Something in the Air | Horror Review

OF A MAD BRAIN by Scott Donnelly mixes both psychological and visceral horror to create a family drama within a somewhat gothic setting. I didn't really like any of the characters...they weren't interesting to me in any way and I didn't care what happened to any of them. The ending had a Human Centipede vibe, so there's that.

While well-written, this novella lacks the shock and awe of Donnelly's previous work, although this simply may not be my cup of poisoned tea. If you like movies such as American Psycho, this might appeal to you.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Made For TV

Tracy Franks has never felt the need to find adventure. Aveline, her friend since childhood, lives for adventure. When Aveline convinces Tracy to go on one such adventure with her and her friends, Tracy is thrown into a nightmare she can't wake up from.

Deep Down by Meg Hendry tells the story of four people who decide to explore an abandoned mine. Not much action or dialogue, just telling. There really isn't much in the way of suspense either, being somewhat predictable.

I strongly recommend Hendry hire an editor to help transform the story into the adventure promised in the description. As is, the tale might make a good SyFy movie, but doesn't work well in printed form.

As always,
AstraDaemon

The Babysitter Deserves A Raise

Silence by Meg Hendry reminds me a little of the movie, Boogeyman. I like this story, but it feels rushed in some places, and I think Hendry could turn this into an excellent horror novel if she wanted to. I also think Hendry could have included a detailed flashback of what happened to the other children in the house.

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This story reminded me of a family I babysat for during high school. The had a baby, a 3 yr old and a 4 yr old. As disgusting as it might sound, I didn't feel comfortable leaving the kids alone when I had to use the bathroom. Luckily, the bathroom had plenty of open space, so we weren't crowded. Anyway, I sure as hell wouldn't leave a little kid alone in a house that has something dark and sinister lurking in the freaking hallway.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Consumed by Horror

The Consuming by Rhonda Hopkins isn't easily characterized as a ghost story or a haunted house. In fact, I think it's more a story about estrangement and denial. If you take out the paranormal elements, you have a tragic drama centered around a young woman trying to make sense of her family's buried past. Her uncle becomes a broken man due to his unwillingness to remove himself from a toxic situation, which leads to his eventual death. Unfortunately, Serena seems to suffer from the same affliction.

My only complaint is the abrupt ending. Hopkins takes readers into a dark place, filled with troubled spirits, only to abandon readers to their own conclusions. I might have overlooked this if more history had been revealed about Jesse, Edgar and Gretchen. I feel like Hopkins left me locked in the library.

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I first began reading horror in the late 1980s due to ongoing night terrors (ex: I would see corpses trying to crawl through my ground-level bedroom windows at night)...a face my fear type of decision was made by me. There has always been something cathartic about exposing my imagination the genre. Reading about different kinds of monsters keeps my monsters at a safe distance.

So, someone like Serena in The Consuming is a mystery to me. I wonder how on earth a person could choose to stay in strange house alone after seeing a corpse. I'm not even sure if I'd have the presence of mind to grab my car keys as I hauled ass out of the damned house. Hopefully, I'd have my phone to order up an Uber.

However, the big question, the deciding factor in the hauling-ass plan is: how bad does something have to be before a person is convinced the supernatural and/or unnatural threat is real?

I once asked zombiephiles if they would believe the dead had become undead before or after the zombies were breaking down their doors. Something to think about...

As always,
AstraDaemon

Should've Put The Trash Out

House Warming by Ryan Arnold is a flash fiction piece filled with more than one horror. I had a pretty good idea of what Mason had really been up to, but I wasn't prepared for the turn of events. I expected something along the lines of a haunting, but this is much worse...not unlike The Grudge. I'm really impressed with how much story Arnold fit into just a few pages. You could read this in a matter of minutes, but the visuals will stay with you for a long time.

As always,
AstraDaemon

The Details Will Kill You

The Old Callow House by Nathanial Edwards has a serious formatting issue that is sure to turn off many readers, which is a shame because this is one of the best abandoned house stories I've ever read. I had no idea why the previous owners disappeared or what would happen to the three teenagers who dared to explore the inside. When one of them has an epiphany about the floor plans, I freaked out as much as the character did. I wouldn't mind reading another story centered on this house.

As always,
AstraDaemon