Steve Stred's Blog, page 75
February 2, 2021
Book Review: The Man From Beyond by Arytom Dereschuk
Title: The Man From Beyond
Author: Arytom Dereschuk
Release date: n/a
Source: Received free when I signed up to his website
Over the last number of years Arytom Dereschuk has quickly grown to become a favorite author of mine. Starting with his outstanding ‘Master of the Forest’ and followed up with his great collection ‘Russki Dread’ Arytom doesn’t hesitate to conjure dark worlds and to use his native Russia as a backdrop. While I enjoyed his novel ‘Hate the Sin’ it still showed his willingness to craft brutal stories. I’ve already purchased his newest release ‘Outside’ and will be moving that far up my TBR.
Throughout discovering his work, one thing I’ve noticed is Arytom’s distinct lack of an online presence. Well, that’s begun to change. He now boasts a really slick website (which I’ll link at the bottom) as well as a Reddit page (which I’ll also link). I’ve had some great chats with him via Goodreads, and was very excited to see this free story offered up by joining his mailing list.
What I liked: ‘The Man From Beyond’ is a quick read, I’d estimate at around 10,000 words. I think I read it in about 20-25 minutes and it was fantastic. I was hooked from paragraph one. The story is simple. Set in the 60’s in small town USA, folks go about their daily lives without a care. Until one day a strange man arrives. He doesn’t seem remarkable until the townsfolk begin to notice his eyes and start to stay away.
Dereschuk tells us this story through 1st person POV of a young man who doesn’t pay mind to the stranger, until one night when things take a turn.
This entire story dripped dread. I loved how it slowly unrolled and the entire time I was expecting this explosion of action and gore, but Artyom kept dangling that carrot ahead of me, pulling the reader along.
I absolutely loved the ending to this. It was a great way of tying it all together and coming full circle.
What I didn’t like: Actually, it’s funny, as I loved this story a ton, but the only thing that irked me was a single line of dialogue. A character says; “maybe she’s just a gold digger.” With it being set in the 60’s, I can’t imagine that was a common phrase, but when I read it, I was annoyed haha!
Why you should buy this: Well, you don’t actually need to buy this – sign up for his site! It’s free when you do! But for why you should read this? Dereschuk has crafted a fantastic sci-fi/slow burn horror story here, one that pulls equally from The Twilight Zone as it does from The X-Files. The cover is spot on and if you like dread inducing fast reads, you can’t go wrong here. This is a perfect story to introduce you to Artyom’s work, and once done, seriously, go snag the rest of his releases.
5/5
You can sign up and get the story for free here;
Arytom’s Reddit link is here;
February 1, 2021
Just who the hell is Duncan Ralston?
Intrigued by the title?
Wondering just what’s going on?
I’ll tell you.
Recently a mutual friend (and fellow Canuck) Andrew the Book Dad tweeted about being able to claim book expenses on taxes. This guy, “Duncan Ralston” replied and of course, things got hostile. It was after all “Duncan Ralston” we’re talking about.
Here’s where things took a turn;
I couldn’t let it go.
I sat and stewed over YET ANOTHER Ralston attack and thought ‘That’s it!’
I, like many in the community, can’t take it anymore. But then things started to change. I thought to myself, self? Does anybody truly know who this Ralston douche canoe is?
NO.
NO, WE DON’T.
So, this past weekend, between building a rowing machine, cleaning the garage, going to Ikea, building a stupid Ikea credenza thingy, I did a deep dive into just who Duncan is.
What I found will most likely shock and repulse even the most hardened horror fan.
Exhibit #1 – “Author”
Many of us think of Duncan as an author, but let’s be honest – he’s tricked us before. Case in point – the Rex Garrote “campaign.” This was for Ghostland (which was a horrible non-fiction book at Marine Land in Ontario) where Ralston forgot about an author but they actually existed or did they and blah blah blah. But how do we know Ralston isn’t Garrote?
Hmmm…
I mean look at this photo;
Looks a lot like Garrote?
And let’s face it – did any of us meet up with him in 2020? Don’t think so. He’ll try and say it was the pandemic that kept him from travelling… but… I mean… that’s just a little toooooo convenient.
