AUGUST 2009 REVIEWS
(NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, all reviews are by Nick Cato. ALSO note that "smell ratings" at the end of some reviews rate the actual SMELL of the book and has nothing to do with the story. Smell Ratings: 5 = excellent, 1 = odorless, 2-4 = you figure it out. Book Key: hc = hardcover / tp = trade paperback / mmp - mass market paperback / rarer forms described).
PREVIEW
BLANKET OF WHITE by Amy Grech (to be released Sep. 2009 by Damnation Books / 132 pp. / tp and e-book)
Amy Grech's second collection of short stories is as good as her first (Apple of My Eye)---then again, this is basically the same collection with two new stories added.
So how do the new tales stack up? The title story is a spooky heartbreaker in the vein of Gary Braunbeck or Christopher Conlon (and if you have a daughter like I do, it'll hit you even harder). Russian Roulette, the second new offering, features some dry humor and is perhaps the most different tale in the lot.
If you haven't had the pleasure of reading Grech's first collection, you'll surely enjoy Perishables, Cold Comfort, and my favorite Grech tale, EV 2000, a sci/fi vampire story that's to die for.
Apple of My Eye went out of print after two printings. If you missed it, Blanket of White is a must read. If you own Apple and are a big Grech fan, you'll want this---or at least get the e-book edition to check out her new stories. Also includes a movie trailer-like introduction by Michael McCarty.
Amy---we're waiting for a novel!
CHARNEL HARBOR by S.D. Hintz (2009 Lyrical Press / 46 pp. / tp)
Strange things begin to happen when Jack Jericho--a young antiques collector--purchases an ancient, iron-bike from a local shop. Upset about all the money he's spending, Jack's mother locks the bike up until her son can prove his responsibility.
Jack and his friend Bobby soon set out to see if the myths about their seaside hometown have any validity. Before long, ghost pirates are sighted, inanimate objects come to life, and the small town of Charnel Harbor is revisited by a strange and violent past.
Hintz' novelette is a fun mix of Stephen King's NEEDFUL THINGS and Tim Lebbon's recent, brutal pirate series (published by Necessary Evil Press). Charnel Harbor may be short, but it delivers a decent amount of popcorn-eating thrills.
PREVIEW
THE GRAY ZONE by John R. Little (to be released 9/1/09 by Bad Moon Books / 91 pp. / tp)
Little won a Stoker Award for his 2008 release, MIRANDA, which dealt with time travel in a most unique way. It wouldn't surprise me a bit if he wins another for THE GRAY ZONE, another foray into time travel in a way you probably wouldn't expect.
20-year old Henry Davidson is vacationing in Aswan, Egypt (the year is 1984). He is befriended by a child, Achmed and his father, Mohammed, who show him around. One day the father gives him a strange powder to drink while they take a felucca ride down the Nile. Before he knows it, Henry is somehow in Montreal, 1982, at the time he first laid eyes on his future wife, Cassie. When he "returns" to Aswan, Achmed explains to him that humans have the ability to remember their future as well as their past . . . and hence the idea behind THE GRAY ZONE.
Little reveals Henry by "jumping" through his life from1975 and up to 2014, each section giving just enough detail that you can't wait to get back to that particular time period. From family secrets to scientific thought, to a shocking family tragedy, THE GRAY ZONE is yet another must-read novella from John R. Little, an author who is (arguably) one of the finest writers in the genre today. Don't miss this.
THIS GHOSTING TIDE by Simon Clark (2009 Bad Moon Books / 116 pp. / tp)
I don't know about you, but I simply can't stand the popular "Ghosthunters" series that runs on cable TV. To me, it's just a bunch of guys running around in the dark yelling "I just saw something! Yahhhhh!" for an hour an episode. I fail to see the allure of it and am amazed at its popularity.
Enter Simon Clark. During the first chapters of his latest novella, THIS GHOSTING TIDE, I was worried Clark was perhaps too influenced by this program (or one similar to it)...but it doesn't take long for this to become anything but a typical ghost story.
Our group of misfit ghost hunters follow a tip from someone who says they've seen an unusual phenomena. They end up encountering a powerful, malevolent force (similar to what Clark tackled in his novel DARKER), setting the stage for a satisfyingly different take on hauntings. Clark even throws in a touch of humor (that works) and pens a memorable scene where exposed coffins resemble stonehenge on a low-tide beach as "ghost-possessed sea creatures" attack.
