An Eyeful

After reading Out of the Cave by MacKenzie Publishing, I couldn't wait to read another anthology from the same publisher.

TWO EYES OPEN is sixteen stories from a diverse group of authors:

RAGE by Amanda Crum: a ghost story which ends abruptly

SOUL CAKES by Chantal Boudreau: supernatural family drama

GLASS PUZZLE by Shelly Macaroy: twisted revenge

URSULA by L.S. Engler: hit a little close to home...my first name is Ursula and, well, I had a "Nick" in college

HOUSE CALL by S.D. Hintz: very disturbing dispute

THE FIRST SNOWFALL by Boyd Reynolds: brutal house hunting

SHOW COOKING - CANNIBAL EDITION by Kev Harrison: dark humor

EYES WIDE OPEN by S.T. Himmonds: historical fiction

OPENING YOUR EYES IS THE MOST PAINFUL THING YOU WILL EVER HAVE TO DO by Tom Johnstone: thought-provoking

NO JOB TOO SMALL by R.A. Goli: watch out for those craigslist ads

THE DYING by Leah O'Sullivan: a great twist on the zombie genre

THE BOATS by Robb T. White: hardcore revenge

PAYBACKS by Leslie Muzingo: one of my favorites

FEEDING STRAYS by Monique Yowza: reminds me of Tales from the Dark Side

WOMEN MUST STICK TOGETHER by Cassandra Williams: bizarre dispute with neighbors

SHEEP AND SNAKES by Billy Lyons: another favorite...solid way to end the anthology

If you're looking for something with variety, there are plenty of entertaining stories within. However, the theme of this anthology isn't as clear as OUT OF THE CAVE. As a result, this seems more like a random collection of shorts than anything else. I hope the publisher returns to whatever formula was used in choosing stories in the previous anthology.

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