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Book Review: A Darke Phantastique edited by Jason V. Brock


A Darke Phantastique: Encounters with the Uncanny and Other Magical Things, edited by Jason V. Brock, illustrated by Samuel Araya.

Cycatrix Press, 2014
ISBN-13: 978-0984167654
Available: New and used hardcover

 

There is a notion with publishers that anthologies don’t sell; that if you release one into the world that it is most likely going to be ignored and lost in the mix. In addition to “Year’s Best” volumes, and the many excellent anthologies produced by editors like Ellen Datlow, there are numerous themed anthologies focused on a particular subgenre, such as Lovecraftian fiction or paranormal romance. A Darke Phantastique takes a different approach: what unites this collection is more of a deft use of the surreal, or a dark shading over each story, rather than outright horror.

 

This is Brock’s first time as solo editor of an anthology. The Bleeding Edge and The Devil’s Coattails, anthologies he co-edited with William Nolan, were shorter and more concise; this one clocks in at over 700 pages, including stories, poems, art, and even a screenplay. Although that makes for a big book, Brock is a picky selector, and the anthology is worthy of the time and money a reader invests in it.  Standout stories nclude “Squatters”, by Nicole Cushing; “Lizard Man Dispatches”, by Ray Garton; and “Dust Made Into Words”, by Cody Goodfellow.

 

The only weakness is layout and design of the book. During his time as editor of literary horror magazines Dark Discoveries and Nameless Digest, he did a great job in layout and design. While the design of A Darke Phantastique is interesting, it sometimes seems to overwhelm the content. Just give me the stories!

 

While not inexpensive, A Darke Phantastique deserves to be in every library in the country that takes dark literature seriously. The high quality of the fiction makes this an anthology that stands above.
Posted on December 26, 2015 by , Reply

Book Review: Goosebumps The Movie: Monster Survival Guide

Goosebumps  The Movie: Monster Survival Guide– All the Tips and Tricks You’ll Need to Fight an Invasion in Your Hometown by Susan Lurie

Scholastic, 2015

ISBN-13: 978-0545821261

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

 

The Goosebumps Survival Guide is the newest monster survival guide to come our way. It’s based on the movie Goosebumps, which is in turn based on R.L. Stine’s enormously popular Goosebumps, series and its related franchises. Does the book live up to its hype? The art is pretty cool, done in typical garish Goosebumps style. and integrates screenshots from the movie.  The book tells  you about the Goosebumps monsters, such as the Godzilla sized praying mantis, and zombie pirate One-Legged Ben, each in turn. Accompanying text identifying the monster includes  the name of the book or books the monster appears in and then a short block of text from that book, But the problem is that the book does not live up to its title. In most of the book, the entries do NOT tell you how to survive an invasion or defeat the monster, and if the entry does include that information, it is not really helpful. For example, with the Godzilla-sized mantis the books  says you have to squash it with your foot, but the REAL question is: How do you squash something that is bigger than you?. So that is what I saw while reading the survival guide. I did find helpful information on Slappy the Dummy, who has an extended six-page entry. When it says that Slappy is afraid of termites you might be able to defeat it by releasing termites nearby, because termites love to eat wooden dummies. So all you Goosebumps fans (and monsters) alike might like this when you are about to settle down for a long winter’s nap. But readers beware because you might have some unexpected visitors while reading.   Recommended for elementary school and children’s libraries, especially because of the media tie-in, but with reservations for young monster hunters.

Reviewed by the Monster Kid

 

 

 

Posted on December 24, 2015 by , Reply

Book Review: The Haunting of Sunshine Girl by Paige McKenzie and Alyssa Sheinmel

The Haunting of Sunshine Girl by Paige McKenzie and Alyssa Sheinmel

Weinstein Books, 2015

ISBN-10: 1602862729

ISBN-13: 978-1602862722

 

Sunshine and her mother have left the comfort and warmth of Texas for the damp and chilly world of Washington State, a beautiful if isolated place.  She and her mom have a tight relationship, with little of the typical YA angst. Their relationship is tested and strained when the house turns out to be haunted, and only Sunshine can sense the ghost.

At first, Sunshine is intrigued by the laughter in the attic, but soon things become problematic. The ghost’s mood swings and temper tantrums start to worry Sunshine. Then the ghost sets its sights on her mother. Darkness seeps in, souring everything, and threatening the life of Sunshine’s mother,  who shows increasingly erratic and violent behavior.

The requisite love interest shows up, but in a satisfying twist, has a dark side which may cause Sunshine and her mom more harm than good.

The Haunting of Sunshine Girl originates from an ongoing YouTube webseries created by Paige McKenzie and hosted by The Haunting of Sunshine Girl Network, which has over 200,000 subscribers. With this novel, McKenzie, a teen prodigy, has entered publishing with a platform other authors would kill to have, with the assistance of Alyssa Sheinmel’s adept ghostwriting skills to guide her. The incredible success of the series means that fans already have expectations, and the book has to satisfy both fans of the show and readers who love supernatural fiction who know nothing about it: a difficult challenge. Rather than merely rehashing the plot of the show, McKenzie and Sheinmel’s approach meets the challenge, honing in on the story between the pages, and Sheinmel polishes the book into a slick, enjoyable read.

While this isn’t the most original tale, it is done very well. While common tropes appear frequently, they are twisted and turned in fresh ways. In addition, it’s interesting to see how the transmedia element was pushed front and center, with emphasis on the web series. While the idea is not new anymore, it’s fascinating to see how experiments in multiplatform technology in children’s and YA fiction is are playing out.  This book appears to be the start of a series, and, even without the emphasis on other media, is gripping enough to send readers unfamiliar with the web series on to looking for the next book. 

Reviewed by Dave Simms

Posted on December 15, 2015 by , Reply
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