Summer Screams With Scribner: Day 7 of 7

ATTIC by Joshua Scribner shocked the hell out of me. I don't know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't all the supernatural layers rolled up into one crawl space.

I'm good with the ending, but I wondered why on earth anyone would ignore a cat freaking out, especially three of them...never mind what Rick finds in the attic, or the one who leads him there.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Summer Screams With Scribner: Day 6 of 7

HOW WE HUNT by Joshua Scribner is an EXCELLENT predator vs. prey story. I recognized the misdirection right away, but nothing prepared me for what the author had in store for the readers. Scribner set the bar pretty high for this subgenre of horror.

I would love to know where he got the idea for this one. I know a lot of people who are going to get a major kick out of this story.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Summer Screams With Scribner: Day 5 of 7

THE BAD ONES by Joshua Scribner centers on a man always bailing out his children from the problems they cause themselves, but the biggest problem appears to be their dad.

The twist is interesting, but not enough to save this story. Usually Scribner's work has more depth than this. He basically wrote a fight scene, without much before or after.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Summer Screams With Scribner: Day 4 of 7

THE OTHER SIDE by Joshua Scribner is an awesome ghost story. After seeing so many news stories about elderly patients being abused and killed in nursing homes, this story is an absolute joy to read. One of my favorite parts is the way the staff rallied together to take care of "the mean one."

I also like Scribner's version of the afterlife, as well as spirits, in this particular story.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Summer Screams With Scribner: Day 3 of 7

BAKED GOOD by Joshua Scribner centers on an abused housewife who is offered a way to change her life by a local witch. While no actual violence takes place, the author makes it very clear what kind of monster she is married to, and he is terrifying. The use of the her children for motivation and self-discipline is great, but it took me a moment to realize what exactly happened at the very end.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Summer Screams With Scribner: Day 2 of 7

3AM SMOKE by Joshua Scribner is one of the best supernatural stories I've ever read. My heart nearly shattered with Joe's revelation, and the ending is even more surprising. I honestly thought Joe might kill himself, when he realized what he had done.


As always,
AstraDaemon

Summer Screams With Scribner: Day 1 of 7

Joshua Scribner continues to be my favorite flash fiction author. Even though I've been featuring the author almost every Sunday, there are still many stories by the author I haven't read yet. I thought a week of Scribner would be a great way to end Summer and prepare for Autumn...

A NIGHT SHIFT by Joshua Scribner is a very brief piece, but conveys several levels of horror. Becky is married to Sam, but having an affair with Tom. She's so self-centered, she disregarded the feelings of others, but someone has been watching her destroy her relationship...and he's not her best friend.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sunday With Scribner: In Your Head

Welcome to another Sunday With Scribner! Joshua Scribner is one of my favorite flash fiction authors and these are three of his newest stories:

DO NOT DISTURB is one of Scribner's best stories, centered on a writer named John. He's attempting to work on a story in a hotel room, but housekeeping ignores the "do not disturb" sign on the door. John made a mess in the bed, but he won't let the maids handle it. The ending is an awesome supernatural shocker.

A DEEP AND DARK PLACE begins with Dalton being woken by a man crying, finding himself naked and confused. Strangely enough, I correctly guessed what is happening with Dalton, but I still enjoyed the story. I definitely recommend this one to readers who enjoy psychological horror.

UNHIDDEN features a man named Rolly, panhandling for a living. The people giving him money start asking him questions. I honestly thought it had something to do with Rolly saying "God bless," but I suppose that detail doesn't matter. The ending is brutal, yet just.

Keep checking back for more Scribner this summer!

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sunday With Scribner: Glad I'm An Insomniac

NOT ME by Joshua Scribner is absolutely frightening, and not far from real life possibilities. Anyone disturbed by the amount of hate in society, as well as the overreach of the government, should definitely read the horrifying near-future Scribner has choreographed.

This is one of the stories we'll likely look back on and say, "Joshua Scribner called it." As I've said time and time again, people have the capacity to be the worst kind of monsters.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sunday With Scribner: Volume 2

More new releases from flash fiction author Joshua Scribner...

WAKE UP! is a shocking short centered on a man desperately trying to protect his family, but Stan doesn't realize what is happening. Very thrilling piece.

