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Book Review: The Horror Collection, Black Edition by Kevin Kennedy


The Horror Collection: Black Edition edited by Becky Narron and Kevin J. Kennedy

KJK Publishing, 2019

ISBN-13: 978-1798000991

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

 

The Horror Collection: Black Edition is an anthology of horror short stories.

“The Lake is Life”, by Richard Chizmar describes a troubled, teenage girl whose parents are facing divorce. She seeks emotional refuge visiting her grandmother at a tranquil lake.  There is a bloody massacre, and the keys to who and why are in the girl’s past. Unfortunately, the author never clearly explains her past.

“Pie Bingo: Last Man Standing”, by Veronica Smith describes a dystopian future with overcrowded jails.  The authorities need to winnow the jail population. Prisoners can opt to play bingo for pies, conjugal visits and freedom. However, if they don’t win, they won’t like the consolation prizes. The story is memorable because of the gruesome, sadistic details of the contest.

“Goblin Financial”, by Lee McGeorge is a lesson about the consequences of bad debts. A woman reneges on a loan she should have used for her education, causing her creditors emotional pain. She runs, but they have a hideous debt collector, and a horrific way of making themselves whole.

Readers familiar with the concept of informed consent in human experiments will cringe at “The Switch”, by Mark Lukens.  A financially desperate man agrees to be locked alone in a room for pay and told he must not flip a switch on the wall. The purpose, benefits, alternative choices and risks are not explained to him. Readers can guess what happens; it’s not really an experiment, because the researchers know the outcome.

“Those Who Watch from on High”, by Eric Guignard is an interesting account of emotional and psychological stresses on a drone pilot. Bored, isolated and suffering from disrupted sleep/wake cycles, an Air Force lieutenant in the Nevada desert struggles with reality. Is he looking down at a terrorist’s young son in the Afghan desert with a drone, or is he watching the terrorist’s hut from the desert floor? When he gets the order to fire on the hut, will he obey? If he does, what will he do the next day?

“The Ghost of Agnes Gallow”, by James Byers is an impressive poem about a witch whose curse stalks a family over generations on Halloween Eve.  Reciting his poem of ten stanzas of rhyming couplets out loud adds to the enjoyment.

Kevin Kennedy warns that  “A Tarantino Oz”contains strong doses of sex, violence and profanity. Readers who dislike Quentin Tarantino’s movies and misogyny should skip this story. Kennedy says all fairy tales were originally horror stories. In this tale, characters of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz meet for an orgy and murderous rampage.

In “Smolder”, Michael Arnzen uses the well-known difficulty of stopping smoking and the Surgeon General’s health warning to draw readers into his story. Who knew that there is something magical about each word of  “SURGEON GENERAL’S WARNING: Smoklng Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, And May Complicate Pregnancy”?  A concerned husband tries to help his pregnant wife kick the habit. He finds a hidden pack of cigarettes, but has no idea that calamity strikes smokers when words of the warning are destroyed.

 

Contains: Gore, graphic sex and profanity

 

Reviewed by Robert D. Yee

Posted on May 16, 2019 by , Reply

Book Review: A New York State of Fright: Horror Stories From the Empire State edited by James Chambers, April Grey, and Robert Masterson

A New York State Of Fright: Horror Stories From the Empire State edited by James Chambers, April Grey, and Robert Masterson

Hippocampus Press, 2018

ISBN-13: 978-1-61498-237-1

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

 

Horror writers, both established and new, live all over New York State, from the Big Apple to Upstate.  Each has their own take on the macabre.   In this anthology of frightening tales set in their home state, they put their talents and imaginations to good use: the writers, editors, and publisher pledged to donate the proceeds to Girls Write Now, a New York City nonprofit that matches at-risk teen girls with mentor writers, to help create and benefit a new generation of New York writers.

