Strange Tales of Terror edited by Eugene Johnson

Cemetery Dance Publications, 2023

ISBN-13: 9781587679360

Available: Kindle, paperback

Buy:  Amazon.com

Edited by Bram Stoker Award Winner Eugene Johnson, Strange Tales of Terror gathers 14 horror stories, 2 works of poetry, and a novella by some great authors. Stories include hauntings, science fiction, supernatural creatures, and more. There really is something for everyone here.

There are a few stories that stood out in this collection. “Rainbow” by Lucy A. Snyder is set on Earth after a cataclysmic event that has changed the flora and fauna dramatically. The narrator cares for Rainbow, a cat who was injured in some sort of attack. When the cat starts his evolution, Rainbow’s caretaker has some decisions to make.

Ramsey Campbell makes an appearance in the anthology with his story, “The Forgotten.” Bobby, picked on by a trio of bullies, just wants to sit in peace by the river on his favorite memorial bench. After the bullies destroy a few of the benches in the area, Bobby wants to introduce them to the others who wander the path.

In “Trip Trap” by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Kevin J. Anderson, Skari the troll is cursed to guard nightmare gates that appear under bridges to prevent humankind from marauding demons. He meets Johanna and her son, Billy, and daughter, Kenna, who are homeless after the “mean man” evicted them, and forced to live in a car. Skari, doing his best to disguise himself as a homeless man, is trying to hard to avoid eating the children, but they smell delicious. He does not know who they truly are in the grand scheme of things, but he finds out when his hard exterior is melted by the plight of the homeless family who needs help.

“Bluebells” by Chris Mason introduces the reader to photojournalist Aaron, who gets directions and specific instructions from the locals about where to find the field of bluebells he heard about. He just wants to take some photographs, and see what the big deal is about. The locals start taking bets, but Aaron does not ask why. When he returns to the pub, in pain and disoriented, he finds the answer to that question, and more.

“Gone With the Wendigo” by Ben Monroe starts out like a Hallmark Christmas movie, which is in itself hilarious. Jessy returns to her hometown of Marleyville from the big city, and runs into her old friend, Kenny, who is all grown up. A howl in the distance interrupts their meet-cute, but not before they solidify plans to meet for dinner the next evening. As Kenny heads home, a deadly secret emerges from the dark forest. Is this really the best time for Jessy to go back to small town living?

In “A Stone from My Home” by John Palisano, Rabbi Merz instructs members of the community to meet at Isaac and Sarah Rose’s house, each bringing with them a stone. Seth wonders why on his way to the meeting, imagining it is merely the rabbi’s way of teaching a specific section of the Torah. When he arrives, he discovers Sarah has been imprisoned in the basement, as well as a golem, Emmet, that Sarah has created. She reveals his abuse, and Isaac levels accusation after accusation, exposing secrets of the men, at the feet of those who do not want to participate in walling the creature up. He finds out quickly that Emmet won’t go down so easily.

“Dead Hearts and Rag Dolls” by Gary A. Braunbeck was a particularly difficult read, as it deals with the subject of elder abuse. Rachel Wagner, employee of Cedar Hill Adult Protective Services Agency, is called to investigate George Nash, suspected of elder of abuse of his mother. In attendance are Eric, Andrew, and Dave, her “goon squad” called on in particularly bad abuse cases. After the investigation, Rachel returns home to her daughter, Jennifer, and has a conversation with her friend and neighbor, Eunice. Rachel checks on Jennifer, only to find an unknown rag doll in her sleeping daughter’s arms. What follows is a tragic story of a professional who can’t take the pressure of her work anymore, as she is haunted by the faces of the dead who she feels she couldn’t help.

Other contributors to the anthology are Lisa Morton, Christopher Sartin, Elizabeth Massie, Maxwell I. Gold, Rena Mason, Dave Jeffery, F. Paul Wilson, Sara Tantlinger, Peter Straub, and Lee Murray.

Overall, this is a good collection of horror stories. The book could have gone through one more careful edit for typos, but I overall recommend it for the content.

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker