TOP 2019 FICTION

Here is my end-of-year compilation of the stories which really impressed me in 2019, everything from short stories to stand-alone novels, book series and novellas:

TOP 2019 SHORT STORIES

INSULAR by Jamie Stewart presents the concept of being so wrapped up in our own heads that we miss something very wrong happening right in front of us, and made such an impact on me, I also recommend TRICK OR TREAT by the same author. You will definitely see Stewart in the Lair a third time in January 2020.

A GOOD PAIR OF EYES by Matthew Buza is a crime drama mixed with supernatural horror, and the story scared the crap out of me with the vivid descriptions. If you like movies such as The Grudge or Unfriended, you're going to love this short horror story.

THE CAT ON ALPINE ROAD by Keith Knapp is full of suspense, and the cat, Buckshot, is magnificent. If you love the cat, General, from the movie Cat's Eye, you'll enjoy Knapp's story.

PHILOPHOBIA by Sin Ribbon is a short story about a man attempting to resurrect his wife. I'm so intrigued with the town itself, Ribbons could probably create a few more stories with the townsfolk, particularly with Mrs. Becca's church and Lisa Common.

EASY.GONE. by Daniel J Ings is terrifying. I can't imagine what Mr. Yan was thinking, selling such a dangerous item as the pocket-sized Necronomicon to a kid with a huge chip on his shoulder.

I JUST WANT TO DIE by Nicholas Wolff mixes horror, sci-fi and drama to create one of the best apocalyptic outbreak scenarios I've ever read! Wolff has taken the plague subgenre to a new level.

I'M ALL ALONE AND IT'S GETTING DARK by Brandon Lee Hayes is a story told from a child's POV. He wakes up from a nightmare to pee and finds the babysitter missing. (This story made me think of the illustration of a toy bear using a sword to defend the sleeping child from a monster.) Roosevelt is the kind of bear I'd want my kid to have.

THE HIKE by Sarah Gribble is far better than I expected. I thought it would be a group of people getting attacked by a werewolf, but it's so much worse, and there's far more to the story.

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. If you like Ghoul by Brian Keene, you're going to love the nightlife in this park.

THE TUNNELERS by Geoff Gander is one of the best stories I've read in 2019, even though this story was published in 2011. 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.

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TOP 2019 NOVELS

ONE OF US by Craig DiLouie is a very emotional drama set in 1984. The horror element is the way the characters treat each other: deplorable. I've often commented in my reviews about the definition of a monster...DiLouie wrote an entire novel about the debate over what defines a monster.

TOOTH & CLAW by Dave Jeffery (author of A Quiet Apocalypse) 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!

EMILY ETERNAL by M.G. Wheaton is one of the best science fiction novels I've read in a long time, and one of the most creative stories I've read this year. This thriller is told from the POV of the artificial consciousness, a five-year science experiment attempting to save humanity. Basically, the author has combined a crime drama in an E.L.E. setting with a sci-fi coming-of-age battle for survival.

THE FOREST by Julia Blake centers on the villagers of Wyckenwode and the Forest, filled with secrets which have affected the lives of every generation. Blake has skillfully woven folklore, suspense, drama and romance together to create a detailed coming-of-age tapestry. I haven't been this moved by a fantasy novel since the last time I read Ursula K LeGuin.

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TOP 2019 SERIES

Grinning Skull Press has a GRAVE MARKER series, eighteen so far, and I recommend all of them. One in particular, THE MEMOIR OF DARIUS FISCHER by Ezekiel Kincaid mixes theology, mysticism, folklore and more with the precision of a master.

I AM THE NIGHT by Ruth Miranda is a companion story for her Blood trilogy, and narrated by Marcus. This installment offers fans of the series his perspective on events leading up to his confrontation with Caius, as well as the beginning of his relationship with Marianne.

THE BEAUTIFUL ONES series by Kody Boye follows the POV of a sixteen year old girl, Kelendra, chosen to keep up genetic standards for the Glittering City. The society Boye has crafted contains elements similar to the Hunger Games and The Handmaid's Tale, while retaining the author's skill in using personal drama to draw readers into his disturbing creation.

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TOP 2019 NOVELLAS

IT NEVER DIED by Joshua Scribner is the author's best story, of the 100+ stories I have read by Scribner. This isn't just a supernatural story, or a karma/revenge plot, this is the ultimate reincarnation tale!

A QUIET APOCALYPSE by Dave Jeffery (author of Tooth & Claw) is a very different kind of post-apocalyptic story. There are no zombies, nothing supernatural of any kind...only people enslaving other people. After an illness renders most people deaf, the hearing are hunted down to become servants for the newly hearing impaired. Those born deaf are given a much more terrifying treatment, as they are blamed for the virus which causes the loss of hearing.

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Special thanks to all of you who share my review and interview links and help get the word out about all the great indie authors and small presses! There are tons of great stories to read in horror, science fiction, fantasy and suspense, but many readers are afraid to try the unknown.

Have a safe New Year's Eve, and be sure to come back in 2020 for even more fantastic recommendations!

