Attack From the '80s

by Eugene Johnson (Editor), Mick Garris (Introduction), Weston Ochse

Modern technology has brought some new twists and turns to horror. Found footage, cell phone-based viruses, literal ghosts in the machines but maybe it's time for a throwback. It's time for some new tales of slumber party horrors, VCR monsters, and problems that can't be solved with a smart phone. We want tales of unstoppable monsters, sewer-dwelling creatures, looming threats of cold-war chaos. Give us fear under the neon lights of an arcade, people fighting for their lives against the backdrop of a hot city night and a cheesy sax solo. Take us back to a time when latchkey kids had to fend for themselves and the only thing left to stop an unspeakable horror was a plucky band of high school kids. Make it bloody. Make it gnarly. Make it 80s!

Featuring over 20 Bram Stoker Award-winning and best selling authors such as Joe R. Lansdale, Kasey Lansdale, Weston Ochse, Lisa Morton, Grady Hendrix, Tim Waggoner, Christina Sng, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Jess Landry, Vince Liaguno, F. Paul Wilson, John Skipp, Linda D. Addison, and many more.

Table of Contents:
Introduction by Mick Garris.
Top Guns of the Frontier by Weston Ochse.
Snapshot by Joe R. Lansdale and Kasey Lansdale.
The Devil in the Details by Ben Monroe.
Return of the Reanimated Nightmare by Linda Addison.
Taking the Night Train by Thomas F. Monteleone.
Catastrophe Queens by Jess Landry.
Your Picture Here by John Skipp.
Permanent Damage by Lee Murray.
Slashbacks by Tim Waggoner.
Munchies by Lucy A. Snyder.
Ten Miles of Bad Road by Stephen Graham Jones.
Epoch, Rewound by Vince A. Liaguno.
Demonic Denizens by Cullen Bunn.
The White Room by Rena Mason.
Ghetto Blaster by Jeff Strand.
Haddonfield, New Jersey 1980 by Cindy O'Quinn.
When He Was Fab by F. Paul Wilson.
Welcome to Hell by Christina Sng.
Perspective: Journal of a 1980s Mad Man by Mort Castle.
Mother Knows Best by Stephanie M. Wytovich.
Stranger Danger by Grady Hendrix.
The Garden of Dr. Moreau by Lisa Morton.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Anthologies, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror Thriller

266 pages, Hardcover

Published November 9, 2021

Reviews

[Irene Well Worth A Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the 80s, horror reigned supreme, and this anthology takes us back to those glorious days of spiral perms, leg warmers, and needing to stop at a pay phone if you had to call for help because who ever heard of a phone that fits in your pocket? Some of these stories have tickled my funny bone, others made me squirm with repulsion while others did a great job of raising some goosebumps.

This book recreates the fear of razor blades in your Halloween goodies, curses, Satanists and all the other spooktacular fun from back in the day. Whether you long to return to the 80s or whether you were too young and missed out on that decade there is lots of creepy fun to be had.

Some of my many favorites were Snapshot in which a couple of burglars try to do the right thing for a change but no good deed goes unpunished. Your Picture Here, about an unusual date night at the movies. Permanent Damage about friends (or frenemies) preparing for a wedding. Slashbacks about a very unique video store. and Ghetto Blaster, about a cursed boom box and Stranger Danger, which concerns the aforementioned razor blades on Halloween.


My thanks to Cemetery Dance Publications for the review copy.

[Icy_Space_Cobwebs Join the Penguin Resistance! · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of us are children of the 80's. Others, older, remember the conservative Reagan Era, Nancy Reagan's famous directive "Just Say No," and "trickle-down Reaganomics." Those in adolescence or 20"s celebrate the era of The Slasher Film and its moral imperatives (unmarried intimacy results in violent demise and the Black Guy always dies first] and the introduction of the Final Girl trope.


But there was much more of value in the 80's: an eruption of high quality Horror Fiction, including female authors and "Splatterpunk," like an active volcano spewing lava. This finely crafted and curated collection honoring the infamous 1980's provides hours of reading entertainment (and memories).
Whether you lived that era, or know it only as history, leap in and dig deep.

[Geneve Flynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lurching from one blood-soaked, balls-to-the-wall, fevered dream to the next, Attack from the ’80s is a righteous homage to one of the greatest decades in horror. Its pages are packed with works from some of the best writers from today, and from the era.

While all the stories are totally bodacious, there were a few that made my electric-blue-eyelinered little heart sing.

“Catastrophe Queens” by Jess Landry sends you head-first into B-Grade horror movie territory, and you bet your legwarmers that you’d better hit the ground running. With two kickass queens slashing and bashing their way through a bizarre horde of the reanimated, Landry’s story is a lurid joy to read.

Want big hair, bigger shoulder pads, and bitchy bridesmaids? Lee Murray’s “Permanent Damage” has it all. Outrageously good fun.

Lucy A. Snyder’s story “Munchies” is a glittering romp through the Reagan Era. The climax is so triumphant, you’ll be singing along with the heroes and heroines by the end.