Don't let the NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS-looking cover art fool you; THIS GHOSTING TIDE is a lot of spooky fun and should please ghost fans tired of the same old thing.
VALLEY OF THE DEAD (2009 Cargo Cult Press / limited edition hc)
Despite talks (within the genre) of zombies being just about "as played out" as vampires, there seems to be a fresh take on them nearly every month . . . but few have been as interesting (or intelligent) as Kim Paffenroth's VALLEY OF THE DEAD, which takes its cue from visions seen in Dante's INFERNO and imagines what he went through during his 17-year exile from Italy (a timeline of his life is provided for us mere mortals!).
The author's prologue itself is worth the cover price (which is a bit steep, but collectors and zombie completists will want this at any cost) and dared me (and will dare any zombie fanatic) to keep reading long into the night.
Besides the uber-cool setup, Paffenroth's writing style here differs from his "Dying to Live" series, and the whole tone of the story seems (at times) like you're reading a lost account of a historical reality. The various characters he encounters (and befriends) along his journey seem quite real, and in their conversations (especially in Chapter 20) we learn nifty bits and pieces about Dante's past (hmmm---seems Dr. Kim set out not only to give his readers the willies, but 'learn 'em a bit, too).
While I truly enjoyed this, I'm not sure how many fans of the standard "shoot-'em-up/gut-munch" zombie tale will; but if you allow yourself to enter Paffenroth's speculative vision with no pre-conceptions, you might find it a hard place to want to leave. Here's hoping this one eventually finds a wider release.
VENDETTA by James A. Moore (2009 Morning Star / Bloodletting Press / hc)
Oooooh, pretty! That was my first thought upon getting a copy of the limited-edition Vendetta in my eager little hands. A dark blue leathery scale-patterned cover with electric-blue V logo and silhouette of our … well, ‘hero’ is not exactly a word that fits the character. But, more on that later. First to do some more covetous drooling over the production value of this sleek, snazzy number!
Gorgeous book. Art by Alan Clark and Alex McVey. Easy-on-the-eyes creamy paper and nice dark print. It even, though I don’t normally go for this aspect, smells good!
All that and a story that more than lives up to it! James Moore doesn’t disappoint, but he’s really at his best when he brings us another chapter in the chronicles of Johnathan Crowley. Who is not exactly, as noted above, much of a hero. Protagonist, okay. Anti-hero, maybe. Magnificent bastard, totally. One of those capable, pragmatic guys who mostly does the right thing, or the wrong thing for the right reasons, or the right thing for the wrong reasons. Sometimes just the wrong thing and to hell with it. No matter what he does and why, though, you might not like him, but you almost have to admire him in a dark sort of way.
Crowley’s story and history have been doled out in tantalizing bits and pieces over the course of other of Moore’s books. There’s a definite sense of what we’ve seen so far being just the tip of the iceberg, but the author isn’t smug about it in any sort of neener-neener-I-know-something-yooooouuu-don’t kind of way.
This one, though? This one is all Crowley, and it is a heart-wringing, gut-wrenching episode. His usual line of work as a paranormalist, demonologist, warlock, ghostbuster, whatever you want to call him, is interrupted when he finally gets a piece of news he’s been searching for a long, long time: the identity of the man (to use the term loosely) responsible for the deaths of Crowley’s wife and children.
What follows is just what the title promises. A vendetta. It makes the reader take an uneasy look into his or her own soul and wonder … how far would I go in the name of justice? Or payback? Or revenge? An eye for an eye? A family for a family? What kind of interest piles up over the years on that kind of suffering? How much weight does the argument of "then you’ll be no better than him" or "don’t stoop to his level" actually carry?
Moore’s handling of the various supernatural beings that populate his tales is among the best I’ve ever read. Ghosts, demons, spirits and entities that are believably inhuman while also close enough to relate to, making for a creepy, effective combination.
Vendetta isn’t a long book, but it is packed full with all quality and no filler. A slim but solid addition to the horror reader’s bookshelf.
