New Scribner in November: Day 6 of 6

DIDN'T SEE YOU THERE by Joshua Scribner is a confusing flash fiction piece about an incident at a dollar store. Nothing suspenseful, just a strange ending. Not sure what the point is supposed to be.

This week of Scribner has been somewhat disappointing. My apologies.

As always,
AstraDaemon

New Scribner in November: Day 5 of 6

IMPLANTS by Joshua Scribner is one of the most perverse stories I've ever read by the author, but I'm glad to see he's written something so unpredictable. Getting roofied is bad enough, but the reason behind it is absolutely horrific.

I think this one needs a sequel.

As always,
AstraDaemon

New Scribner in November: Day 4 of 6

WILD BEAUTY by Joshua Scribner is a flash fiction piece centered on a young man trying to score at a party. He meets the ultimate hot chick, but she's rather strange, and tells him to sniff her butt. Predictable, but the ending is a little funny in a dark way.

I'm a little concerned Scribner might be running out of ideas. His autumn new releases aren't as good as his spring stories published this year.

As always,
AstraDaemon

New Scribner in November: Day 3 of 6

PRAYING FOR A BABY by Joshua Scribner is an original flash fiction piece, but this story is far below the level of storytelling the author is capable of. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear Scribner lost a bet and was forced to publish this one.

If this is your first Scribner story, I recommend you start over with IT NEVER DIED, 3AM SMOKE or SYCOPHANTS, to get a better idea of Scribner's true talent.

As always,
AstraDaemon

New Scribner in November: Day 2 of 6

TEARING HIM UP INSIDE by Joshua Scribner is an insane piece of flash fiction, but entertaining nonetheless. A daughter is trying to figure out how her father managed to get out of a life sentence for killing her mother, and his story is unbelievable.

Scribner has created something which reminds me of the Wishmaster movies from the 80s.

As always,
AstraDaemon

New Scribner in November: Day 1 of 6

While I'm still trying to catch up on Scribner's old stories, written years ago, the author has released another batch of new delights. Since everyone is likely busy with Thanksgiving plans anyway, this week will be devoted to Scribner's new short stories...

A DIFFERENT GIRL EVERY NIGHT by Joshua Scribner is not what you think, so get your minds out of the gutter. Jessie is usually the one who brings the hot chicks home, but his roommate Bron has been the lucky one lately.

The ending is intriguing, and while some might appreciate the twist, it seems extremely petty to me. Some people should just move on with their lives.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sunday With Scribner: A Major Problem

THE HITCH by Joshua Scribner is more bizarro fiction than horror, and it is very bizarre indeed. Kite has followed Dozer his entire life, but he has finally reached the end of the path.

Kite must decide if he trusts himself more than his friend.

Pay attention to the details in this story.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Snake Oil

LOST GIRL OF THE LAKE by Joe McKinney and Michael McCarty is a supernatural coming of age story told from the POV of a grown man looking back on a boyhood memory of one particular summer. While filled with suspense, I wouldn't label the story as horror, and I am disappointed with how much backstory is left out.

Up to this point, I have enjoyed everything published by Grinning Skull Press, and Joe McKinney is one of my favorite authors, but I've never heard of Michael McCarty. Even so, I'm not going to blame McCarty for my disappointment in this story. I haven't been this dissatisfied with a story since I read The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King.

I'm reminded of a college professor who told me, "Don't put a gun in your story, unless you're planning to use it before the end." There are many guns in this story which never go off with a bang. The dark history of Mark's family is established, but readers are not given any detailed reasons why the older generations appeared to be involved with a snake cult...no specific backstories with Abraham and Ulysses Gaitlin, aside from a brief mention of their falling out.

Another character, Ben, makes a big deal about how dangerous the abandoned village of Gaitlinville is, but, again, he doesn't venture into the history of the church, much less the history of the land/lake. Mark's dad attempts to tell the teenager something from the past, more than once, but remains vague. After a while, limiting the story to Mark's POV appears to do more harm than good. Basically, Mark's character, as an elderly man reflecting on a turning point in his life, sucks at storytelling.

Out of curiosity, I read the other reviews posted on Amazon, and the ones praising this book appear to have read a completely different story than the one I read. If you're expecting this to be anything like GSP's other horror stories, you will be disappointed by the lack of depth and action.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Nagging Thought

THE BOX by Anna Ryan is a flash fiction moment centered on a box which needs to remain locked at all times. The person in charge of guarding the box didn't check the lock this time, and the nagging thought drives the person crazy.

