30 Days of Creature Features: DOLPHIN

DOLPHIN by Matt Shaw needed to be written; I am so tired of everyone glossing over the dark side of dolphins. I'm not sure I would call this comedy horror, as I found the gory events quite serious. If you have a weak stomach, it's best to stay away from this one...unless you live near a beach. Then, read it as a cautionary tale.

If you decide to dive into this story, make sure to read the entire novella. The ending is a complete shocker.

I would love to see Shaw write about otters next.

As always,

AstraDaemon

30 Days of Creature Features: GOBLINS

They want the children!

Someone is taking children from their homes on Roanoke Island, and gruesomely slaughtering their families.

After a small, hideous-looking creature is discovered at one of the murder scenes, Chief of Police Marcus Hale realizes whatever is responsible for the killings isn’t even human. Hale suspects a bizarre link to the past, to the end of the 16th Century, when the island’s first settlers disappeared, leaving only the word Croatoan carved into a tree.

But something far more sinister than he ever imagined is at work. And if it isn’t stopped soon, the entire island’s population will perish. Just like it did so many centuries ago.

David Bernstein has been one of my favorite authors for years, so I dug around to see if I missed any of his books and found GOBLINS. The story flips between the POVs of the humans and the goblins, which is not something I expected from the author. Honestly, I wasn't sure this would be a good idea. I thought this might make the goblins cheesy instead of chilling.

At first, the characters seem stereotypical for this sub-genre of horror, but they are believable and not the usual close-minded small-town folk. They know something is slaughtering entire families and acknowledge this might not be a serial killer after all. Some of them are even willing to consider the folklore woven into their history is an attempt to warn and protect future generations.

While not as frightening as Bernstein's other stories, I still recommend this one to fans of 80s monster movies.

As always,

Astra Daemon