“Ten Miles of Bad Road” by Stephen Graham Jones is a leather-jacketed, ripped-jeans tribute to rock. Who hasn’t imagined themselves backlit in an MTV video, with wailing guitar riffs and feel-it-in-your-chest drum solos?

“Stranger Danger” by Grady Hendrix delivers the chilling nostalgia of Halloween in the ’80s, where kids were let loose with half-assed costumes, and no supervision other than “Be back by nine.” Creepy, ghoulish, sugar-fueled weirdness…just what trick or treating should be.

Lisa Morton’s story “The Garden of Dr. Moreau” brings to mind the eeriness of The Day of the Triffids. You’ll never look at a veggie burger the same way.

If you’re in the mood for demonic forces, cursed items, serial killers, gore-tastic cinema, and more, sneak this book under the covers and read it by failing torchlight. You won’t regret it.

[Joel Sundquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was to DIE FOR. As cliché as that is. Whatever. I like clichés.

This book has a great range of stories from the time of the 80's and I had a BLAST reading it. Stories in places from Junkyards to movie sets to the streets on a Halloween night.

The neon colors and fluffy hair really shows itself in this book. I can feel it when I read it. The two stories that begin this collection start it off with a BANG. Top Guns and Snapshot are devilishly fun and gruesome stories. Some of my favorite authors are in here --such as Grady Hendrix with a little Halloween tale, the ending of which floored me -- to Jeff Strand with a cursed boombox that sticks to your face. Stephanie Wytovich's story I knew would be intense because I know her work, and lordy was it ever.

You will have fun and laugh, you will be disgusted, but by the end you will sigh in relief because you are proud that you finished this book without becoming too deranged...maybe. I would tell anyone to read this book. If you have any love of horror, or the 80's, this is it, my hair-metal, neonspandex-laden friends. It's a riot.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let’s face it. Eugene Johnson has the Midas touch. I can’t think of a project where he was at the helm that didn’t blow me away in terms of both content and writing style, and his latest release, Attack from the 80s, is no exception...

Read the rest of the 5-star review on Ginger Nuts of Horror

[Yolanda Sfetsos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly, I want to thank Erin Sweet Al-Mehairi and Raw Dog Screaming Press for sending me an eBook copy of this 80s-inspired horror anthology with a very rad cover!

Here are my thoughts about each story:

TOP GUNS OF THE FRONTIER by Weston Ochse: What a clever little tale about two boys obsessed with Top Gun who find themselves on their very own dark adventure. One that shaped their futures. Creepy concept and great imagery.

SNAPSHOT by Joe R. Lansdale & Kasey Lansdale: Yikes! Didn't expect this tale of thieves to descend into bloody and sadistic violence so quickly. Liked the twist ending.

THE DEVIL IN THE DETAILS by Ben Monroe: A very interesting take on the satanic panic that swept through the 80s. Also, this tale definitely felt like it could've been written during that decade because it captured the musical, attitude and vibes of that period perfectly. Not to mention how well the horror aspect fit.

RETURN OF THE REANIMATED NIGHTMARE by Lisa Addison: The first poem was okay.

TAKING THE NIGHT TRAIN by Thomas F. Monteleone: I enjoyed this very peculiar story about the mostly unseen Ralphie and what he discovers during his adventures in the New York subway.

CATASTROPHE QUEENS by Jess Landry: Well, that turned out to be a total riot! Loved this one because it was SO MUCH FUN and made me laugh several times. Of course, it's also creepy and twists a bunch of 80s tropes into awesome twists and turns.

YOUR PICTURE HERE by John Skipp: I found this one quite ridiculous and vulgar, which I suppose was the desired effect. Either way, I was lukewarm about this bizarre tribute to Basket Case.

PERMANENT DAMAGE by Lee Murray: OMG. What a blast of a story! I had my hair permed twice during the late 80s/early 90s so this story of hair mayhem really appealed to me. And the way things turned out was totally cool, too. Plus fiery. Lotsa fun!

SLASHBACKS by Tim Waggoner: A very interesting and well written story about an adult horror fan forever ridiculed for loving the genre and what happens one rainy night when he stumbles on a strange video store.

MUNCHIES by Lucy A. Snyder: This turned out to be a hilarious and super fun story about a rampaging Republican monster (seriously) that attacks a town. But there's also a sad message behind it too. Really enjoyed this!

TEN MILES OF BAD ROAD by Stephen Graham Jones: Really enjoyed this feverish story about a guy so lost in thoughts of starring in his own metal music video that he actually gets lost in a very creepy junkyard.

EPOCH, REWOUND by Vince A. Liaguno: Very clever poem that captured the essence of the 80s via some very cool pop culture, movie and music references.

DEMONIC DENIZENS by Cullen Bunn: A short and fast story about D&D kids at camp playing a different, much darker kind of game with real consequences.

THE WHITE ROOM by Rena Mason: I have to admit that I couldn't get into this one. The writing style was too head-hoppy for me and the story wasn't that interesting. The imagery at the end was cool, though.