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

Run For Your Life [INTERVIEW]

LAB ZERO by Brandon Lee Hayes is a short story about a lab intern who wants to know what is in the basement of his building. As soon as he realizes what has been going on behind closed doors, the doors are torn apart, and the intern is facing a life and death situation.

Hayes does a great job of combining terror and suspense by including the internal dialogue the intern is having. Rather than stay in self-preservation mode, he remains determined to figure out what escaped from the laboratory.

Hide and seek...and try not to die.

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Even though I've only read a couple of stories by this author, Brandon Lee Hayes, his horror creations have already made quite an impression on me. I decided to invite him into the Lair to discuss bears, hunting and Halloween:

Let’s get right to it…where did you get the idea for I’M ALL ALONE AND IT’S GETTING DARK?

The title popped into my head one day and I felt like I had to figure out what this story was about. Usually it’s the complete opposite for me. I have ideas that I write out, struggling to find a good title.

I opened up my journal with all of my story ideas and thought to myself “when is it scary to be alone?”.

The first thing that came to me was that it’s terrifying to be alone as a child. I also feel that an event from my childhood leaked into this story without me even realizing until this question was asked.

When I was very young, armed robbers broke into my house, pistol whipped my father and tied him up. They threw the phone down the basement stairs and rummaged through my house.

The whole intruder in the house and phone in the basement thing sounds a bit like I’m All Alone and It’s Getting Dark.

I have a blog section called “Why I Wrote” on my website that explains in greater detail where the ideas behind my stories come from if you’re interested in an even more in depth answer.

Is there any chance of seeing Roosevelt in another story?

It’s definitely possible. As of right now I think it would be as more of an easter egg rather than a main character in the story. I will say that my stories take place in the same universe, so anything is possible.

I have another story that isn’t completely written yet but the idea came before “I’m All Alone and It’s Getting Dark”. These stories originally were completely separate from one another but I decided to make them connect.

While this story isn’t written yet and doesn’t even have a title, I have a lot planned for it. Right now it’s just labeled “Rain”.

If you look at the photo of the newspaper article at the end of “I’m All Alone and It’s Getting Dark” you will notice there’s another article being covered by the main article. This may be a hint for how these two stories are going to connect. It’s a bit like an easter egg for something that hasn’t even been written yet!

So far, your stories include being isolated and hunted. Is it just a coincidence, or do you find this theme more terrifying than other horror scenarios?

I definitely find this theme incredibly scary. I absolutely love stories where monsters are on the prowl. I do want to make my stories a bit more diverse and I certainly have ideas for different themes.

That said, there are definitely more stories with the theme of being hunted coming soon.

How did you get into horror in the first place?

I watched a lot of horror movies as a kid. Alien, The Thing, The Shining etc. I don’t really like watching movies anymore but I have a soft spot for a good monster movie.

When it comes to reading or writing horror that was much more recent. A few years ago someone I worked with introduced me to The Dark Tower by Stephen King. I fell in love with the story and started reading all of his other novels, which introduced me to the world of horror fiction.

I loved it all so much I decided I wanted to write it too.

Halloween is around the corner…are you planning anything for the holiday? Maybe another story?

I do have some more horror stories on the way. I’ll have 2 more out by Halloween, hopefully 3.

I haven’t really thought of any Halloween themed stories though. I would like to make one of my stories Halloween themed and have it released on or around the holiday. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t make sense for any of my stories that I’m writing and editing right now and would feel forced if I just threw in the fact that it’s Halloween.

I do have one story that I thought of more recently that can take place on Halloween but I’m not sure if I’m going to get around to writing it in time. I have a lot of other stories that I’m really itching to write at the moment, as well as stories that are already written and I’m working on editing and publishing.

Do you think you might write a novella or full-length novel in the next year or so?

It is one of my goals, definitely. Over the next year I’d like to publish the 12 or 13 short story ideas I have, make a short story collection and write at least one of three novel ideas I have. Ideally I’d get two novels out but that’s probably a stretch.

I also have a story that is currently written and being edited called “Journal of a Missing Man”. It was originally a short story idea that turned into more of a novella now that it’s roughly 13,000 words. I’m still editing it and I’m not sure exactly when this one will be out.

Where can readers find out more about your new releases?

My website, www.brandonleehayes.com, has all of my stories and blog posts about my writing. I also have Instagram, twitter and litsy which can all be found through my website.

Thanks for visiting us in the Lair!

As always,

AstraDaemon

Teddy Bear vs. Monster

I'M ALL ALONE AND IT'S GETTING DARK by Brandon Lee Hayes is a story told from a child's POV. He wakes up from a nightmare to pee and finds the babysitter missing.

I freakin' love the teddy bear talking to the kid! (This story made me think of the illustration of a toy bear using a sword to defend the sleeping child from a monster.) Even though I thought the monster might be the child's perception of an intruder, the description is truly frightening. Roosevelt is the kind of bear I'd want my kid to have.

The news story at the end is a great touch, making me question everything about the child's experience. I recommend this story to all readers.

As always,
AstraDaemon