You can find more info about his “author” exploits at his website;
https://www.duncanralston.com/
Exhibit #2: “Married”
This was a really tough one to examine as for some people this may be life altering, even shattering, but I couldn’t find any example of Duncan actually being married. He has it listed on his Facebook page and there’s some conveniently “staged” wedding photos, but things just don’t add up.
First – this photo – where he says it was apparently of him and his significant other on vacation;
Not even looking at her. (Probably a random tourist he got to take the photo. For shame.)
Then we get this one, of him and his “wife” in Belize.
Clearly he set his phone down and put the camera timer on, but he’s trying to pass it off as “his wife” taking the shot.
But it gets worse.
This damning evidence – the wedding ring fiasco;
IT’S ON THE WRONG HAND!
He’ll say the mirror flipped the image BUT THIS;
NOW NO RING! COME ON MAN!
Or this?
We expected to believe someone else took this selfie of you on the plane? Sheesh.
Exhibit #3 “Chronic Disease”
Duncan has long led us to believe he’s had Crohn’s.
Time and time again, he’s posted photos of him in a lab, getting blood done, in a mask in an empty hospital, all to mask and deflect the horrible truth. Now, I took some time to really dive into the possibilities.
Theory #1 – He’s a Reptilian.
It’s said every Reptilian will slip and here you can see he did. Duncan goes for his blood transfusions so that he can continue to live amongst us and breathe our air.
Theory #2 – He’s Catfishing Us
His better looking brother, Morgan messaged me to say Duncan doesn’t like to talk about his age. Maybe that’s because he’s actually 12? Photoshop a goatee on this baby face and suddenly we have grumpy Duncan we all know and love?!
Theory #3 – He’s embarrassed about being only 12″ tall
This could explain a lot. The goatee. The hat. The sunglasses. All someone trying to compensate.
He’s a foot tall and rides on a dog. I have it on good authority the dog sculpture is a life sized dog.
Theory #4 – He’s actually the living reincarnation of Chucky
The smoking gun. Look at this mug shot? Clearly he needs blood transfusions to keep his human skin from breaking down!
Theory #5 – He’s actually Hollywood Actor Paul Giamatti.
I’m not even going to give this one any credence. Of all of the far fetched conspiracy theories regarding who Ralston actually is, it ain’t Giamatti.
Conclusion:
I think I’ve presented enough evidence to conclude that Duncan Ralston ISN’T WHO HE SAYS HE IS OR WHO HE’S LED US TO BELIEVE! It’s been a sham since day one and a way for us to all spend our hard earned money on books from an author who may or may not even exist. An “author” who doesn’t even use his real name on Twitter or Instagram (looking at you userbits) but always jumps in with a hot take or a combative rebuttal!
Enough Duncan, WE DEMAND THE TRUTH!
Duncan – you shouldn’t be such a mean girl.
But seriously, you’re welcome for this hilarious Monday “hit piece”/”exposure piece.”
You’ve been a great friend and I look forward to celebrating your work in the future with a real feature.
For those still reading – absolutely go read his work!
His latest is Afterlife and it’s great;
And truly, this was all done sarcastically and as a joke. I retrieved all of the photos from Ralston’s Facebook page (if you want any removed Duncan, I’ll be happy to do so) and from the limited interaction I’ve had with his wife online, she seems lovely. And Morgan knows he’s the better looking brother.
Lastly, Ralston;
January 28, 2021
Book Review: Shards by Ian Rogers
Title: Shards
Author: Ian Rogers
Release date: January 27, 2021
Source: Amazon Canada Purchase
Before I start this review, I just want to post this link;
You can read this new release from Ian completely free on the Tor.com website and I highly, highly recommend you do that!
I’m self admittedly late to the Ian Rogers game. I had snagged his collection ‘Every House is Haunted’ some time back in a Story Bundle package, but didn’t get to it for a bit and then when his other Tor.com release ‘Go Fish’ came out recently, I snagged that and devoured it. It was amazing. Which pushed me into reading ‘Every House is Haunted’ which was also amazing.
So, when Ian announced ‘Shards’ I was excited… but also completely believed it wasn’t coming out until February. I was a bit surprised when he posted recently that it was available! I snagged a copy and read it last night.
