Thursday, May 23, 2013

Four Corners Dark - William McNally



Description
Out in the darkness, the demons and horrors of our imagination become all too real. Of those brave enough to leave the light and plunge into the world’s dark corners, none come back unchanged. Some don’t come back at all. Four Corners Dark offers up four very different tales of places where the darkness lingers, tempting you to step into the unknown.
In these tales by storyteller William McNally, a group of Mexican immigrants place their trust in the wrong coyote, or human smuggler, only to find their very souls at risk. A huckster with the ability to escape trouble by jumping realities discovers he may have made one jump too many. Two proud new homeowners find out too late they share their property with the ghost of a vengeful witch, and one man’s love for his son leads to a decision that changes both their destinies.
It’s easy to be brave in the light, protected by our warm, comforting electric light bulbs or the warmth of the sun. Only in the darkness do we discover the limits of our courage. Step out of the light, and into the stories of Four Corners Dark



Four Corners Dark contains 4 short stories and most definitely saves the best for last. If able to rate them separately I would have given 5 stars to the last story "The Spinning Wheel" Which reminded me of Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This way Comes complete with mysterious carnival. It was my favorite.
 

The first 2 stories Engine Eighteen and Return to Nowhere were just ok. I felt that the endings could have been better resolved. The third story The Raven Mocker, was the longest of the 3 and although it was better than the first 2 stories It seemed a little stiff and some of the dialogue seemed unnatural. A bit of editing could have made this story flow along better. All in all not a bad book.
I was given a complimentary copy for review

Monday, April 29, 2013

Vegan Zombie Apocalypse -by Wol-vriey

 
 
 
 
I don’t know where to start. I thought I had pretty much seen it all and read it all when it comes to the zombie genre. I was wrong. Welcome to a world where zombies live on potatoes grown in human flesh, humans cannibalize those who have had their potatoes harvested, and sex as you know it is a thing of the past, but don’t forget your jar of condom worms in case you get lucky. Not for the easily offended, the faint of heart or those with a weak stomach. The gore and gross out factor is broken up by occasional humor. You won’t know whether to laugh or vomit. If you are a fan of the bizarre, or if you want a change of pace from your usual zombie fare, this is for you. I guarantee you have never seen zombies like these before.
I was given a free copy by the author for review.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Best New Zombie Tales Volume 1

Includes Amazing Fiction by:

WHC Grand Master Award Winner, Ray Garton
New York Times Best Seller, Jonathan Maberry
Bram Stoker Award Winner, Kealan Patrick Burke
Bram Stoker Award Nominee, Jeff Strand
Edgar Award, Bram Stoker Award Nominee, Bev Vincent
Micro Award Finalist, Robert Swartwood
Emmy Award Nominee, Harry Shannon
British Fantasy Awards Nominee, Gary Mcmahon
Bram Stoker Award Winner, Kim Paffenroth
And so much more…

Creepy, scary, and sometimes funny, these stories are all quite enjoyable but if I had to choose favorites I would say that the Ray Garton story "Zombie Love" and Jonathan Maberry's "Pegleg and Paddy save the world" were the best of the bunch.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Letting The Demons Out - Ray Wallace

"The demons are waiting... Ancient gods. Flesh-eating immortals. Sentient machines. A gun wielding monster. And a man with a unique and terrible addiction. They all reside within the pages of LETTING THE DEMONS OUT, the debut collection from Ray Wallace, author of ESCAPE FROM ZOMBIE CITY: A ONE WAY OUT NOVEL and THE HELL SEASON. Face your fears. Enjoy the nightmares."


Looking for thrills, chills, and a few giggles too? All can be found in Letting The Demons Out. My favorites of these 16 entertaining tales were..

"It Came From The Swimming Pool" Aside from the fact that what is in that pool may scare the bejeezers out of you I loved these characters and was reminded that happiness is all about perception.

"A Dream Of An Endless Highway" A scary little story set in the not too distant future where cars drive themselves. I'm still laughing over the head of CETA but I'm not going to tell you what that stands for because I don't want to deprive you of your giggle when you read the book.

"Letting The Demons Out" Because I have a fear of psychotic religious fanatics the way some people have a fear of clowns.

"Who's Laughing Now" A fun read in which the author tips his hat to Evil Dead 2
and last but not least..

"Test Run" which surprised me to enjoy it so much because I am not usually a fan of alien stories, and I definitely didn't see the end coming.