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Women in Horror Month: Book Review: Coralesque and Other Tales to Disturb and Distract by Rebecca Fraser

cover art for Coralesque by Rebecca Fraser

( Bookshop.org | Amazon.com )

Coralesque and Other Tales to Disturb and Distract by Rebecca Fraser

IFWG Publishing Australia, 2021

ISBN-13: 9781925956702

Available: Pre-order: paperback, Kindle edition

 

Coralesque and Other Tales to Disturb and Distract includes 25 stories and poems of Australian horror by Rebecca Fraser, set in the harsh terrain of the Outback, the mysterious depths of the Pacific Ocean, and the wilds of Tasmania. This collection has so many good stories in its pages. I want to write this review about all of them. However, just to give you a sample of what Fraser brings to horror, I will highlight some of the best ones.

In the titular story, “Coralesque,” we meet Brett and Saxon, two surfers who head out for some epic waves after a massive storm. Saxon ends up with a severe head injury. After a trip to the hospital, the wound doesn’t heal and something in the wound starts growing. “Don’t Hate Me ‘Cause I’m Beautiful” is a Bradbury-esque story of a woman wanting the recent model of the iMaid. The problem is the iMaid takes care of the household too well. “Never Falls Far” is a particularly effective tale of the Stockton family who grows the sweetest apples in their orchard. Boys Kyle and Mitchell soon find out why over a campfire tale told by one of the Stockton descendants. In “Casting Nets,” Delice and Tino are in love, but are of two different worlds. Tino, sick of being exiled from Delice, talks with someone who works in hexes about obtaining a means of passage into her family’s well-guarded house without her overbearing father knowing, but discovers too late that the cost is too high. In “The Skylar Solution,” Mayor Regina Carter and her team meet with Verne Hoffman, who has discovered a permanent solution to the “problem” of the increasing homeless population, with an unexpected consequence.

“The Little One” is the longest piece in the book. Sable witnesses the rape of her sister Carmine by the prince of the realm. Carmine later becomes pregnant, which the Queen discovers as he is attempting a second rape. Lizbette, Carmine’s lover, threatens the prince. Sable witnesses the Queen murder Lizbette, then the prince murders Carmine. Sable searches for the Flay Sisters and their witchcraft to enact revenge for the deaths of two of her closest companions. This is an incredibly effective rape revenge story.

This collection makes me want to pick up more work by Fraser. There are so many stories that are short, yet provide some spine tingling, thought-provoking horror. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to read international horror.

Contains: body horror, sexual assault, sexual content

 

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

Posted on February 4, 2021 by , Reply

Book Review: Jagged Edges & Moving Parts by Pete Mesling

cover art for Jagged Edges & Moving Parts by Pete Mesling  ( Bookshop.org | Amazon.com )

Jagged Edges & Moving Parts by Pete Mesling

Other Kingdoms Publishing

ISBN :978-0-578-67738-5

Available: Paperback and Kindle edition

 

Jagged Edges & Moving Parts is a mega-collection featuring twenty-seven pieces, collecting both reprints and some new work by versatile author Pete Mesling. These include short stories of standard length, some micro-stories, and a few literary snapshots.

Horror fans will find a variety of subjects addressed by a talented writer able to disturb, entertain and entice the readers.

Commenting upon each single tale would be an impossible task, but among the huge amount of  material featured in the book, some stories are especially worth mentioning.

“The Things We Teach Our Young” is a solid piece where an Islamic truck driver giving a lift to a wounded hitchhiker turns out to be a terrorist on his way to performing an attack, while “A Pound of Flesh” is a vivid description of how a potentially romantic dinner ends up as an unexpected, painful nightmare.

The enticing “Not for All to See” revolves around a family curse featuring an inhuman creature who needs to be finally defeated, while the tell-tale titled “Crossing Lake Serene on a Dare” is a well-crafted story where a childish dare brings about dire consequences.

“Voices in the Crawl Space” will both terrify you and bewitch you with its load of malice and violence.

“In the Chillest Land”is a superb, tense tale portraying two men who, during a climbing expedition experience a terrible situation facing a dangerous, alien animal.

To me, the best piece in the collection is the outstanding “And a Little Child Shall Lead Them”, a very dark, creepy tale, conveying a sense of deep disquiet and dread and showcasing Mesling’s great ability as a storyteller. Recommended.

 

Contains: violence

 

Reviewed by Mario Guslandi

 

Posted on January 9, 2021 by , Reply

Book Review: Rare Birds by L.S. Johnson

cover art for Rare Birds by L.S. Johnson

Rare Birds by L. S. Johnson

Traversing Z Press, 2019

ISBN 978-0-9988936-4-8

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

 

I must confess that I was not familiar with L. S. Johnson and her previous work. Thus, when starting to read this collection  (featuring eight longish stories) I had no idea of what to expect. Certainly, I was not expecting such a strong, vivid narrative style, or her bold way of addressing thorny and tricky subjects with apparent ease, and of handling hot topics with a steady hand. Blending graphic horror and unrestrained sexual drive with an insightful view of human deepest feelings, Johnson produces strong fiction unsuitable both for the squeamish and the cursory reader. You may love or hate her stories, but they will never leave you indifferent.

Among the included tales my favorites are: “Rare Birds, 1959”, a gloomy story of rape with an unexpected, surreal outcome; “Marigolds”. a dark, disquieting tale of lesbian love set in 1775, and taking place in a Parisian brothel; and  “A Harvest Fit for Monsters”, a memorable dystopian story set in a grim future where an old woman takes revenge on a war criminal.

The highlight of the book is “The Queen of Lakes”, an outstanding tale masterfully depicting the life of a clever peasant girl, who is forced to leave school to allow her dumb brother to go to college, and finds a devoted friend in a dangerous creature dwelling by a lake.

I’m strongly recommending this collection, while I’m getting ready  to secure a copy of the author’s other books if still available.

 

Contains: rape, sex, explicit violence

 

Reviewed by Mario Guslandi

Posted on December 23, 2020 by , Reply
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