What I liked: If you’ve not read Rogers work yet you’re in for a treat. One of the greatest short story writers out there ‘Shards’ is a fully formed and complete 300 page novel, told in approximately 35 pages. Much like why I love Calvin Demmer’s work so much, or Sonora Taylor’s short story talent (she’s also a stunning novelist too), Rogers delivers so much in such a short page count. It’s truly mind-boggling.
‘Shards’ follows a group of 5 friends to a cabin in the woods (yeah, I know but stay with me) where something bad happens. Taking a familiar narrative, Rogers does an amazing job of giving each character their own personality and traits while also showing how the events that occur that evening ripple and tangle into the survivors lives from that day forward.
The setting of the opening was simple but spot on. Rogers nails the banter between the college friends and once things take off, the reader has been pulled in so much that you’re left in shock and stunned silence over what causes it and what happens.
Rogers has a gift of giving dark corners darker shadows. I loved how this thing comes full circle and we see that the events that played out snared the survivors and how they are now connected and unable to escape.
What I didn’t like: As spoiler free as possible – I wanted to know more about what they find in the cabin and the place from where they find it. Maybe Ian will expand upon this in a follow up/prequel, maybe not, but it was so intriguing, I’d love to know more.
Why you should buy this: Well A) you technically don’t need to buy it. It is available for free on the Tor.com website and I’ll share that link again. B) if you do want to buy it, it is only 99 cents. For what you get, that’s an absolute steal. And C) Rogers is one of the best writers out there. He crafts stories that are a joy to read while crushing your soul and making you want to close the book and never enter that world again. But you must. And you will.
Loved this one.
5/5
January 21, 2021
Book Review: COWS by Matthew Stokoe
Title: COWS
Author: Matthew Stokoe
Release date: Originally 1997, rereleased April 10, 2013
It’s interesting how your TBR can conspire against you to bring similarly themed/content books together. Recently I read ‘Tender is the Flesh’ by Agustina Bazterrica. This was followed by the ‘Twisted Anatomy’ anthology through Sci-Fi and Scary. Meanwhile, I was also diving into ‘COWS’ by Matthew Stokoe. All three featured similar moments of wretched repulsiveness, while all three had great depths of philosophical ideas buried beneath the grotesque content.
‘COWS’ has become a cult classic, much in the way ‘A Serbian Tale’ has for the movie watching community. I’d been recommended this a few times by different people. I’m not sure if it was because they wanted to see my thoughts on it or if they wanted to know if I had the fortitude to dive past the garbage that floated at the top of the water and see the story that lay on the ocean floor, but either way, I finally realized I wanted to dive in and truthfully, while this book is DEFINITELY not for everyone, I was stunned with the story Stokoe delivered.
I’m going to do my best to stay spoiler free, but I wanted to just say – this is a book that if you need any sort of trigger warning, you’ll not make it very far into it. Have you watched 2 Girls 1 Cup? What was your response? If it was anything other than ‘what is the art behind this’ you’ll be best to pass. Things that occur – animal abuse and torture, self mutilation, matricide, infanticide, beastiality, scat play and ingestion and homicide just to name a few.
What I liked: ‘COWS’ is a story that follows our main character, Steven, who longs for acceptance in a world he’s unable to participate in. He sees the dream on TV. Wife, kids, house, pet, happiness. And from that, he desperately wishes to find a way to achieve it and leave the horror that is his current existence behind. His mom, referred to as the Hagbeast, is mentally and physically abusive to him and constantly tortures his pet dog. When Steven gets a job at the local slaughterhouse, a door is unlocked in his brain and he begins to find the pieces he needs to put the puzzle together towards the ideal life he so desperately craves.
Look, there is a lot to try and get past in this book. Each person featured in here, and the Guernsey cow, are damaged and mentally destroyed. Stokoe has covered them in a layer of mud that won’t wash off and each character struggles to act ‘normally’ while battling this unseen poison that has infected them. The most obvious example of this is Steven’s love interest. She can feel this ‘thing’ festering under the surface, always growing and grabbing a hold on her insides and the depression it creates, where she understands that one day it’ll kill her, is horrifying to watch. Stokoe does a masterful job of showing various forms of mental health issues and how Steven, while suffering through his own issues, keeps trying to find hope and positivity. That one day, he’ll have a home that is filled with happiness and some aspect of his life will have meaning.
