Lost in the Dark, by Joe Mynhardt

(eBook; 2012: horror anthology)


Overall review:

Lost is a worthwhile, traditional-horror anthology, one that I enjoyed a lot.  Every story, even the few I had personal preference issues with, had something to recommend them.  Good stuff, this - worth owning.



Standout stories:

1.)   "Beyond the Ornate Tree": Christmas takes on new elements of gory terror as a psychiatric patient (Jim) and his doctor converse, so Jim can resolve his Yuletide "issues".  Fun read, laughed out loud (in a good way) at the finish.


2.)   "The Way Back":  Off-beat, interesting story about a paranormal investigator (Thomas Sanders) whose most recent investigation - in a ghost-notorious prison - may an unforeseen impact on his life.


3.)   "Fashionably Undead":  An emasculated husband - Rupert - disgusted by a zombie-models-on-the-runway fashion show, decides to finally do something about it.  This is an especially good tale, with a cliffhanger-ish ending that is memorable and effective.


4.)   "Come All to the River of Death":  A ghost hunter (Henry Taylor) gets more than he anticipated while investigating a particularly thrilling, rich-with-horrible-history house.  Fun, phantasmagoric work, this.


5.)   "Lost in the Dark":  Fairy tale-esque tale about a kidnapped girl (Hanifa) who not only tries to escape her supernatural captor, but rescue others as well.   Tone-effective, entertaining.


6.)   "Rise, Dead Man":  A drug-addicted grave robber, hounded by one of his victims, tries to atone for his latest crime.  Another tone-effective work, with an especially good ending.


7.)   "Zombie Mischief":  Fun cautionary tale about being a grisly joker.


8.)   "The Nature of the Beast": A young man hunts the nightmarish creature that killed his brother and some of their neighbors.  "Nature," well-written and gripping, stands out for its unexpected finish, which echoes the feel of an African-village fable.

For the Night is Dark edited by Ross Warren

(eBook; 2013: horror anthology)


Overall review:

Night has some notably good work in it (see the "Standout stories" below) and is a solid anthology.  I didn't like four of the stories (I'm not a fan of stories written entirely in the present tense, and I loathe "GOTCHA!" works*), but most of the twenty pieces included here hew closely to established (and effectively penned) Old School horror structures and themes.  Don't expect any groundbreaking storytelling here, just expect mostly solid writing.

[*A "GOTCHA!" story is one where its author(s) set up one scenario - often in a punny and I'm-so-clever manner - but later reveal "it's all a dream" or "it's all in one of the characters' heads," often at the end.  Another variation of a "GOTCHA!" story is the double-entendre approach where an author pretends to be writing about one thing, but - sans honest foreshadowing - Big Reveals that s/he's really talking about another (e.g., sex talk/action = talking about/making dinner).]


Standout stories:

1.)   "His Own Personal Golgotha" - G.N. Braun:  Sensory vivid, mood-effective dread piece about a man's hellish reckoning or redemption. 


2.)  "21 Brooklands: next to Old Western, opposite the burnt out Red Lion" - Carol Johnstone:  Poverty, variable forms of familial and sexual abuse and a terrifying blackout are highlighted in this grimy, effective tale.


3.)   "Til Death" - Joe Mynhardt:  A man (Derek) tries to protect himself and his daughter (Meghan) from a psychotropic and supernatural home invasion.  Interesting (in a good way), eerie piece.


4.)   "Father Figure" - Tracie McBride:  Excellent, memorable work about a man (Andy) whose marriage to the notably younger Mia harbors a secret that will likely destroy them and their children.  One of my favorite stories in this collection.


5.)   "Room to Thrive" - Stephen Bacon: A group of post-party friends go on a late night spookhouse expedition, hoping to score 'shrooms.  Of course, they get something far more horrible than they bargain for.  While the characters and the story are familiar, the worthwhile writing and the story's brevity keep it notably entertaining.


6.)   "Hungry is the Dark" - Benedict J. Jones:  Excellent, blunt story that mixes pulp crime action, gore and shadowy horror.  In Soho, a recently released ex-con (Harry Sands) tries to rescue his fourteen year-old granddaughter (Rhian) from a familiar, child-pimping enemy (Howard Kinski).  This is one of my favorite entries in this anthology


7.)   "Lost and Found" - Tonia Brown:  A hospital employee (Renee), while filing some old films in the basement, encounters someone who may or may not be an employee legend, a ghost named Gertrude.  This is an especially interesting, well-written work, with a welcome touch of quirkiness.