GHETTO BLASTER by Jeff Strand: Not a fan of this one.

HADDONFIELD, NEW JERSEY 1980 by Cindy O'Quinn: Interesting and nicely written.

WHEN HE WAS FAB by F. Paul Wilson: Couldn't get into this story.

WELCOME TO HELL by Christina Sng: Such a fantastic poem that turns some very familiar monsters in very cool and unique ways. Loved this!

PERSPECTIVE: JOURNAL OF A 1980s MAD MAN by Mort Castle: Nope. Didn't like this one.

MOTHER KNOWS BEST by Stephanie M. Wytovich: Wow. This is such a fantastic story. It's violent and creepy, full of bloody and nightmarish imagery that sent me on a surreal feverish dream I didn't wake up from until the last word. Memorable story.

STRANGER DANGER by Grady Hendrix: I was excited to read this because I love all the Grady Hendrix books I've read. But this short story was a bit silly and I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

THE GARDEN OF DR. MOREAU by Lisa Morton: Really liked this clever story set in 1984 featuring a very familiar name and a creepy, totally nightmarish situation. I mean, even when you're trying to help, sometimes you actually make everything worse. 😬


Attack from the 80s is a super fun and nostalgic anthology full of dark tales set during a period when the world was awesome but at the same time was on a constant state of change and upheaval. A time when horror movies were available in your own home at any time of the day or night. Trust me, I lived it. 😁

The writing was great and the stories range from horrific and serious, to freaky and hilarious.

This book contains a lot of talented authors and is guaranteed to satisfy both horror and 80s fans.

[D.K. Hundt]

This Anthology Hits Home As I Float On All The Nostalgic Feels…

ATTACK FROM THE ’80s – Edited by Bram Stoker Award Winner Eugene Johnson

‘Many of those authors who came of age in the eighties are to be found in this fine collection. Though most of the stories within these pages are not from the eighties, they are most definitely of the eighties. This literary time machine will transport you to a time when we discovered that horror was never meant to be comfortable.’

‘Top Guns of the Frontier’ – by Weston Ochse

If you have read the About Me page on my blog, then you know the movie TOP GUN (In 1986—like the main characters hard in this short, I was also fifteen) holds a special place in my heart and why; though I won’t reveal it here, I will say:

Ochse does an excellent job of blending aspects of the film TOP GUN with Mythological Horror in the short story, ‘Top Guns of the Frontier.’

Here’s A Snippet:

‘We’d never wanted to join the military, but then when we’d seen Top Gun last weekend at Eastgate Mall, we could think of nothing else. We all wanted to be Maverick… I mean, who wanted to be Goose? He died. We wanted to best Iceman so we could punish him for killing Goose. We memorized the song “Loving Feeling” and planned on using it when we were old enough to go into bars, which was a crazy three years after we’d become old enough to kill people, which was another three years away for us.’

‘In the meantime, Doug said that we needed to practice. Not practice killing people, but in shooting, and in Signal Mountain, Tennessee, there was plenty enough to shoot.’

This line made me laugh:

‘I was transfixed by her standing beside the creature. She was like a Pippi Longstocking of the Evil Forest…’

Snapshot - by JOE R. LANSDALE AND KASEY LANSDALE – That Was Creepy Good! I love the ending!

‘“The Snapshot Burglars have struck again, making themselves known to their unsuspecting victims by sending Polaroid pictures of stolen items to said persons following the incident.”’


The Devil in the Details BEN MONROE – That Was Creepy Good!

‘He’d wanted to study music at UCLA, but his parents wouldn’t have anything to do with it. His dad thought music was a waste of time, and his mom thought the rock music Tom loved was the tool of the devil. “You keep playing that rock and roll, and you’ll wind up in the hot place, Tommy!” she used to scold him.’

Return of the Reanimated Nightmare – by LINDA ADDISON

‘“We, the Children of the Deadly Night / Creeping Day / demand to be worshipped and feared again / we need you to be our Hand in their nightmares …”’

Due to recent events regarding the following author whose short story appears next, I have decided not to continue reading and reviewing this Anthology. To promote the book in its entirety would be promoting him as well, and I refuse to do that.

Monteleone

DNF – 23%

Date Of Release – 02/23/2022.

Thank you, RDSP, for providing me with an eBook of ATTACK FROM THE ’80s at the request of an honest review.

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Video Review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0rFS...

Bram Stoker Award winning Editor Eugene Johnson allows us to hang on to that 80’s nostalgia feel a little longer with “Attack From The 80’s.”

Eugene and Raw Dog Screaming Press has compiled a list of heavy hitters. Who wouldn’t want a collection with Joe R. Lansdale teaming up with his daughter Kasey, John Skipp, Lee Murray, Jeff Strand, Stephen Graham Jones, Tim Waggoner? I could go on and on about this all-star cast, but it’s best if you just pick up a copy and see for yourself…and thank me later.