The suspense is pretty good, but the ending is a bit weak. Instead of horror, this seems more like dark humor. Anyone who has ever forgotten to turn something off at home, right before traveling, will most likely relate to this.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Cursed

THE JADE by Mellany Cedeno is a short story about a trip to Mayan ruins. What could possibly go wrong? Two sisters get into a fight, which leads to one of them running off into the jungle and stumbling upon a cursed stone.

The premise is a great idea, but there is zero character development, which diminishes the impact the story could've had. Instead of horror, this is more like a family drama with a touch of the supernatural.

If more is done with the characters, I think this would make a good movie.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Diabeetus

THE ICE CREAM MAN by Ben Larracey is a flash fiction piece which incorrectly claims to be in the vein of Stephen King. I disagree. Much space is wasted, emphasizing how fat Little Billy is, as well as how bad his eating habits are.

The Ice Cream Man is a meager part of the story, when the author could have done more with the character. I am really disappointed with the abrupt ending.

Larracey's story had potential, but it's now rotting in a basement.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Death Beneath Us

THE TUNNELERS by Geoff Gander is one of the best stories I've read in 2019, even though this story was published in 2011. The journal format, which includes interviews and research notes, builds the suspense and horror perfectly, while only revealing bits and pieces.

Halfway through reading, I googled legends of the First Nations to figure out which parts are historical and how much of the story is a creation of the author. What I found convinced me Gander is Lovecraft reincarnated.

If you only have time to read one more story before the new decade, make it this one.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Deep Inside

THE THINNING by Daniel J Ings is another great 2019 release from the author. The Cthulhu theme is the perfect hook to this suspense-thriller, and the ending is sure to catch readers off guard. The two alternating POVs is an excellent touch.

I also recommend EASY.GONE. by Ings, for another sinister short.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Sunday With Scribner: Ascension

ARROW by Joshua Scribner is completely freaking awesome. The author has blended science fiction with the elements of a fable, and the result is an inspirational story of working together.

This piece has a mix of Carl Jung, JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis in the writing style. I'm honestly surprised Scribner wrote something this wonderful so early in his career. While I mainly a fan of the author's horror shorts, this is one of my favorites Scribner stories.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Monster vs. Hero

SHADOW by Zada Kent is an excellent horror short about a little girl who has befriended her shadow. When a school friend disappears, the little girl realizes what has happened, and her shadow begins to whisper to her.

I enjoyed every part of this story, and I recommend this one to all readers, even if you're not a fan of horror.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Extreme BS

INSIDE by David Pope advertises itself as an extreme horror story:

"If you don't like extreme horror then perhaps read something else."

However, the story comes across as an excuse for an explicit sex scene...not even a good one. Pope should have begun the story from the beginning of the pregnancy, written the witchdoctor scene as a flashback, and then finished as is.

The ending is pretty damn great, but the delivery of the story is a wreck.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Dead Man Walking

DEATH AT GERMANTOWN by Jason Davis is a short story centered on a young man who has joined the Revolutionary War, hoping to give himself a secure future by fighting the British. Instead, he faces disease and starvation, and something wicked within the fog.

While the story kept me interested, there isn't much action. By the time the character gets a clue what has happened, the story is already over. Not as good as the author's story, BED BUGS.

As always,
AstraDaemon

A Bone To Pick

GRAVE DIGGER by Brandon Lee Hayes is a flash fiction mystery about an entity which comes to a graveyard at night, digs up fresh corpses and then places the bodies back into the grave. For generations, the caretaker's family has simply reburied the dead, too terrified to interfere with the wraith.

The last of his bloodline, the caretaker has decided to find out for himself what happens when the deceased are disturbed. The truth is horrifying.

Not as action-packed as the author's previous stories, but still chilling in its own way.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Fighting Over Laundry

BEAR CREEK by Abe Evergreen is a short story which takes place during the Gold Rush years. Jake witnesses an extremely violent fight break out between two groups in his camp, and the event changes how he perceives other people. As a result, he is also changed.

More of a personal drama than anything else.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Candide is one of the world's great satires, first published in 1759. Voltaire exposes and satirizes romance, science, philosophy, religion, and government...the ideas and forces that permeate and control the lives of men.

---

Every great once in a while, I revisit classic literature to remind myself of the fundamentals of well-written literature. One of my favorites is Candide by Voltaire.

This was one of the few satires that genuinely made me laugh. Candide is taught by his teacher, Dr. Pangloss, that they live in the best of all possible worlds. Right away, this is put to the test when Candide is banished for loving Cunegonde, who is considered above his station. Not only do horrible things happen to Candide, but terrible events also happen to everyone he knows.

What I found amusing is how Candide seemed to bring it on himself; he makes one bad decision after another, to the point of being predictable. The ending isn't exactly a happy one, but Candide finally finds a place in the world that doesn't bring on more problems.

