Trouble in the Heartland

Truman Bonner is used to battling personal demons, but an encounter with a parasitic imp leaves him shaken to the core. He locks the imp in a secret cell beneath Deadwood, hoping never to encounter the evil entity again. Then Truman's wife disappears from their homestead after a late-night argument, and Truman and his son, Isaac, set out to bring her safely home. Confronted by a series of harrowing supernatural ordeals, the trail leads them back to the imp's macabre prison. Casualties mount, innocence is lost, and before the family is reunited, more than one person will have made a deal with the devil.

BOTTLED SPIRITS by Adrian Ludens is a western supernatural story set in the Badlands of South Dakota. After the initial imprisonment of the imp, the pace is a little slow and the storyline meanders a bit, but, once everything falls into place, readers are able to see how interconnected the characters are, giving the story the depth and drama of an old world saga.

The author is so careful with historical details, this novelette comes across as an alternative history of Deadwood, implying the imp is the reason for the Badlands' reputation. One could easily imagine Ludens telling this story by a campfire, with coyotes howling in the background.

Bottled Spirits is the perfect example of the originality and creativity readers can expect from the Grave Marker series.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Hyena, Take Your Role

A man fights to survive on an island inhabited by a monstrous female with an insatiable appetite for lust. Reader discretion is advised.

DOGFACED EVE by Antonio Simon Jr. has a mind-blowing hook for the first sentence:

"The moment he perfected the angles he was falling headlong through the sigil he'd drawn."

I never guessed the island would exist in another dimension, but that and the she-creature gave the story an instant cosmic horror theme. There are other Lovecraftian elements as well: misanthropy, isolation, and, most of all, helplessness. The author uses those elements to create a nightmare which leaves the character broken, literally and physically, and drags readers into one man's personal hell.

I've never been a fan of using rape as plot device, whether the victim is male or female, but Simon does not use the violence as a means to an end. Rather, the author uses it as the beginning of the end, for both the man and the hybrid.

As always,
AstraDaemon

A Princely Racket

Elizabeth had always fantasized about two of her handsome co-workers, but she knew better than to start anything while she worked side by side with them. Now that she's about to leave the bank for a new job, her wildest, naughtiest fantasies are about to become a reality. But a home invasion wasn't part of what the threesome had planned, and now her wildest dreams are about to become her worst nightmare—in more ways than one.

THE BATHTUB by Andrew Richardson reminds me a bit of 80s horror movies: the characters get screwed in more ways than one. While the erotic backdrop is an interesting way to reel in readers, the setup is unnecessarily long. Even after the initial invasion, there's more dialogue than action.

Elizabeth soons find out Brad and Paolo, her co-workers, have been hiding some disturbing secrets. I found myself more interested in Elizabeth's thoughts and feelings than whether or not she survives the attack. In fact, I didn't feel much sympathy for any of the characters.

The ending is spectacularly brutal, making up for the slow pace of the story. I didn't see it coming, even though, in hindsight, there is some foreshadowing. If you're a Jigsaw fan, you'll probably enjoy soaking yourself in The Bathtub.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Play the Game of Life

Detective Connor Price has an annual PT test looming for his department, and he jogs every chance he has in order to get back into shape. However, his years in homicide have plagued him with a paranoia that makes even the mundane difficult, such as a casual run at his favorite park.

Connor does his best to ignore the seemingly baseless suspicions that he has of others, but tangled up with the paranoia is an acute intuition. An intuition he shouldn't ignore.

JOGGER by S.O. Bailey is full of suspense throughout the story. I have a theory about the ending, but I can't discuss it without revealing any spoilers. However, I will say, I suspect the author may have used some misdirection, and only a true fan of mystery-thrillers will understand what I'm referencing.

This is the third story I've read by the author, and definitely my favorite!

As always,
AstraDaemon

Living Secret Lives

Josephine Wattley had called the police three times already and was still no closer to finding her son. “I don’t think you understand,” Josephine coughed into the receiver, “I can’t find him. Something’s wrong. Ronnie’s always been a good boy.”

A GOOD BOY by Haldan Black is a flash fiction story about a psychological affliction which affects many families. The realism of Josephine's personal horror is heartbreaking. The ending is somewhat predictable, but no less devastating.

I applaud the author for bringing attention to a problem which is often hidden behind closed doors, but affects many different kinds of people.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Faces Look Ugly

With no memories of his identity or where he came from, Baal finds himself trapped in a strange street surrounded by anomalies. The only person available to walk him through is some weird creature by the name of Miles Douglas. The only choice he has is to uncover the truth of the strange place before he loses his sanity.

