The Joy of Erudition’s Reviews > Weird Tales #365 > Status Update

"Shadow Plane"—This was a cool one that had the feel of secret government experiment creepypastas or SCP Foundation concepts, told in the form of livestream broadcasts from a pair of mountaineering sisters. A sinister figure funds an expedition that leads to a plane crash in the mountains, and strange shadows that may not be illusions close in with each broadcast for help.

"The Beast of Bray Road"—This is just a description of a monster that's been seen on a particular road for a long time, with a few anecdotes. No plot.

"Tales From Alexandria"—Not what it sounds like. I was unsure of this one at first, but I ended up liking it. This has been the only proper "fantasy" story in this issue. This one is also an idea I've seen done before many times (someone can enter the worlds of books or make the worlds in books real), but it was different enough that it wasn't predictable. Plus, it included a sinister clockwork body snatcher.

"No Burning Bushes"—Flash fiction about a faceless protagonist running into Yahweh mingling at a party. Cute, but I've seen this exact same idea done better before, with more interesting protagonists and with actual plots and endings.

"The Dreams in the Cipher House"—This story had a lot of great ideas in it, and gets into the less popular concepts of ancient alchemy, such as seeking underlying patterns in nature and music. The main character (fresh out of prison) gains strange cosmic powers, but at the expense of thinking in abstract concepts that alienate his peers. Good, but I would have enjoyed it more if it weren't so steeped in rap culture.

"Gut Instinct"—Another flash fiction, but nothing really to say about this one. Didn't do anything for me.

"Apocalypse Lights"—Similar to "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas", except with a whole commune of scapegoats, who apparently willingly accept their role of thankless suffering. But the townsfolk who benefit from their self-sacrifice are so monstrously cruel and avaricious, it's not enough for them.

"The Thing in Jesse's House" by Heather Graham is by far the best story in this issue up to this point. A great story about a brother and sister, a serial killer, and a haunted house. The cover illustration looks like it comes from this story. The satisfying epilogue is extremely welcome in a world of non-endings where we're left to guess what comes next.

"Diomedes vs the Gods"—a bit of flash fiction about an even more macabre version of the Roman circuses. Grand Guignol style re-enactments of mythological battles, using crude surgical grafts to create stand-ins for legendary monsters using enslaved participants. The surgeries don't have to be sterile, as they're not intended to live long.

"Her Happy Place" — a vaguely Stephen King-style story about an evil killer camper trailer. The ending is sinister, but too open-ended for my taste. I assume, since it's a horror story, that it's meant to imply it's going to kill her grandchildren, too, but the "wink" at the end makes me unsure. We don't get enough insight on how she feels about her grandchildren to know if it's meant as reassuring or conspiratorial.