A Dangerous Trip to the Store

THE MIST is my favorite short story by Stephen King. I first read it as part of SKELETON CREW (1985). I remember thinking, "It's the perfect length for a movie, without leaving out any details," since movies based on King stories are rarely as good as the books. (However, the movie has a much more brutal ending, in my opinion.) To this day, I'm not quite sure why I love this story so much...maybe the contrast of monsters: the ones outside and the ones inside. If you're a horror fan, you're probably familiar with this story, but, just in case...

Following a monster of a thunderstorm, a mysterious mist spreads across a small town in Maine. People who were shopping at the local grocery store soon realize they need to stay inside. Eventually, the survivors find out about a military experiment called "The Arrowhead Project," which is believed to have brought numerous leviathan creatures into existence.

Of course, the nightmare doesn't truly kick off until the town's religious fanatic forms her own cult within the store, and the people who still have fully-functioning brains realize they need to get the hell out of there, regardless of what is hiding within the mist.

Even if you watched the movie, I'm still recommending this novella. Readers will be able to get to know the main characters on a very personal level, in a way the film could not provide.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Everything Has A Price

RELIC OF DEATH by David Bernstein begins with two mobsters who find a briefcase locked up in an old safe. When they open the case, they see what they think will solve all their problems. As with any cursed object, they end up dead, with the briefcase beginning a journey from one desperate person to another.

Each character sees what they need, but the price is always their life. At the very end, the story circles back around to the beginning. While the story is entertaining, I wish the author had included more of a backstory for the case.

Maybe a sequel could be written for the new Keeper, and offer readers the origin of the briefcase.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Stay At Home With Scribner: Day 7 of 7

CORYANNA by Joshua Scribner is full of suspense. A nurse named Lori begins seeing the ghost of a young girl hanging around the babies. She eventually comes to an understanding with the haunting spirit, but she takes a big risk. The ending is sweet.

Very different from Scribner's usual ghost stories.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Stay At Home With Scribner: Day 6 of 7

HELL AND BACK by Joshua Scribner is a mix of John Wick, The Suicide Theory and Haunter rolled into a cautionary tale about a career decision. I can't help if any of the story actually took place, or if the main character had a massive what-if moment.

Great example of "you reap what you sow."

As always,
AstraDaemon

Stay At Home With Scribner: Day 5 of 7

THE PAUSE GHOST by Joshua Scribner is the tale of two boys being raised to believe rock music is evil. Despite this, the dad buys them a boombox, with the mother vehemently disapproving.

Not long after they begin using the stereo at night, something keeps pushing the pause button. When one brother decides to unpause the stereo, all hell breaks loose.

---

This story is a trigger for me, and I don't care who thinks I'm crazy for writing this: I had a possessed stereo in college. Now, let me be clear, I am NOT blaming Rob Zombie, but I was playing a White Zombie CD when the disc was suddenly ejected. I took out the CD, and looked over the player, AFTER I TURNED IT OFF. Everything seemed fine. AND THEN IT TURNED ITSELF ON.

I unplugged it. There were no batteries inside of it. AND IT TURNED ITSELF BACK ON AGAIN. Understand, I am not one of those people who gets curious about supernatural events. I decided to give away the stereo.

No one believed me. My friends thought I was crazy for getting rid of a perfectly good CD player, until it began turning itself on, EVEN WHEN IT REMAINED UNPLUGGED. The portable stereo kept getting passed onto the next person, only to be immediately passed onto someone else because everyone decided the damn thing was possessed.

I have no idea what happened to the CD player. Maybe it crossed paths with Joshua Scribner and inspired this story.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Stay At Home With Scribner: Day 4 of 7

OKLAHOMA DUST by Joshua Scribner is a brief story about three people: one has lost a friend, one has lost a boyfriend, and the third has lost himself. Interesting, but somewhat haphazard.

No real explanation for the ghost in the field, other than opportunity. Very abrupt ending. While not as good as the author's more recent work, I don't think this story is a bad as other readers are making it out to be.

This is flash fiction, after all.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Stay At Home With Scribner: Day 3 of 7

SIDEWALKS by Joshua Scribner is a brief story about a young man transitioning from one stage of life to another. Mark purchases a bicycle to explore his new surroundings, excited about his decision to go to graduate school. His cousin David keeps calling him though, telling Mark he would like it better with him.