The closest thing I’ve read to this would be Danger Slater’s ‘I Will Rot Without You.’ I’ve heard others mention Duncan Ralston’s ‘Woom,’ hell, even Duncan has said he’s not read the book but people say it’s similar to ‘Woom,’ but I didn’t fully make that connection. Maybe because ‘COWS’ read as more of a Bizarro book and ‘Woom’ reads as a horror story centering on a man’s lingering trauma.
What I didn’t like: As insane as this may sound, I had no issues with the subject matter. Maybe it’s from being a clinician in my real life who deals with amputation and open ulcers frequently, or maybe it’s from having a four year old and a dog and dealing with their messes, I found it was more of a metaphor for the characters lives that Stokoe used those elements.
For me, I wasn’t a big fan of the Cripps character. While he was important for Steven’s development and self discovery, I found his character to be too-over the top for the rest of the story.
Why you should buy this: It’s interesting to me that the book I kept thinking of while reading ‘COWS’ was ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ by Viktor Frankl. ‘COWS’ itself is just that, a young man who longs to break free from the chains that he’s been born into and find happiness and meaning, if only it is an idea of what it should be and should look like. Stokoe has crafted a story that does have significant depth and had me really thinking and it is an engaging piece of fiction, if you can get past that layer of filth and look for the treasure chest resting at the bottom of the sea.
This one will absolutely not be for everyone, but I see now why it’s gained such a long and warranted life in the dark fiction community.
I personally am glad I took the chance and read it. Stokoe has done a superb job of putting this one out into the world.
5/5
January 18, 2021
Book Review: The Snake by John Godey
Title: The Snake
Author: John Godey
Release date: January 1st, 1978
‘The Snake’ by John Godey is a book that completely came onto my radar by random. Through Instagram, I’ve become friends with Dustin, aka postorgasmicstressdisorder. Through Dustin, I’ve connected with James aka The Black Wyvern Bookstore, here in Edmonton. James is someone who helps you find books as well as sells books. He’s a fantastic guy and a great resource. So, through all of that, for Christmas 2020, I wanted to surprise Dustin and get him a few books from The Black Wyvern. One such book was ‘The Snake.’ He raved about it. So, I grabbed the Kindle version and wow. I’m glad I did.
What I liked: John Godey is actually the pen name of Morton Freedgood. He passed away in 2006, but as Godey had a long career of writing and releasing mystery and thriller books. His most famous or well known release is perhaps ‘The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3,’ which was made into a movie in 1974 and remade in 2009, starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta. His chosen genre of mystery/thriller is on full display here with ‘The Snake.’
The premise is simple. A man is mugged and killed in Central Park late one night. Carrying a box, it falls and breaks open. Within – an eleven foot Black Mamba. Thus begins a race to find the snake, as more and more people inadvertently come into contact with it and don’t survive.
I think one of the things I loved most about this book was the fact that it was released in 1978. It’s hard to think back on how simple life was back then versus now. Hell, I wasn’t born for three more years. But think about it. No internet. No cell phones. Information wasn’t readily available or shared online. Faxes needed to be sent. Phone booths were the nearest “cell phone” option. Because of that, ‘The Snake’ becomes elevated as the easy logistics that we’d resort to in 2021 just didn’t exist.
The story follows along as a herpetologist is brought on board to try and find the snake, but as the body count mounts, public pressure overcomes anything he suggests. Godey does a splendid job of making the herpetologist a caring, well-educated character. One who waxes about man’s role in vilifying the snake but also how through man’s own deforestation, climate change and misinformation on snakes themselves, have worked to increase contact and deadly actions.
The scenes with the snake are truly unnerving. I’m a massive reptile fan, but whoa momma did Godey make them nerve wracking and tension filled.
The conclusion is what you’d expect to happen, but even when we get there, you’ll see how well Godey has wiggled in unexpected results. I gotta stay spoiler free but I was smiling at the end.
