Welcome to the Lair!
Exploring dark alleys. Discovering new nightmares.
Revisiting the masters.
In your hands is a poetry journal written by an undead poet, recounting his firsthand experience during the zombie plague. Little is known about the author before he turned into a zombie, but thanks to his continued writings in this journal - even after his death - you can accompany him from infection to demise. Through the intimate poetry of haiku, the zombie chronicles his epic journey through deserted streets and barricaded doors. Each three-line poem, structured in the classic 5-7-5 syllable structure, unravels a little more of the story. You'll love every eye-popping, gut-wrenching, flesh-eating page!
Zombie Haiku by Ryan Mecum is something I discovered whilst perusing my local bookstore for some
other zombie lit. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the haikus formed an actual story, about
a guy having a real bad day at work, instead of just being a random assortment
of undead poetry. Another bonus was the size of the book: easy to carry with me
in my bug-out bag without taking up much room. It would also make the perfect
gift for any zombie fan this holiday season.
As always,
AstraDaemon
Zombies Attack The Night Before Christmas by TJ Martin is a mere flash of
bloody mayhem. I hoped for something more than just a revised version of
the famous poem by Clement Moore — it was over too quick!
In this version,
zombies attack Santa and his team of reindeer. The narrator’s family helps
rescue Santa, but the reindeer aren’t so lucky. I wish Martin had written a short story with zombies based on the poem, rather than just
reword the original. However, if you are building a Kindle collection of zombie
lit, consider this a little stocking stuffer.
As always,
AstraDaemon
This exciting and bloodthirsty story tells of the sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge and his epic journey of transformation and redemption, brought about by a plague of ravenous zombies. After the supernatural visitations of the long-dead Jacob Marley, himself killed by zombies and the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Yet to Come he comes to realize that he is London's only hope. In a city under siege by the undead there is only one man with the character and sense of mind able to stand in their way. A thrilling and unusual twist on the festive tale originally written by Charles Dickens.
A Zombie Christmas Carol by Michael G. Thomas is the perfect example of someone
jumping on the zombie bandwagon, and running it right off a cliff (Thomas
should stick to sci-fi & leave the undead alone). Well, somewhere, a Christmas tree is mourning the loss of its
family because this was a complete waste of paper. The lack of creativity was
overwhelming, and this version came off as a lazy attempt at a mash-up.
As always,
AstraDaemon
When Leah and her husband, Clay, move from Seattle to Maine, she envisions a vibrant new neighborhood packed with families—playmates for her twins, new friends she can confide in and bond with. But while Clay works long hours to establish his brewery, Leah is left alone each day in a nearly deserted housing development where the only other occupants are aloof and standoffish.
Bored and adrift, Leah finds herself watching Clarissa and Russell Gaines next door, envying their stylishly decorated home and their university careers. But Leah’s obsession with the intriguing, elegant Clarissa grows until she’s not just spying from afar but sneaking into their house, taking small objects...reading Clarissa’s diary. It contains clues to a hidden turmoil Leah never guessed at—and a connection to a local college girl who’s disappeared.
The more Leah learns about Clarissa, the more questions emerge. Because behind every neighbor’s door there are secrets that could shatter lives forever...
The Neighbor by Joseph Souza lacks the quality found in Unpaved Surfaces or the originality of Need to Find You. I've been enjoying Souza's transition from zombie novels to mystery-thrillers, but this novel has left me wondering if the author has "sold out." While the author's writing style is still as captivating as ever, with alternating POVs between Leah and Clay, the story premise is an over-done theme. Unfortunately, I can't go into detail without giving away spoilers.
Souza also spends more time working current social issues into his story than developing his characters. Clay is a drunk, Leah is a bored housewife, Russell is a cheating husband...I could go on, but my point is everyone is a stereotype, without any effort to give their personalities the depth I've come to expect from the author's characters in previous novels.
The best thing I can say about The Neighbor is this novel would make a great movie for the Lifetime channel.
As always,
AstraDaemon
If you enjoyed the hit series, Black Mirror, you’ll be drawn to this anthology of twisted, sci-fi tales that touch on the hot political topics of today and the speculative social issues of tomorrow.
•ANDROIDS & ANARCHY – A galactic bounty hunter races against the clock to keep an evil aristocrat from using his synthetic fiends to take over the universe.
Resistance Is Brutal by Chanta Rand takes current social issues and places them into sci-fi settings, mixing sociology and science fiction to create stories for readers to make sense of ongoing real-life events by challenging their perception of our culture:
THE UTERAL SUSPECTS features a future version of the #MeToo movement.
YOUR HEALTH IS YOUR WEALTH shows dating in a world based on numbers, in which people are judged by their digits.
EXPERIENCING ETHICAL DIFFICULTIES highlights the influence celebrities have on young viewers, as well those attempting to control the celebrities.
A FORGONE ILLUSION uses advanced technology to remind readers, be careful what you wish for.
ANDROIDS & ANARCHY tackles gender identity on a galactic level, but it is merely a sample of a longer story not available within this anthology.
If Carl Jung and Ray Bradbury had a love child, the result might be Chanta Rand. I only wish she had included more stories within this flash fiction collection, but the author has definitely made her mark with this one.
As always,
AstraDaemon
Insanity breeds insanity. You do whatever it takes to keep your family together, no matter how depraved.
DISTURBED by Emery LeeAnn is just violence for the sake of violence. It takes more than graphic brutality to create a true horror story. There is no suspense or mystery, and very little dialogue. I don't expect much character development in a short story, but I expected something more as far as the twisted family is concerned.
As always,
AstraDaemon
Janice knows better than to make a scene. The other kids will make fun of her. Her mother's boyfriend will do much worse. But it's hard to keep quiet when a dead friend walks into the room.
Beckoning by Joshua Scribner is a short story about a middle schooler haunted by a missing friend. Both Janice and Sadie suffered all kinds of abuse, but Janice is the only one still breathing. Janice soon realizes, her friend is beckoning to her for help.
This story is a lot longer than the author's usual flash fiction, and far more detailed, as a result. The setting and Janice's home life build up the suspense in layers, as Sadie's fate is revealed. The ending is both tragic and beautiful.
Definitely a must for any Scribner fan.
As always,
AstraDaemon