I thought maybe David had made a deal with the Devil in California. The ending is a huge surprise.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Stay At Home With Scribner: Day 2 of 7

REPLACED by Joshua Scribner is not what I expected. For some reason, I thought this flash fiction would have a touch of sci-fi, but the author surprised me with something supernatural instead.

As far as love stories go, this one is pretty complicated. The main character Greg asks a good question, "Could I love the woman who killed the woman I love?" The ending is perfect.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Stay At Home With Scribner: Day 1 of 7

This week we will be self-quarantining with Joshua Scribner and his short stories...a great way to get in the habit of reading every day.

PULSING by Joshua Scribner is a flash fiction piece about man who exposed to something nasty at his workplace. Without realizing it, he becomes a carrier and infects the children in his apartment building. The ending is horrific.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Virus Outbreak

OMEGA VIRUS by D Mendonca quickly hooks readers with a timeline of the virus outbreak (so much better than long setups in short stories). The POV is told through a survivor named David. He provides a brief run-down of his fellow survivors, as well as the type of zombies they are dealing with.

The virus is one of the most destructive forces I have read about since Dead Sea (Brian Keene). Not only is the human race teetering on the edge of extinction, but every aspect of daily life has been severely impacted, ravaging all living things, with the sole exception of plants.

While I enjoyed this story immensely, there is an insane amount of typos, which I think could be easily cleared up with a healthy dose of spellcheck. Too bad the author never developed this story into a full-length novel.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Comic Strip Autobiography

Told in simple lines and crude forms, Ray’s graphic memoir Always Goodbye rushes through the milestones of a person’s life with harsh sincerity. Follow along these memories of a man’s travels across the globe as he tries to find himself, always saying goodbye but then reconnecting all over again, as many times as it takes...

ALWAYS GOODBYE by Ray Hecht is a very creative way to share one's life story, and offers a new perspective on growing up as a Millennial (as opposed to the countless memes). Fans of the author are sure to enjoy this comic, but I think a lot of people will be able to relate to the author's personal experiences spanning across four decades.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Ray Bradbury, Cormac McCarthy & George Romero walk into a bar...

THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY INFECTIVE PEOPLE by William Todd Rose swings back and forth between a present-day contagion and the future atrocities which follow. Ironically, I was reluctant to read this book because I'm not a fan of time-travel fiction. However, the idea of zombies and time travel mixed together intrigued me enough to give this book a chance. I'm so glad I didn't pass up this story -- it is amazing! Although, the zombies, known as rotters, are just mere mentions, so don't expect an undead survival tale.

There are two POVs, which switch every time a new chapter starts. The first POV is Bosely, a guy who has obviously killed someone in an attempt to prevent an apocalyptic event he has seen during his time-travel experiences. Bosely claims his consciousness is able to project forward through something called the Eye of Aeons. When he does, he takes up residence in the mind of young teen girl named Ocean.

Ocean provides the second POV, describing horrific living conditions and personalizing the hopelessness of the future. While Bosely's story recaps the events leading up to the murder, Ocean's story focuses on the new group of survivors she's joined.

What really impresses me with Rose's writing style is how the author keeps raising the level of suspense from one chapter to the next by cutting back and forth between the POVs at the most climatic moments...kind of like every chapter ending on a cliffhanger with either Bosely or Ocean, and suddenly switching to the other. This thrilling blend of sci-fi and post-apocalyptic horror will leave your mind in a twist!

As always,
AstraDaemon

Challenging A God

Who guides our fate? And can we ever hope to wrest control for ourselves? In this novella, David Brin merges classical mythology with impudent modern spirit in a science fiction legend that speculates upon the nature of reality.

THE LOOM OF THESSALY by David Brin is far better than the story description. Essentially, a man spots an anomaly on an unreachable plateau using some military-grade technology. He decides to challenge his friend to climb to the top. What is discovered is a story within a story.

