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Book Review: Lost Highways: Dark Fictions From the Road edited by D. Alexander Ward

Lost Highways: Dark Fictions From The Road edited By D. Alexander Ward

Crystal Lake Publishing, 2018

ISBN-13: 978-1643704722

Available: Paperback, eBook(Kindle)

 

On the open road, opportunities abound.  Anything can happen: you can hitchhike your way across the country depending on the kindness of strangers; go on a pilgrimage to find a lost relative last known to be in a cult; dispose of a cheating ex; run for your life from a mysterious pursuer; clean up your act by traveling through time to hunt yourself; explore the history of a deadly stretch of road.  You can get revenge.  Try the local cuisine, or become it.  Rob a gas station or stop a heist.  Meet a ghost.  Tour the country.  Take a ride with Death.  All this, and more, awaits you on the road.

Lost Highways: Dark Fictions From The Road had a lot of fun stories– 20 to be exact– and a bonus of 5 works of art.  The title got my attention from the start, and I was curious what tales of the road I would find.  I was not disappointed.  The majority of the stories had plotlines that kept me interested and challenged me.  Many gave me twists that I did not expect.  The tone throughout these works was creepy, with the occasional feeling of vindication or awe.  The characters were believable for their situations.  There was enough background to set each story up.  Usually, I was thrown straight into the action and the details of the past popped up as needed.  Fun stuff.  The descriptions and pacing flowed well.  The only complaint I can make is that there were a few grammar issues, mostly typos.  My favorite stories were: Mr. Hugsy by Robert Ford; Jim’s Meats by Kelli Owen; Not From Detroit by Joe R. Lansdale; Room 4 At The Haymaker by Josh Malerman; and The Widow by Rio Youers.  I have not read any of these authors’ work previously, with the exception of I Can Taste the Blood by Josh Malerman. Recommended for adult readers.

 

Reviewed by Aaron Fletcher

 

Editor’s note: Lost Highways: Dark Fictions from the Road is a nominee on the final ballot for the 2018 Bram Stoker Awards in the category of Superior Achievement in an Anthology.

 

Posted on May 5, 2019 by , Reply

Book Review: Hellhole: An Anthology of Subterranean Terror edited by Lee Murray

Hellhole: An Anthology of Subterranean Terror edited by Lee Murray

Adrenaline Press, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-940095-94-3

Availability: Paperback, Kindle edition

 

Hellhole is a well-put-together anthology of horror stories, where the one common thread is that some of the action takes place underground.  Similarities end there, as the stories use mines, ocean volcanoes, underground city tunnels, river caves, and even the Moon as their settings.   What all the stories do well is two things: they deliver fast excitement, and they manage to take common settings and creatures and breathe new life into them, by throwing in enough twists to keep the reader interested.  There isn’t a bad story in the mix: the worst could still be rated at least as “fair.”  The rest all make the grade, from good to very good, with some being truly excellent.

The writing for all of them is solid, although the reader will have to adjust to different perspectives.  The majority are written in the third person, but there are some that use the first person, and even a couple written in the present tense, which some readers may find annoying.  In all of them, the action flows fast and hooks the reader within the first few pages: there’s no waiting around for unnecessary buildup of the plot.  One of the best examples is “Pit of Ghosts” by Kirsten Cross.  Tourists in an underground mine get a quick bit of background on the mine’s ugly history, then they are quickly stalked by creatures that somewhat resemble the Crawlers from the movie The Descent.  This might have only been an okay story if it continued on that path, but the story takes a major turn when the mine’s history plays into why the tourists were unwittingly chosen to be part of the group.  It’s a twist the reader likely won’t see coming, and it greatly elevates the quality of the story.

All of the stories do this to some degree: it’s what makes the book good.  In Jonathan Maberry’s “All the Devils are Here”, someone is trying to open an underground door to another dimension to unleash Old Gods. Seen it before.  But throw in a team of Special Forces soldiers with almost unlimited ammo trying to blast them apart, and you have something fun.  Michael McBrides’s “A Plague of Locusts” recycles the old “victims of biological experimentation gone wrong” plot and breathes new life into it with a fungus that does ugly things to its victims, allowing them to survive underground for decades.  Of course, someone has to go down there… and complete mayhem results.  For pure, over-the-top insanity, Jake Bible’s “Ginourmous Hell Snake” may be the winner.  Start with a big snake, add in an Amazon river cave, and a cult worshipping the snake.  Throw in two of the most entertaining characters in the book: trained mercenaries with futuristic weapons who act more like stoned California surfers, and are simply too laid back to be scared of anything.  When dudes meet snake, the craziness starts.  These aren’t the kind of stories you can read a little at a time– the excitement demands that the reader finish them right away.

The overall quality of the material in this anthology is high. The action and excitement is delivered in droves, and there are enough firefights and characters either torn apart or blown apart to keep gorehound readers satiated.  Factor in the originality shown to bring  tried and true plot devices roaring back to life, and you’ve got something the reader will not want to miss.  Recommended.

Contains: violence, gore

 

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson

 

Editor’s note: Hellhole: An Anthology of Subterranean Terror is a nominee on the final ballot for the 2018 Bram Stoker Awards in the category of Superior Achievment in an Anthology.

Posted on April 29, 2019 by , Reply

Book Review: Down There & Others by Keith Minnion

Down There & Others by Keith Minnion
White Noise Press, August, 2017
ISBN-13: 978-1549570919
Available: Paperback, Kindle edition
 

Sometimes, people are blessed with excelling in multiple creative fields, such as Neil Gaiman, Joe Hill, Clive Barker, and the author of this collection, Keith Minnion. Those familiar with the iconic magazine Cemetery Dance will recognize his name, as the most innovative illustrator in each issue. Those who picked up the Stephen King/Richard Chizmar bestseller of last year, Gwendy’s Button Box, might notice the illustrations in that book look familiar, as well.

In this book, though, Minnion’s writing is the star attraction, and although each is accompanied by a very cool illustration, it’s the story that matters here. The stories are just as intense and well-written as in the author’s first collection, It’s For You. His writing style lends itself to fast reads, but upon rereading, his work reveals deeper, darker secrets. He will never be accused of overwriting, yet each story feels rich and imagined.

Down There & Others begins with an introduction by Tony Tremblay and contains 16 stories, as well as the beginnings of a new novel. While some stories have been previously published, many here are available for the first time.  They run the gamut from frightening to suspenseful to just outright weird (I’m looking at you,”The Blue Cat!”), Not a word is wasted. Other outstanding tales that will creep down your spine long after you finish them include “Old Bones; “The Wampyr”; the title story, published originally in Cemetery Dance magazine; and the best, hands down, “Little Sister.” The standout, though, is the inclusion of the first act of Minnion’s forthcoming novel, Dog Star. The reaction to that story will be intense, and might even blow away his first novel, the stellar The Boneyard. Recommended.

 

Reviewed by Dave Simms

Posted on May 18, 2018 by , Reply
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