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Magazine Review: Black Static Magazine, Issues 44 & 45

  

 Black Static Magazine: Issues 44 & 45.

TTA Press: January and February, 2015.

Available: Print, Kindle edition

Very few magazines are worth the price of subscription– ever.  Black Static is a rare exception. In my opinion, Black Static is the best international magazine of dark fiction out there.  TTA Press has consistently produced a fine, slick, quality, digest-sized product,with plenty of visual appeal, on a regular publication schedule.  Editor Andy Cox ensures that each issue of Black Static is packed with top-notch material. Black Static is a perfect choice for readers who prefer fine fiction, reviews, and columns.

Issue #44 is one of my favorite issues to date. From cover to cover, it is 96 pages of great darkness. Stephen Volk’s opening column, “How To Stay Insane, Pt. 2”, is excellent, and his insights about writing horror resonate long after reading. In her column, Lynda E. Rucker tackles the World Fantasy Award and how horror fits into the argument. Both Volk and Rucker have consistently penned strong columns, frequently about the writing and business of horror, both bringing their own unique slant to the genre. Peter Tennant and Tony Lee continue to cover books and movies in detailed fashion with keen eyes for novelty and innovation.  Tennant typically spotlights authors or publishers. This time he spotlights Tim Waggoner, with an insightful interview. Of course, there are also a plethora of reviews of DVDs and fiction. Strong novellas by Simon Avery and Tyler Keevil are followed by short stories by Priya Sharma, E. Catherine Tobler, and Jackson Kuhl.

#45 is just as impressive. Volk discusses the selling of souls and other commodities and Rucker covers the topic of the female body and horror. Tennant focuses on the talented Helen Marshall. Issue #45 also contains short stories by S.P. Miskowski, Laura Mauro, Stephen Hargadon, Emily Cataneo, Andrew Hook, Cate Gardner, Danny Rhodes, and the always mesmerizing Steve Rasnic Tem.  The countless reviews seem to expand with each issue, and while many skewer the films and shows, the honesty behind the opinions rings true.

Once again, the task is simple: pick up a subscription to this fine magazine or if you’re across the pond, get yourself to the store grab a copy.  Not many things are worth the money these days and few are guaranteed to entertain consistently, but this is one that fulfills without fault every time.

Highly recommended magazine for any fans of the genre.

Reviewed by Dave Simms (Note: Dave Simms also reviews for Cemetery Dance magazine.)

 

Posted on April 26, 2015 by , Reply

Book Review: Things Slip Through by Kevin Lucia

Things Slip Through by Kevin Lucia

2013, Crystal Lake Publishing

ISBN 978-0992170707

Availability: paperback

 

In the small Adirondack town of Clifton Heights, four friends have gathered for their weekly poker night. Chris, the town sheriff, has decided he’d rather have answers than play cards. There have been strange disappearances since Chris came to Clifton Heights a year ago, disappearances that he has been unable to solve. Gavin, a teacher and former writer, is the one who will give Chris the answers he seeks. Gavin hands over a journal with short stories he has written about the strange happenings, from the original shooting that brought the four friends together, to Gavin’s story of alcoholism and redemption, as well as what happened to those who seemingly disappeared into thin air. As Chris reads through the stories, he ends up with even more questions.

Things Slip Through is a short story collection brilliantly disguised as a novel. Kevin Lucia spins an entertaining tale that allows the individual stories to seamlessly coalesce into one story of a very weird and creepy little town and some of its odd residents. The characters are well-developed, and I really empathized with Chris and his unique situation. Lucia’s prose is dark, sharp, and inventive and kept me hooked– I read the book in two sittings. I, for one, hope to see some of these characters again, especially the villainous Dr. Jeffers and his disturbing hospital. I highly recommend Things Slip Through. Highly recommended.

Contains: some blood and gore, adult language

Reviewed by Colleen Wanglund

Posted on April 16, 2015 by , Reply

Book Review: Those Poor, Poor, Bastards (Dead West, Book 1) by Tim Marquitz, J.M. Martin, and Kenny Soward

Those Poor, Poor Bastards (Dead West, Book 1) by Tim Marquitz, J.M. Martin, and Kenny Soward

Ragnarok Publications, 2014

ISBN: 978-0991360529

Availability: paperback

 

In Those Poor, Poor Bastards, all Hell breaks loose when Nina and her father go to a small frontier town for supplies, and discover the town is overrun with zombies. Escaping along with a small group of survivors, Nina and her father escape. While they search for a safe refuge, they rescue a family in the woods, and come upon the long-abandoned Ft. Bluff, where they can fortify their defenses. There, Nina and the others meet a Jesuit priest, Father Mathias, who possesses strange powers that can kill the zombies.

Father Mathias tells our survivors about the mysterious Liao Xu, a man who sold his soul to the devil. The priest reveals that he has taken an artifact of great power from Liao Xu. Liao Xu attacks the fort to retrieve the artifact, and those who survive the attack end up as reluctant participants in an effort to stop the mysterious man from destroying the rest of humanity.

The first in a series, Those Poor, Poor Bastards is a fantastic book in the Western horror sub-genre. Marquitz, Martin, and Soward, combine their storytelling talents into a seamless narrative that takes a different look at the sometimes overused zombie trope. It is a fast-paced tale, but the character development doesn’t suffer because of it. There is more than one villain here, making Those Poor, Poor Bastards quite entertaining. I especially enjoyed the heroine, Nina, who is a well-rounded, complex character.

If you like zombies, or Western horror in general, then I recommend picking this one up, and I look forward to reading subsequent installments in the Dead West series. Recommended.

Contains: blood, gore, adult language and situations

Reviewed by: Colleen Wanglund

Posted on April 11, 2015 by , Reply
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