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Book Review: Out of Water by Sarah Read

Out of Water by Sarah Read

Trepidatio Press, 2019

ISBN-13: 978-1950305056

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

 

There are a handful of authors who have emerged in the past year or two that have made a splash in the world of horror. Thankfully, many of them have been recognized either by review sites such as this one or through awards. I was handed The Bone Weaver’s Orchard last year and was impressed with the writing. Sarah Read immediately established herself in the top tier of new writers that would soon make waves in publishing. That novel overflowed with style and character that lent a “classic” tone to the story that felt both natural and fresh.

When Out of Water arrived from the always quality Trepidatio Press, I waited until I had time to enjoy these stories. That old cliche rang true once again: good things do come to those who have to wait for ideal times for great stories in the middle of chaotic lives!

Instead of hitting on every story here, I’ll focus on a few that resonated with me long afterwards or jarred me with an emotion right away. There were plenty.

“Endoskeletal” is a perfect representation of the modern horror story. Archaeology in the genre is always a treat. What begins as something that seems typical goes sideways pretty quickly, with a character who sticks with the reader in a memorable, claustrophobic tale.

“Making Monsters” grips the reader by the throat. Read examines the inner workings of its disturbing lead character, while making the story enteraining just as much as it is bleak.

“In Tongues”- just read it. Weird religious tales written well have a tendency to burrow under the skin, and the author nails it here.

Finally, “Underwater Thing” feels a bit Lovecraftian, yet wholly original as well. The father-daughter dynamic is painful but full of suspense. It’s probably the highlight of the collection.

Other stories hit on different cylinders, with topics that are wide-ranging but have a common thread. There’s a sense that mood will determine which story could be a favorite for that particular day which, for me, is a strong sign of a stellar collection. The writing is  detailed, but not flowery. Read imbues each story with just enough imagery for the reader to conjure the visions to bring each to life.

It’s easy to see why this book was shortlisted for the Bram Stoker Awards. Recommended.

 

Reviewed by David Simms

 

Editor’s note: Out of Water was nominated to the final ballot of the 2019 Bram Stoker Award in the category of Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection.

 

Posted on April 18, 2020 by , Reply

Book Review: Invisible Chains by Michelle Renee Lane

Invisible Chains by Michelle Renee Lane

Haverhill House Publishing, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-949140-03-3

Available: Hardcover, paperback

 

Jacqueline, an enslaved Creole growing up on a Louisiana plantation in Michelle Renee Lane’s Invisible Chains, learns all too soon what it means to be black and female. She is beaten, raped, and terrorized but manages to survive by using the secrets of Vodun her mother taught her and by tapping the powers of the vampire and werewolf who assist her on the flight toward what she hopes will be a rescue.

Even though monsters help Jacqueline, she is still threatened by them and in constant danger, even from love. Lane uses these relationships, including a flirtation with the vampire, to highlight the suffering, marginalized groups depicted in this novel. This includes enslaved people and monsters but also mixed race people, Spanish Jews, Irish immigrants, circus performers, Gypsies, seers and couples in interracial relationships. People who are considered different by the larger white society are powerless and can survive only by appeasing and imitating their oppressors or using magical or supernatural powers against them.

Although the book often moves quickly from one terrifying event to the next, Lane effectively traces Jacqueline’s growing sense of her own talents and strengths. Jacqueline learns that each horrific experience enhances her abilities as a conjurer and intensifies her understanding of herself, thus making it possible for her to voice her demands and choose what she needs to live. She also learns that she must protect her mind and soul most of all and that she has a certain power in knowing the future in which her true freedom will never be a reality. However, she continues to be brave, heroic, and unstoppable. Recommended.

Contains: Graphic violence including rape and torture; sexual situations

 

Reviewed by Nova Hadley

Editor’s note: Invisible Chains was nominated to the final ballot of the 2019 Bram Stoker Award in the category of Superior Achievement in a Novel.

Posted on April 12, 2020 by , Reply

Graphic Novel Review: Dead Beats: A Musical Horror Anthology edited by Joe Corallo and Eric Palicki

Dead Beats: A Musical Horror Anthology edited by Joe Corallo and Eric Palicki
A Wave Blue World, 2019
ISBN-13: 9781949518030
Available: Paperback, Kindle, comiXology

Dead Beats contains 24 tales of music and horror introduced by a sort of horror host, The Shoppe Keeper. As she leads the reader through her record shop, new, horrifying, poignant, and well-illustrated stories emerge.

While I enjoyed all of the vignettes in this anthology, there are some that stand out. “Grotesque”, by Cameron Deordio with art by Brent Schoonover, focuses on a long-lived rock band with a new member to the lineup. It is crucial that he gets every note perfectly. It means their career, and lives.

In “Reversed Cards”, by Nadia Shammas with art by Sweeney Boo, two bandmates visit a tarot card reader who delivers an ominous message. When it comes time for them to go on tour, the tarot effects the decision of one of the members, who decides it would be best for her to skip the tour. What comes of her choice presents rather unexpected consequences.

Sometimes we all get that one song stuck in our heads. In “Earworm”, by Christof Bogacs and illustrated by Giles Crawford, anyone who listens to a certain track gets more than just a worm. This one was particularly unnerving.

One of my favourite comics teams is writer Ivy Noelle Weir and artist Christina “Steenz” Stewart. “Beyond Her Years” gives us the story of a young woman driven to complete her musical opus after breaking into a haunted music building on her campus.

“”Let’s Stay Together”, by another favourite writer of mine, Vita Ayala, and illustrated by Raymond Salvador, is heartbreaking. I don’t want to give the whole thing away, but I feel that it is a beautiful love letter to the elderly LGBTQ community. I had to put the book down momentarily to let this one sink in. That last panel is absolutely lovely.

I recommend this book for libraries specifically who are interested in increasing their independently published comics collection. This is a fantastic anthology, expertly curated by the editors and beautifully written and illustrated by everyone involved in its creation. Highly recommended.

Contains: blood, gore, murder, racism, sexual assault, sexual content, suicide

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

Posted on April 1, 2020 by , Reply
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