Friday Feature: Plagued

I JUST WANT TO DIE by Nicholas Wolff caught me completely off guard. I thought I would be reading a supernatural story about death, trying to pass off some lesson about life and death. I couldn't have been more wrong. Wolff has mixed horror, sci-fi and drama to create one of the best apocalyptic outbreak scenarios I've ever read!

Not once did I have any idea where the author would take readers, not even when the narrator mentioned the emergency announcements on the radio. I felt like I had been tossed into the abyss, alongside Mark. Wolff has taken the plague subgenre to a new level.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Thursday Thriller: Frenemy

Sick and tired of day to day life. John turns to his thoughts and imagination for a means of escape.

One day he meets Keith. He is taught that life doesn't have to be boring. It can be fun. You can go places, do things, meet people. For the first time in his life, John begins to enjoy himself.

However, he soon learns that Keith is not as he appears.
He has a dark side. He is out of control and he is taking John down with him.

KEITH by Andrew Lennon centers on a cubicle worker by the name of John. He crosses paths with a guy named Keith a couple of times, and believes he's made a friend. Unfortunately, Keith is a sadistic psycho, and he's determined to drag John into Hell.

I've read so many stories with this premise, I had a solid idea of what kind of entity Keith is. However, I didn't know if, or how, John would be able to get Keith out of his life. The ending is not a happy one. Overall, an interesting psychological novella, but none of the dark humor I've come to expect from the author.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Weird Wednesday: Your Number's Up

From the author of the APPLEWOOD series comes a short story about a small town police chief with a vexing traffic problem. In his search for answers, he soon discovers that sometimes, not knowing is far better than knowing...

THE INTERSECTION by Brendan P. Myers doesn't seem very sinister in the beginning. Accidents happen, nothing supernatural about that. However, Chief Foley is approached by a man who has been studying all the misfortune taking place within the same area. He reveals a hidden historical event, which might explain why the area appears to be cursed. Foley wonders, what can he do about it?

This piece reads more like a prologue for a bigger story, but the suspense is entertaining and the ending is disturbing.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Tuesday Terror: Home Is Where The Heart Is

CAPTIVE HEARTS by Matt Shaw centers on the grief and anger of a man only known as The Doctor. He has lost his daughter in an accident, and Tony has something he wants. Stephanie is tasked with caring for Tony. The story switches between the three POVs. The horror lies within the hopelessness of their situation: none of them are going to get what they want from this situation.

Stephanie's broken spirit suggests she has been there a while, but there is some confusion about her living arrangement with The Doctor. There is a claustrophobic feel to the setting, and Shaw does such a great job describing the conditions Stephanie and Tony must live with, you can smell the human waste and taste the slimy, cold fish.

They do not live in a house. They live in Hell, with each room tailored to their suffering.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Monday Murder: Maldito

Many people stray from the safety of resorts when they're on vacation, despite the warnings of those who are less adventurous. They prefer to experience the different cultures of the world, rather than the same amenities offered at virtually every resort.

Nancy Gomez was a damn good salesperson; she and her husband, Eric, were staying at a Mexican resort on her company's dime until they decided to wander off on their own. They discovered a fishing village with its own small beach and a waterfall. It was the perfect getaway. Then Eric disregarded the local superstition, as well as his wife's plea, and he swam into a forbidden pool. Suddenly, the safety of the resort seemed a thousand miles away.

MALDITO by S.O. Bailey blends folklore, the supernatural, crime drama to create a very wicked horror story. Eric is the perfect example of a rude tourist with zero respect for the nature and culture of other people. I don't feel sorry for him at all. Unfortunately, Eric's bad decision has a trickle down effect.

I would LOVE to see this made into a film. The horror genre needs more stories like this one! I've read a half dozen of Bailey's stories, and this is definitely the best one. I hope the author sticks with this writing style.

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

Sci-Fi Saturday: Teens vs. Aliens

THE GREENWOOD ABDUCTIONS by K.B. Knight is the second book in a series centered on a town constantly dealing with paranormal and otherworldly visitors. The novel begins with the author sharing his own UFO experience, setting the tone for a frightening chain of events. Jasmine, Rose, Nathan, Jewel and Rico are deeply involved...imagine The Breakfast Club thrown into Fire In The Sky.

While the local police try to investigate several missing person reports, as well as some other disturbing crimes, a couple of FBI agents are trying to shut down the conspiracy theories. The Greenwood teens aren't having any of it, determined to stop the most recent wave of sci-fi horror to invade Greenwood.

I enjoyed this story much more than the first one. Knight includes a lot of past experiences with UFOs the characters share with one another, creating an atmosphere of helplessness and desperation. The personal accounts are very much like the tales of real life alien abduction claims, which are likely to give readers second thoughts about going out alone at night. (I had flashbacks to my own memories of strange sky lights.)

The ending is something else. Knight does wrap up the abduction story without any loose ends, but introduces the next tragedy to befall Greenwood in the last sentence. What a hooker.

As always,
AstraDaemon