We have a wide variety of writers giving us their nostalgic horror feels. Let’s face it, the 80’s were weird. We can look back and say that now. Before cell-phones we had pay-phones. Before dvd’s and streaming, we had VCR’s always blinking 12:00. That still gives me nightmares.

Twenty unique stories bringing us the 80’s. Complete with grainy picture you always got when the VCR needed to be cleaned. That is how I read each story. As they played out in my mind, they were grainy, and every now and then I would have to adjust the tracking.

When you read each story, look deeper. Just a suggestion. Look deeper than the 80’s references. Cassette tapes, Pay Phone, rotary phones, only a handful of channels. The references are great, but there is so much more to each story.

We find people getting their memory wiped clean. We get a wedding from hell. We find a little naughtiness with BDSM. We even have bad guys trying to do something right for a change, only to be punished. We get a lot of darkness through the collection. So just remember, the 80’s nostalgia is fun on the surface, but the real treat is the meat and bones of the stories.

And if you’re anything like me, well first, that is a bit scary, but also you will appreciate a lot of the tongue-in-cheek humor that is mixed through this collection.

Attack From The 80’s is a mixed bag of goodies, the kind of goodies you’re told not to take from strangers, until of course you realize these goodies will give you instant gratification. Attack From The 80’s plays out like a virtual horror film. It takes you back to a time of puffy hair, shoulder pads and spandex, while you are being chased by the bad guy or you’re trying to save the day.

Don’t get used to the bright clashing colors of your 80’s clothes. They will soon be covered with blood. Lotsa blood. Well of course. You’re about to relive the Satanic Panic.

You can’t go wrong with this horror ride. But not everyone will survive. This is “Attack From The 80’s” edited by Eugene Johnson, and released by Raw Dog Screaming Press.

[David Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

An anthology of short stories inspired by ’80s horror? Yes, please!

For fans of the genre, the ’80s were ripe—make that festering—with horror, and the 22 authors included here enthusiastically embrace the decade. This book is a rich, bloody stew of pop culture references, not just horror of the time but literally all of popular culture. The authors clearly looked at the subject as a challenge, and they pull out all the stops. There’s an unbridled, anarchic joy in the way they attack and subvert various tropes, finding new ways to go for the jugular. Editor Eugene Johnson has a great eye—this is a unified, cohesive collection.

Some of these stories are chilling, some downright scary, and a few funny in an I can’t believe they went there way. Nearly all of them are over the top, in the best way.

Some of my favorites:

Snapshot by Joe R. Lansdale and Kasey Lansdale. Seeing Lansdale in any TOC is always cause for celebration, and working with his daughter here, they deliver.

Ten Miles of Bad Road by Stephen Graham Jones. Typical Jones, which means this story kicks ass.

Stranger Danger by Grady Hendrix. Hendrix is always fun and inventive, and I loved this one.

Your Picture Here by John Skipp. One question for Skipp—Are you okay? This story is all kinds of WTF.

Mother Knows Best by Stephanie M. Wytovich. I wasn’t familiar with Wytovich, but wow, this burrowed beneath my skin like rusty fishhooks.

Perspective: Journal of a 1980s Mad Man by Mort Castle. Possibly the most ’80s of all these ’80s inspired stories, and it’s a rollercoaster ride with half the track collapsed.

Those are my favorites, but every story (and a couple of poems) here hit their mark. I also want to mention that the introduction by author Mick Garris, himself no stranger to horror and popular culture, is an excellent overview of what’s to come.

Thank you, Mr. Johnson, for bringing me back to the ’80s in such a fun, if blood-drenched, way.

[Katelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok so first off - I am not a fan of horror but a lot of my friends are, so I've been exposed to a few different "tricks of the trade" throughout the years in visual and written formats. I actually really enjoyed a few of the stories in this collection! Altogether they made a great thematic group - 80s horror vibe - complete with camp, overt references to the time period. I think there's probably something for everyone in here.

Personal faves (no particular order, but the frontier one probably was my overall top pick):
- "Top Guns of the Frontier"
- "Catastrophe Queens"
- "Permanent Damage"
- "Munchies"
- "When He Was Fab"
- "Welcome to Hell"
- "Stranger Danger"
- "The Garden of Dr. Moreau"

[Cindy O’Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Attack From the 80’s — The title alone let’s you know it’s going to be a blast! The 80’s were full of good times and horror! Just glimpse the line up of writers and make note of the current Grand Master/Linda D. Addison, Lee Murray, Joe R. & Kasey Lansdale, John Skipp, Lucy A. Snyder, Lisa Morton, & Stephen Graham Jones. And that’s just naming a few! This book is full of everything that made the 80’s memorable! Stories like “Your Picture Here”, “Ten Miles of Bad Road”, “Stranger Danger”, & dark poetry such as “Epoch Rewound” & “Welcome to Hell”. The entire book is great! I have work in this, so I’m not including myself. Would definitely recommend!!

