Vampire vs. Santa | Short Story Review

THE CHRISTMAS VAMPIRE by Dead Shearer is not nearly as entertaining as THE CHRISTMAS WEREWOLF, which really disppointed me. The narrator is a dull character. The best part is the scene with the character wearing Spiderman pajamas.

I'm still going to read more of this author's work, and hope I might see more of Shearer's dark humor.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Lycan vs. Santa | Horror Story Review

THE CHRISTMAS WEREWOLF by Dean Shearer is full of dark humor. A lot of people are going to be able to relate to the main character, even if he is a werewolf. Hard enough to keep your composure around Karens at the holiday, even more difficult if you're a monster.

The story takes one hell of a twist when Santa shows up. I absolutely love the action scenes, especially the one on the hills. Very cheeky, and an fantastic story for horror fans of all ages, especially the little ones who are showing interest in the genre.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Haunted by the Past | Flash Fiction Review

SNOWMAN by Peter Hough is more suspense than horror. An old man has nightmares about a snowman, and the reason is revealed by a ghost from his past. Some character development would've made this more interesting.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Yawn | Short Story Review

A MIDWINTER SACRIFICE by J.F. Penn is a supernatural short with a touch of folklore, heavy in descriptions and light in action. I was nearly halfway through the story before anything really happened.

A young man tries to make money playing folk songs on his guitar, but street thugs take all his earnings, after beating him. He's told he can do something about it by visitng a local sacred site, but he puts his trust in the wrong person yet again.

Predictable and incredibly slow-paced.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Santa's Toy | Horror Review

WORKING FOR THE FAT MAN by C. Dennis Moore has an extreme horror story ending, so prepare yourself. This story was published in 2012, but didn't receive the attention it deserves. I've read plenty of evil Santa tales, but this one is truly sick.

Narrated by one of the workshop elves, he reveals his attempt at removing the Fat Man from power ten years prior. The elf admits he doesn't know who Santa made a deal with, or what the details involve. He only knows that every year, the Fat Man kidnaps a naughty kid, takes the child into a private room, and doesn't come out until the screaming stops. The child is never seen again.

As I said previously, the ending is extreme.

There are also several other flash fiction pieces included...

WINTER'S REIGN: personified seasons

THE LAUGHING PICTURE: a touch of Dorian Gray

GHOSTWRITING: bait and switch

PATCHES: a dark twist on Frankenstein's monster

HIGH!: unwanted rapture

None of the flash fiction pieces come even close to the depraved horror of the main story, but I'm recommending this one to all horror readers anyway.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Cookies Won't Save You | Horror Review

SLAY BELLS by Stephanie Ayers is a collection of holiday-themed short stories and flash fiction...

SHAKE: a cursed snow globe which can only be safely shaken on Christmas Eve

A SNOW DAY EVERY DAY: a girl's Christmas wish

THE CHRISTMAS BOX: a dybbuk situation but with clowns

THE NAUGHTY LIST: one of the more extreme horror shorts in the collection

A BLOODY GOOD MEAL: if vampires celebrated the holidays

A DOLL FOR CHRISTMAS: kids just know

BELSNICKEL BEFORE CHRISTMAS: break a promise, break your back

Overall, entertaining in a dark way horror fans will appreciate.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Bonfire Beast | AstraDaemon

REGIFTING by Rebecca Daff begins with burning corpses, victims of the Yuletide Slayer. The author then introduces readers to another abomination, leaving nothing merry or jolly in its wake. No surprise, the story becomes monster vs. monster.

Daff leaves a trail of blood and gore from beginning to end, with Christmas in ruins for many.

As always,

AstraDaemon

A Dark Version of Santa | AstraDaemon

THE HAUNTING OF THE NORTH POLE (AND OTHER FESTIVE HORRORS) by Matt Shaw is a very dark collection, and if you aren't familiar with the author's work, you should go read the OCTOPUS or FULL MOON trilogy first. Consider yourselves warned:

THERE'LL BE PEACE THIS CHRISTMAS - a man just wants to relax, but his family won't give him a moment of peace

SANTA'S SACK - absolutely heartbreaking; Shaw reminds readers monsters don't always have fangs or claws

SANTA'S GIFT - this story made me laugh, and I'll probably burn for it

DEAR SANTA - one of my favorites; I appreciate the perspective

THE COST OF COAL - one of Shaw's darkest stories

HE IS REAL! - frightening, with a bit of dark humor

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS - another favorite; this is why I'm a fan of Shaw

#METOO - a horrifying description of Santa's punishment

LAST CHRISTMAS - another interesting perspective on the holiday

THE COST OF COAL (PART 2) - a sinister ending to this collection

After reading these stories, I'm afraid to ask Shaw where he gets his inspiration from. The psychological horrors within are proof he is an excellent storyteller, and his reputation for vulgarity is just a small aspect of his overall talent. Shaw had such a productive year in 2020, I can't wait to see what he does in 2021!

As always,

AstraDaemon

Corn Cob Accent | AstraDaemon

FRIEDRICH THE SNOW MAN by Lewis Shiner is a flash fiction story told from the POV of the snowman. There is a touch of dark humor laced with irony. Too bad the author didn't write a longer piece.

I wouldn't mind seeing Shiner have at a few other holiday favorites.