A FRIEND SO STRANGE by Eric Kibue is an odd piece of flash fiction, mixing theology and the supernatural, and in need of a good editor. The story is interesting, but the writing is roughly done.

If Kibue enlists an editor to polish this piece, I believe fans of Constantine might enjoy Baal's dilemma.

As always,
AstraDaemon

TOP 2018 STORIES

I read hundreds of stories in 2018: horror, science fiction, romance, crime drama and many other genres. I read short stories, stand-alone novels, series, novellas and anthologies. I read stories by authors I have been reading for years, and I discovered many new authors as well. Looking back, I have to admit, the short stories were usually the ones which often left me feeling gut-punched, kicked in the face and dragged into a shallow grave...filled with spikes.

With pleasure, I present to you fine folks (in no particular order),

AstraDaemon's Top 10 Stories for 2018

Psychopomp by Erik Lynd is a great addition to the zombie genre. Lynd manages to blend horror and mythology in a chilling tale about a mortician who is confronted by a talking corpse.

Bones by Howard Odentz is nothing like what I expected. I thought it would be the story of a troubled young man haunted by a ghost. Instead, Odentz has created a family drama with a supernatural twist. While I suspected there was a hidden layer, the depth of Cooper's pain is a horrifying surprise.

The Fire of Night by Brad Lenaway is an excellent short story and, if the author reads this, please consider making this a novel or even a series. The setting is in the future, after a war between the U.S. and North Korea. Although briefly mentioned, the political backstory is fascinating. I'm not sure I've ever read something so devastating and believable. This is a story I recommend to all readers, regardless of your genre preference.

Ruined by Kiersten Knighting is the telling of a popular Greek myth through the eyes of a rape victim. Considering how victim-blaming has been rampant throughout history, I think it's great to see someone give a voice to this iconic person. Knighting does an excellent job giving the character a voice, as well as drawing attention to the bias of the original myth.

No Thanks by Antonio Simon Jr. is a very original flash fiction story about a man who is clearly fed up with everything about his life. His explanation of events leading up to his office shooting spree is an excellent example of a narrator who can't be trusted and, yet, Simon's disgruntled worker is very convincing.

The Quay Avenue Bridge by Phillip Garcia is an excellent ghost story, worthy of being made into a horror movie. Garcia does a fantastic job of laying out the history of the bridge and the freak accident which begins everything. As the author transforms the tragedy into an urban legend over the generations, Garcia masterfully reveals another devastating accident to continue the curse of the bridge.

Queen Joanna by Kate Danley is a short horror story full of suspense and drama, with a touch of the supernatural. Both Joanna and King Stephen are tormented by the darkness looming over their arranged marriage. I am impressed with how well-developed the characters are. Danley's writing style is best described as a blend of Phillipa Gregory and Bram Stoker.

Three Seconds by Kane Banway is the best piece of science fiction I've read in 2018. In fact, I don't think I've been this horrified and fascinated since I read A Sound of Thunder by Ray Bradbury. Banway took a common scifi theme of teleportation and turned it into a pre-apocalypse of the human race.

Blood by Ruth Miranda is so much more than a horror story with supernatural creatures. This novella is a family drama centered around a young man named Caius, who has recently survived an extremely traumatic experience and he now requires therapy. During his sessions, Cai reveals he is suffering from brutal visions...memories of life he's never lived. He soon realizes his family has been keeping several secrets from him, the kind of secrets that tear apart loved ones and destroy lives.

The Beautiful Ones by Kody Boye is the first book in a new series centered on a dystopian society. Essentially, those deemed Beautiful and Handsome are expected to marry and bear children to keep up genetic standards for the Glittering City. The story follows the POV of a sixteen year old girl, Kelendra, chosen from one of the outlying settlements to be one of the Beauties.

Honorable Mention (published in 2017, but read in 2018):

Blood Relations by Lori Titus is the author's best work yet. While fallen angels, religious fanatics and supernatural creatures have been quite common in the horror genre for decades, Titus has found an original way to incorporate these themes into story filled with murder, drama, mythology and the metaphysical.

Additional authors to look for in 2019: Phil Rossi, S.O. Bailey, Rebecca Besser, Alan Sessler, Thom Brannan and Suzanne Robb.

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I'd like to make it crystal clear, most of the stories I read throughout 2018 were very impressive. The Top 10 are the stories which stayed fresh in my mind, even after reading all the hundreds of others. The past year has been an awesome year for fiction readers.

I would also like to add, many of these authors have many other great titles to choose from, so, please, click on the links and see for yourself.

Happy New Year! I look forward to bringing you more amazing stories in 2019!

As always,
AstraDaemon