From the beginning, A New York State of Fright promised to give a great variety of tales, and it did.  There is something for everyone here. A woman addicted to fashion gets her shoe fix with an unknown designer.  The incredible heels demand to be worn, no matter the cost. A collection agent for a Latino mob runs the neighborhood handing out beatings to death at will… until the victims decide they’ve had enough.  People trapped in the subway while a hurricane bears down on the city discover that when rain floods the tunnels, the water washes more than rats up out of its darkness.  A visit to the old abandoned lighthouse in New York Sound is said to let you reach out to lost loved ones…  but maybe they will reach back.  A psychopath is recreating the past in murders: a crime reporter has a tip for the lead detective that will break the case wide open.  A man buys an estate and recounts to his realtor how he met his wife, an incredible story filled with werewolves… or is it?  During the dog days of summer three drinking buddies sit in their favorite bar and ogle the hottie outside.  The game is simple: is she alive or dead?

Some stories worked better than others for me.  My favorites were: “Eyes Left“ by Jack Ketchum and Edward Lee; “Everybody Wins” by Lisa Mannetti; “Blood Will Tell” by JG Faherty; “The Grim” by Allan Burd; and “Heels” by Alps Beck.  Each of these used enough realistic elements to give an authentic feel to their stories, and also had a unique twist.  The pacing and flow was good in them, the descriptions were descriptive without being overdone, and the characters were believable.  The stories drew me in, and wouldn’t let go.  The other tales were okay: some worked better than others for me.  However, this entire collection suffered to one degree or another with a variety of grammar issues.  Spelling, run-ons, telling vs. showing, garbled phrases, and punctuation issues all reared their ugly heads.  Due to this, I had trouble following some works.  The only work that I have read previously by an author with a story in this volume is Lucifer’s Lottery by Edward Lee.

Contains: Sexual situations, Sexism

 

Reviewed by Aaron Fletcher

Editor’s note: A New York State of Fright: Horror Stories From the Empire State is a nominee on the final ballot of the Bram Stoker Awards in the category of Superior Achievement in an Anthology. 

 

Posted on May 5, 2019 by , Reply

Book Review: Lost Highways: Dark Fictions From the Road edited by D. Alexander Ward

Lost Highways: Dark Fictions From The Road edited By D. Alexander Ward

Crystal Lake Publishing, 2018

ISBN-13: 978-1643704722

Available: Paperback, eBook(Kindle)

 

On the open road, opportunities abound.  Anything can happen: you can hitchhike your way across the country depending on the kindness of strangers; go on a pilgrimage to find a lost relative last known to be in a cult; dispose of a cheating ex; run for your life from a mysterious pursuer; clean up your act by traveling through time to hunt yourself; explore the history of a deadly stretch of road.  You can get revenge.  Try the local cuisine, or become it.  Rob a gas station or stop a heist.  Meet a ghost.  Tour the country.  Take a ride with Death.  All this, and more, awaits you on the road.

Lost Highways: Dark Fictions From The Road had a lot of fun stories– 20 to be exact– and a bonus of 5 works of art.  The title got my attention from the start, and I was curious what tales of the road I would find.  I was not disappointed.  The majority of the stories had plotlines that kept me interested and challenged me.  Many gave me twists that I did not expect.  The tone throughout these works was creepy, with the occasional feeling of vindication or awe.  The characters were believable for their situations.  There was enough background to set each story up.  Usually, I was thrown straight into the action and the details of the past popped up as needed.  Fun stuff.  The descriptions and pacing flowed well.  The only complaint I can make is that there were a few grammar issues, mostly typos.  My favorite stories were: Mr. Hugsy by Robert Ford; Jim’s Meats by Kelli Owen; Not From Detroit by Joe R. Lansdale; Room 4 At The Haymaker by Josh Malerman; and The Widow by Rio Youers.  I have not read any of these authors’ work previously, with the exception of I Can Taste the Blood by Josh Malerman. Recommended for adult readers.

 

Reviewed by Aaron Fletcher

 

Editor’s note: Lost Highways: Dark Fictions from the Road is a nominee on the final ballot for the 2018 Bram Stoker Awards in the category of Superior Achievement in an Anthology.

 

Posted on May 5, 2019 by , Reply
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