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Strange Tales of Terror edited by Eugene Johnson

Cover art for Strange Tales of Terror edited by Eugene Johnson

Strange Tales of Terror edited by Eugene Johnson

Cemetery Dance Publications, 2023

ISBN-13: 9781587679360

Available: Kindle, paperback

Buy:  Amazon.com

 

Edited by Bram Stoker Award Winner Eugene Johnson, Strange Tales of Terror gathers 14 horror stories, 2 works of poetry, and a novella by some great authors. Stories include hauntings, science fiction, supernatural creatures, and more. There really is something for everyone here.

 

There are a few stories that stood out in this collection. “Rainbow” by Lucy A. Snyder is set on Earth after a cataclysmic event that has changed the flora and fauna dramatically. The narrator cares for Rainbow, a cat who was injured in some sort of attack. When the cat starts his evolution, Rainbow’s caretaker has some decisions to make.

 

Ramsey Campbell makes an appearance in the anthology with his story, “The Forgotten.” Bobby, picked on by a trio of bullies, just wants to sit in peace by the river on his favorite memorial bench. After the bullies destroy a few of the benches in the area, Bobby wants to introduce them to the others who wander the path.

 

In “Trip Trap” by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Kevin J. Anderson, Skari the troll is cursed to guard nightmare gates that appear under bridges to prevent humankind from marauding demons. He meets Johanna and her son, Billy, and daughter, Kenna, who are homeless after the “mean man” evicted them, and forced to live in a car. Skari, doing his best to disguise himself as a homeless man, is trying to hard to avoid eating the children, but they smell delicious. He does not know who they truly are in the grand scheme of things, but he finds out when his hard exterior is melted by the plight of the homeless family who needs help.

 

“Bluebells” by Chris Mason introduces the reader to photojournalist Aaron, who gets directions and specific instructions from the locals about where to find the field of bluebells he heard about. He just wants to take some photographs, and see what the big deal is about. The locals start taking bets, but Aaron does not ask why. When he returns to the pub, in pain and disoriented, he finds the answer to that question, and more.

 

“Gone With the Wendigo” by Ben Monroe starts out like a Hallmark Christmas movie, which is in itself hilarious. Jessy returns to her hometown of Marleyville from the big city, and runs into her old friend, Kenny, who is all grown up. A howl in the distance interrupts their meet-cute, but not before they solidify plans to meet for dinner the next evening. As Kenny heads home, a deadly secret emerges from the dark forest. Is this really the best time for Jessy to go back to small town living?

 

In “A Stone from My Home” by John Palisano, Rabbi Merz instructs members of the community to meet at Isaac and Sarah Rose’s house, each bringing with them a stone. Seth wonders why on his way to the meeting, imagining it is merely the rabbi’s way of teaching a specific section of the Torah. When he arrives, he discovers Sarah has been imprisoned in the basement, as well as a golem, Emmet, that Sarah has created. She reveals his abuse, and Isaac levels accusation after accusation, exposing secrets of the men, at the feet of those who do not want to participate in walling the creature up. He finds out quickly that Emmet won’t go down so easily.

 

“Dead Hearts and Rag Dolls” by Gary A. Braunbeck was a particularly difficult read, as it deals with the subject of elder abuse. Rachel Wagner, employee of Cedar Hill Adult Protective Services Agency, is called to investigate George Nash, suspected of elder of abuse of his mother. In attendance are Eric, Andrew, and Dave, her “goon squad” called on in particularly bad abuse cases. After the investigation, Rachel returns home to her daughter, Jennifer, and has a conversation with her friend and neighbor, Eunice. Rachel checks on Jennifer, only to find an unknown rag doll in her sleeping daughter’s arms. What follows is a tragic story of a professional who can’t take the pressure of her work anymore, as she is haunted by the faces of the dead who she feels she couldn’t help.

 

Other contributors to the anthology are Lisa Morton, Christopher Sartin, Elizabeth Massie, Maxwell I. Gold, Rena Mason, Dave Jeffery, F. Paul Wilson, Sara Tantlinger, Peter Straub, and Lee Murray.

 

Overall, this is a good collection of horror stories. The book could have gone through one more careful edit for typos, but I overall recommend it for the content.

 

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

Posted on June 16, 2024 by , Reply

Book Review: Where Nightmares Come From: The Art of Storytelling in the Horror Genre (Dream Weaver #1) edited by Joe Mynhardt and Eugene Johnson

Where Nightmares Come From: The Art of Storytelling in the Horror Genre (Dream Weaver #1) edited by Joe Mynhardt and Eugene Johnson

Crystal Lake Publishing. 2017

ISBN-13: 978-1640074682

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

 

With a few exceptions, books on writing usually bring on the snoozes, but Where Nightmares Come From is constructed in a manner that sidesteps the pitfalls of a typical writing book. It delivers both to amateur writers and seasoned authors, as well as giving readers an insight into how their favorite books came to be.

