No One Gets Delivered | Horror Review

INTO THE WOODS by Matt Shaw is a great example of how the author connects readers to his characters, so they experience the terror rather than simply reading about the pain and suffering. Many extreme horror authors just slap gore and violence on the pages and call it a story, but Shaw puts real effort into humanizing the inhuman acts.

As always,

AstraDaemon

If Disney Remade Phantasm | Suspense Review

BABY TEETH by Daniel Polansky is kind of like Phantasm, if Disney made their own version. A boy helps a stranger hunt down a vampire killing his peers. You never see the monster, never see what it does to the victims. Hercules remains a mystery, and Graham returns to his unremarkable life. Not really horror, not even a coming-of-age story.

However, the story is well-written, and held my interest from beginning to end, so I'm recommending this to readers who enjoy suspense without gore and violence.

As always,

AstraDaemon 

All Things Serve The Tower | Horror Review

UR by Stephen King seemed rather dry at first, with Wesley coming off as a literary snob with lousy social skills. He discovers the unusual features of his pink Kindle, and yet fails to fully appreciate what he possesses. Luckily, he shares his new device with two others, if only to figure out if he's lost his mind or not.

Once the three begin investigating the UR within the Kindle together, the story becomes quite alarming. The descriptions of the characters' shocked reactions are anxiety-inducing. While I suspected where Wesley would go with his experimenting, the details are the gut-wrenching torments which Stephen King uses to lure readers into the horror genre, enslaving us to our masochistic cravings for more.

If you're already a Stephen King fan, you're going to lose your mind over the ending.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Jewish Golem | Horror Review

ANNA'S SISTER by Amy Cross surprised me with a bit of Jewish folklore in the form of a golem. The author also mixes in various occult practices not normally found together in the same storyline. While I appreciate not knowing how this novella would end, the setup took far too long for my liking, and the character interactions weren't very lively (no pun intended).

This story isn't nearly as entertaining as the author's previous work, but I love the change up from all the ghost stories. If you're looking for something different from Cross, give this a try.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Liebert's Darkest Work | Horror Review

THINGS UNKNOWN by Travis Liebert is another collection of stories belonging to The Shattered God Mythos. These stories are far darker than the ones found in THINGS UNDONE. The first story just about wrecked me, especially as a parent. Casual readers of the horror genre might not have the stomach for many of these stories...consider that a content warning.

Many of these stories have connections to previous shorts released by the author. I strongly recommend reading ALL of Liebert's previous shorts in order to appreciate the characters and their motives in these stories.

With all that said, I highly recommend this to all horror fans.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Ghost Depot | Supernatural Review

SCARE AT THE SQUARE by Scott Donnelly gave me the sense of watching a docudrama on the History Channel late at night. Not so much a story about a person or a group of people, but more of a timeline for horrible and supernatural events because of an abandoned train station.

While Donnelly's short held my interest from beginning to end, this isn't nearly as ghastly and thrilling as his pervious work. THE WHOOL is still my favorite by this author.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Water of the Womb | Horror Review

FLOWERS FOR THE SEA by Zin E. Rocklyn is a dark fantasy novella full of powerful imagery, with elements of Lovecraftian horror and mythology.

The author has a quite a talent for creating a strong female character with a rich ancestral history full of mysticism.

If you'd like a taste of Rocklyn's writing style before you decide on this one, I highly recommend THE NIGHT SUN.

As always,

AstraDaemon