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Book Review: Christmas Horror, Vol. 1, edited by Chris Morey and illustrated by Zach McCain


Christmas Horror, Vol. 1  edited by Chris Morey and illustrated by Zach McCain

Dark Regions Press, 2015

ISBN-13: 978-1-62641-118-0

Available: ebook, paperback, hardcover deluxe signed and numbered edition available through Dark Regions Press (with an additional story by William Meikle)

 

Dark Regions Press has put out yet another great anthology. This collection of eight stories focus on, as the title indicates, the Christmas holiday, and the horror that can lurk around every corner. It’s not all carols, mistletoe, and peace on earth in these tales of horror.

“Red Rage” by Stephen Mark Rainey flips back and forth between the present day story of the Worshams, a family preparing to celebrate their first Christmas in their new home, and the events of a previous holiday season held in the house, shared by a husband and wife with a strained relationship. At the center of both storylines is an ornament on the tree that exudes rage– and anyone who looks into it feels that rage, until it consumes them. Can the Worshams survive their holiday, or will the shadow come for them, too?

I’ve been a fan of Jeff Strand’s work for some time, and his short story, “Pointy Canes,” doesn’t disappoint. Uncle Jack’s thirty year ritual of sucking on candy canes to fine points and collecting them in a box has come to completion, and he wants those closest to him join in a special event. His family is incredulous to what he suggests, but after one of them dares to argue, the rest of the family decides to go through with the candy cane ritual.

Shane McKenzie’s “Naughty” was really hard to get through because of the content. A group of teenagers sexually assault and murder a disabled girl. Two of the boys are unwilling to go through with the rape, but the eldest uses violence to influence them to continue. Five years later, the youngest is in a relationship that has culminated in his girlfriend’s pregnancy. It’s Christmas Eve, and he’s sitting in front of the fireplace waiting for…something. He’s convinced he will be the last to go. After all, the others who attacked that young girl have been found dead in the most gruesome of ways, his brother possibly being the most disturbing. What will happen to the last survivor?

“Krampusnacht in Cell Block J”, by Cody Goodfellow, is set in a corrupt juvenile detention system where the inmates are celebrating Christmas by indulging in activities and substances that ensure distraction from how the guards will celebrate in their own way. One of them dresses as Krampus and inflicts abuse on those lost in their pleasures. It’s carried on this way for years, but this time is different. The new inmate doesn’t know the drill, and accidentally summons the real Krampus. Those involved in the corrupt justice system have been very bad, and the new inmate wants them to pay.

The other stories in the anthology are also fantastic. In John Skipp’s “The Shittiest Guy in the World (A Christmas Fable)” we meet the most unexpected sin eaters. In “Belsnickel” by J.F. Gonzalez, Amy’s Uncle Floyd comes to visit to continue an old family tradition. What will she find under the tree when he is done? Joe R. Lansdale’s “Santa Explains” is the story of a down-and-out Santa explaining to his family that this year will be different, that they won’t have to be disappointed in him, ever again. He has the perfect solution to all of their problems. Black Friday can be tough, and “The Endless Black of Friday” by Nate Southard shows what happens when the blackness of the night or early morning spread swallows the world as it comes.

If you need a little bit of the grotesque and macabre for your holiday season, pick up Christmas Horror, Vol. 1. You won’t be disappointed. Each story delivers its own message of Christmas fear in their pages, and is accompanied by a full color illustration to set the mood. Highly recommended.

Contains: blood, gore, sexual abuse

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker


Posted on December 21, 2016 by , Reply

Book List: Killer Crabs

My mom is trying really hard to connect with the Monster Kid right now. It’s difficult for her, because she has no interest in Minecraft, Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, Godzilla, or B-movies, but I will give her credit, she is really trying. She is totally confused, and asks lots of questions, and he’s very impatient with her. And most recently, he started talking about killer crabs (pretty random choice, I know) and describing the plot of Attack of the Crab Monsters. She looked at me and said, “Killer crabs are a thing?”

Yeah, Mom, they are. There aren’t, to my knowledge, huge quantities of books out there about them, but Guy N. Smith’s Crabs books are well-loved in some circles. Dylan, the original Monster Librarian, was a gigantic fan of them. In his honor, and for unbelievers like my mother, I present a brief list of books and movies with killer crabs.

 

Night of the Crabs  and the Crabs series by Guy N. Smith

Night of the Crabs is the first book in the Crabs series, a killer animal cult classic. Giant man-eating crabs invade the Welsh coast, and mayhem ensues. Guy N. Smith is not a literary giant, but his reputation for killer animal horror is well-deserved.  I implore you to read the positive reviews on Amazon to see what I mean– the Crabs books are truly beloved by their readers. This fast-paced, quick read is the book that allowed Smith to become a full-time writer.

