Lena’s Comments (group member since Nov 17, 2014)

Lena’s comments from the Spells, Space & Screams: Collections & Anthologies in Fantasy, Science Fiction, & Horror group.

Baba Yaga Learns to Shave, Gets Her Period, Then Grows into Her Own by Jess Hagemann ★★★★☆
“But her body was never a tool: always a weapon.”

A short happy story of a girl who, though taught to be a proper modern lady, rebels into a Baba Yaga.

Fair Trade by Jacqueline West ★★★★☆
“And the hole left by a dead girl was all the space I’d ever have.

A witch helps a girl who covers her twin sister’s life. Not a happy ending.

Stork Bites by EV Knight ★★★★☆
“…in this day and age, it’s best to have a plan B in your pocket.”

When abortion rights falter the Baba Yaga’s don’t need to hunt for food.

Chicken Foot by Octavia Cade DNF

Fiona, what would you like to read in November?

Last Rites for the Fourth World by Rick Cross ★★★★☆
All the monsters from all the cultures that signal the end of the world die dramatically. Only Native American myths hold some hope.

We All Come Home by Simon Bestwick ★★★½☆
Three kids enter the forest but only one is ever found - with amnesia. After the outrage that was In The Woods, I needed this version of that story to have answers. It did, in 90s SciFi Channel way. Still better than nothing.

The Importance of Oral Hygiene by Robert Shearman ★★★☆☆
Creepy story of dentist seducing/drugging patients.

Bokeh by Thana Niveau ★★★☆☆
A newly single mom begins to think her daughter is a little evil. She’s right, the girl is chatting with fairies about human sacrifice.

Murder Board by Grady Hendrix ★★★★☆
A Ouija board leads to all manner of murderous trouble.

Creeping Ivy by Laura Purcell ★★★☆☆
“I cut her down.
Yet her hate springs, evergreen.”

A murderer is made to regret his actions.

Save Time Next Year by Angela Slatter ★★★☆☆
The musings of an angry young ghost girl in a cemetery.

Mine Seven by Elana Gomel ★★★☆☆
Siberian monsters emerge with global warming and leave an American clinging to her native roots for aid in changing world.

It Doesn’t Feel Right by Michael Marshall Smith ★★★★★
Fear. Real fear. It reminded of The Shining. It was claustrophobic domestic horror, the kind that had me panting, before anything supernatural even happened.

Swanskin by Alison Littlewood ★★★½☆
Sort of a selkie tale, but with a nice adaptation of revenge.

That’s the Spirit by Sarah Lotz ★½☆☆☆
That was unsatisfying. I guess even real spirits are frauds.

Gave by Michael Bailey ★★☆☆☆
Too much of a tease. You never find out what is causing the die-off.

Wherever You Look by Ramsey Campbell ★★½☆☆
Strange story about an author who may have borrowed a character from something he read as a child.

I went to see the 3D 30th Anniversary Jurassic Park - great experience. Better than I remembered.

Well said J. I also appreciated the backstory of overcoming racism through talent and hard work.

Atari is back: https://youtu.be/_6m6WlyiQSs?si=W5fhw...
I missed it when they brought back the NES and have regretted it ever since.

Woohoo! Me too! I’m about halfway through season one. I disliked too many characters in season two, and burned out on season three (but I intent to give three another go after I finish season one).

Thanks for getting us started. I bought the book on the 15th and meant to start that day, and all proceeding days lol.

Butterfly Island by CJ Tudor ★★★½☆
Hey! You can’t end it there! I want to hear the great idea! I want to know how the carnivorous butterflies came to be. I want to know what caused the apocalypse to begin with!

Research by Tim Lebbon ★★★☆☆
A little like Misery. A weird couple kidnaps a writer.

All good :)

It does!

Jack of Sjoholm and the Gan-Finn by Norway ★★½☆☆
I’m still not sure what a Gan-Finn is but at least that long meandering tale ended well.

Sorry for the typo in the email blast friends. That always make me facepalm.

The True Bride: The Story of Ilona and the Kings Son by Finland ★★☆☆☆
A witch substitutes herself as the fiancé of a prince instead of his fairytale bride. This story would have been better had the prince and witch worked it out.

The Giant Who Had No Heart by Norway ★★★☆☆
The youngest of seven has to save his brothers, and their wives, from a stone giant.

Dark Stars features all-new stories from the following award-winning authors and up-and-coming voices: Chesya Burke, Ramsey Campbell, Gemma Files, Stephen Graham Jones, Alma Katsu, Caroline Kepnes, John Langan, Livia Llewellyn, Josh Malerman, Usman T. Malik, Priya Sharma, and John F.D. Taff. Created as an homage to the 1980 classic horror anthology Dark Forces, edited by Kirby McCauley, Dark Stars features an afterword from original contributor Ramsey Campbell—a poignant finale to this bone-chilling collection.

Looks like I will need one more day. Latasha and Fiona, what would you like to read in October?

All I Possess by Sweden ★★★½☆
A rich man who starves his wives meets his match in a partially deaf young girl and her friendly lad.

The Old Woman and the Tramp by Sweden ★★★☆☆
I read Stone Soup as a child, this nail broth seems the origin.

The Honest Penny by Norway ★★★☆☆
The boy was too nice but the story underlined the importance of cats in the world. Until you have a rat problem you don’t understand that they are worth their weight in gold.

The Boy Who Did Not Know What Fear Was by Iceland ★☆☆☆☆
That was nonsense.

Death and the Doctor by Norway ★★★★½
I love the idea of sharing a beer with death! The double tricksy ending was a treat as well.