The Last Apple | AstraDaemon

MOTHER by Shawn Weaver is not as entertaining as many of his other stories. This would work better as flash fiction, rather than spending half the story explaining Mel's occupational habits.

The ending is a bit predictable. A flash back providing a backstory for the woman would have helped.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Ode to Zombiephiles

CONTAINED by Shawn Weaver is a short story featuring two guys who are hired to do some work on an old movie set. From the mysterious oil bins to their sinister boss, the job doesn't feel right. When Jim is injured, Mark must make some difficult decisions.

I think zombie fans will enjoy this one.

As always,
AstraDaemon

My Eyes Hurt

MISSISSIPPI DEAD by Shawn Weaver is the worst piece I've read by this author. Throughout the story, I assumed the undead were mindless zombies, especially when they're falling into the water, but the ending takes the dead into a very different direction, inconsistent with previous scenes.

The lack of editing is atrocious. This is not the first time I've taken issue with Weaver's rough writing, but publishing something in this condition is just ridiculous, especially with all the promos added on. Who in their right mind is going to read more by this author, after this wreck?

This is the ninth story I've read by this author, and I don't see myself reading any more of his work, if he isn't going to improve the editing. I'm so disappointed.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Deadly Fertilizer

IN THE GROUND by Shawn Weaver is a short story I originally read in 2015, before I became hooked on the author's work. I decided to revisit this piece, since I didn't post the review in the Lair, after the first time.

A janitor at the University of Wisconsin is being interviewed about illegally disposing the lab's waste and being paid to keep quiet. He thought the students were studying the anatomy of dogs, and the waste appeared to fertilize the nearby garden. Over time, he discovers the professor's horrific secret.

While the ending is somewhat predictable, the interview format is fantastic. This is definitely one of my favorite Shawn Weaver stories.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Cold and Lonely

SALEM by Shawn Weaver is not like anything else I've read by the author. While there is nothing wrong with the writing itself, I found this love story quite dull. It would be better off in a collection of some sort, rather than a stand alone short.


As always,
AstraDaemon

No Time To Eat

DEVLIN'S DINER by Shawn Weaver follows the near-death experience of a man who has just been in a serious car accident. Kyle has a difficult time accepting what has happened, even when someone at the diner tries to help him. As he struggles to accept the information given to him, Kyle is running out of time to decide where he wants to go.

There's not a lot of details to the story, but I did enjoy the lawyer joke. I also found the afterlife description about 9/11 rather fascinating. Some moments are sad, others are amusing, but the ending is a nail-biter. Will Kyle decide for himself or will someone else decide his fate?

As always,
AstraDaemon

When The Dead Take Over

CHICAGO UNDEAD 4: FIELD TRIP by Shawn Weaver is a story I've been looking forward to since October 2017. On The Eleventh Floor, the first story set in the world of Chicago Undead, is a great glimpse into a zombie outbreak set downtown in the city. The story is told from Robin's POV. Deep Freeze follows a teenage girl’s outbreak experience, which has nothing to do with Robin. Unlike the first two installments, A Bad Way To Start Your Day is told from the perspective of a dead Chicago man who doesn't seem to grasp that he is deceased.

Field Trip revisits the funeral home from the third story, and emphasizes how, despite being surrounded by chaos, people cling to their denial of what is happening in Chicago. Knowing what the characters don't know will have readers screaming at every page, as the undead begin to invade the various levels of the building.

Weaver could easily write a few more stories for the Chicago Undead series, most likely following the group of survivors attempting to reach the police station. I'd be thrilled if the author went full circle and revisited the two children from the very beginning. I think as long as Weaver keeps changing the POV and stays focused on his characters, the series will keep going strong.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Bloody Kisses

Unaware of the vile task his partner in crime has planned during their last heist. Shane Clemis finds himself lost in a maze of darkness. While Don Williams tries to assault the woman who they think is sleeping in a bedroom upstairs.


Little does Don know, the woman is not as defenseless as he expects. And when he opens her bedroom door to attack. He finds himself in a world of pain that there is no escaping from.


Neither man can resist her. And only one will make it out Before Sunrise.

BEFORE SUNRISE by Shawn Weaver is a great vampire short, but the story looks like a rough draft. I think the author should polish it up because preternatural fans would really enjoy the surprise ending. Weaver succeeds in adding a new twist to the subgenre, and I wish the story had been longer.

As always,
AstraDaemon

I Bet It Was A Monday

Chicago Undead 3: A Bad Way To Start Your Day by Shawn Weaver is another story set in the windy city overrun with zombies. Unlike the first two, however, this installment is told from the perspective of a dead man who doesn't seem to grasp that he is deceased. In some ways, it's totally sick, with rather graphic details including entrails and such spilling all over. In other ways, it's freaking hilarious. Not only did the main character have crap luck before being killed, even as one of the undead he can't catch a break.

The fourth story will be called Field Trip and I'm hoping it will follow the students who appear in this story.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Friday Night Feature: Chicago Undead

Chicago Undead: On The Eleventh Floor by Shawn Weaver is a great glimpse into a zombie outbreak set in downtown Chicago. Weaver wastes no time setting up the story, and he delivers a realistic introduction to the main character waking up from a severe flu, only to discover all hell breaking loose in the streets below his apartment. The survivor, Robin, eventually decides to make a stand on the eleventh floor.

There is a lot of unpredictable action, which keeps the story flowing at a quick pace. The ending was a shocking surprise. The perfect zombie short story from beginning to end. I wasn’t expecting anything more, but Shawn Weaver has written another short story that takes place in the same setting.

Chicago Undead: Deep Freeze follows another survivor’s plight during the Chicago outbreak. The teenage girl’s experience has nothing to do with Robin’s experience in this mini-series, which was a little disappointing. I was hoping that Deep Freeze would pick up where the other left off, but it’s still a good story. While she does have multiple encounters with the undead, there’s not as much action as the first installment, and there’s more of a cliffhanger at the end.

I would love to read a third installment, but I hope Weaver doesn’t go back to the girl…she isn’t a very interesting character, although she may have been limited by the change in weather. Her story takes up a longer time frame than Robin’s misadventure.

Whether you’re into zombies or not, these different tales of survival in Chicago are sure to entertain horror fans.

As always,

AstraDaemon