You don't have to know anything about mythology to appreciate the battle of wits, but some familiarity with Greek myths might make this more intriguing. I love the mix of modern science fiction with Old World storytelling. This is one of my favorite Brin stories.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Splattered With Horror

OUT OF THE CAVE created by MacKenzie Publishing is an anthology of stories by several talented authors:

Foreword by Steve Vernon - discusses how scary stories are good for kids

Preface by Cathy MacKenzie - mentions mix of fantasy, supernatural and suspense stories geared towards readers as young as 13

OUT OF THE CAVE by Cassandra Williams - young boy is determined to discover a troll (this legitimately freaked me out)

PROPER METHOD by Stephen Millard - a young man is given more responsibility on the family farm (this one is terrifying)

I WAIT by Chiara De Giorgi - teen runs away from home (ending is confusing)

BECOMING CLARISSA by A.W. Powers - great coming of age story

DANGER STREET by Rod Martinez - better than Tron (veggie scene made me LOL)

THE GRIP by Val Muller - horrifying curse (would make a great movie)

DOWN THE MYRTLE TREE by A.P. Sessler - exploring on Halloween night (sweet & sad)

TAKERS by Paul Stansbury - interesting folklore piece

THE LEGEND OF POUTINE by Randy Whittaker - another folklore story with an amusing ending

THE MONSTER OF BEINN LEITIR by Kristin Roahrig - horrifying folklore

BEARING WITNESS by Alan Kemister - should be required reading by teens (mind-blowing ending)

THE GRAVEDIGGER by Tom Robson - gruesome discovery

IN TENTS by Heron Greenesmith - my favorite story (needs to be made into a novel) *clever title*

THEY CAME FROM OGIJIMA by S.L. Kerns - very original (great descriptions)

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES by Kathy L. Price - a grisly tale

THE FOURTH FLOOR by E.F. Schraeder - very freaky (would love a full-length novel about the school)

NO DEEPER by Chantal Boudreau - terrifying Lovecraftian story

TIM AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD REANIMATED ANIMAL ATTACKS by Katherine Sanger - strange ending (left me wanting more)

THE STONE FOUNTAIN by Matthew D. Laing - spooky

MEASURED IN MINUTES by Jeff C. Stevenson - very different

BEAT WELL by Steve Vernon - damn, Steve...just, damn

This anthology deserves far more attention than it has received. Even though the stories are "safe" enough for young adult readers, the twists will entertain even the most seasoned readers. I recommend this one to all my viewers.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Reinventing A Lie

SINS OF THE CHILD by Shannon Heuston landed on my TBR list because of a random recommendation from some stranger on social media. I wanted a break from my usual horror, but I still require a healthy dose of suspense from my fiction. This novel delivered that and more! Told in both past and present, the author weaves family drama with a tragic crime to create a mind-blowing mystery-thriller.

When Polly receives multiple anonymous notes suggesting she's hiding a past sin, she fears losing her family and career. She also fears for her life, but decides to search out her stalker. After a few days of digging into the past, she realizes she's not the only one with a secret.

I've never heard of this author before, but she is an amazing storyteller! Even though this story was published in August 2019, I'm adding this book to my TOP 2020 list.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Deadly Dozen

ZOMBIES INSIDE by Rebecca Besser and Courtney Rene is a collection of twelve zombie stories by the two authors:

ADMIT ONE, UNDEAD - stupid teens wreck a carnival

THE WORLD OF ZOMBIES - a nod to a zombie classic

MY KIND OF WOMAN - a bad breakup

EVIL MOUNTAIN - mix of monsters

THE HEART OF HEROISM - special needs superhero vs zombies

HEROIC DREAMS - rescue of a sidekick

A DAY IN THE NEW WORLD - more like a moment in a dead world

TO WALK THE HALLS - extremely horrific

WHEN PLANS FAIL - a mother's difficult decision

HIGH PRICE FOR HOPE - a father's difficult decision

THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS - zombies at the North Pole

THE POWER OF A GIFT - the sequel to the previous story

Quite a range of stories for zombiephiles.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sunday With Scribner: Alien Probe

FRIGHT REACTION by Joshua Scribner is a flash fiction story about a man grieving in an isolated cabin, while the rest of the world is invaded by aliens.

Not only does the author leave readers with many unanswered questions, but the ending is unbelievable. I try to suspend all disbelief when it comes to any fiction, but the number 50 is freaking ridiculous for its intended purpose.

