Sunday With Scribner: Crazy Comes In Many Forms

Welcome to another round of Joshua Scribner! Here are three quickies you can finish in minutes:

PARASITIC LOVE is a paranormal flash fiction piece about a jilted lover. Quite a punishment for breaking wedding vows.

NIGHT OWL is just a few pages about a would-be politician approached by an unusual backer. Simply too brief to be much of anything, and more bizarro fiction than anything resembling horror.

JUST REMEMBER WHAT I SAID centers on a woman remembering the death of her brother. She struggles to remember what her therapist told her. The ending is a huge surprise, as well as deeply disturbing.

Check back next week for more Scribner shorts!

As always
AstraDaemon

The Tree of Death

BIG CAT by Bowie Ibarra, author of the Down The Road series, is an entertaining suspense-thriller featuring a predator terrorizing a rural area near San Uvalde. Nothing supernatural or over the top, just a lot of unfortunate people who have forgotten their true place in the food chain.

True to his writing style, Ibarra has included some sexual content, giving the story an 80s slasher motif. However, the serial killer hunts on four legs and doesn't wear a mask. Due to the naughty bits, I don't recommend this story to anyone under the age of 14.

The rotating POV creates some intense, scream-at-the-book moments, especially with the personal drama between the main characters. Even though some of the personalities are somewhat cliché, especially the two idiot cops and the airhead named Chip, the variety keeps readers guessing about everyone's chance of surviving to the end.

The moral of the story: don't get caught with your pants down.

As always,
AstraDaemon

You're Going To Need More Than Beef Jerky

BIGFOOT VS. PREPPERS by Eric S. Brown is yet another deathmatch between a group of humans and the legendary creatures. While this novella offers the same formula (Bigfoot tribe attacks, humans totally screwed), Brown still manages to change up the ways the characters are brutally slaughtered. He also includes quite an assortment of personalities among the preppers.

There is one question, asked multiple times by the folks at the compound, which kept me hooked throughout the bloodshed: why didn't anyone ever see a Sasquatch during all those years they spent on the mountain? I wanted to know what triggered the hairy beasts, after so much uneventful time had gone by.

The ending had me scurrying back to the story, Day of the Sasquatch, looking for a connection. I'll admit, I haven't read Brown's Bigfoot Wars yet. Maybe a more seasoned Brown fan will be able to figure it out.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Fantastic Revenge Novel

GYPSY by Dan Foley (Grinning Skull Press) takes a common plot device, rape, and uses it to orchestrate a suspenseful and entertaining tale of revenge, without being sexually graphic or overly violent. While I don't necessarily consider this horror, as much as a supernatural crime drama, this story beats the pants off Richard Bachman's Thinner and offers readers something far more substantial than I Spit On Your Grave.

I love the way Foley's characters, Tim and Celeste, find a way to connect over their personal tragedies, as they use the extreme differences in their lives to exact revenge against a group of scum who absolutely deserve their deaths. The couple take teamwork to a metaphysical level. The details with the dreams and tarot cards are the perfect touch. Somehow Foley managed to surprise me with the ending, which is just one more aspect I love about this story.

I'm recommending this one to all fiction readers. Even if you're the type to "wait for the movie," make an exception for this novel.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Tarnation

MOON OVER TOMBSTONE by Carmenn Alexander King Kocznur features a couple of outlaws who have been reunited after decades of being apart. Bill notices Chester isn't looking so well and wonders why his companion travels with a coyote. Chester claims the coyote speaks to him, and he feels a change coming on.

I had no idea what to expect, no idea where the storyline would lead me, even after the appearance of a supernatural visitor about halfway through. The first half of the story seems largely unnecessary...Kocznur could easily present this as a flash fiction piece, minus the long setup.

I will admit, I very rarely read any stories with a western theme in any genre, as such, this one is not really my cup of tea. However, anyone who enjoys a justice-served theme may appreciate the ending.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Supernatural Crime Noir

MONSTERS by Thomas Smith is more mystery-thriller than horror. The author has mixed a familiar supernatural concept with crime drama into something resembling noir fiction, with the narrator being both a victim and killer in equal measure. Smith also maintains a solid balance between action and dialogue, complete with a coming of age flashback. No dull moments, and entertaining enough to become a preternatural crime series.