What I didn’t like: I’d say my biggest annoyance here was the love story that seemed to be tossed in between our herpetologist and a reporter. Godey tried to give it some ‘meant to be’ sub plot but it was incredibly weak and when the two characters were together the dialogue was brutal and laughable.
I also wasn’t a fan of the Church that was involved. I understood why, what with the evil symbolism of the snake and how the Church worked to get people amped up, but overall, until the ending it was a distraction.
Why you should buy this: This book won’t be for everyone. It’s set in 1978 and as such some ‘older’ un-PC language exists. As well, if a book that can be completely summed up as “a snake in Central Park” doesn’t excite you then I’d suggest you’ll DNF this.
BUT. BUT.
If that line of a snake in Central Park in 1978 fires you up and makes you intrigued? You’re in for one heck of a fun time and a book that I’m simply shocked wasn’t made into a movie. I had a blast with this one and if you’re looking for a fun story with some fantastic scenes filled with dread and tension, ‘The Snake’ will deliver.
4/5
January 11, 2021
Book Review: The End of the World Running Club by Adrian J. Walker
Title: The End of the World Running Club
Author: Adrian J. Walker
Release date: June 27, 2014
Sublime.
‘You’re bonkers, Stred!” the other readers yelled from across the silent digital library.
‘Reading an apocalyptic-end times novel while a pandemic rages is bonkers! He’s lost the plot,’ they shouted in unison.
Have I?
I don’t think so, but who ultimately knows. I’ve certainly passed on reviewing some books lately due to the direct plot of a pandemic virus wiping out humans. But this book, this came with high praise.
There are a handful of reviewers who I implicitly trust and one of them is the Grimreader. Adrian (not the author!) has been recommending I read this since we first connected four or so years ago. I bought this a couple years ago and it slowly worked it’s way up my TBR. When it arrived, I decided not to push it aside. I knew it wasn’t a book based around a Covid-19 type virus, so I had faith going in that this would be an emotionally charged, survive at all costs books.
I was bang on.
What I liked: One of the things I absolutely loved about ‘The End of the World Running Club’ was that we got to see the before, during and after. Many ‘incident’ books focus on the during or the after and allude to the before. This one starts off the morning of and we get to see the events play out.
I found Walker’s writing to be so engaging that I rarely wanted to set this book aside. Ed, our main character, starts off with many faults and I adored that we got to see how he tackled these issues head on as the story unfolded. The cast of characters that Walker introduces are all superbly well done, minor-main characters to a degree, with each one feeling alive and real. When bad things happen you ache and hurt.
The ending on this was perfect. Perfect. In the author interview included in my edition, Walker discusses the various reactions and interpretations of the ending, but in this particular readers brain, the ending worked so well. I loved where Ed ended up and how we know what his next steps would be, should he pursue them.
Saying that – there is a sequel and frankly, I’m not 100% I can bring myself to read it, should it become available on Kindle here in Canada. I would love to see what comes next, but at the same time this book was such a fantastic experience, I don’t know if I want to see what comes next. I think how it ended was spot on and I loved it.
What I didn’t like: There’s a section about three quarters in where the group ends up in a town and is essentially captured by the woman in charge. I really didn’t like this section. It was necessary and showed how some were responding to the events in the world, but I just wanted to see if they could make it in time and this felt like a barricade or barrier that was far too obvious of a plot point.
Why you should buy this: Look, I know even those who read horror regularly are avoiding end-of-world scenarios right now, but this book is a survival drama centered around the aftermath of a cataclysmic meteor event. I was absolutely riveted and was rooting for this group of survivors as they made heart wrenching decision after heart wrenching decision. This book worked to remain rooted in realistic circumstances and there was very few coincidences which allowed for events to happen without the typical necessary suspension of belief.
Walker really delivered with this one and I’m so glad I decided to dive in and discover this world. While I may not look into reading the sequel at this time, I’ll definitely be looking at buying his newest book ‘The Human Son.’
Loved this one.
5/5
January 5, 2021
Book Review: Friday Night Massacre by Michael Patrick Hicks
Title: Friday Night Massacre
Author: Michael Patrick Hicks
Release date: TBA (possibly late January 2021)
Cathartic.
