Shock Totem 11: Curious Tales of the Macabre and Twisted

by K. Allen Wood (Editor), Shock Totem, Josh Malerman

After a long hiatus, Shock Totem returns with its eleventh issue! Featuring previously unpublished fiction from Bird Box author Josh Malerman, Robert Ford, Natalia Theodoridou, Aaron Dries, and more. Micah Hyatt provides an infectious piece of poetry you won't soon forget, while horror favorite Chad Lutzke offers up a grim slice of narrative nonfiction, as well as an interview with legendary Henry Rollins.

Time has passed since the last issue of Shock Totem, but its time has not. Come see why they are billed as “...one of the strongest horror fiction magazines on the market today” (Hellnotes).

221 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 25, 2019

About the author

K. Allen Wood’s fiction has appeared in 52 Stitches, Vol. 2, The Zombie Feed, Vol. 1, Epitaphs: The Journal of New England Horror Writers, The Gate 2: 13 Tales of Isolation and Despair, Anthology: Year One and Year Two, as well as Appalachian Undead and its companion chapbook, Mountain Dead.

He is also the editor/publisher of Shock Totem, a bi-annual horror fiction magazine. He lives and plots in Massachusetts.

For more info, visit his website at www.kallenwood.com.

Reviews

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Getting a Paperwhite Kindle for Christmas (2019) has convinced me that digital reading can be quite amazing and convenient! I downloaded Issue 11 of Shock Totem as soon as I heard it was available.
* Notes from The Editor’s Desk (This was interesting-learning about the origins and purpose for this lit mag)
* The Fluids That Giveth and Those That Taketh, by Chad Stroup (Chad Stroup has been on my radar after reading his collaboration in the Chiral Mad4 anthology. This story proves that I definitely need to buy more-I like his weird/bizarro style.)
* His Hands, by Natalia Theodoridou (Natalia writes for a variety of publications and platforms. She has a unique storytelling voice that can lend itself to a variety of genres and genre mash-ups. A horror/sci-fi/dark fantasy flavor)
* Georgia on My Mind, by Robert Ford (This one made me feel my feelings! Anyone who has been married for quite some time dreads the idea of their partner's mind/memory failing them. A unique, emotional story about identity)
* Bird on a Wire, by Chad Lutzke (This one gave me the creeps)
* Our Gentleman of Blue Bay Massage, by Chris Kuriata
* Summertide, by Josh Malerman (Josh Malerman always delivers something unusual but in a package that is very "Malerman". He has a style that I have come to really enjoy. I love it when I find that he has a story in a magazine or anthology.)
* Strange Goods and Other Oddities (Reviews)
* Plague Rooster, by Micah Hyatt (Poetry) (2019 marks the year that I have found my love of poetry)
* The Dark Lord of Silk, by Brian Trent
* From “Family Man” to Renaissance Man: A Conversation with Henry Rollins, by Chad Lutzke
* Ichthyosis, by Pierce Skinner
* Mastectomy Scars, by Mark Matthews (trigger warnings: suicide. An emotional, gut-wrenching story that I felt was an amazing companion piece to Aaron Dries' story at the end.)
* In the Field Where the Fireflies Glow, by Trevor Firetog
* Damage, Inc., by Aaron Dries (More confirmation that Aaron Dries is at the top of his game right now. This story will stay in my memory for a long time--it felt both timeless and futuristic. Trigger warnings: suicide)
* Howling Through the Keyhole (Author Notes)

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mixed bag of meh (only a few) and really excellent (the majority). I’ve definitely added some authors to my TBR after reading this anthology. Aaron Dries FTW!

[Aiden Merchant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much of this collection was so-so for me, but Mark Matthews has a great entry, as does Aaron Dries. In fact, "Damage Inc." was the reason I decided to get this issue of ShockTotem. If I were to score this magazine on just those two stories, then it would probably receive a 4.5 out of 5. But that's not the case. Nevertheless, I love that this magazine is so damn packed with stories (along with author notes at the end). I will have to check out their back issues now.

[Jordan Whitlock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would consider this either the longest magazine ever, or a very short anthology. Either way, you are getting your moneys worth and more here.
This is my first time reading a SHOCK TOTEM magazine and it's easy to say, this one rocked. Not one bad story in the entire magazine. Some favorites:
THE FLUIDS THAT GIVETH AND THOSE THAT TAKETH: Loved this one and feel like Chad Stroup should go ahead and extend this one into a novel. Lots of weird, odd characters in this one I wanted to learn more about.
BIRDS ON A WIRE: This was a really short story but it packed a punch. I got so much out of it I couldn't believe it was only 3 pages. Great story.
SUMMERTIDE: An original story by Josh Malerman is the reason I gave this magazine a shot. And this story was worth it by itself. Never in my life, did I imagine phone sex could be scary. My co-workers sometimes get a laugh from forwarding phone sex hotlines to my desk. It's no longer gonna be funny! Best story I've read this year, and though it's short, I felt like it could have fit right in with Stephen King's Night Shift collection.
GEORGIA ON MY MIND: Mind blowing good
DAMAGES: Another great story you just have to read.
I feel like I should mention all of the stories. Not a bad one in here. The only mishap would be the interview with Henry Rollins. And it's only 3 pages long. I still don't know much about the guy and after reading, it felt like he knew nothing about horror so why be in a horror magazine. I'm honestly only even mentioning this because it was so bad it was comical. I laughed wondering why this guy who seems to not like horror is in a horror mag!

[Chris Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to find literary dark fiction magazines as good as Shock Totem. There are many close contenders, of course, (including the since discontinued Underground Voices, which had previously published works in the same vain as ST). That said, Shock Totem, in my opinion, is a vastly underappreciated and overlooked publication in the small press industry. Why they haven't won any awards (since last I checked) is a baffling mystery. I'm not sure they've even been nominated. Between the content, artwork, and excellent editing, I would think this publisher would be headlining the scene--that is, of course, before they went on hiatus.

But it seems now they're back, and thank God for that. Shock Totem never fails to impress, and this issue is just as solid as previous ones. What I like best about this publisher is he isn't afraid to "shock" his readers with gritty, raw or refined talent. I also appreciate their ongoing "Strange Goods and Other Oddities" editorial, which they have in I believe every issue (although it would be nice if this column branched out a little from what it typically reviews--music, books, and movies, mostly.) I also like the "Howling Through the Keyhole", as it's always interesting to see what other writers have going through their deranged heads.

This issue is top shelf, and worth every penny. I do hope Shock Totem sticks around, and will be eager to buy their next one. Fingers fully crossed.