While the premise is similar to a certain Marvel movie series, the tone is less campy, more personal, and I'd love to see Smith bring back Jack for another case file.

As always,
AstraDaemon

No Time To Eat

DEVLIN'S DINER by Shawn Weaver follows the near-death experience of a man who has just been in a serious car accident. Kyle has a difficult time accepting what has happened, even when someone at the diner tries to help him. As he struggles to accept the information given to him, Kyle is running out of time to decide where he wants to go.

There's not a lot of details to the story, but I did enjoy the lawyer joke. I also found the afterlife description about 9/11 rather fascinating. Some moments are sad, others are amusing, but the ending is a nail-biter. Will Kyle decide for himself or will someone else decide his fate?

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sunday With Scribner: Tet Has Arrived

IT NEVER DIED by Joshua Scribner is the author's best story, of the 50+ stories I have read by Scribner. I read hundreds of stories every year, and it's been years since I've read anything so original. This isn't just a supernatural story, or a karma/revenge plot, this is the ultimate reincarnation tale!

Most of the action takes place at night, which jacked up the steady flow of suspense. This novella had me so on edge, I jumped when I thought I saw something come down my hallway. There are many levels within, with no clear "bad guy." I felt sorry for everyone involved.

If you only read one story from Scribner this year, make it this one.

As always,
AstraDaemon

No Dice

HALL OF TWELVE by Rebecca Besser is one of her older short stories, but still a horrific thriller, with a mix of Lovecraft and science fiction. Readers experience Besser's nightmare through the eyes of a father who has come home to find a bloodbath within his home. He joins a group of his neighbors in an effort to find safety, dig up answers and exact revenge.

The Beings and their "pets" are easy to envision with the author's detailed imagery. While very little is revealed about the human survivors, readers will still be able to relate to the hopelessness of the new Hell on Earth. Never has a game of dice been so terrifying and demoralizing.

As always,
AstraDaemon

I'm Afraid of Models Now

MODEL TOWN by Rebecca R. Pierce is absolutely frightening! I have a feeling my night terrors are going to have images from this story for the next few weeks or so. I chose this story, thinking it might be something like Small World by Tabitha King or Stop Over In A Quiet Town (Twilight Zone), but Pierce has created something far more sinister.

The author has mixed folklore, mystery and horror to create a dark twist on an old, but well-known legend. The ending is like a roller coaster, with one surprise after another. Pierce will leave readers wrecked with this -- one of her very best short stories!

As always,
AstraDaemon

A Calculated Guess

THE PROBABILITY MACHINE by Austin Grisham is a flash fiction piece about a young criminal retelling his experiences with a stolen device. The machine absorbs data and variables, and, when questioned, gives answers with the highest probability.

Grisham kept me interested from beginning to end, but I would have preferred more action and less conversation. I had a sneaking suspicion how the story would end, but I didn't quite guess correctly. Maybe if I had a machine like that...

As always,
AstraDaemon

Motivated By Memories

PICKING UP PLANS IN PALMA by Matthew W. Quinn is a science fiction short centered on a spy attempting to deliver plans in an alternative 1998 timeline. The story moves between Connor trying to escape detection and his personal flashbacks, fleshing out the current political atmosphere, which includes an insane level of apartheid.

Once the action begins, the spy's struggle to outsmart his enemies is intense, similar to a chase scene in a James Bond movie. The background connections between Connor and one of his enemies provides a very dramatic reason to keep fighting, despite being injured.

I enjoyed the premise of this story so much, I would love to read more about Connor and Katje, and their efforts to help the cause.

As always,
AstraDaemon

For The Love of a Woman

CRADDOCK by Jerry Gerold begins with a reluctant sacrifice to an ancient oak tree. The author increases the suspense with an abandoned town, a human-size husk of leaves and a frightened uncle rambling about something following his nephew.