[Lisa Pineo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy reading these short fiction anthologies because it helps me find new authors to seek out. I had already read a few of these writers before but most were new to me. Overall, I really liked the book. I'm more likely to love a story with real world horror than fantasy or scifi but even with those there were a few standouts (humor definitely helped). While I am a reader (and writer) of poetry I can't say I really like any of the poems included. As I grew up in the 80s it was cool to have everything placed there. No cell phones, internet, DNA use...just big hair, colorful clothes and evil minds.

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of these stories feel like first drafts. Where was the editor? Typos, run-on sentences, amateurish prose, the list goes on. Even veteran writer Joe Lansdale's entry feels slapdash. (He wrote it with his daughter, so maybe she was responsible for the bulk of it.) Some of the stories I enjoyed for their fun premises give off the feeling that, if you were to ask the authors about the work that inspires them, they would say, "I don't have time to read. I'm mostly influenced by TV and movies." I'm talking Wattpad quality here.

A number of the stories don't even feel '80s specific. I'm not saying that I expected every story to have Swatch-watch-clad characters talk about the Challenger explosion while Big Sis demands that they stop playing Super Mario Brothers so she can watch hair metal on MTV, but you'd expect some kind of specificity from every entry: tropes, themes, subgenres, plot devices, environments, character types, atmosphere or even just vibes endemic to '80s horror. Some stories have absolutely no sense of time or place whatsoever and might have been included in any horror collection. Is there even a single slasher-themed story? I can't check because I already returned the book to the library, but I don't remember any masked killers stalking suburban streets. I don't even like slashers that much, but it seems weird to put together a collection celebrating that era and ignoring its most popular output.

Oh hell. Let's go story by story.

"Top Guns of the Frontier" by Weston Ochse: Weaves a popular summer blockbuster into its story of kids discovering a monstrous secret in a moonshine still. Sort of interesting but never really nails that backwoods flavor you want from it. 3/5

"Snapshot" by Joe R. Lansdale and Kasey Lansdale: Has the trademark Lansdale brutality, but structurally it feels pretty rote. Lansdale's dialogue is usually whip-crack punchy, but it's bland here. 3.5/5

"The Devil in the Details" by Ben Monroe: I enjoyed the LA setting more than anything else about this story, which lacks an interesting hook to tie its disparate ideas together. 3/5

[Skipping the poems because I didn't care about any of them, just laundry lists of tropes.]

"Taking the Night Train" by Thomas F. Monteleone: "People in the city just don't care about each other" is Lazy Nihilism 101. The subway setting gives some Clive Barker intrigue. Apparently this author thinks POC authors don't deserve to win horror awards? So I'm not comfortable rating this one.

"Catastrophe Queens" by Jess Landry: I think this is the one where toxic sludge turns inanimate objects on a film set--props, costumes--into zombies? Fun enough, but it has that Wattpad prose I was talking about. 4/5

"Your Picture Here" by John Skipp: I guess this is fun if you're a big fan of the movie Basket Case. I think fictional stories based around other fictional stories (what if X iconic genre novel/film was actually based on a true story??) is usually a really boring and redundant approach, propping up one fake thing on top of a different fake thing. You have to do something with it other than just reiterating the story you're referencing. Shadow of the Vampire is the right way to do something like this. This story is dull. 1.5/5

"Permanent Damage" by Lee Murray: I don't like it when authors create irritating characters just to make their protagonist look better. This story of bridesmaids being unable to let go of their personal enmity even while the bride is turning into a literal monster is supposed to be funny, but it just comes across as catty and superior in a "not like other girls" kind of way. 1/5

"Slashbacks" by Tim Waggoner: The premise--a strange video store peddling VHS tapes that seem to tie into the main character's traumatic memories--is really good, but it's another one that is undone by the indistinct writing style and the lack of imagination in its execution. 1.5/5

"Munchies" by Lucy A. Snyder: One of the best stories in the collection, taking on the adversity between '80s conservatives and the LGBTQ+ population with outlandish humor. I wish it was just a bit more polished. 4.5/5

"Ten Miles of Bad Road" by Stephen Graham Jones: A cruel boy who fancies himself a prospective rock star finds himself at the center of a music video nightmare as he gets lost in a junkyard. Mixed feelings on this one. I like the idea of exploring how the narratives we create for ourselves can be used to let ourselves off the hook for our bad behavior, but I don't think the story examines this theme all that well. It comes across as a weird condemnation of rock and roll music for turning well-meaning, clean-cut kids into juvenile delinquents--maybe there was some satire that I missed? 2.5/5

"Demon Denizens" by Cullen Bunn: Again, what is this story trying to say? D&D-playing kids at camp are ostracized by their peers and counselors because Satanic Panic, but then it turns out that tabletop games are, in fact, a gateway to the occult. Is this weirdly conservative messaging a "throwback" to '80s horror storytelling, or do the authors just believe it? This one comes across more like there was just no thought put into the theme. 3/5

"The White Room" By Rena Mason: Seems like more of a twist on the torture porn of the 2000s than anything that was happening in horror in the '80s. Again, intriguing, but underbaked. 2/5