Twenty-eight chapters lurk between the covers, each by a different author (or several). Even if the reader doesn’t connect with one article or interview, there’s plenty more to capture his or her interest. The price of the book is covered in the first chapter, by Joe R. Lansdale, who talks about how the storyteller rules the roost, not the story. The conversational tone in which he spills his secrets brings to mind sitting across a table in a honky tonk, tossing back a few, and discussing the weather or sports, instead of the keys to a masterful story. “The Process of a Tale” is pure gold by Ramsey Campbell, a guru of the short story. Instead of telling how to write something in the abstract form, he shows the reader by taking them on a ride through drafts of an actual published story, dissecting each passage before improving it, piece by piece, tinkering with the language and design. It’s doubtful a struggling writer will close the book without feeling a kinship with the king of British horror. Charlaine Harris, author of the Southern Vampire Mysteries and Midnight, Texas takes readers on her own journey of storytelling, and how she concocts her novels. Like Lansdale, Harris knows how to explain her magic in a way that simply makes sense. Stephen King and Richard Chizmar share their experience collaborating on their recent bestselling book Gwendy’s Button Box. Elizabeth Massie, Ray Garton, and John Connolly also make great contributions, along with a slew of lesser-known authors readers should be aware of.  While I’ve mentioned just a few chapters in detail, every single entry has something crucial to offer the writer (or reader). This is a tool writers will be using for years. Highly recommended.

 

Reviewed by Dave Simms
Posted on May 21, 2018 by , Reply

Book Review: Grave Predictions: Tales of Mankind’s Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian, and Disastrous Destiny edited by Drew Ford

Grave Predictions: Tales of Man’s Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian, and Disastrous Destiny edited by Drew Ford

Dover Publications, 2016

ISBN: 9780486802312

Available: paperback

 

In Grave Predictions, Drew Ford has selected some of the best representations of post-apocalyptic and dystopian short fiction available: stories both beautiful and terrifying. These include tales from some of the most outstanding authors of the genre, such as Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Philip K. Dick, and Ursula K. Le Guin.  Each story is far ahead of its time, with its own distinct presentation of the future, and evokes a range of emotions from the reader. It’s amazing how science fiction writers have more of a pulse on the future than most people care to recognize.

Eugene Mouton’s “The End of the World,” first published in 1872, presents a tragic story about global warming before it even had a name, and culminates in the proclamation that “THE EARTH IS DEAD.” In W. E. B. Du Bois’ “The Comet” (1920), Jim Davis, an African-American man, is sent down to the vaults on a task by the bank president, only to emerge to cold, dead world. It’s reminiscent of the Twilight Zone’s “Time Enough at Last” in that respect. As he makes his way down the city streets he finds Julia, a wealthy white woman, who is seemingly the other survivor. The theme of racial tensions and the breaking down and reconstruction of barriers is central to this story. Bradbury’s “The Pedestrian” (1951) focuses on a writer who walks aimlessly through the city at night when he is stopped by robotic police for aberrant behavior. No one walks around the streets anymore when they have the warm glow of their televisions screens, after all. “Upon the Dull Earth” (1954), by Philip K. Dick is the tragic story of Silvia, Rick, and the fate of the world. Silvia summons angels, believing they are her ancestors who will someday usher her home. She intends to use lamb’s blood, but when she accidentally draws her own blood, they appear to take her home. Rick cannot accept her death, and tries to bring her back, even though it may mean the destruction of his world. In Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.’s “2 B R 0 2 B” (1962), the United States population has been  limited to forty million people: someone must die in order for someone else to be born. Edward Wehling, Jr.’s wife is about to have triplets, but there is only one volunteer for euthanasia. Desperate, he finds a last minute solution to ensure his children will live. There is a witness to Edward’s predicament, who makes a fateful decision as well.

Other titles in this anthology include Arthur C. Clarke’s “No Morning After” (1954); Harlan Ellison’s “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream” (1967); Urusla K. Le Guin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” (1973); Brian M. Stableford’s “The Engineer and the Executioner” (1976); Stephen King’s “The End of the Whole Mess” (1986); Joe R. Lansdale’s “Tight Little Stitches in a Dead Man’s Back” (1992); Greg Bear’s “Judgment Engine”; Mark Samuels’ “The Black Mould” (2011); Ramsey Campbell’s “The Pretence” (2013); and Carmen Maria Machado’s “Inventory” (2013). Highly recommended.

Contains: racial epithets, abuse, body horror, disturbing imagery

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

 

 

Posted on February 24, 2017 by , Reply
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