I had no expectations for this story. I've always had mixed feelings about Gerold's stories, although readers can always count on him to provide unusual plot twists. In this case, a deadly family secret is unearthed.

Entertaining, but somewhat predictable.

As always,
AstraDaemon

By The Numbers

RED AIRWAVES by Antonio Simon Jr. is a short story about a man who is convinced the Soviets are going to bomb the U.S. during the Cold War. He builds a bunker and monitors the airwaves for coded messages. While chasing his conspiracy, his life falls apart.

The ending is a bit of a surprised. Not the author's best story, but not his worst either.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sunday With Scribner: Primed

WHAT I BECAME by Joshua Scribner centers on a man, sharing the horrors of his life, growing up as an orphan within the foster system. There is a noticeable pattern of murder and suicide, wherever he finds himself. At first, he believes the deaths are just what he can expect from his deplorable experiences, but, as he approaches adulthood, he realizes there is something metaphysical at work.

The end of the story wraps up with explanations of why things happened the way they did, giving the perfect excuse for the destructive path the man chooses. However, I can't help but wonder, what if it was all in his head?

As always,
AstraDaemon

Dark Family Drama

WE ALL LOVE THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS by Joanne Proulx is not anything like the usual genre fiction I read, but I do enjoy stories about the complexity of relationships. Although, in this case, the characters made their own lives far more complex than necessary, mostly due to their own ugly, selfish decisions. Within these pages, you'll find betrayal between friends over money and women, marital issues and bitterness...lots and lots of bitterness.

Mia and Michael are screwed over financially by a lifelong friend, their son gets drunk over a girl and disappears into the snow. Boy wants girl who is with another boy. Girl wants boy who wants other girl. Parents are too busy fighting with each other to pay attention to the horrible crap their teens are doing. Lots of talk about love, but no one is loving. Almost every character seems to get off on doing something which is sure to hurt another person, literally and figuratively.

So why read this story, with all the horrible behavior? The author does a fantastic job of bringing several  real-life issues front and center: the struggles of someone disabled, white collar crime, division of classes, and sexual assault. Proulx highlights the way life seems to pile on multiple problems at the same time and the various ways people make everything worse for themselves by giving in to their anger.

The novel rotates through the POVs of Finn's family, but ends with the POV of someone who has been a part of all their lives. By the end, I remained very disgusted with Mia and Michael making a big deal about their relationships with other people, when they lacked the ability to see beyond their own family life.

Readers who enjoy suspense and drama might enjoy this dark family entanglement.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Hunt Or Die

TOOTH & CLAW by Dave Jeffery (Grinning Skull Press) is one of the best werewolf stories I've ever read. The author has blended folklore, crime drama and horror with an excellent balance of action and suspense to create one hell of a thriller! If someone mixed the movies Silver Bullet with Predator, the result still wouldn't come close to the excruciating gauntlet Jeffrey puts his characters through.

While I'm satisfied with the ending, as well as shocked by the turn of events, I am left with a few questions I feel the author could answer in a sequel. Or, better yet, a companion novella retelling events from the lycan POV. I'm definitely adding Tooth & Claw to my Top 2019 list!

As always,
AstraDaemon

Secrets Within Secrets

THE WEDDING OF RACHEL BLAINE by Amy Cross has such a wicked twist, I've been sitting at my laptop for more than a few minutes, trying to figure out how to write this review. When I first saw this novel, I thought, "Here we go with another jilted bride-ghost story," but this focuses more on a woman with a dark secret...marrying a man with a dark secret.

I felt so damn sorry for Rachel, once her past is revealed, and her mother's flippant attitude made me sick. Rachel is about to get married, surrounded by friends and family, and not a single person has her back. Even though this story has a paranormal element, the underlying theme of distrust and abandonment is just too realistic.

The pace is a little slow...this could've been a novella, if not for the long setup...but the ending is worth the effort to stick with Rachel's plight. Too bad she didn't trust her own feelings.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Dinner With A Friend

SPECIMEN 313 by Jeff Strand features a mad scientist experimenting with flesh-eating plants, but the story is told from the POV of one plant in particular. Max starts to feel a bit off, but his mood changes when a new specimen named Jenny is planted next to him.

