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Book Review: Aberrations of Reality by Aaron J. French


Aberrations of Reality by Aaron J. French
Crowded Quarantine Publications, 201
ISBN-13: 978-0992883850
Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition

 

I love a good novel as much as anyone, but there is no greater way to get to know a writer than to read a collection of short fiction. A good short story collection will have stories that vary in length, tone and style, and can inform a reader about a writer’s potential range more than a single novel. Having read it, I can say that this is a well-written collection of razor sharp horror fiction.

 

French has a strong sense of what makes the weird tale work. His stories, while clearly influenced by early weird tale writers like Arthur Machen, Algernon Blackwood, and Lovecraft, mine that vibe, while still feeling modern. There is subtle humor at times, and some stories take  on a nearly mystical feeling.  My three favorites in the collection were “Graffiti Ghosts,”, the creepy tale “When Clown Face Speaks,” and the thoughtful “The Four Transitions of the Soul Upon Death by David P. Reichmann,” but every story was excellent. Reality is always in question during this collection, but the quality never is. Every library serious about intelligent high brow horror must get this book. Highly recommended for adult readers of horror fiction and weird tales.
 
 

Reviewed by David Agranoff
 

Posted on January 14, 2016 by , Reply

Book Review: Seize the Night: New Tales of Vampiric Terror edited by Christopher Golden

Seize the Night: New Tales of Vampiric Terror edited by Christopher Golden

544 pages

Gallery Books 2015

ISBN-10: 1476783098

ISBN-13: 978-1476783093

 

When this reviewer first heard of a vampire anthology, expectations were tempered, to say the least. Vampires haven’t had teeth in years, so why would this collection be any different? Two words– Christopher Golden. In the anthologies Golden has edited, he has chosen fresh material with strong writing that overcomes the tired tropes of the horror genre. Previous themed anthologies he has edited, such as Monsters’ Corner, The New Dead, and 21st Century Dead have broken the confines of the expected, and Seize the Night bucks the trend of unimaginative stories about toothless, romantic,vampires. Golden challenged the writers within the pages to put their fangs to the sharpening stone and bite down into some serious flesh.

They responded.

What burns between the covers is a reason to care about the creatures of the night once again, a feat not easy to accomplish.  Nearly all of the tales here work here in establishing a sense of dread and fear, .Highlights include “Something Lost, Something Gained”, in which Seanan McGuire spins an eerie tale about a young girl in a storm. Her writing is swift and smooth. Kelley Armstrong’s “We Are All Monsters Here” envelops the reader in a claustrophobic event that puts the frights in human form. Leigh Perry’s “Direct Report” is a fascinating, chilling tale of a woman who awakens to a new personal world full of pain and despair, until she makes a discovery that turns the tables. Gary Braunbecks “Papercuts” is outstanding; it has to be the most unusual vampire tale in years, and it succeeds on all levels. Set in a bookstore, this is an imaginative story with very effective characterization. Finally, Rio Youers has a pair of stories that end the anthology in style, In all, Seize the Night has achieved the vision Golden imagined. Here’s to hoping that more writers will be inspired to put fear and dread back into the vampire genre, like those who accepted the challenge put forth here. Recommended for adult readers of vampire horror.

Reviewed by David Simms

 

Posted on January 7, 2016 by , Reply

Book Review: Hannahwhere by John McIlveen

Hannahwhere by John McIlveen
Crossroad Press, 2015
ISBN-13: 978-1941408629
Availability: Paperback, Ebook

 

Hannahwhere is a rare treasure for a first novel. John McIlveen began his writing career in the horror genre, but his work has always danced on the edges of the magical. Although popular authors such as Stephen King and Neil Gaiman have experimented successfully with an array of genres and genre hybrids, a relative newcomer with a genre-blending book faces more of a challenge in drawing readers’ attention. John McIlveen has written a book deserving of that attention. The characters maneuver through the pages in fluid fashion, growing into people so believable that it is nearly impossible to contain them. The story and style will take your breath away, fracture your imagination, and carve open your heart.

Set in modern Boston, Hannawhere centers on young Hannah, who is found behind a dumpster, physically healthy but catatonic, two years after she and her twin witnessed a brutal murder in Nebraska. She has obviously been the victim of terrible trauma, and is trapped in an alternative fantasy world that is strange and claustrophobic, yet still inviting,  Hannah’s social worker, Debbie Gillan, enters and tries to save Hannah and find her twin, changing their lives and everything they thought they knew about reality. To say more about the plot would destroy the magic within the covers.

This creep down the rabbit hole will leave many in wonder, often with a tear in their eye. McIlveen has shown that boundaries are for those who refuse to knock the walls down… No such boundaries exist in Hannahwhere. Highly recommended.

Contains: mild horror involving children

Reviewed by David Simms

Posted on January 5, 2016 by , Reply
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