Choose Your Poison

It's been six years since the dead rose up from their graves to walk among us. In that time, the rules for survival have been altered dramatically. They are about to change yet again, as Alex and Eve, while scavenging for supplies, make a startling discovery that will forever change the rules of engagement between the undead and the living.

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MUTATION by Michael J. Evans is one of the very best zombie stories I have ever read, period. The fantastic use of suspense had me sitting on the edge of my chair, literally. The two main characters, Alex and Eve, make a startling discovery while scavenging, which changes the rules of engagement between the undead and the living.

If zombies aren't your sub-genre of choice, check out my review of another Evans story, For The Preservation of The Species. Once you're familiar with the stories of Michael J. Evans, you'll realize he doesn't think much of the survival of the human race...however, horror fans will enjoy every sickening moment.

One of my favorite aspects about Evans' writing style is his ability to create scenarios that have never crossed your mind, but, once they have, his storytelling will leave you questioning your will to live, should you find yourself in one of his life-altering nightmares.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Saturday Short: Sick. Just...sick.

For The Preservation of the Species by Michael J. Evans should come with warnings for readers..."don't read if you have a fear of bugs"..."don't read if you're pregnant"..."don't read if you're taking a road trip in the countryside"...PROCEED WITH CAUTION...YOU'RE GONNA HAVE NIGHTMARES...YOU'LL NEVER PEE OUTSIDE AGAIN.

Amy and her husband are expecting. She has a surprise for him, so they are on their way to a bed & breakfast in a rural area. They both have to pee. They should've never left the car. Michael J. Evans knows exactly how to exploit people's most primal fears. Evans' monsters make me want to crawl in the sewer with Pennywise.

I dare you to read this on a camping trip...in the woods...with no toilet...

As always,
AstraDaemon

A Wild Ride

UNDYING LOVE by Michael J. Evans begins with an erotic scene between husband and wife. Once the author has his readers all hot and bothered, he reveals the true nature of both the husband and wife. I'll give you a hint: marital counseling isn't going to help them.

While somewhat entertaining this is not a great example of the author's work, so I recommend reading MUTATION to have a better idea of what Evans is capable of delivering.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Things That Make You Scream

When Benjamin is told he can't watch a movie he really wants to see because it's on past his bedtime, he's determined to disobey his mother and watch it anyway, knowing full well he's going to get into trouble if he gets caught. He will soon learn that there are things more fearsome in the house than his mother's wrath.

Benjamin by Michael J. Evans is something I read once before, but I can't for the life of me remember when or where. The ending still surprised me. For a moment, I was expecting something to come out from under the bed...maybe a battle between monsters. I would've been okay with Benjamin sacrificing his older brothers too.

The stories with children at the center always scare the crap out of me, and Evans knows just how to drag out the nightmare.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Butter Those Buns

Ever wake up with the feeling that something bad is going to happen? Well, Robert has, and at first he thinks his illicit affair with one of the owners of the B&B has been discovered and everything is about to come crashing down around him. Thankfully, his secret is safe, but what The Fates have in store for him is far worse than anything he could ever have imagined.

Hungry For More by Michael J Evans is a flash fiction piece about a man consumed by guilty thoughts. He is so certain his lover's wife has found out about their ongoing affair, he fails to see what his instincts are really trying to warn him about. Too bad Robert hyper-focused on the wrong person.

This isn't necessarily the author's best work, but his distaste for people in general still makes for highly entertaining fiction. I swear Evans creates characters just so he can make them suffer and die...and I will keep reading his horror as long as he keeps writing.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Helicopter Mom From Hell

The Last Word by Michael J. Evans is a story about a mother who is so rotten, she torments her daughters, even after death. Ramona, the eldest daughter, refuses to mourn for her mother, which enrages her mother's spirit even more. If I witnessed even one of the events that take place, I would have immediately called in a professional to deal with it. I can't, for the life of me, understand why or how Ramona could be so flippant about everything. While the story is captivating, I couldn't stand the ending.

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I've already mentioned in a previous post I have vivid and detailed dreams, including night terrors, some of which I call serial dreams because they can span anywhere from a few nights to weeks, months and years...kind of like having my own television show in my head and I am the central character. Often these serial dreams have evil entities I couldn't get rid of right away, so I had to deal with them every time I slept, until I found their weaknesses.

There was one entity in particular I couldn't get rid of...I tried all kinds of tricks from the many dream books I had researched (this happened before Google existed). Out of desperation, I decided to try the fight-fire-with-a-bigger-fire approach. My dreamself conjured up another entity to fight the first one. (I don't mean conjure as in summon, just visual manifestation within the dream.) It worked, and, unlike most horror stories, my plan did not backfire on me and the conjured entity dissipated.

Having experienced this, I wonder why characters in horror stories don't try something similar when faced with a major supernatural threat. You'd think the characters would be more open to trying new things to help themselves. If I found myself in Ramona's situation, I'd call on help from another departed relative. It's a thought, anyway...

As always,
AstraDaemon

The Body and Blood

FORGIVE ME FATHER, FOR I HAVE...BURP! by Michael J. Evans is a flash fiction piece centered on a zombie with self-awareness, and a massive amount of guilt. When he attempts to make a confession to a priest, the results are surprising.

Even though there are some rather graphic descriptions of people being devoured, the story is full of dark humor. While entertaining, I still consider Mutation the author's best short.

As always,
AstraDaemon