"Ghetto Blaster" by Jeff Strand: I have mixed feelings on this one. It's like reading fan fiction from a thirteen-year-old in that it captures something real and raw without being able to articulate it all that well. The writing summarizes events more than it portrays them, if that makes sense. There are occasional bursts of inspiration that make me think this author could be special if he hones his craft. 3.5/5

"When He Was Fab" by F. Paul Wilson: I started the audiobook for the first Repairman Jack novel a few years ago--that's a cult series that I remember being recommended endlessly in the back issues of Fangoria I collected as a teen--but kept losing interest. This story, however, is great, though it's really more melancholic than frightening. What would you do to become an ideal version of yourself? It's a weirdly touching story. 5/5

"Perspective: Journal of a 1980s Madman" by Mort Castle: A darkly funny story examining the sordid underbelly of a decade that is often painted as idyllic, narrated by a madman who justifies his murder spree by comparing it to the backdrop of greed and materialism that ruled the Reagan era. Again, though, where was the editor? The story seems to be a contemporary account that ends with a prediction of how great the '90s will be, implying that it is being written in real time by the narrator, but out of nowhere there's a reference to the Las Vegas mass shooting of 2017. Shouldn't somebody along the way have caught this? 4.5/5

"Mother Knows Best" by Stephanie M. Wytovich: Feels more suited to a #metoo-themed horror collection, although I guess the "woman taking revenge" genre was around in the '80s with Ms. 45 etc. 2.5/5

"Stranger Danger" by Grady Hendrix: I've really soured on this guy's novels, with his obnoxious characters and his obsessive need to prove that he's on the "right side of history" getting in the way of his storytelling, but I did enjoy this entry that uses the "razor blade in the apple" urban legend as a central motif. Biggest downside is that the ending feels rushed and not entirely earned. 4/5

"The Garden of Doctor Moreau" by Lisa Morton: Doesn't feel '80s at all to me. But it's not bad. I wish it had savored the deliciousness of its protagonist's moral ambivalence a bit more instead of just using it as a means to keep the story going past its natural conclusion. 3/5

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid collection filled with high-quality stories as well as some poems, a few of which are worth reading. Some of the highlights came from the usual suspects whereas some disappointed with lackluster entries. For those trying to decide between print and digital editions, the illustrations included in the print edition were sometimes atmospheric and interesting, but there are few of them, and about half are totally pointless sketches. Go with digital unless you love the cover art as much as I do. Individual ratings below:

"Yin and Yang: The Eighties" by Mick Garris: 2/5 - this messy intro is an unfortunate opening to the collection, serving more than anything else to confuse the reader about the nature of the stories they're about to read."


"Top Guns of the Frontier" by Weston Ochse: 5/5 - An epic in miniature that I wish were expanded into a full length novel. Steeped in metaphor and symbolism, the story resembles King's "The Body" in lyrical description and character depth, John Langan in lingering dread and imaginative lore. Two kids who love the movie Top Gun investigate the local moonshine still, which turns out to be more than they expect."
March 30, 2023 – Shelved as: horror-anthologies

"Snapshot" by Joe R. Lansdale and Kasey Lansdale: 4/5 - a tightly woven yarn of two burglars who end up in the wrong house. Creative and vividly described."

"The Devil in the Details" by Ben Monroe: 4/5 - a young woman falls in with a sinister crowd, luring her boyfriend to his doom in a darkly ironic perspective on the Satanic Panic phenomenon. Good pacing and character depth, fun resolution."

"Return of the Reanimated Nightmare" by Linda Addison: 4/5 - in terms of horror poetry, this might be the best I've ever read. There's a bit of a story to it, and it's stylish and original in its presentation. I don't know why it needs to be poetry instead of flash fiction, but I like it."

"Taking the Night Train" by Thomas F. Monteleone: 4/5 - a mistreated man with a disability notices an abandoned station on the tracks while taking the subway to work. When his curiosity gets the better of him, he visits the station to find a portal to hell. These abstract train-ride-to-hell stories are re-imagined by countless authors. I'm never sure what the point is, but this one, at least, is vivid and interesting"

"Catastrophe Queens" by Jess Landry: 4/5 - the last line of this story is oddly emblematic: "Fuck if I know." I laughed out loud many times while reading this, and I can say for sure that it's the most bizarre story I've ever read, but in a good way. You can tell the author had a "hell" of a good time writing it, and even if the internal logic doesn't hold up and some of the action is impossible, it's so much fun."

"Your Picture Here" by John Skipp: 4/5 - a thoroughly disturbing but fun descent into the seedy side of New York City night life, in which a peep show dancer escorts a friend to the movies, only to find that the movie features real-life characters from the surrounding neighborhood."

"Permanent Damage" by Lee Murray: 2/5 - an 80s bridezilla becomes somewhat literal in this wedding rehearsal/prep story. Fun to imagine, but doesn't make much sense or have any meaning."



"Slashbacks" by Tim Waggoner: 5/5 - a semi-facetious take on the flashback mechanic, this story of a grown up fanboy whose family and loved ones always discouraged his love of horror encountering a unique video store that specializes in his favorite genre's films, is an irresistible fantasy escape that will be like candy to anyone who fondly remembers browsing the shelves for the scariest VHS cover."