I think this is a great book to entice young minds to read classic literature.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sunday With Scribner: Thieves in the Night

WISHING WELL by Joshua Scribner is a flash fiction piece which is mostly setup and very little action. This is a terrible example of the author's talent, so it should be noted this story is one of Scribner's early pieces. His writing has vastly improved over the years. His best work has been the stories published in 2019.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Alaskan Undead Apocalypse: Book 5

UNWILLING by Sean Schubert is the fifth book in the Alaskan Undead Apocalypse series. INFECTION, the first book, begins with three children discovering a "caveman" partially thawed in a glacier. One of the kids is infected, and rushed to the hospital. The child dies, reanimates, and begins to attack those around him. As the outbreak spreads into the rest of Anchorage, Alaska, the authorities incorrectly assume they are under attack from terrorists.

CONTAINMENT, book two, is a convergence of the survivors' storylines. The third installment, MITIGATION, takes place a few months after the initial outbreak with little Martin and returns to the very source of the infection, while tying up loose ends from the first two books. RESOLUTION, the best of the series, offers up multiple background stories and deeper connections between the survivors. (You can learn more about this series in my Schubert interview.)

UNWILLING picks up several weeks after the battle between Neil's group and the Colonel in Whittier. The survivor group has increased in number and finally found a place they can call home, but they are contacted by a government official requesting a rescue effort to extract a scientific group from Anchorage. This begs the question, why hasn't anyone attempted to rescue Neil's group yet?

Not only do readers find out what has happened in the lower 48 states, but they are given an additional storyline to follow. The pace is, while action-packed with many horde conflicts, very slow, and I had to read past the halfway mark before I had any genuine interest in the new group. I suppose I am feeling bitter over Neil's decision to rescue the scientists, and putting themselves in the middle of an undead hell, after how much they went through to escape to someplace relatively safe.

As a fan of the series, I am not happy with the way the fifth book ends. Sorry, Schubert, but I think most fans are going to need a sixth book, especially with the change in dynamics within Neil's group.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Careful What You Ask For

A SEARCH TOO DEEP by Nick Herntier is a flash fiction story about a girl who is searching for her missing brother. When she turns to the dark web, and receives a piece of information about her brother, she realizes too late she put herself in danger. Shocking ending.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Speculation

DON'T FORGET TO SCREAM by Anna Ryan is a flash fiction piece about a young woman who believes she is being stalked by someone. Her therapist convinces her it's a figment of her imagination.

Readers are left to speculate about Charlotte's situation. I think her therapist followed her home.

As always,
AstraDaemon

In Love With A Ghost

WHOLE by Sheridan Bray is a flash fiction piece about a man who is visited by a mysterious woman while he sleeps at night. Not really horror, more like a paranormal romance.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Two Years Too Late

VORTEX by Kevin Doy Burton reads more like a script than a story. Burton had a good idea, mixing aliens with the ocean, but this short is written so roughly, the lack of editing ruins the plot. The ending is predictable.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Savage Beasties

PARK CLOSES AT DUSK by D.W. Nathan is the best short story I've read by the author. For some reason, I thought I would be reading a vampire story, but the creatures Nathan has created are much more terrifying.

This story is so action-packed, I wish the author had written a full-length novel instead. If you like Ghoul by Brian Keene, you're going to love the nightlife in this park.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Two Minds, One Body

DAVID by James Parker is a mix of Fight Club and Split, but with a twist of the supernatural. Not much is revealed about David, or his motives, especially since the story is told from Charles' POV. The timeline progression builds up the suspense perfectly.

The epilogue is a great touch. However, the resolution is brief, discovering there is to be a sequel called David's Song. I can't wait to read it.

As always,
AstraDaemon

My Eyes Hurt

MISSISSIPPI DEAD by Shawn Weaver is the worst piece I've read by this author. Throughout the story, I assumed the undead were mindless zombies, especially when they're falling into the water, but the ending takes the dead into a very different direction, inconsistent with previous scenes.

The lack of editing is atrocious. This is not the first time I've taken issue with Weaver's rough writing, but publishing something in this condition is just ridiculous, especially with all the promos added on. Who in their right mind is going to read more by this author, after this wreck?

This is the ninth story I've read by this author, and I don't see myself reading any more of his work, if he isn't going to improve the editing. I'm so disappointed.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Plague of 1348

PLAGUED by Rebecca R. Pierce is a flash fiction piece centered on a young woman caring for her mother during the Plague as everyone dies around them. This serves well as the intro of a fictional character in a historical time period, but does not hold up well as a short story.

While well-written, there doesn't seem to be a point, other than getting readers interested and then leaving them wanting to know more about the young woman's fate.

As always,
AstraDaemon