TASTE centers on an undercover detective named Mearl, who seems to share a similar type of intuition with a homeless man. The interactions of the two men are fascinating, making this short story an entertaining supernatural crime drama.

WHAT'S YOUR NAME reveals one hell of a secret! The ending came too soon, even for flash fiction. I wish Scribner would turn this one into a longer story. The premise is a mind-blower.

Joshua Scribner is the author of 13 novels and over 100 short stories, spanning horror, sci-fi and suspense. He currently lives in Michigan, and publishes new stories every month.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Sunday With Scribner

I'll admit, I'm trying to catch up on all of the short stories by Joshua Scribner, so you'll be seeing a lot of the author in the Lair this spring...

PICTURES FROM THE POOP DECK is a flash fiction short that is a combination of Christine and Alexa. The exchange between characters is clever and suspenseful, but the ending hit me like a reckless driver.

Scribner has definitely upped his writing style this year.

IT STINKS! is another flash fiction thriller from Scribner. I don't know what inspired this story, but it's absolutely fantastic storytelling! The thought of a man developing such an unusual type of superpower is mind-blowing. The ending is a great climactic finish!

ONES AND ZEROES took me by complete surprise. When I hit the twist, the story became quite a wild ride. I thought this would be a purely psychological short, and I enjoyed the plot so much, I'd love to see a full-sized novel featuring Nick at his new job.

This story has raised my expectations for future Scribner stories. The author is going strong in 2019!

As always,
AstraDaemon

Spring Screams With Scribner: Day 7 of 7

MAMA'S TEA by Joshua Scribner is only a few pages, but manages to be a very sinister piece of flash fiction. Two brothers drink their mama's tea, after her death, for the "courage" to follow through with their mother's special instructions. The suspense flows through this family horror as the tea flows through the boys.

Not much is revealed about Mama or the ingredients in her tea, but Scribner gives the readers enough tidbits to make the imagination run wild. I'll probably crap myself, if I hear someone whisper "pumpernickel" in the dark.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Spring Screams With Scribner: Day 6 of 7

BACK ROADS by Joshua Scribner is a flash fiction about a guy driving home from college during a snowstorm. Every time Carter sees a cross on the side of the road, a new "passenger" joins him inside his vehicle. It's unclear if they know the driver is aware of their presence, but he can hear them plotting to attack, which causes Carter to drive rather recklessly.

There is more than one supernatural twist to this story, and while this short is entertaining as-is, I wish Scribner had given more background on the characters involved. Seems such a shame to use such an original idea on only a few pages.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Spring Screams With Scribner: Day 5 of 7

MARY'S CORN by Joshua Scribner is a flash fiction piece about a corn field being used in more ways than one. The supernatural aspect is so interesting, it's a pity there isn't more to the backstory.

This is a perfect story for people who complain about not having enough time to read.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Spring Screams With Scribner: Day 4 of 7

CELLMATE by Joshua Scribner is centered on a prisoner who realizes his fellow inmates will inflict all manner of pain and suffering, once they discover the reason he has been imprisoned.

However, during his first night, he's visited by a ghost. The ghost wants to escape, but needs to hitch a ride within a physical body. The two work together to create a distraction before they attempt to flee.

The ending caught me off guard, but I'm not that impressed with the rest of the story.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Spring Screams With Scribner: Day 3 of 7

SEROTONIN by Joshua Scribner features a mix of an Old World legend and New World folklore. I can't go into detail about the characters involved, but I think readers will appreciate the battle of wits in this creature feature.

Whenever I read stories like this one, I'm reassured the author is indeed a horror fan just like the rest of us. While the ending is swift, Scribner managed to surprise me.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Spring Screams With Scribner: Day 2 of 7

NOTHING HAPPENED by Joshua Scribner is told from Marsha's POV as she struggles to understand the source of her boyfriend's nightmares. Chase doesn't have skeletons in his closet, but the ghosts on his property are bad enough.

The ending is a terrible shock. I feel sorry for the little girls.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Spring Screams With Scribner: Day 1 of 7

IN YOUR HEAD by Joshua Scribner is a flash fiction story about a little boy who finds an escape within his mind, but Collin isn't alone inside himself. Someone has been watching and waiting.

This is a family drama with a supernatural twist, and, even though it's only a few pages, Scribner digs deep into the feels with this tale.

As always,
AstraDaemon