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Book Review: Worst Laid Plans: An Anthology of Vacation Horror edited by Samantha Kolesnik

cover art for Worst Laid Plans: An Anthology of Vacation Horror edited by Samantha Kolesnik

Worst Laid Plans: An Anthology of Vacation Horror edited by Samantha Kolesnik

Grindhouse Press, 2020

ISBN: 9781941918708

Availability: Paperback, Kindle edition ( Bookshop.org | Amazon.com )

 

Worst Laid Plans is a collection of “vacation gone wrong” stories. It’s a lot like an actual vacation, in terms of story quality. There are some serious high points, some decent times, and some mediocre, forgettable times. The stories vary in terms of reading enjoyment, but the stories that are outstanding help offset the others.

The first three stories are undoubtedly the best in the book. S.E. Howard’s “You’ve Been Saved” is a frightening look at a road trip gone wrong, and a grim reminder that normal-looking psychopaths do occasionally haunt the American highways. Asher Ellis’s “Expertise” goes in somewhat of the same direction, using a tropical tour guide instead of highway ramblers. Both are excellent stories, with well-written, simple plots and a nice twist to surprise the reader. The true knockout is Greg Sisco’s “Summers With Annie”.  Beautifully written, it’s what might have happened if the queen of summer beach reads, Elin Hilderbrand, decided to write from a darker and supernatural perspective. Set against the backdrop of young love and mysterious disappearances, this story alone is worth the price of the book.

The other stories are generally satisfactory, although some are skippable. The writing is decent and there are some original ideas, the stories just don’t pack the same punch as the first three. Of these, Jeremy Herbert’s “Taylor Family Vacation 93”, Hailey Piper’s “Unkindly Girls”, and Patrick Lacey’s “Caught a Glimpse” are probably the best of the rest. The rest of the stories are somewhat interchangeable in terms of quality. While some good ideas are there, some of them lack of coherent finish, and others are too quick to finish after a long buildup.

Worst Laid Plans is truly a varied collection in terms of story quality, but the few outstanding ones compensate nicely for the others.

 

Contains: violence, profanity, mild gore

 

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson

 

Editor’s note: Worst Laid Plans: An Anthology of Vacation Horror is a nominee on the final ballot for this year’s Bram Stoker Award in the category of Superior Achievement in an Anthology. 

Posted on April 22, 2021 by , Reply

Book Review: Two Truths and a Lie by Sarah Pinsker

Cover art for Two Truths and a Lie by Sarah Pinsker

Two Truths and a Lie by Sarah Pinsker

Tor.com, 2020

ASIN:B089FTG8MS

Available: Kindle edition  ( Amazon.com )

 

When her high school friend Marco’s “weird older brother” Denny dies, Stella offers to help clear out his things. Unbeknownst to her, Denny was a hoarder, and sorting through his things, even in just a few rooms, is a huge challenge, requiring latex gloves to go through his things and a mask to keep out the stench. Starting in the dining room, it is Stella’s job to sort the junk and broken things from the items that might be personal or potentially valuable.

 

Stella is a pathological liar. She doesn’t know why she does it, but she’s good at it. She lies about her job, her family, where she lives, what she’s done with her life… and she doesn’t get caught. While sorting through items in the basement rec room, such as DVDs, VHS tapes, and cassettes, she finds an old television set built into a cabinet and makes up a creepy kids’ television show from their childhood to ask Marco about, The Uncle Bob Show, only to discover that she didn’t make it up; it’s real, and most of the little kids in town appeared on it at some time, including her and Denny. Marco remembers it, Stella’s mother remembers it, and when she checks, there are records in the archives of the local television station. Stella is unnerved: if she can’t remember the show despite the nightmarish stories Uncle Bob told on his show, what other memories could she be missing?

 

This is a very short piece on the dangers and nature of storytelling and memory, but so well done. Pinsker doesn’t waste a word in this unsettling tale. While most of the characters are sketches, Denny and his house are vividly recreated, and the realization of how unreliable Stella’s narrative actually is makes the story even creepier. How much of what and who in the  is real and how much is in her head? Readers will have this crawling around their brains well after the last page is turned.

 

As a final note, it would certainly be interesting to see Pinsker revisit some of the other grown children who appeared on the Uncle Bob Show, in connected novellas. Recommended.

 

Reviewed by Kirsten Kowalewski

 

Editor’s note: Two Truths and a Lie is a nominee on the final ballot for this year’s Bram Stoker Award in the category of Superior Achievement in Long Fiction.

Posted on April 5, 2021 by , Reply

Stoker Review Project: Links to Reviews

 

Monster Librarian has been reviewing the nominees on the final ballot for the Bram Stoker Award and they have been coming in steadily! Here’s a list of the nominees for each category with links to our reviews so far. I’ll be updating this as new ones come in, so check back regularly!

Interested in purchasing any of these? Here’s a link to Stoker Nominees at Monster Librarian’s Bookshop Page.

 

5/22: Grotesque: Monster Stories by Lee Murray has a link added in the category of Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection.

5/20: Children of the Fang and Other Genealogies by John Langan has a link added in the category of Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection.

5/19: The Return by Rachel Harrison has a link added in the category of Superior Achievement in a First Novel! We’ve reviewed all the first novels now, scroll down to the links and see what we had to say!

5/19: True Story by Kate Reed Petty has a link added in the category of Superior Achievement in a First Novel.

5/19: Ghost Wood Song by Erica Waters has a link added in the category of Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel! We’ve got all the books in this category reviewed now!

5/17: The Taxidermist’s Lover by Polly Hall has a link added in the category of Superior Achievement in a First Novel.

5/16: Tome by Ross Jeffrey has a link added in the category of Superior Achievement in a First Novel.

5/15: Women Make Horror: Filmmaking, Feminism, Genre edited by Alison Peirse has a link added in the category of Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction.

5/12: Devil’s Creek by Todd Keisling has a link added in the category of Superior Achievement in a Novel.

5/11: Bent Heavens by Daniel Kraus has a link added in the category of Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel.

5/9: End of the Road by Brian Keene has a link added in the category of Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction.

5/7: The Bone Carver (Night Weaver #2) by Monique Snyman has a link added in the category of Superior Achievement in Young Adult Fiction.

5/4: Cradleland of Parasites by Sara Tantlinger has a link added in the category of Superior Achievement in Poetry.

5/4:  Spectre Deep 6 by Jennifer Brody and Jules Rivera has a link added in the category of Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel.

5/3: Road of Bones by Rich Douek, art by Alex Cormack has a link added in the category of Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel.

4/22: The Masque of the Red Death  by Steven Archer has a link added in the category of Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel.

4/22:  Worst Laid Plans: An Anthology of Vacation Horror  has a link added in the category of Superior Achievement in an Anthology

4/5:  Two Truths and a Lie by Sarah Pinsker has a link added in the category of Superior Achievement in Long Fiction.

 

 

Superior Achievement in a Novel

Superior Achievement in a First Novel

Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel

Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel

Superior Achievement in Long Fiction

Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection

Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection

Superior Achievement in an Anthology

Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction

Posted on April 3, 2021 by , Reply