-Christine Morgan
THE DAMNED by William Ollie (2008 Morningstar Press / 282 pp. / limited edition hc)
After he's shot in the head during a nasty traffic incident, Scott wakes up 7 weeks later in a rehabilitation center, only to discover the rest of the hospital is full of dead bodies. He quickly meets up with "Warren the Rat Boy," a former circus performer, who fills him in on what's been going on since he'd last been conscious.
THE DAMNED is a post-apocalyptic novel that pictures a world forsaken by God---a world taken over by human beings brought to their lowest survival instincts (hence the "Damned" of the title). Scott and co. spend the rest of the novel dodging bands of rapists, murderers, torturers, and every kind of depraved character you can imagine. Despite the high violence level, Ollie spreads it out and prevents his yarn from becoming exploitation city.
This is one of those stories where you rarely know who the "good guys" are, as even the better characters of the Damned have something undesirable about them (although it's hard not to like Karen, one of the kinder-spirited people here).
An impressive first effort that leaves plenty of space for another segment.
(Smell Rating: 2)
MAGICK & MISERY by Lincoln Crisler (2009 Black bed Sheet/Diverse Media Books / 122 pp. / tp)
Crisler's second collection features 11 stories that cover a wide range of topics, several of which are quite frightening.
My favorite piece here is "Devotion," in which a cheating hubby attempts to make things right with the wife (in a most disturbing manner); other highlights include "Old Stooping Lugh," which deals with gangsters and a nasty demon, and "The Seven O'clock Man," which I found to be the scariest of the lot (fans of 'boogeyman' tales will eat this one up). In "Pete Does What Needs to be Done," a young runaway decides to get back at his parents in a manner that brings Bentley Little to mind.
Like most collections, not every tale is memorable, but they're all well written and Crisler's variety of subjects keeps the book fresh and flowing. You'll dig it.
PECKINPAH: AN ULTRAVIOLENT ROMANCE by D. Harlan Wilson (2009 Shroud Publishing / 106 pp. / tp)
Wilson's surreal view of a midwestern town called Dreamfield features the author's trademark prose which goes from violent to hysterical to bizarre--sometimes within the same sentence (see chapter11) all the while leaving behind witty commentary and observances on the rural lifestyle.
Inbetween the strangely-developing story, we're exposed to "Theories of Ultraviolence," one chapter which sheds a little light on the fascination with director Sam Peckinpah (hence the book's title and inspiration).
If you've read Wislon before, you'll be glad to know everything that has made his past collections and novels work are on display here, albeit in a quick, mini-chapter format; if you're new to Wilson, strap yourself in and prepare to laugh your ass off, then get set to re-read the same section over again to get the full effect.
Wilson continues to be a leading voice in the bizarro movement, and PECKINPAH is a fine example why: it doesn't get stranger--or more interesting--than this.
(See our interview with D. Harlan Wilson---link above on your left).
FAR DARK FIELDS by Gary A. Braunbeck (2009 Leisure Books / 323 pp. / mmp)
Geoff Conover, who survived a massive killing spree when he was an infant, returns to Cedar Hill after thirty years to try and find out why the gunman (his brother) spared his life. He meets with a modern spree killer, and then a few locals at a tavern called the Hangman and learns some of the town's history (Braunbeck fans will geek-out over the references to many of his older Cedar Hill tales). A local reverend eventually explains the mysteries of Cedar Hill to Geoff, and takes him on a journey to find the answer he came looking for...a journey that takes them underneath an abandoned church to the lair of a legendary creature known as "Hoopsticks." Claustrophobics, beware!
FAR DARK FIELDS features everything Braunbeck fans have come to expect; a strange mystery, family tragedies, strange creatures, and (this time) musings on why we see the things we see (and the things we don't); and best of all, Braunbeck's writing is as breath-taking as ever. Despite the author's semi-familiar elements, FIELDS is a fresh, gripping read that unravels at a chilling, heart-breaking pace.
The ending--while satisfying--easily leaves room for another Cedar Hill novel, something I doubt I'd ever get tired of.
(Smell Rating: 5)
BOOKS BEING REVIEWED FOR FORTHCOMING UPDATES:
MAMA'S BOY AND OTHER DARK TALES by Fran Friel, CURSED by Jeremy C. Shipp, MIDNIGHT WALK edited by Lisa Morton, EXPERIMENTS AT 3 BILLION A.M. by Alexander Zelenyi (and more...)