Legends of the Mountain State 3

Legends of the Mountain State #3

by Michael Knost (Editor), Foreword by Homer Hickam, Kelli Owen

The third and final installment of the Legends of the Mountain State series is already being called the most amazing of the ghostly trilogy. Michael Knost again takes the reins as chief editor and coordinator. Here you will find 13 final chapters bone-chilling ghost tales and treacherous legends to delight the reader. Stories are penned by many of the preeminent writers in the business. Writers include: Elizabeth Massie Michael West Scott Nicholson John R. Little Brian J. Hatcher Kelli Dunlap Matt Venne Douglas F. Warrick Steve Vernon Fran Friel Matthew Warner Mark Justice J.G. Faherty

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Bram Stoker Award-winner Michael Knost is an author, editor, and columnist of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and supernatural thrillers. He has written many books in various genres, helmed anthologies such as the Bram Stoker Award-nominated Barbers & Beauties. His Writers Workshop of Horror won the 2009 Bram Stoker Award for superior achievement in nonfiction. His critically acclaimed Writers Workshop of Science Fiction & Fantasy came out in early 2013—a writer’s guide with works by Neil Gaiman, Orson Scott Card, Ursula K. Le Guin, and many others. His latest novel is Return of the Mothman. To find out more, visit www.MichaelKnost.com.

Reviews

[Craig]

This is a good anthology of original horror stories set in West Virginia, the third such of a series edited by Knost. There are very good ghost stories from Elizabeth Massie, Fran Friel, Mark Justice, J.G. Faherty, and Kelli Dunlap (who's now better known as Kelli Owen, I believe). There are good monster tales from Scott Nicholson (a campfire chiller), Brian J. Hatcher (yeah, I've hung out in the Greyhound station in Beckley, too), and Matthew Warner (who described one of his as characters as "about as stereotypically West Virginian as Donald Trump" in this story published in 2009). I also enjoyed the creepy tales of John R. Little, Douglas F. Warrick, and Steve Vernon. My favorite story in the book was Flowers in Winter by Michael West. While not many of the authors are from West Virginia, I thought they portrayed it pretty well. It's a short book, perfect for a brisk evening. And it even has an introduction by Homer Hickam!

[Angie Lisle]

A haunting collection of well-polished short stories about West Virginia. I enjoyed every story in this collection.

My favorite story is Brian J. Hatcher's A Banshee in Beckley and I admit that I'm biased because I grew up in the Beckley area. Then, this story kicked me hard in the ovaries - I suffer from a genetic reproductive disease and am infertile. This story plays with the idea of family and the last paragraph summed up emotions that I have to face on a daily basis. I cried for a long time after finishing this story because the idea embodied here is one that I have problems getting other people to understand. Now, I have a new story to share with everyone who doesn't understand my head and why this infertility is something I can't 'just get over.'

Wampus Cat by Scott Nicholson ran a close second for my favorite story because I enjoyed the character development.

My only critique of this series is that I can read one book in a single setting, if I don't make myself stop between the stories.