Trick or Treat? Trick. Definitely, Trick.

28 Seconds Later by Duncan P. Bradshaw lost me on the first words, "Comrade Slutsky," but I read it anyway. The story takes place in 1984, within a secret Russian facility performing scientific experiments on their Olympic athletes. During an inspection, it becomes evident that something has gone terribly wrong.

The author spends a considerable amount of time describing the laboratory. I was nearly a third through the story before any action took place. Phrases such as "Kung Fu Chopping" and "renowned fornicator" also cranked up the cringe factor. I'm not even going to bother discussing the spy modeled after Sean Connery's James Bond. Apparently, Bradshaw likes to blend comedy with horror, but I wasn't amused...or frightened, for that matter...just painfully aware of how long it took me to get through this short story.

What I thought would be an interesting conspiracy theory zombie tale turned into The Three Stooges meets Day of the Dead (the original with the underground bunker). I'm sure some of my cheesier friends might find Bradshaw's work mildly entertaining, but it's not something I'll be recommending.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Karma With A Coin Flip

Wooden Nickel by Simeon Gregory is a brilliant short story. The build-up is slow, but completely worth reading through as the true horror of the wooden nickel is revealed. I don't know if Gregory intended Stan's backstory to be funny, but I laughed myself into tears, only to be gut-punched, kicked in the face and stomped on by the ending. I felt thoroughly destroyed after discovering what the boys brought upon themselves. Moral of the story: be kind to others...you never know how a coin toss will turn out.

I reviewed Badger by Simeon Gregory back in August, and the stories are so radically different, it's hard to believe it's the same author. I'd love to see Gregory keep the writing style used in Wooden Nickel.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Beware of Shortcuts

Warm Shelter: A Ghost Story by Rich Hawkins left me more confused than terrified. I'm not sure if something supernatural happened to Alex or if he just suffered from drug-fueled hallucinations. The descriptions are intense; I felt the cold, smelled the rot, but, if there is a point to this story, it remains lost on me. I don't think Alex deserved to have his life ruined because he took a shortcut in an attempt to get to work on time. I'm not convinced that any kindness would have made the slightest bit of difference to the vagrants. I think anyone who crossed paths with them were going to be screwed.

However, this would be the perfect story to read if you were fighting the flu and full of cold medicine...

As always,
AstraDaemon

I Bet It Was A Monday

Chicago Undead 3: A Bad Way To Start Your Day by Shawn Weaver is another story set in the windy city overrun with zombies. Unlike the first two, however, this installment is told from the perspective of a dead man who doesn't seem to grasp that he is deceased. In some ways, it's totally sick, with rather graphic details including entrails and such spilling all over. In other ways, it's freaking hilarious. Not only did the main character have crap luck before being killed, even as one of the undead he can't catch a break.

The fourth story will be called Field Trip and I'm hoping it will follow the students who appear in this story.

As always,
AstraDaemon

More From Tales of the Executioners

Dismas: Prayers of the Damned is another book in the Tales of the Executioners mini-series by Joleene Naylor. When I reviewed several of these stories, during the summer, the tales were listed as being in a particular order within the product description of the actual Kindle download. Since then, the author Joleene Naylor has clarified on her website: "It doesn't matter what order* you read the stories in - each is a stand alone short! *Due to the difference in publishers, stories may appear in a different order on Amazon." I wish she had clarified that from the beginning of the series. Just goes to show you can't always trust the product descriptions.

Dismas is currently my favorite executioner tale. I love the mix of conflicts swirling around Dismas. He struggles with issues of loyalty, spirituality and self-discovery. I've never been a fan of Kateesha, so I enjoyed seeing her displaced. Naylor uses the perfect balance of drama and action to lure readers further into the world of Amaranthine.

As always,
AstraDaemon