The nitty-gritty: An eerie and heart-stopping ghost story, with unexpected depth. If you love haunted house stories, and especially if you love old houses, you won’t want to miss this one. She took the stairs slower than she could have, stalling the inevitable every step of the way. She didn’t want to let them in. […]
The nitty-gritty: A hilarious romp through the weird world of a Lovecraft convention, narrated by a murder victim and full of strange characters. The crowd drank with an intensity that only comes with the combination of free alcohol, unsuccessful writers, and high stress. Colleen took sips, and the booze flooded her veins. Raul, as it […]
The nitty-gritty: Mesmerizing, beautiful, raw and shocking, The Devourers is a completely unique werewolf story that brings something new to the genre. She-wolf you, Cyrah, moon-shone maiden, I kissed you on your lips, licking the aphrodisiac of your burning anger. My second self struggled to emerge like the latent orgasm but I held it back, […]
The nitty-gritty: Despite the author’s fluid writing style and evocative imagery, this story lacked a solid plot and sympathetic characters, and with its over-the-top violence, it just wasn’t for me. Every once in a while I try a new small publisher, and I’ve found some great ones by taking chances and stepping out of my […]
The nitty-gritty: Mix the dark absurdity of Pulp Fiction with fast cars, set the story in the late 60s, add in a handful of bloodthirsty vampires and a young woman who is set on vengeance, and you have a stellar novel that is a MUST READ for horror fans. “I don’t believe in vampires,” Sam […]
The nitty-gritty: A wonderful mixed bag of 80s nostalgia, creepy horror and a friendship that weathers all sorts of obstacles. “Promise me you’ll always be my friend,” she said. “DBNQ,” Abby replied. It was their shorthand for “I love you.” Dearly But Not Queerly. And they lay there on the freezing sand and felt the […]
The nitty-gritty: A bunch of stories that will make you very uncomfortable. And that’s a good thing! God watches as you bring another into the room. He does not take his eyes off you. Sits in his LifeChair exactly where you parked him two days before. White beard and tubes. His cartridge core throbs, like […]
The nitty-gritty: An atmospheric and eerie ghost story with psychological undertones that make this a satisfying horror story on several levels. The house held only broken dreams, shattered screams, and secret little dirty things. It was a liar’s playground, a dead man’s last stand. I was pleasantly surprised by Damian Angelica Walters’ short story collection […]
The nitty-gritty: A fantastical gathering of Apex’s best of the last six years, showing a broad range of styles and talents in speculative fiction, with something for everyone. Apex Magazine has been going strong for six years, and I’m so happy to have read this group of stories selected from among hundreds published over the […]
The nitty-gritty: More literary ramble than horror, Mamatas’ bleak look at a changed world is beautifully written with sharp spikes of sudden violence. I signed up for drilling because I couldn’t get down to Mexico. I needed to experience life, to find something to write about. I needed pocket money. My credit score was immaterial, my […]