That’s what I truly got from reading Michael Patrick Hicks latest ‘Friday Night Massacre.’
Hicks must have been laughing maniacally while sobbing hysterically while writing this. Or at least that’s what I pictured reading this. Having been friends with and followed Michael for a number of years now, he’s never once been shy about his disgust over the direction the United States has taken since electing Trump back in 2016.
As well, Hicks is no stranger to writing political based fiction. See both ‘Revolver’ and to various levels, his Salem Hawley Series. Additionally, Hicks is one of the supreme rulers of delivering unsettling, gore-filled bursts of violence. There are very few out there who’ll describe stuff so vividly that you feel repulsed that you just read it, but even more repulsed that it fit so well with the story. Don’t believe me? Ask anyone who has read book two of the Salem Hawley Series what they think of when you say the word eggs.
I am going to caveat the rest of this review by stating two things.
First. I’m not American. I’m Canadian through and through (and not from the UK as many people seem to have believed). As such it’s an interesting piece of writing to read when you’re detached from the news flow when you live on the ground in that country.
Second. I’ve always been completely shocked that Trump was elected and that time and time again the powers that be have allowed things to just seemingly slip by. I’m not going to go into great details about all of Trumps exploits, I simply don’t have the time, but history will not look kindly on the last four years.
I am truly and completely done with hearing and dealing with Trump stuff. Even living in a neighboring country, so at times this book was a tough go.
What I liked: ‘Friday Night Massacre’ can be split into two distinct stories. Which is what I had to do to really enjoy how it played out. The first plot line is following Secret Service as they struggle to contain an incident involving the President and the First Family in the White House. The second plot line is more of a non-fiction told through fiction narrative where Hicks gets to really share his incredulity over just who has been president for the past four years. We get a decent replay of all of the completely insane moments that have occurred and we get to see the rising up of White Extremist Terrorist groups following the orders from their Commander-in-Chief.
The Secret Service section was fantastic. We get to see how Agent Hutchinson tries to rationally assess and subdue the unexpected event and how he works hard to push aside the more strange and complicated part of what is happening to follow his training and his superiors orders. Now, I know this last sentence is a bit odd, but I need to stay spoiler free. I went in knowing very little about the actual incident that has occurred and I think it’d serve you well to try and take the same approach.
Throughout this, Hicks has really done his due diligence in researching the Secret Service ways and as always his afterword shared some really invaluable resources. I’ve found with every Hicks book you’ll end up wanting to do a deeper dive online after purely from the links he provides.
As I mentioned before, the gore and violence in this are over the top. A press conference at the beginning really sets the table for the fact that nothing is off limits and I suspect if you get through that part unscathed, you’ll be willing to take every single body part that Hicks throws at the reader from then on.
What I didn’t like: Ok, Ok, well this isn’t specifically ‘Trump’ as the President, there is not mistake that Hicks based this abomination off of that figure. Because of this, I really didn’t enjoy the “look back” sections where a character would remember all of the hideous and despicable things that the President had done during his election bid and then during his presidency. I’m 100% completely over anything to do with that family, I actually have been since he referred to another Congresswoman as Pocahontas and mocked a disabled person, but there are some longer sections here where events are noted and cataloged and it did become a bit much.
Why you should buy this: Well, if you are an individual who needs a cathartic read where some of your unspoken fantasy punishments can be realized in the fictional world, look no further. Like I said, Hicks treatment of the Secret Service in this was fantastic and I wish he would’ve set this in a 100% completely fabricated world where I wasn’t connecting the orange President with the orange President. With the precision, military-like care Hicks takes to move this story along, it is a very fast read and one that has a ton of action and viciousness in it, which definitely elevated the story. In a way this reads as a bit of a spiritual sequel to ‘Revolver’ and if you loved that novella then you’ll dig this one.
Rating this for me is tough. I’d honestly go with a 1 star purely for the annoyance of the president character, but that’s not fair to the story or Michael. For a visceral reaction and angry response towards this group of characters, which is what I think Hicks was hoping to evoke, then this is an easy 5 star review.
