So much imagery and haunting storytelling in such a small package. These tales are very short in content but the quality of storytelling exceeds its length. In here you’ll find that the kiss of death can be quite exotic, where the subways and tunnels hold nightmarish secrets and beasts beyond the human minds comprehension. Where books hold maddening secrets and the raving lights of the nightlife can consume your very soul.
ROEBLING’S MONSTER by Leanna Renee Hieber: I wasn’t terribly intrigued by this one. It’s very poetic in nature I liked the ignorance of the narrator and it’s affect on humans and the visual parts of the story were quite vivid but again very poetically told which isn’t really my cup of tea kind of storytelling.
HAND OF BONE by Wilum H. Pugmire: This tale goes to show that you should never take home things that don’t belong to you. When a young woman falls ill, she calls upon her friend Sam to return a hand bone relic she took from a cemetery that she believes is making her ill. If he could only return said relic, she believes the illness will be lifted. Will it be too late?
BEAUTIFUL DREAMS by DJ Tyrer: What I loved most about this story is the author’s ability to transport me to 1864 New York. I could smell the streets, hear the prostitutes hollers, and feel the dinginess of The Tombs. All very well conveyed. Here we follow Chambers on a mission for his “clients” to retrieve a book that has been stolen from them. The book itself proves to hold more madness than leisure reading as Chambers soon finds out.
THE PROFESSOR’S NEW YORK ADVENTURE by Gordon Linzner: Professor V, is plagued by the responsibility of ridding the planet of the undead creatures that threaten the human race. One miscalculated act on his part, leaves him with blood of innocence on his hand and makes our professor question whether or not he has done the right thing. Is it better to have the blood of hundreds on your hands in order save the blood of millions? This would seem sound logic that is if Professor V can accomplish his assassination. This was a great vampire tale of old. The guilt that Professor V feels is so heavy and understandable and his defeated attitude is heartbreaking.
NOW DEPARTING by John Peel: When your times up, you time is up. Well for Melissa, she is determined to stall as long as she can in order to escape her enevitable journey with death. Death, is quite the handsome man, or sexy woman, or terrifying creature… you pick. That’s the beauty about Death, the form in which you are escorted into wherever it is that you go, is up to you. Melissa, having not truly lived her life to the fullest extent, has many reservations about going with Death anywhere and try as she might, she enevitably gives into the kiss of Death, which by this author’s perspective, is quite the kiss. I loved how the author explained the forms Death takes on and the manner in which he takes you. Really good read.
LEAKING by David Neilson: Leaking is a short but incredibly sweet tale of hidden beasts and visual nightmares. A very lovecraftian search into the tunnels of Greenwich Village that leads Brian to the source of his nightmares, but are they truly his nightmares, or the beasts? I love anything that gives me a chill through descriptions of an unseen force.
THE SIXTH BOROUGH by Gregory Norris: I really liked this lengthier tale. It centers around Cyrus, a man who has been swindeled by his roommate and lives out his miserable existence with her greediness. Once Cyrus finds out about Penny’s deceitful behavior, he storms out with no real place to go other than his favorite bookstore. Here he meets a mysterious fellow that speaks of a paradise called Bella Vista. At first, Cyrus disregards the man’s tale, but soon finds himself intrigued and in search of said paradise. What he finds is more relief than paradise, but there’s a fine line between the two. Again, I loved this from start to finish. Especially the finish.
RETRO VIRAL by Andrea Janes: Mix one part abandoned clinic, with two parts drug induced teens and what you will find is a haunting of epic colorful proportions. A ghost story that transcends time and manifests like a disease. I enjoyed the back and forth between the doctors trying to figure out what happened and the story of what went done between the teens and the clinic.
BROKEN GLASS by Jordan Mapes: This was a strange little story centering around a man who is obviously super anxious waiting to get to his destination. He is very awkward and stand offish to his coworker sharing the ride, and when a couple of hooligans demolish a light fixture, we begin to see the true nature of what is making Phil so anxious to get home. I don’t want to give anything away but Phil’s explanation to his coworker for his oddity is kind of out of place but I suppose it needed to be explained. I like the tone of self restraint.
WALLFLOWERS by Lilah Wild: Wow to this one. Our run of the mill “Ashley” stars as the clerk in an upscale boutique. One where you can smell the money and see the noses in the air. “Ashley” lives in a very snooty materialistic world but when the doors are locked, she’s about to get a whole lot looser. The boutique use to be a church that would open its doors to parties and debauchery making it one of the best nightclubs before its doors were shut down. Energy never leaves and when the lights go out, “Ashley” is consumed by the nightlife….literally. The swirling imagery and gory whirlwind is forever etched in my brain.
THE NONE PERCENT by Warren Frey: This was a super fun read and reminded me a lot of The Frighteners. John is at the top of his game. Hes got the drugs, the house, the job, everything, until one day he finds he is dead. Floating around he meets other tycoon like spirits that basically tell him, this is what we do. We wait around, welcome new comers, and eventually fade away. Well this doesn’t sit well with a go getter like John and suggests a plan to help others like them who are still living. It’s quite the plan and all are aboard. Might as well do something while you wait to fade out.
Not all the stories in this book were reviewed, I left some for YOU to go and experience, believe me it’s worth it.
I absolutely love this collection. I was introduced to a whole lot of new authors with amazing Lovecraftian voices. Luke Spooner’s (whose cover work has shown up on a few of Strangehouse Books covers) illustrations help bring the stories alive. All in all this is a beautiful book and worth the purchase.