As always,

AstraDaemon

He Sees You | AstraDaemon

Come Christmas Eve, Ted's the kind of man you might find in your street - waiting for all the kids to go to bed, waiting for the mince pies to be set out, for the reindeer food to be scattered across your lawn. But Ted's no jolly fat man, and he's more likely to take things from under the tree than set them down.

But when Ted enters the last house of the night in the sleepy town of Chester Burrow, he might find more than he bargained for under the tree. He might find out who's naughty, or nice...

BLOODY SANTA by Paul Stephenson is an excellent horror short. The setting, the pace, and the terrifying apparitions...all well written. Scrooge may have been scared into being nice, but some people just can't be helped. The ending is the perfect touch of dark humour.

As always,

AstraDaemon

A Different Christmas Ghost | AstraDaemon

NICHOLAS' LIGHT by S.E. Casey is a flash fiction piece is full of suspense, but not much else. The narrator is walking across a frozen lake at night, knowing the water never freezes over in the center. The guiding light, thought to be a gift from his deceased twin, disappears.

The fear of falling through the ice didn't suck me in, as much as the descriptions of the bottomless pit. If you have a fear of water and/or depths which cannot be measured, this will terrify you.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Throwback Thursday: Holiday of the Dead

38 holiday-themed zombie stories from new and established authors...

Over 500 pages crammed full of flesh-eating horror and dark humor from the cream of UK, US and Canadian talent. Theme parks, serial killers, seaside resorts, Christmas, Thanksgiving and fishing trips.

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HOLIDAY OF THE DEAD is this a great sampling of some of the best authors from the zombie genre, but an incredible showcase of what the horror sub-genre has to offer. Too many people think zombie stories are comparable to zombie movies, when, in fact, undead stories have evolved far more than the undead in the film industry.

This anthology exceeded my expectations...various locations, an array of holiday settings - everything from weekend getaways to major holiday celebrations, and some of the best zombie action I've ever read.

I would definitely put this collection in my top ten list for anthologies.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Santa the Decapitator

A CHRISTMAS TALE by Travis Hill is one of the most horrific stories I've read this year, thanks to the suspense build up. The story within the story will likely mess up any child, and some adults as well.

I can't help but wonder if the events are supernatural or if Santa is a legit serial killer.

Please don't be the kind of jerk parent who uses this story to get your kids to behave.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Kids Are Scary

EVE by Matt Shaw is somehow darker than anything else I've read by the author. Considering I've read Octopus, I am surprised at my reaction to the ending. I'd rather take my chances with the pack from Full Moon than this little girl. Seriously. She scares the crap out of me. I'm never going to look at snowmen the same way again. Damn.

As always,
AstraDaemon

North Pole Nightmare

SECRET SANTA by Edward Lorn is a horror short with a touch of dark humor at the very end. Typical older brother screwing around with the younger brother, but so much sinister.

This is pretty messed, considering Krampus isn't even involved in this one...

As always,
AstraDaemon

Trilogy of Tinsel Terror

THE HORRORS OF CHRISTMAS by Michael Whitehouse is a collection of three short tales:

A CHRISTMAS FEAST centers on a dinner guest who wonders why he can't smell any food.

THE ADVENT CALENDAR is one of the best horror stories I've ever read, and I would love to see this made into a film.

THE CHRISTMAS TREE is a cautionary tale.

I think THE ADVENT CALENDAR should've been the last story, to finish with a strong ending. In any case, I definitely recommend this holiday collection to horror fans.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Bah Humbug

THE MERRY CHRISTMAS GHOST by Dennis Warren is about a woman who has to live in a haunted apartment due to financial constraints. The story would have flowed much better if the author chose one voice to narrate. As is, I can't say I was entertained.

This story is listed under young adult fiction, but I wouldn't even recommend this to the teen readers I know.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Stalked in the Mall

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING by Angel Gelique is a short story about a young girl who is harassed by a man who can't stand being ignored. Jilly wishes she had left when her friend stood her up, but now she has to survive being chased during her shopping trip.

I had zero expectations because I've never heard of this author, but the ending is outstanding and completely shocking, especially the very last paragraph. Makes me wonder what happened to Jilly the last time she faced stranger danger...

As always,
AstraDaemon

Throwback Thursday: Christmas

A VERY ZOMBIE CHRISTMAS by Rebecca M. Senese is a shopping nightmare...with the undead.

Surprisingly, the first half of this story was written in a somewhat serious manner. Melissa is working at a department store, when a zombie outbreak begins in the shoe department. She witnesses one of the other employees get bitten and join the ranks of the infected, but she has a hard time convincing her co-workers that they have a zombie problem — everyone else just thinks it’s the customers acting crazy during their Christmas shopping.

The first person to believe Melissa is a young man named Danny who helps her gear up with what’s available (alas, no guns), and together they fight their way to the security room, where a few other survivors have managed to reach safety. During their search, the story takes a funny twist when Melissa realizes the zombies still have memories of shopping, and have retained their instincts to seek out a sale.

Perfect holiday tale for the horror fan in your life.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Two For One

Dinky Dau Man by Jake Wilhelm takes place in Vietnam, with one hell of a hook: a drafted detective realizes a fellow soldier is a criminal from his past...absolutely chilling.

Also included, On Through The Night, a short science fiction story about a grandfather determined to see his grandchildren for Christmas.

I think Wilhelm should focus on the scifi genre...it seems to come easier for him than horror.

As always,
AstraDaemon