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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.)

 

Book Review: Hideous Faces, Beautiful Skulls by Mark McLaughlin

Hideous Faces, Beautiful Skulls by Mark McLaughlin

Wildside Press, 2014

Available: New paperback

ISBN-13: 978-1479401888

 

Hideous Faces, Beautiful Skulls is a wonderful collection of horror and the bizarre that spans the author’s career of original and compelling storytelling.

Among my favorites are “The Final Broadcast of Sugarville’s Channel 7 Action News,” an entertaining take on global warming and the destruction of the planet told in its entirety through the station’s final news broadcast; “Drool Tool: The Meltdown Mix”, about a band’s weird music that has a catastrophic effect on the people who hear it; “Agatha Says”, which deals with the weird changes taking place at a nursing home recently bought by an eccentric resident; “Claws of the Internet Witches”, which follows the internet chat room of a coven of witches out to destroy humanity; and “Soft Bones”, about a young man with a debilitating disease, and how one woman tries to help him.

 

There isn’t a bad story in the collection. McLaughlin’s style of writing is weird, quirky, and at times squirm-inducing; a very entertaining read. What I really like about McLaughlin’s writing is his ability to inject dry humor into even the most horrific of tales. If you like your horror weird, bizarre, and funny, then Hideous Faces, Beautiful Faces is right up your alley. Recommended.

Contains: blood and gore

Reviewed by Colleen Wanglund

Book Review: Professor Challenger: The Kew Growths and Other Stories by William Meikle

Professor Challenger: The Kew Growths And Other Stories by William Meikle

Dark Renaissance Books, 2014

ISBN-13: 978-1-937128-84-5

Availability: Trade Paperback
 
Professor Challenger: The Kew Growths And Other Stories introduces journalist Edward Malone, who is on suspension at his newspaper and is rehabilitating after an ill-fated trip to the Amazon. He craves adventure, but is given nothing but obituaries, flower shows, and weddings to report on. He is considering leaving his employer for the French Riviera when he is given the task of reporting on the opening of a new greenhouse at Kew Gardens.

The greenhouse is a fantastic structure, home to many exotic plants that only serve to remind Malone of what he is missing from a real adventure. That is, until he sees the Kew Growths: three foot tall parasol mushrooms from Mongolia that sing, like a choir of monks in the wind … absolutely charming! The next day, however, ten of the attendees are in the hospital, comatose from an unidentifiable infection, and an investigation commences. Malone meets up with Thomas Carnacki, a student of the arcane, who has deduced that the cause is the Mongolian mushrooms, which are highly dangerous and should not be cultivated under any circumstances. The worst is yet to come! It is time to call in Professor Challenger.

This adventure story was a fantastic read. It is a series of short stories that flow together so well as to be one complete work. The characters are lesser known creations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and William Meikle does them proud. Sherlock Holmes and Watson have nothing on Professor Challenger and Malone. The tone was beautifully set right from the start and carried on throughout. The phrases and descriptions felt very 1800’s, and the characters were distinctive and easy to identify; the dialog really made this work for me. The descriptions were very well done– just enough without going too far. The action sections were also superb. The eleven illustrations spread throughout the text were a nice bonus. When I finished the last page, I definitely wanted more. Other works by the author I have read are: Professor Challenger: The Island Of Terror, Island Life, and Watchers: The Coming of the King.

Highly recommended for adult readers.

Reviewed by Aaron Fletcher