This is one of Scribner's older stories. The shorts he's written in the last couple of years are much better.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Interdimensional Hellscape

THE CAVE by Eric S. Brown is an action-packed science fiction thriller, much like Starship Troopers and The Mist, mixed with the apocalyptic terror the author is well-known for. What begins with a camping trip, ends with bloodshed and destruction. Unable to escape his past childhood trauma, Nick must guide a military expedition into a cave full of nightmares.

The question isn't whether or not the group will survive, but how many creatures can each one kill before they take their last breath? Will it be enough? The ending is shocking...I didn't expect this to be part of a series, but I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.

As always,
AstraDaemon

WTF Did I Just Read?!!

DEATH IS NOT THE END, DADDY by Nate Allen is not a horror story, it's a revolting piece of crap with two insane characters. One is a hallucinating child murderer and the other is a hallucinating bible thumper. The author uses child rape and the killing of children as a plot device to spread his idea of faith.

Even if I didn't have a problem with the perverse theology, I would still take issue with the story format. The POV is constantly switching after just a few pages each, and, as a result, the main characters come across as two sides of the same twisted coin.

I'm sure this story is a favorite with the priests who like to molest little kids, or the cults which victimize children in the name of Jesus. I hope Amazon pulls this sick garbage off their site.

As always,
AstraDaemon

First Contact, Last Love

THE LIBRARIAN by M.N. Arzu is a unique twist on the first contact mythos. I'm not sure the author's take on the U.S. military's reaction is believable, but I love the alien's explanation of his purpose. The ending is a sweet touch, and I would love to see this made into a sci-fi film.

There's not much character development, and, while the various POVs added some personal depth to the story, the flashback in the timeline hinders the flow. There's no real build-up of suspense until the near end. However, I don't recall reading anything quite like this, and I love the sociology twist.

As always,
AstraDaemon

It's The Owner, Not The Breed

THE NEIGHBOR by RC Patterson is predictable but still entertaining. I think the author should've chosen a darker twist, and had Tod teach the husband his special training.

Once again Patterson writes a story with a lot of potential, but the delivery is a little on the weak side.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Cracked Egg Disease

DEAR by Paul John Lyon is written in the form of a letter, revealing the nature of a disease which swept over the country...in two waves. There are no zombies in this story, just ramblers afflicted by a deadly smile.

While the writer never reveals the current state of affairs for the country or the world, he does describe a horrific experience while performing research under military supervision.

Marley's creation is one of the most disturbing details...

As always,
AstraDaemon

The Neverending Plague

The year is 2075, and the vast majority of humanity is dead.

The global outbreak of a new strain of virus wiped out over 99% of the population. The lone hope rests on the slim, unready shoulders of Dr. Justin Kaes and a small team of specialists from the Center for Disease Control. The researchers have discovered a cure for the plague in the blood of a cantankerous 102 year old. But there’s one minor problem: the old man couldn’t care less whether humanity lives or dies. And he most certainly doesn’t feel like going on a road trip to sunny California.

On the way to the coast lie murderous tribes, cults, voracious animals, and the toxic remains of civilization. They face a world gone backwards, technology and industry reduced to rusting garbage. Their mission seems doomed… But there are a few decent souls still out there, citizens of Plaguesville, USA.

PLAGUESVILLE USA by Jim Lavigne is a post-apocalyptic saga, with both inspiring and frightening plague survivors. Several times, the scientific mission is likened to the Wizard of Oz by some of the main characters. While there are some similarities, this trek is far more brutal and deadly.

The plot goes something like this: a group of scientists with the key to a vaccine are trying to get from point A to point B, when something goes wrong, people die, but they catch a lucky break, and they're on their way again...then something goes wrong, people die, they catch a break, and they continue with the mission...then something goes wrong - well, you get the idea. This formula of events continues for a good 3/4 of the story. The first time I read this story, I was a little put off by the repetitive nature, but after reading the book more than once, I now appreciate the determination of Kaes to complete his task of delivering Lambert to California.

However, I kept reading because I love the survivors. LaVigne could have expanded a bit more on the interactions with the various groups of people, but the author did a fabulous job creating some of the most polarizing characters I've read in a long time...similar to The Stand (Stephen King), with survivors intrinsically involved in the fate of the world, whether they realize it or not.

In the last 1/4 of the story, LaVigne releases a powerful storm of intrigue, tragedy, battles and horror, with a Lovecraft touch to the details, and I can't help but wonder if the author chose this change in the writing style to make readers feel like they were the ones on a hopeless mission to save humanity, rewarding those who make it to the end of the book.