The plants are my favorite characters. Strand's creation is a mix of The Happening with Little Shop of Horrors. I enjoyed the scene with the discarded plant cursing at the others, and I wish the author had included more interactions within the greenhouse experiments.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Shaw On Vacation

DEAD END by Matt Shaw is surprisingly tame compared to many of his other stories. I'm so used to an onslaught of horrific action from Shaw, this novella came across as fairly boring. There is a lot of narration about thoughts and feelings, and I wondered if the author wrote this on a bender because this is simply not what I've come to expect from Matt Shaw.

Aside from the one disturbing scene, Dead End is more of a crime drama than any kind of horror story. If you want to know what Shaw is really capable of, I recommend Octopus.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Jeremey Deserves Better

SIEGE OF THE BONE CHILDREN by Erik Lynd begins with a grieving father and a memory of a cryptic revelation from his son: "Not me dad, you." Malcom didn't understand why his son felt the need to build a cardboard fort for him, nor did he realize it would be the last thing they did together, before his son is killed in an accident.

"The creaking of the stairs woke him from a sweaty sleep."

From that point on, I was absolutely terrified for Malcom. I also wondered, more than once, if Jeremy had some special gift of sight. I experienced this nightmare as both a parent and a child. Malcolm's son included so many surprises within the fort, increasing the the suspense and drama with every detail. The ending, unfortunately, really aggravated the hell out of me.

I hate to be THAT reviewer, but I can think of several other ways Lynd could've chosen to end the battle. I think Lynd basically gave the finger to Malcolm, and the author needs to do right by Jeremy. PLEASE WRITE A SEQUEL.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sunday With Scribner: The Plot Thickens

Nancy has never appealed to the opposite sex. But after a visit from a magic woman, men will give up everything to have Nancy for a little while. No wonder she is not a willing patient for Doctor Wolfstone. And while the doctor deals with the powerful demon inside her, an old nemesis is on the way to destroy him.

WHATEVER HE DESIRES by Joshua Scribner is the most recent installment in the Doctor Wolfstone's Clinic series. I highly recommend reading the other stories in this series, before you bother to read this review. This does not necessarily have any spoilers, but the stories do connect to one another on some level.

This time, the story makes several references to past episodes in this series. Also, the horror within is more like dark erotica, similar to a succubus. Unlike previous patients, Nancy is very aware of what has been happening to her. In fact, she invited the demon into her for the benefit. Even the nature of the hypnosis sessions are different from previous stories.

Last but not least, Egret's background is revealed. By now readers are aware of both Wolfstone's past and his nemesis, which leads me to believe there will be a huge battle coming soon. I can't wait to see how Scribner wraps up this series.

As always,
AstraDaemon

When The Dead Take Over

CHICAGO UNDEAD 4: FIELD TRIP by Shawn Weaver is a story I've been looking forward to since October 2017. On The Eleventh Floor, the first story set in the world of Chicago Undead, is a great glimpse into a zombie outbreak set downtown in the city. The story is told from Robin's POV. Deep Freeze follows a teenage girl’s outbreak experience, which has nothing to do with Robin. Unlike the first two installments, A Bad Way To Start Your Day is told from the perspective of a dead Chicago man who doesn't seem to grasp that he is deceased.

Field Trip revisits the funeral home from the third story, and emphasizes how, despite being surrounded by chaos, people cling to their denial of what is happening in Chicago. Knowing what the characters don't know will have readers screaming at every page, as the undead begin to invade the various levels of the building.

Weaver could easily write a few more stories for the Chicago Undead series, most likely following the group of survivors attempting to reach the police station. I'd be thrilled if the author went full circle and revisited the two children from the very beginning. I think as long as Weaver keeps changing the POV and stays focused on his characters, the series will keep going strong.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Too Many Words, Not Enough Story

THE BURNING OF NIGHT by Louis Lalande is full of descriptive words, no doubt meant to create a dramatic tone for the story. Instead, the author succeeds only in suffocating any trace of suspense. Take away the abundance of adjectives, and there really isn't much left to the story.