8.)   "How the Dark Bleeds" - Jasper Bark:  Another hospital story, this one about an Anglo-Saxon blood creature (a Heolfor), a  traumatized nurse (Stephanie) and her terrible future.  Interesting pagan history stuff makes this one stand out.


9.)  "Don't let the dark stop you shining" -  William Meikle:  A woman, also haunted by a song, tries to join her dead family.  The story is familiar, but the writing is tightly-plotted and worthwhile.

Tales From the Lake, Vol. 1 edited by Joe Mynhardt

(eBook; 2014: horror anthology)


Overall review:

Good, Old School horror anthology that will appeal to those who especially enjoyed Eighties-era chills and thrills.  Out of the sixteen stories, there were only two that I didn't like (due to personal preferences), but that's to be expected in any fiction collection with this many works.

Worth owning, this.



Standout stories:

1.)  "Don't Look at Me" - Elizabeth Massie:  A living, shoplifted garden gnome (Pointy) helps a young girl (Connie) deal with her mentally abusive mother.  The ending isn't surprising, but the story is fun, with an especially effective end-line.


2.)  "Dead Pull" - Taylor Grant:  Good, interesting morality tale about a cruel pet store employee (Brennan) whose control over his work environment and his animal charges is broken by the arrival of an animal-friendly new employee (Billy Mackey).  This story has the feel of Stephen King's "Graveyard Shift,"* structurally and tone-wise, so fans of King's may especially appreciate this work.

[*Published in King's 1978 story anthology Night Shift]


3.)  "The Reunion" - Joan De La Hayes:  During a fierce storm, the owner of a failing bed-&-breakfast inn  (Frank) gets two sets of guests: a drunk, horny newlyweds, and four weapon-bearing, bloodthirsty men who have a troubling - and seemingly deadly - history with the inn.

This is an excellent, memorable story until the ending, which feels truncated and jarring, as if the author had a great set-up, but lacked a finish (albeit one that is logical in regards to its characters) that matched the seamless flow of what preceded it.  Despite this let-down of an ending, it's still a worthwhile tale.


4.)   "Devil's Night" - Tim Curran:  Intriguing story about two prison-sprung cons trying to survive a fiery, demonic apocalypse.  Curran keeps his horror cinematic, his themes and characters' histories tightly interwoven with the action and the pace gripping.


5.)   "The Fine Art of Wrecking" - Jennifer Loring:  Two oceanside human scavengers (Jack and Christopher) murder and steal to stay alive, aware that retribution is almost a certainty.  Especially well-written, not too long, not too short.


6.)   "Saint Paddy's Night at The Crown" - Blaze Rob:  Fun, limerick-style verses about Irish blood, killing, sex and drinking.


7.)  "The Lady of Lost Lake" - Bev Vincent:  Fun story about a relaxing lakeside weekend gone supernaturally awry.  There's little in this work that you haven't read before, but it's entertaining anyway.


8.)   "Junksick" - G.N. Braun:  A junkie scumbag details his habit even as his world begins to change.  Love the end-line in this one.


9.)   "Witch-Compass" - Graham Masterton:  Interesting morality story about a desperate and financially bankrupt businessman who tries to get back his lost wealth. Especially good finish to this one, as well.

Stuck On You, by Jasper Bark

(eBook; 2014: horror / sex novella)


From Crystal Lake Publishing's Stuck On You sell page:

"Warning! Do not buy this book, gentle reader.

". . .This is the sickest, filthiest and most horny novella you’re likely to read this year. It will turn you on even as it turns your stomach. Think you’ve seen everything there is to see in horror and erotica? Think again! Just when you think this story can’t get any lower it finds new depths to plumb. . ."

"Crystal Lake Publishing"

 

 

Review:

 

Stuck is a fun - in an explicit sex/gross-out way - blast-through 28-page read that's solid, if a bit wordy and repetitious in its carnal descriptions and whose end "twist" is easy to spot for readers who are paying attention. 

 

The story runs thusly: a knick-knacks smuggler (Ricardo), heading into the States from Mexico, picks up a sexy female hitchhiker (Consuela) and has sex with her.  While they're going at it, they're struck by lightning, fused together - and that's only the beginning of what looks to be Ricardo's last night alive if he doesn't detach himself from his dead road-bang partner.

 

I liked how Bark kept piling on Ricardo's situational complications, making his protagonist's dilemma even more dire with every new fast-turn event.  Stuck isn't even close to the grossest writing I've read, but this is a solid read, written with the punny glee of a dirty-minded young man (I don't know how old the author is) who just wants to gross you the hell out with gore, bodily fluids and over-the-top sex.  If this sounds like your brand of dark, icky humor, check out this novella.