Overall, this is going to hit each and every reader individually. Michael is used to having slanderous reviews where people call him all sorts of names for his beliefs. I’m not going to ever be one of those reviewers, but I will say Hicks will easily enrage readers here. And as that is some of what he was hoping to do with this, well, he’s knocked this one out of the park.
5/5
At the moment the book isn’t yet up for preorder, but I’ll be sure to update this section once it’s available. Big thanks to Michael for sending me a digital ARC.
For more information, visit his site here;
December 31, 2020
Book Review: Bad Pennies by John F. Leonard
Title: Bad Pennies
Author: John F. Leonard
Release date: December 1, 2017
Here we are. December 31, 2020. The shortest longest year of our lives and I’m going to wrap up with a book I should’ve read when it came out. Over the last few years I’ve devoured everything that Leonard has produced, absolutely loving his Scaeth Mythos and the world he’s created.
All the while I’d neglected to see where it all started.
Insane right?
What I liked: ‘Bad Pennies’ follows Chris Carlisle on a typical day of his dreary life. Only today is unlike the rest. Today he witnesses an accident and comes into position of a wallet that seemingly has magical powers.
From here Leonard shows how coming into possession with a Dead Box artifact causes ripples that flow outwards from the persons life, as well as how the artifact completely penetrates the holders mind.
I loved seeing how the Scaeth came to be and while we don’t get a complete origins story, we do get enough to put the pieces together. Leonard writes characters that you immediately feel like you’ve know for years and this one was great to see how Chris’ story ARC played out.
I also loved seeing how now having read his other work, the Scaeth has wormed its way into the surrounding areas and after reading Leonard’s story in ‘Diabolical Britannica’ earlier this year, I’m excited to see what the next chapter will hold.
Additionally the world between the walls, the Rat King and the Thing White Man all really elevated the surrounding ‘complimentary’ aspects of all things in this Mythos.
What I didn’t like: It was a minor thing, but throughout the first 3/4 we get some random police interview reports and while it worked to further the story and the incidents that occurred, the format wasn’t completely necessary. It would’ve easily been facilitated the same way as if it had been a flash forward.
Why you should buy this: This was the first chapter in an ever growing and evolving world that Leonard has created and this entered some truly Barker-esque plains of imagery. Leonard has long been a favorite author of mine and now having finally went back and started at the beginning, it has absolutely elevated everything that I’ve read that followed this. I highly recommend this as a book to dive in and start seeing this amazing world that he’s brought forward and the truly grotesque creation that is the Scaeth.
Stunning work.
5/5
December 29, 2020
Book Review: The Camp Creeper and Other Stories by Dave Jeffery
Title: The Camp Creeper and Other Stories
Author: Dave Jeffery
Release date: October 31, 2019
Dave Jeffery has quickly turned into an author that I look forward to hearing a new book is coming out soon!
I’ve read a number of his works but I could’ve sworn I’d already read this release. Yesterday (December 28th, 2020) my dog had dental surgery. As night came around, he wasn’t doing so well coming out of anesthetic, so I wasn’t falling asleep. Looking through my Kindle, I came across this. A one sitting read that I could plow through and knew it’d be a great read.
I didn’t even know today, the 29th, was Dave’s birthday! What a double bonus.
What I liked: The Camper Creeper and Other Stories features three quick blasts of dark fiction, all featuring very different story ideas.
The first story is The Camp Creeper. We’re introduced to a summer camp that has a legend where something creeps each night. Of course we get a kid who won’t listen and has to just see what the truth is.
Jeffery had me guessing with this one until the very end. The story was quick but it felt like I knew the characters and it really made the tension ramp up.
The second story was a brutal tale of outback survival with Guess What We’re Having For Dinner. A group of hikers is lost when something in the dark starts hunting them. This was great. I loved the setting and how even in a short page count we see them start to come apart at the edges.
The last story was Cross Your Heart. This was a story revolving around the reality of a young child’s death and what happens on the first anniversary of the events. This was a really bleak story. I really liked the young kids and the way they each exhibited their own regrets from that day.
Jeffery is a master at short story fiction as well as novella and novel length works. This is a great grouping of three dark pieces.
