The nitty-gritty: A garden full of poisonous delights, the stories in Effects Vary will catch you off guard and change the way you think about horror. You can tell from the disturbing cover art that this isn’t going to be your usual collection of short fiction. Effects Vary contains twenty-two short stories, and it’s one […]
The nitty-gritty: Rich world-building, finely developed characters, high stakes and plenty of emotional moments make The Mother’s Wheel a stellar series conclusion. “‘My name is Desper,’ the ape says. I can’t help myself. ‘What kind of name is that?’ ‘The best kind.’ Her eyes are round as coins and a deep, chocolate brown. ‘I chose […]
The nitty-gritty: Killer dinosaurs and Old West shootouts come together in this bloody and highly entertaining story. One of my favorite fantasy subgenres is “weird western,” and I can definitely say that Pteranodon Canyon fits the bill if you enjoy weird westerns as well. And what could be weirder than an alternate universe set in […]
The nitty-gritty: Eric LaRocca’s strange brand of horror is in full force in We Can Never Leave This Place, an emotional and at times upsetting glimpse into a young girl’s dangerous world. If there’s one thing you can count on with an Eric LaRocca book, it’s to expect the unexpected. We Can Never Leave This […]
The nitty-gritty: A dark, feminist fairy tale perfect for the times we are living in, The Girl Who Outgrew the World is a unique coming-of-age fable with an unforgettable heroine. “That is so you!” Rain gushed. So Lilly. Who she had been. And now, exponentially larger in every direction, this version of her was like […]
The nitty-gritty: Cosmic horror, shocking violence, colorful characters and black humor come together in Alan Baxter’s follow-up to The Gulp, a delightfully dark bunch of tales that will put you on edge—and keep you there. “There’s interesting and there’s fucked, mate. Nothing good ever came out of Gulpepper.” Is it possible to be fond of […]
The nitty -gritty: A short, bloody tale that explores the thin line between life and death. I don’t often read self-published fiction, but once in a while I do like to see what’s out there, and I’m glad I had a chance to read David Barclay’s The Maker’s Box. This is a weird, gruesome little […]
The nitty-gritty: Another winning story from Stephanie Burgis, Good Neighbors combines humor, romance, magic and feel-good fun. It’s always fun to pick up a new Stephanie Burgis book, and Good Neighbors is her latest project, an omnibus of four short stories and novellas written exclusively for her Patreons and now available for everyone to enjoy. […]
The nitty-gritty: Fantasy, comedy and sparkling Regency romance blend together seamlessly in Stephanie Burgis’ latest. Stephanie Burgis never fails to delight, and her new fantasy Scales and Sensibility has all the makings of an intriguing series opener featuring—you guessed it—dragons and Jane Austen! Elinor Tregarth and her sisters Rose and Harry were split up a […]
The nitty-gritty: Unsettling, creepy and emotionally devastating, Human Tenderloin is an excellent and varied collection of stories that will haunt you long after they’ve ended. Based on the rather creepy and disturbing cover of Human Tenderloin, I was happy to discover that the stories inside are equally as creepy and disturbing. I’m so glad I […]