Falling Apart

The Shed is a place full of memories. Memories of a tragic accident. For Steve, cleaning it will mean a chance to rid the horrors of the day he lost his son.


But there is something else in the shed. Something dark & evil that will make Steve question both his sanity and his grasp on reality.

The Shed by Paul Levas is a flash fiction piece about a father mourning the loss of his son to an allergy attack. The story replays the yellow jacket attack over and over, while glossing over details about the father-son relationship, as well as the husband-wife relationship. Levas had a good idea for a horror story, but the suspense is lost in the constant repetition.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Saturday Short: Another Morbid Tale

About a year ago, I stumbled upon Zachery Miller, a horror author who grabbed my attention with The Shopkeep. I asked for a full-length novel; he wrote a mini-series instead: Morbid Tales. There are now five stories and I'll be reviewing the rest of the short tales over the next few days.

The Amorphous Horror is number two. Laura is listening to her grandfather tell her stories about his imprisonment in Nazi Germany. Something is thrashing about in the locked basement. Laura knows where he keeps the key. She decides she needs to find out the truth behind his last day in the concentration camp.

Slightly predictable with only a few terrifying moments, this story is still very entertaining. Miller's setting reminded me of the "creepy German guy" scene in the movie The Monster Squad, blending real-life tragedy with supernatural folklore.

Although Miller's writing style is somewhat charming in a dark way, his work hints the author may be on his way to seriously establishing himself as a modern-day Edgar Allan Poe...for example, in this tale, he balances the reckless curiosity of youth with the agonizing secrecy of old age to keep his readers captivated.

Keep checking back for more Morbid Tales...

As always,
AstraDaemon

Saturday Short: Property

Property by Jack Binding is a flash fiction dramatic tale of getting caught up in the rat race, until one decides to simply stop racing. The writing style is dark and heavy, smothering both the passenger and readers, with a devastating ending. The author uses both misdirection and foreshadowing, but it's nearly impossible to tell the two elements apart.

I'm curious what a longer story by this author would look like...

As always,
AstraDaemon

Saturday Short: Restroom

Restroom by Paul Levas is a flash fiction piece about a brother trying to help his younger sibling with a bladder issue. Something sinister seems to have taken an interest in Kyle's problem. As a result, a day at the carnival turns into a nightmare.

Not only is the story predictable, but there is more than one loose end. I wish the author had spent more time on the storyline details. Even though the characters are children, it is difficult to feel anything for them.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Saturday Short: Meal Ticket

Meal Ticket by Kevin Millikin originally appeared in the Coscom Entertainment anthology, Bigfoot Terror Tales Vol. 2, Edited by AP Fuchs and Eric S. Brown. The story follows three hunters chasing down a wounded sasquatch. They thought this hunt would be an easy fortune, but they don't realize their prey has something worth fighting for.

I've read my share of stories in the Bigfoot subgenre, and this one simply failed to frighten me in any way. The action is fast-paced, but it just isn't enough.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Saturday Short: The Blackout

The Blackout by Sharon A. Austin could have been a great story, but the editing is so bad that it ruined the flow. I enjoyed the creature released from the earth after an earthquake, but the townspeople could've been more developed. I didn't necessarily feel any suspense or terror...mostly just observing events unfolding in a violent manner.

The bonus story piece at the end is actually far better...too bad the short story wasn't written with the same writing style. However, the extra story makes me think Austin is an author who does better with a full-length novel than a short story.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Saturday Short: Pig People [Review]

I'm still trying to finish a sci-fi novel about time travel, so I decided to grab a short story for Saturday. I should have chosen more carefully...

The Pantomime by Keishi Ando was totally lost on me. The writing is very choppy and there is more description than action. By the time the twist is revealed at the end, I was too confused to be frightened in any way. This might be one of those stories better suited for the screen, rather than print. Virtually nothing is revealed about the main character, so the story seemed pointless.

This is one of those times I have to wonder if the story was originally written in another language and was screwed up in the translation process. The author resides in Japan, so there is that possibility.

Situations like this could be avoided with a good editor. Something to keep in mind.

As always,
AstraDaemon