While the epilogue is a nice touch, the author skips showing us the final moments of the quest to create the vaccine. After the long journey with the characters, the time jump is somewhat anticlimactic. However, I still recommend this story to fans of Mad Max (1979) or The Omega Man (1971).

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sunday With Scribner: Swimmer

THE SAFEST PLACE by Joshua Scribner is a flash fiction piece of the bizarro subgenre...very different from most of the author's work. Strong symbolism, but weak plot.

This story is like an episode of Liquid Television on MTV. (Google it, if need be.)

As always,
AstraDaemon

Lobotomized

EXPERIMENT by Thomas Czernek is a short story about a doctor who attempts to fake a treatment for a mental patient. His controversial method has tragic results, so his colleague uses his own method in an attempt to fix the situation. The ending is horrific.

Some people never get the help they need...

As always,
AstraDaemon

Derailed

THE TRAIN by Daniel Kendall is an unusual short story, which I wish had been longer. The author has created a disturbing supernatural mystery, and I want to know more about the "shark" and what exactly happened to the train, as well as the missing passengers.

I think Kendall did a great job making this piece a very personal experience. As I read the story, I felt the anxiety of William and the others, as if I were stuck with them.

As always,
AstraDaemon

School's Out Forever

THE GUARD by Eric S. Brown is one of his most action-packed Bigfoot novellas. I love the different ways the townsfolk and the soldiers kill the monsters in this one, especially the efforts of Tim and Cato. While most characters aren't around long enough to reveal much of a personality, the survivors make an impression with the various ways they fight back.

If you enjoy this story, I recommend HUNTERS and RISE OF THE YETIS, both by Brown.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Damned & Discarded

HIS DEVIL by Erik Lynd is a flash fiction piece about a father who bails on his family for two years, then makes a violent entrance one night, with trouble on his heels. I'm vexed because the author never reveals what is really going on with the dad, and the ending is abrupt. Lynd missed an opportunity to write a longer, more horrific story.

BEING IT is a bonus short story about a businessman being sucked into a twisted game of tag. His sudden downward spiral is something readers will recognize as something most of us fear in real life: to be dismissed without so much as an afterthought.

While the two stories are definitely worth reading, most of the e-file is a sample promotion of another title by the author, which I could've done without. I do recommend DREAMS, IN THE PIT and PSYCHOPOMP by Erik Lynd.

As always,
AstraDaemon

The Screamer

TRANSFER by Terry M. West is frightening...The Slender Man and Sinister mixed together to form one hell of a creepypasta...think curses which are passed along to people who should know better. When a strange video clip keeps showing up in their files, Howie and Nick should've shown more caution, but their fascination with the sick images soon becomes a deadly addiction.

This is the best West story I've read so far (another favorite is PUT ON A HAPPY FACE), and, even though it was released in December 2019, I'm putting this novella on my Top 2020 list.

Green used to be my favorite color, but I'm not so sure now...

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sequel to The Last Hours

THE TURN OF MIDNIGHT by Minette Walters is just as good, if not better, than the first book. There is much more intrigue to be had, as Thaddeus attempts to pass himself off as My Lord of Athelstan, in order to buy another demesne. Unfortunately, he and Lady Anne made more than one enemy by isolating Develish, and they will soon find themselves in another deadly situation.

While this novel could function as a stand-alone, having read the first book, I enjoyed reading about the changes among the characters. No one is the same person they were before the plague, and the author uses the growth of their personalities and skills to weave quite a new future for the survivors of the pestilence. I especially love the relationships which have developed among certain characters, such as Eleanor and Robert, the five young men, and, of course, Lady Anne and Thaddeus. Even the people of Blandeforde made an impression.

I sincerely hope Walters will write one more book to include the fates of the demesnes, the return of the ships from Spain, and some proper closure for some of the personal storylines. I'm not ready to part ways with Develish.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sunday With Scribner: 86'd

FANTOS by Joshua Scribner really stands out from his other stories. I had absolutely no idea what to expect, and I don't think I could have ever predicted the ending.

I love the mix of characters, and bringing the tribe and their beliefs into the story is a nice touch to the supernatural aspect.

I think this one would make a suspense-thriller film.

As always,
AstraDaemon