Rogue
Greg Gifune is very quickly becoming a favorite of mine among contemporary horror writers. Books like "Rogue" are the driving force behind that.According to the author's notes at the end of "Rogue", the idea for this novel was originally presented in a short story entitled "Runaway" that was published in 1999. The short-story was fleshed out for Darkfuse into this full-length novel. I'm glad it was.
Gifune has some wonderful ideas floating around in his head. When those ideas are spilled onto paper, the results are quite often astounding. When I finished "Rogue", I had to sit for a minute and let the reveal sink in a bit, to mentally chew on the idea. Hours later, I am still really loving what I read.
5 STARS
The House
"The House" is part three of six in the Michael McDowell's southern gothic saga of the Caskey family of Perdido, Alabama.Part three sees the continued evolution of the family and major changes in its composition and the readers' view on certain members of the family. The darker events foreshadowed in part two begin to take shape with a promise of much more to come.
5 STARS
Bay's End
"Bay's End" is a small-town, coming-of-age story that deals with a couple of hard-hitting topics.All-in-all, I enjoyed the book. But, I found the reveal in the final couple of chapters to be just a bit over the top.
4 STARS
Michael McDowell's Blackwater II: The Levee
The saga of the Caskey family of Perdido, Alabama continues with some foreshadowing of darker, more frightening things to come.5 STARS
Skin Medicine
Tim Curran can paint some pretty horrifying scenes populated with a believable cast of characters that are well fleshed out and up to the task of either being a hero of the story or something as foul as anything you've ever read."Skin Medicine" has multiple parallel and converging storylines, each of which would have made a great story on its own. Tied together, the storylines comprise a frightening old-west horror tale.
4 STARS
Clockwork Dolls
Dave has problems. He has a problem with alcohol. He has a problem admitting his ex-girlfriend and best mate are happily married. He has a problem with the way his life in general is turning out. He has a problem admitting that all of it just may be his own fault. And, Dave has anger issues. In an angry and drunken state, Dave rages in the face of fate, in the face of the forces that determine destiny. The Cosmos responds.
Meikle gets a little deep in this one, touching on quantum physics at times and delving some into New Age beliefs.
Be careful what you wish for.
4 STARS
Wolverton Station
"Wolverton Station" seemed more a Twilight Zone episode than anything else. It wasn't a bad story. It just wasn't particularly outstanding either.I was waiting for the punchline and when it finally came I couldn't help but to think, "That was it?".
3 STARS
Caller
Written in 1985, "The Caller" is very dated, from the days before caller ID, when pay phones and landlines were still everyday necessities. Its a shame really that younger readers may not appreciate or understand this type of horror. While clichéd, it was the stuff of urban legends.3 STARS
Lonely One
A quick read from Laymon's Fastback Horror series of short stories. Not much to it and kind of cliché.3 STARS
Saying Uncle
"Saying Uncle" is the first Gifune book that I have read that is not horror. It is a coming of age story that runs parallel to the story of the protagonist as an adult coming to terms with the tragedy that shattered his childhood and altered the lifelong relationships that he cherished.A very powerful story.
5 STARS
Night Eyes (Adventures in Wellman, Georgia)
I was in the mood for a Halloween read. "Night Eyes" met the need.A small town, Halloween, trick or treating and creeping monsters in a dark forest along a desolate road. Yes, yes, yes and YES!
I was upset it ended so quickly. But, I was happy when I found the story is a prequel to a couple other Moore / Rutledge collaborations. Definitely looking forward to those.
4 STARS
The Rats In the Walls
A wealthy American reconstructs his ancestral home in Britain and explores his family's rumored dark history.Spectral hoards of rats, an ageless Stygian mystery and madness.....a Lovecraft classic.
4 STARS
The Elder Ice
Bruiser Harry Stubbs is hired by a respectable law firm to collect debts and as an odd jobs man. Happy for the opportunity, all Harry wants is to someday become a clerk in the law firm and earn a lifestyle that a washed-up boxer could not normally expect.Harry is given the task of hunting down anything of value left by polar explorer Ernest Shackleton in an attempt to settle some of the massive debts left by the adventurer after a series of apparently failed expeditions. But, that is just a bluff. What Harry is really sent after is much older, much more valuable and much, much more dangerous.
"The Elder Ice" is a tightly written novella written in the style of HP Lovecraft and is an encouraging preview of the upcoming collection "The Dulwich Horror and Others".
Worth checking out!
4 STARS
The Macabre Collection (Box set)
I have read each of these stories under separate cover."Mask of the Macabre"
I love the gritty feel of Victorian horror and Haynes does a great job capturing that feel.
Four related horror short stories that are certainly worth checking out!
4 STARS
"Ballet of the Bones"
Cold, calculated and probably insane. I am really enjoying the murderous exploits of William Fettiplace and his sister, Susanna. If the Victorian era had a Hannibal Lecter, it was William Fettiplace...minus the cannibalism (so far!)
4 STARS
"Seance of the Souls"
Cold, calculated and probably insane...that's how I described William Fettiplace and his sister Susanna after reading Ballet of the Bones. After reading Seance of the Souls, I would like to add evil and vengeful. What a horribly nasty pair. Horribly fun to read though.
4 STARS
4 STARS as a collection!
Frayed
Two writers, life-long friends, life-long rivals share a dark childhood secret that fuels their love-hate relationship and fans their shared insanity."Frayed" is an intriguing novella that kept me guessing right up until the final paragraph.
4 STARS
American Psycho
"American Psycho" begins with the usual disclaimer. "This is a work of fiction. All of the characters...are imaginary and are not intended to refer to any living persons..." I should hope not.It is rare to read a book cover to cover when you cannot stomach any aspect of any of the characters. They are ALL hate-worthy. Not even the fact that the main character (hero? anti-hero?) is a serial killer is endearing. They are all pompous, self-centered idiots.
So, what would keep a reader reading a book populated by such people? Patrick Bateman's descent into madness. What a spiral. What commentary on society that his behavior could go completely ignored. What a fun ride!
5 STARS