Practically nothing is revealed about the main character, even less about the entity he discovers. In other words, there doesn't appear to be a point to this piece of fiction. A better ending would have had the parents waking up to a house fire seemingly caused by their son smoking bed, with readers knowing the "true" story.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Never Trust Cherry Chapstick Girls

PARAMORTAL by J.M. Tompkins is not "a fun tale full of playful horror." Nothing fun or playful about the events which take place. This story is, in fact, an excellent mix of the supernatural and dark horror. While the beginning is a little flippant, with the POV belonging to a horny college guy, the story soon takes a very sinister twist.

I thought this might have something to do with the undead, or some similar abomination, but the nightmare Tompkins unleashes on her readers is much more complicated. The Curator is quite a character...I wouldn't mind a sequel with Gary doing some research on the old man's personal history. Paramortal's concept is too awesome too keep confined to one short story.

I do agree with the book's description: Evil Dead fans will enjoy this one. Maisey has some truly cringeworthy moments, and I'm thinking she needs a sequel as well.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Permanently Benched

STAY WITH US by Kyle J. Franklin follows a boy named Robert into a clearing with a notorious reputation. Even though he has heard of people going missing in the clearing, he is determined to perform the midnight challenge to impress a girl.

The author doesn't reveal much, but readers will feel Robert's terror just the same. The suspense reminds me of the horror stories I read as a kid in the 80s, making the story one of those rare ones I can recommend to readers of any age...as long as one does not have a fear of the dark.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Bad Connection

DARK WEB by Kelvin Teo is a clever mix of crime drama, time travel and horror. This flash fiction piece had me hooked all the way through, but the ending is too abrupt. There are just enough details about Malcom and his friend Jackie to make me care about the two teens, so I can't let it go. The story idea is too good not to develop into a novel.

You don't have to be a horror fan to appreciate the suspense created by Teo.

As always,
AstraDaemon

The Perfect Planter

GREEN THUMB by Earl Hatsby centers on a pair of brothers, recently captured by a sinister man known as Green Thumb. It's unclear if the mystery man is indeed human or something else, based on the description. One could almost imagine him to be a type of goblin who has found a way to blend in.

Even if Green Thumb is just a human psychopath, he definitely qualifies as an evil genius. Most likely, his special projects will become a famous case study, in Hatsby's creation, of course.

Knowing this is flash fiction is the only comfort after the horrific reveal at the end.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sunday With Scribner: The Doctor Is In

His patient is an unwilling participant. The bound man likes the demon inside him and the ravenous appetite it brings. On top of this, the demon knows things about the doctor and will take the fight to a personal level.

BINARY MONSTER by Joshua Scribner is another installment in the Doctor Wolfstone's Clinic series. If you haven't read any of the past stories in this series, stop reading this review. Each story builds slightly upon the previous episode. Readers will enjoy Doctor Wolfstone's work more, if they are familiar with his practice.

Anyone who is a fan of the Doctor's sessions will know the demons usually try to get at him. The confrontation in this one is one of the very best. I'm also thrilled to finally read more about Wolfstone's personal background. Basically, this is the installment I've been waiting for, and I am not disappointed. The ending is a cliffhanger, but a welcome piece of the puzzle.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sci-Fi Saturday: Stowaway

YLLAS YOT by Abe Evergreen is a mix of sci-fi and crime drama, kind of like a simplified version of the 80s movie, Ice Pirates. Yll finds a woman, Ada, hiding aboard his freighter, trying to escape from a planetary crime lord who wants to add her to his brothel.

Ada has an entitled attitude which doesn't go over well with Yllas, and he can't decide if he wants to take her bribe to get her home, or accept the reward for returning her to her captors.

Being a short story, the story left me wanting more. Evergreen should consider turning this one into another mini-series, the way the author did with Dark City.

As always,
AstraDaemon