"Munchies" by Lucy A. Snyder: 3/5 - Nancy Reagan eats brownies laced with THC and grows to monstrous proportions."

"Ten Miles of Bad Road" by Stephen Graham Jones: 1/5 - a very surprising weak point in the collection, this story about a kid in a junk yard being cruel to animals is difficult to understand because it's abstract. I kept waiting for the old SGJ charm, but it never arrived. So short, the cruelty scenes end up being longer than the character's suffering, none of which is scary. I guess nobody bats a thousand."

"Epoch, Rewound" by Vince A. Liaguno: 2/5 - a standard entry for horror poetry, this one is a sort of wikisummary of 1980s references that seem to imply a changing of the guard, changing times, something like that. Nostalgic, but probably not worth a lot of analysis."

"Demon Denizens" by Cullen Bunn: 3/5 - this story closely resembles the plot of the movie 13 Demons in which a group of D&D-devoted outcasts lose themselves in a new game which seems, to them, to transport them into another dimension where the game is real. This one was vivid because of the summer camp setting, but very little effort was put into establishing character, logic or meaning."

"The White Room" By Rena Mason: 2/ 5 - the phone-ins just keep coming with this very short story of a rich man who feels the need to be physically mutilated to achieve normality. Catchy intro with an amusing but totally pointless, throwaway ending that adds no meaning to the unpleasant snapshot. Valuable mostly for its reference to Max Headroom, with whom I was unfamiliar before reading this."

"Ghetto Blaster" by Jeff Strand: 5/5 - Strand to the rescue! Shorter than any preceding story, but suffused with the trademark Strand flippancy as he describes an 80s youth who plays DJ for everyone around him, blasting music egotistically from his boombox. He's self-righteous about the practice until he comes upon a secondhand store whose proprietor has a product in stock meant just for him."

"Haddonfield, New Jersey, 1980" by Cindy O'Quinn: 2/5 - I was really hoping this would be some kind of Michael Myers/Laurie Strode based story, but instead it's just another almost-poem flash-whatever describing a murderer who vaguely references the Halloween plotline. Mostly incoherent."

"When He Was Fab" by F. Paul Wilson: 5/5 - a triumph of horror that admittedly is only tangentially related to the 80s theme, but is otherwise a fantastic diversion into the life of a man who desperately needs a change of routine, and instead enjoys an unbelievable change of identity which fades all too quickly."

"Welcome to Hell" by Christina Sing: 3/5 - this poem is another sort of list of references tied together with a little personal meaning at the end. It's well structured and clear about what it's saying, evocative."

"Perspective: Journal of a 1980s Madman" by Mort Castle: 5/5 - this really should be called Retrospective, for its mostly sequential list of horrific happenings contrasted against the progress of politics and culture in society. It makes it's point artfully and elegantly while being entertaining and thoroughly 80s."

"Mother Knows Best" by Stephanie M. Wytovich: 2/5 - a girl suffering a lifetime of abuse finally snaps when her mother is beaten by her boyfriend and for no apparent reason decides to mutilate her daughter. Not very 80s, not very convincing, not very good."

"Stranger Danger" by Grady Hendrix: 4/5 - much like a mash-up of some of the stories in Neil Marshall's 10-part anthology Tales of Halloween. The title is relevant in that a child disappears into a white van, in this story, however, he does so willingly. Dark, vivid and scary. A great one to read for Fall/October and better than the average Hendrix."

"The Garden of Doctor Moreau" by Lisa Morton: 4/5 - this reimagining of Moreau and Montgomery portrays both as women working in a university campus botany department. Their experiments behave in unexpected ways that would haunt any vegetarian. A solid ending to the collection and another reason to notice Morton."

[Emily Haynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chilling tales that take you to scary places. Trick or Treating becomes dangerous. A house that seems empty.

[Marina Garrido · Rating 4 out of 5]

Attack from the ’80s
Eugene Johnson (editor)
Raw Dog Screaming Press
⅘ Stars

Horror anthologies are one of my favorite types of books and, although I haven’t read many of them in 2021, the ones I did read have not disappointed. Attack from the ‘80s is composed of twenty two short stories, each one by a different author, that results in tales that vary greatly in tone, pace and style. The editor, Eugene Johson, did a great job with the order in which the stories are presented, the strongest were put at the beginning and at the end, ensuring that the reader will be hooked from the first tale and that their last impression of the book will be positive. The stories are not only set in the eighties, but also have cultural staples of the time as central elements such as kids receiving apples with razor blades in them during Halloween, video stores, hair perms, polaroid cameras, Dungeons & Dragons, president Reagan, and many more. I was born in ‘98 and, therefore, my knowledge of the eighties is limited to pop culture and my parents' accounts of their experiences, however, I do feel confident saying that this anthology managed to encapsulate well the essence of the ‘80s.