If you are willing to take the jump, or your original copies have crumbled, the entire series has now been released on Kindle. There are seven books in the series: Night of the Crabs, Killer Crabs, The Origin of the Crabs, Crabs on the Rampage, Crabs’ Moon, Crabs: The Human Sacrifice, and Killer Crabs: The Return.

Clickers by J.F. Gonzalez and Mark Williams

Giant crab-like creatures are invading the small town of Philipsport, Maine, and they’re fleeing even more terrifying creatures– the Dark Ones. Dylan absolutely LOVED this book, with fanboyish delight. It’s not for the faint of heart, though. Gory and violent, with a Lovecraftian tinge, this is an homage to killer animal B-movies that received praise from Edward Lee and Richard Laymon. Clickers is the first book in a series, and is followed by Clickers II: The Next Wave, Clickers III: Dagon Rising, and Clickers vs. Zombies, all co-written by J.F. Gonzalez and Brian Keene.

Crustaceans by William Meikle

I have to admit, it makes me giggle to see that our original review of this book is quoted in the editorial reviews on Amazon. Meikle dedicated this book to Guy N. Smith, and was clearly inspired by his books.

 

Want a movie with your seafood? Try one of these:

 Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957), unrated

An early Roger Corman film with giant, killer, papier-mache crabs stealing the show and knocking off the human characters fairly efficiently, but mostly off-screen.

 

 Mysterious Island (1961), unrated

Crab created by Ray Harryhausen– need I say more? 

 

 Island Claws (1980), PG

This evidently isn’t easily available, but reviews describe it as “relatively blood-free”, so it’s probably safe to watch with your 10 year old.

As always, not every book or movie is appropriate for every reader (or viewer). But if you are looking to dip your toe in the water of killer animal horror with lots of action, crabs might be a good place to start. Enjoy!


Posted on August 20, 2016 by , Reply

You Might Be In A Horror Novel If…

The 25 Best Gothic Horror Books

You are in an abandoned mansion in the middle of nowhere.

You are a governess, left alone with oddly acting or obviously evil children.

You are isolated from the rest of the world by weather, geography, and/or another outside force beyond your control.

You do not trust the evidence of your own senses.

 

You might be in The Turn of the Screw by Henry James,

or This House Is Haunted by John Boyne

 

It is stormy, dark and gloomy.

You are the captive of a scheming and sadistic governess, teacher, caretaker, or relative.

You are trapped in the walls, a basement, a closet, or an attic.

There is a hedge maze, Escher-style stairs, or carnivorous beast on the property.

Authorities are absent or unable to help you.

 

You might be in Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews,

or Misery by Stephen King

Your house is a former asylum or school, built over a graveyard, or the site of a cold-case murder.

You have specifically been told not to open a door.

Ghosts are either menacing you, possessing you, or asking you for help.

An inanimate object starts talking to you.

Someone is leading you through dark, underground tunnels or catacombs.

Your nightmares seem very, very real.

 

You might be in Down A Dark Hall by Lois Duncan,

or the stories of Edgar Allan Poe

 

It is bright and sunny, and everyone is very, very, happy.

 

You are uneasy without obvious reason.

You are uneasy with obvious reason.

Everyone in town is related to (or at least knows) everyone else.

There is a terrible secret in your town’s past (or present).

A disturbing community ritual, probably involving demon worship, is scheduled for the near future.

You are offered a favor in exchange for your soul.

You find a book or journal that clearly will summon an ancient evil.

 

You might be in  The Thirteen  by Susie Moloney

or The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin

 

A classified, experimental government program has gone awry.

An inexplicable and incurable virus has infected the majority of the population.

A malicious mythical creature attempts to eat you, assimilate you, or seduce you.

A vigilante or cult-like group is bent on destruction.

 

You might be in The Strain by Chuck Hogan and Guillermo del Toro

or The Fireman  by Joe Hill

 

Giant, mutated creatures are approaching.

Ominous, tentacled creatures appear on the scene.

The narrator or main character is showing clear evidence of insanity.

 

You might be in Maplecroft by Cherie Priest, Clickers by J.F. Gonzalez,

or the works of H.P. Lovecraft.

 

People are dying in brutal, horrifying, appalling ways.

Someone, or something, wants to eat you for dinner.

 

You might be in Succulent Prey by Wrath James White,

or Monster Island by David Wellington

 

Your perceptions are unreliable or distorted.

You can’t trust your memories.

You can’t trust the media.

You might be in A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

 

You have a feeling of bone deep terror.

That unending sense of dread just won’t go away.

You hear a loud “slam” and things go dark…

 

You’re probably trapped in a horror novel. Let’s hope that your reader decides to open up the book again, and gives you a chance to escape!

 

 

Editor’s note: not all books are appropriate for all readers.. and I wouldn’t wish any of you to be trapped in any of these! 

 

 

 

Posted on July 10, 2016 by , Reply