What I didn’t like: I loved the first two stories but did find the ending of the third to read a bit jumbled. I had to reread it a few times to catch what I missed, but that truthfully could’ve been me getting more and more tired.
Why you should buy this: Jeffery is a fantastic author and this is another example of his ability to really craft great dark fiction. Demain’s Short! Sharp! Shocks! Series is full of fantastic collections and Dave’s is easily one of the best of the bunch.
5/5
Book Review: Fear by Ronald Kelly
Title: Fear
Author: Ronald Kelly
Release date: Originally published September 1, 1994, rereleased November 23, 2011
One thing I’ve come to realize when you take the time and energy to review books regularly, is that some books will come your way in the oddest of circumstances. Take ‘Fear’ from Ronald Kelly. This came onto my radar after a Twitter tither erupted when Mr. Kelly tweeted that from a veteran horror writer it appeared harder to find people to review their work. I personally didn’t understand what the issue was (and I’m not trying to rehash or reopen any arguments) but I took a look at Mr. Kelly’s Goodreads page and was immediately intrigued. I snagged 4 or 5 of his works almost immediately. But as my TBR always leans at angles beyond what even gravity says is possible (in actuality I read on a Kindle!) it took me a bit to get to ‘Fear.’
What I liked: I’d previously read some of Ronald’s short stories in anthologies and loved the way he wrote. His characters and settings live and breathe and bring the reader to that time and place. So, knowing that I was excited to dive into ‘Fear.’
While reading this, I thought of an essay Ronald had posted on Facebook. One of the things mentioned was that he found new books to often push past character development and plot setup in order to dive into the action and get right to the point. I can honestly say my own writing has done just that before, and he makes a valid point. It’s also one of the reasons we see older books typically 2-3x longer than new releases. I’m not going to consider novellas as part of this equation as the very nature of novellas is short and sweet.
Saying all of that was for a point. ‘Fear’ follows our young main character Jeb Sweeny, who lives in Mangum County. This is one county over from Fear County, where the laws of nature and man are different. Initially we get two plot points that start the story off. Jeb’s father Sam is slowwitted. He fought in WWII and suffered a brain injury which has resulted in a form of amnesia where he can’t remember anything. Jeb and Sam live with Jeb’s grandmother, a woman who is doing her best to care for her son and grandson, even as she is slowly felled by Cancer.
All of this comes to a head when a snake-like creature makes its way into the county and begins to slaughter animals and kidnap children.
From here, Kelly takes Jeb, Sam and an African American male named Roscoe into the heart of Fear County to try and fix the three issues in Jeb’s life.
While this book was released in 1994 originally, it is all too topical with the looks at race that are portrayed and Kelly has crafted some fantastic characters. As for the snake creature, these scenes themselves play out as some of the most frightening scenes I’ve ever read. It may be partly my life long obsession with snakes, but man did Kelly deliver when describing the events and the creature itself.
The foray into Fear County was fantastic and seeing the oddities that they encounter was fantastic and was a great look at the underbelly of the South. The language used is not PC in the least which elevated the tension and the truthness of the story. Without the specific uses of certain words, some of the scenes would’ve felt canned and flat.
One thing I will note – Kelly’s crafting of the characters and their back stories really made for some emotional kicks later on when bad things inevitably happened and there was a few times I felt myself getting close to tears.
What I didn’t like: Two minor things. I was a bit annoyed at how long the trip into Fear County took in terms of book real estate. The entire time I was thinking ‘GET BACK FASTER!’ You knew things were happening and that the snake creature was on the prowl. Just get back! Haha! The second thing was the continual gullibility of Jeb. He frequently walked into back situations and while at first it was just a character thing where he’s a young trusting kid, but by the 2nd and 3rd times you really began to want to give him a smack!
Why you should buy this: This novel was pretty close to perfection. We get solid back story, story arcs for each of the three main characters and resolution for all three of the narratives that we get introduced too. Along the way, we meet some great secondary characters and the events that occur all worked to ramp up each and every part of the story.
Ronald Kelly is truly a master at the craft and shows why he’s been in the game for as long as he has. He seems to have found a new gear as of late with his output, which bodes well for long time fans as well as those like myself who’ve just finally made the plunge.
5/5
