Laid Plans: An Anthology of Vacation Horror is a nominee on the final ballot for this year’s Bram Stoker Award in the category of Superior Achievement in an Anthology. 

Posted on April 22, 2021 by , Reply
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