Although I’m giving this collection an overall four out of five stars, I didn’t enjoy the majority of the stories, only about half of them. The reason for the high rating is that those ten tales that I did enjoy were incredible, furthermore, the ones I didn’t like weren’t badly written, they simply didn’t cater to my particular tastes. For example, there are a couple of poems in this anthology, a werewolf story and a zombie story, all themes/formats that I strongly dislike regardless of the plot or writing style. The stories that stood out to me and that I can’t recommend enough were: Top Guns of the Frontier by Weston Ochse, Snapshot by Joe R. Lansdale and Kelly Lansdale, Permanent Damage by Lee Murray, Slashbacks by Tim Waggoner, Demonic Denizens by Cullen Bunn, Perspective: Journal of a 1980s Mad Man by Mort Castle, Stranger Danger by Grady Hendrix, and, The Garden of Dr. Moreau by Lisa Morton. In all honesty, even if I had hated all the other fourteen stories, this still would’ve been four stars because of these eight gems and I’ll tell you a little more about them below.

Top Guns of the Frontier by Weston Ochse - This beautiful story opens the collection with two friends that dream of being Maverick (from the 1986’s movie Top Gun) when they grow up. Whilst “training” for their future position in the woods they come across something that will alter their perception of reality and humanity.

Snapshot by Joe R. Lansdale and Kelly Lansdale - What happens when a couple of nomade burglars target a house that contains gruesome and deadly secrets? Only one way to find out.

Permanent Damage by Lee Murray - A fun and goofy story where wedding planning becomes a whole new level of hellish when a hair perm goes awfully wrong.

Slashbacks by Tim Waggoner - A man is drawn to a mysterious video store and discovers that they have every single horror movie imaginable, even ones that he didn’t even know existed. This one is short and sweet so I can’t give many details, but it will remind you of how much you miss browsing video stores.

Demonic Denizens by Cullen Bunn - One of the most entertaining stories I read this year, it mixes two of my favorite tropes: summer camp and games turned deadly. Sometimes D&D really can turn children to the occult, but not in the way that you’d expect.

Perspective: Journal of a 1980s Mad Man by Mort Castle - Written as diary entries that span the entirety of the eighties. Castle gives us the perfect mix between the atrocities committed by a fictitious serial killer and the real atrocities that took place during the decade, showing the reader that sometimes reality can be far scarier than any horror story.

Stranger Danger by Grady Hendrix - Our parent’s fear that strangers might give out apples with hidden razor blades to children on Halloween might not be as outlandish as we thought.

The Garden of Dr. Moreau by Lisa Morton - A nod to The Island of Dr. Moreau by H. G. Wells, a researcher discovers that transgenic crops might not be as great of an idea as she thought. A perfect ending for such a great collection.

Marina Garrido.

[Horror DNA · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ‘80s were a banner year for horror; there were the cult movie classics like Night of the Comet and Sleepaway Camp. Authors like Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and John Saul thrilled the mainstream horror reader and made serious bank doing so. Jason and Freddy took over the theaters with a slew of films following in their wakes. A banner year indeed and that is why Attack from the 80s is a love letter for us little weirdlings who spent those years scouring book and video shelves looking for obscure horror media to lord over our less otherworldly friends.

You can read Jennifer's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grew up in the 80s and was very curious about that modern look back into the era. Well, I liked the references to music, movies. the Walkman, boom boxes and Mort Castle's excellent chronicle overview of the decade from the perspective of a serial killer. Overall, the stories were a bit too soft for the time horror had its heyday. Not bad, but if you feel a need for the real deal, you will have to pick up some real 80s horror. This collection here was inspiring to read back into the 80s but not completely satisfying as a standalone anthology on the era. Nevertheless recommended for all the 80s enthusiasts and all those who want more.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid collection of horror stories set in the decade when both men and women wore shoulder pads, hair was a statement, and the "M" in MTV still stood for Music. Eugene Johnson has put together an amazing group of writers who definitely deliver the scares and the smile (at least for a Gen X-er like this reviewer). The stories range from humorous to straight horror.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Needs proofreading

A very enjoyable anthology, but this by far has the most errors I’ve ever come across in a Kindle book - periods where they don’t belong, lots of paragraph breaks mid sentence, no paragraph breaks where they should be in other places, misspellings, etc. Definitely needs another round of proofreading.

[Aaron Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I spent my teenage years in the 80's, the greatest decade the world has ever seen. So it's always fun to venture back there in fiction.
This is a nice collection of short horror stories based in the 80's.
I enjoyed most, loved a couple (Top Guns of the Frontier, Ghetto Blaster) and didn't like a few.
All-in-all a decent book.

[Alicia Hilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining tales with an 80s vibe. Favorites: Weston Ochse's "Top Guns of the Frontier," Joe and Kasey Lansdale's "Snapshot," Tim Waggoner's "Slashbacks," Stephen Graham Jones' "Ten Miles of Bad Road," Christina Sng's poem "Welcome to Hell," and Grady Hendrix's "Stranger Danger.”

[Bradly Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great selection of tales set in or inspired by the 80's.

[Carrie Blythe · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.50 stars